How can I better focus my charitable giving?
September 10, 2017 12:44 PM Subscribe
Since the election, I have made an effort to increase my charitable giving. I've given small amounts to lots of different organizations around many issues: funding abortion, fighting climate change, donating reparations to individuals and groups, ACLU, SPLC, local food banks, Donors Choose, and many others. But my budget is relatively modest and I haven't been doing much in the way of volunteering or taking action. I'd like to get more focused about making an impact. Can you help suggest the best way to do that? More details below....
I care about all these issues, of course, but in thinking through this question of what matters most to me, I'd really like to focus on issues around rape culture, sexual predation, reproductive rights, and domestic violence and abuse. In other words, issues that affect women. The number of women I know and hear about who are trapped in relationships with controlling and abusive men makes me sad. I'd like to help women break this cycle, particularly the next generation of women. I'd also like to focus first domestically and locally, and bonus for work that impacts women of color specifically. I am in California but my employer does support time off for charitable work, so as part of this I could take a week and volunteer somewhere, or travel somewhere, if that makes sense.
I know this is still pretty broad, but hoping to get some good ideas of where to contribute my money, and how I can volunteer my time as well. Note that I do have anxiety and am one of the many people who lies awake at night worrying about the state of the world, and I don't think manning a rape crisis hotline (for example) would work for me. Something like being an escort for Planned Parenthood might work -- but I am in the liberal Bay Area so not sure if it will make as much impact here.
My budget is around $200 per month, and my employer does match up to $1000 per year in giving. Any suggestions for me?
I care about all these issues, of course, but in thinking through this question of what matters most to me, I'd really like to focus on issues around rape culture, sexual predation, reproductive rights, and domestic violence and abuse. In other words, issues that affect women. The number of women I know and hear about who are trapped in relationships with controlling and abusive men makes me sad. I'd like to help women break this cycle, particularly the next generation of women. I'd also like to focus first domestically and locally, and bonus for work that impacts women of color specifically. I am in California but my employer does support time off for charitable work, so as part of this I could take a week and volunteer somewhere, or travel somewhere, if that makes sense.
I know this is still pretty broad, but hoping to get some good ideas of where to contribute my money, and how I can volunteer my time as well. Note that I do have anxiety and am one of the many people who lies awake at night worrying about the state of the world, and I don't think manning a rape crisis hotline (for example) would work for me. Something like being an escort for Planned Parenthood might work -- but I am in the liberal Bay Area so not sure if it will make as much impact here.
My budget is around $200 per month, and my employer does match up to $1000 per year in giving. Any suggestions for me?
The YWCA Silicon Valley (in San Jose) does really good work on issues that you care about - including targeting services towards woman in marginalized and underserved communities. Their slogan is eliminating racism, empowering women. It would have the benefit of focusing the resources locally. Note that the YWCA is very, very different from the YMCA.
posted by metahawk at 1:47 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by metahawk at 1:47 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
You could set up a monthly donation to a Planned Parenthood or a domestic violence organization either in your vicinity or in an underserved area, or split your donations between 2 or more organizations. You can look at Charity Navigator, GiveWell and GuideStar for organizations which address the issues you are focused on, and to hone in on those which could make your dollar go the furthest.
Consider looking for a local organization for which you could serve as a board member. Often this is non-stressful, even kind of boring work (at least in my experience) which you can do mostly outside office hours, and which has the potential to multiply your effectiveness - say for example that you might be recruiting 10 people to cover the phones at a rape crisis center who would be more effective at it than you would be.
It's okay to experiment with this - both your giving and your volunteer work. As you go you'll learn more and more about where you can be most effective. It's okay to not get it perfect right out of the gate.
When I first volunteered I went with to one of my favorite charitable organizations, but found that the local office wasn't particularly well-organized in their approach to handling volunteers. I found another organization which was also worthwhile and better organized locally, for which I was able to work I found more meaningful and impactful. I still give $$ to the first organization, I just don't try to volunteer with them.
posted by bunderful at 1:50 PM on September 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
Consider looking for a local organization for which you could serve as a board member. Often this is non-stressful, even kind of boring work (at least in my experience) which you can do mostly outside office hours, and which has the potential to multiply your effectiveness - say for example that you might be recruiting 10 people to cover the phones at a rape crisis center who would be more effective at it than you would be.
It's okay to experiment with this - both your giving and your volunteer work. As you go you'll learn more and more about where you can be most effective. It's okay to not get it perfect right out of the gate.
