UNICEF vs. Oxfam

January 13, 2012 2:28 PM

UNICEF vs. Oxfam?

Hello. I've been a regular donor to Oxfam for some time; however I ran into a UNICEF volunteer a few days ago and promised to think about whether my monthly donations would be better made to UNICEF. So, I ask you, hivemind: given a fixed amount of money to donate each month, which of these worthy organizations should receive most or all of what I have to donate? Or, what information about these (imho admirable) organizations should I take into account when making this decision?

posted by washburn to society & culture (4 answers total)

Oxfam vs. UNICEF. UNICEF has a higher proportion going to "program expenses" than Oxfam but both get 4 stars. I vote for give where you want to give, your money will be doing good things either way.
posted by magnetsphere at 3:02 PM on January 13, 2012

Not a vote against, but because they're part of the UN, UNICEF's transparency requirements are not so high as OXFAM's. For example, they don't tell you how much money is spent on a given program etc. They both do fine work. I stopped donating to UNICEF last year when they used my phone details to un-asked telemarket me. I will not support that shit under any circumstances.
posted by smoke at 3:48 PM on January 13, 2012

Jim Shooter, then editor in chief of Marvel Comics, has this to say about Oxfam regarding his attempt to raise money for them during the "We Are The World," "Live Aid," "Do They Know It's Christmas" era.
posted by kimota at 6:09 PM on January 13, 2012 [1 favorite]

Would you think wider than that choice of two? Both are admirable organisations but Medicines San Frontieres/ Doctors Without Borders has a far lower administrative overhead ratio than both. UNICEF has a big internal infrastructure to support and Oxfam spends huge sums of money on advertising. Neither is true of msf.
posted by dmt at 1:53 AM on January 14, 2012