When I first volunteered I went with to one of my favorite charitable organizations, but found that the local office wasn't particularly well-organized in their approach to handling volunteers. I found another organization which was also worthwhile and better organized locally, for which I was able to work I found more meaningful and impactful. I still give $$ to the first organization, I just don't try to volunteer with them.
posted by bunderful at 1:50 PM on September 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
Best answer: ACCESS is an amazing organization that helps women seeking reproductive healthcare, including but not limited to abortion services, contraception, prenatal care, and adoption services. Their volunteers provide rides to/from abortions, funding for train/bus/plane tickets for women coming from out of town/state, and even host patients in their homes when they're required to stay overnight for a procedure. Any money to ACCESS will go very far in helping women very much in need. (Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with them but have worked in overlapping circles, and they do incredible work!)
posted by stillmoving at 2:12 PM on September 10, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by stillmoving at 2:12 PM on September 10, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Alabama Reproductive Rights (ARRA) serves the 2nd worst state for abortion access. They provide direct services to women as grants for abortions, and travel, and the overnight stays for the 24 hour wait period for the women who have to travel. They run line escorts and protest cordons. They are awesome.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:20 PM on September 10, 2017
posted by DarlingBri at 2:20 PM on September 10, 2017
Your don't mention whether you would consider international donations, but Camfed empowers girls and women in Africa, primarily through education, but also in other ways. And your money goes a lot further there; I think a few hundred dollars can pay for a year of schooling.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 4:24 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 4:24 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In the Bay Area, the Alipato Project (previously on Metafilter) is worth looking at. They sue abusers in court, and generally provide legal aid to resisters of domestic violence.
posted by mistersix at 6:50 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mistersix at 6:50 PM on September 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Court escorts for undocumented women reporting domestic violence are really, really badly needed right now, including in the Bay! And in general escort services are appreciated to all kinds of appointments. I went through my org's referral list and pulled some that I think would be interested in having you volunteer with a focus on that kind of accompaniment, although some of these orgs could also use just like, data management volunteers too.
EAST BAY:
-- Bay Area Women Against Rape
-- Rainbow Community Center – STAND in PRIDE
-- Latina Center (Spanish preferred)
-- Narika (for South Asian women: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
-- Family Violence Law Center (? maybe -- they're kind of a restraining order factory right now)
-- Centro Legal de la Raza (super overworked, might not get back to you right away, Spanish strongly preferred)
-- Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) (probably Spanish required)
MARIN:
-- Center for Domestic Peace (home of Marin Abused Women's Services)
SAN FRANCISCO:
-- SF Women Against Rape
(there are almost definitely more orgs like this in SF proper, lmk if you live in the city and I'll do a deeper dive!)
-- La Raza Centro Legal
SOUTH BAY:
-- Rape Trauma Services (Burlingame)
-- Asian Americans for Community Involvement
-- Maitri
-- Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (give them a call at least, not sure that they generally do accompaniment but sure that they do the kind of work where it'd be useful)
-- Bay Area Legal Aid of San Mateo County (ditto)
-- Asian Law Alliance (ditto)
-- Rape Crisis Center – YWCA of Silicon Valley
Finally, every county has a Family Law Self-Help Center at the courts themselves. My understanding is that these are all employee-based organizations--but it may be that there's volunteer opportunities associated with them, especially of the court accompaniment variety. Check it out! :)
posted by peppercorn at 11:14 PM on September 10, 2017
EAST BAY:
-- Bay Area Women Against Rape
-- Rainbow Community Center – STAND in PRIDE
-- Latina Center (Spanish preferred)
-- Narika (for South Asian women: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
-- Family Violence Law Center (? maybe -- they're kind of a restraining order factory right now)
-- Centro Legal de la Raza (super overworked, might not get back to you right away, Spanish strongly preferred)
-- Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) (probably Spanish required)
MARIN:
-- Center for Domestic Peace (home of Marin Abused Women's Services)
SAN FRANCISCO:
-- SF Women Against Rape
(there are almost definitely more orgs like this in SF proper, lmk if you live in the city and I'll do a deeper dive!)
-- La Raza Centro Legal
SOUTH BAY:
-- Rape Trauma Services (Burlingame)
-- Asian Americans for Community Involvement
-- Maitri
-- Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (give them a call at least, not sure that they generally do accompaniment but sure that they do the kind of work where it'd be useful)
-- Bay Area Legal Aid of San Mateo County (ditto)
-- Asian Law Alliance (ditto)
-- Rape Crisis Center – YWCA of Silicon Valley
Finally, every county has a Family Law Self-Help Center at the courts themselves. My understanding is that these are all employee-based organizations--but it may be that there's volunteer opportunities associated with them, especially of the court accompaniment variety. Check it out! :)
posted by peppercorn at 11:14 PM on September 10, 2017
I'm a nonprofit fundraising professional. Your money is worth more to nonprofits with smaller budgets. I don't generally recommend donating to organizations that are super well-known nationally, if your donation is gonna be a few bucks a month. Those few bucks' impact on a local shelter or advocacy group are the equivalent of thousands of bucks of impact to a group like the ACLU or something. Any legitimate nonprofit's budget can be found online easily!
(Also: if you care at all about fair labor practices, don't put too much store in stuff like "95% of your donation goes directly to programming!" Generally speaking, this means "we underpay and overwork our employees.")
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:15 AM on September 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
(Also: if you care at all about fair labor practices, don't put too much store in stuff like "95% of your donation goes directly to programming!" Generally speaking, this means "we underpay and overwork our employees.")
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:15 AM on September 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Some other stuff:
Do not feel guilty about not personally volunteering your time! Most places I've worked, volunteers ranged in usefulness from 'nice to have around during specific occasions when we need extra manpower' to 'a pack of irritants who are taking up staff time due to their need for handholding.' Trust me, we'd mostly rather have your money!
I personally prefer to split my money between direct services (i.e. food banks, shelters, etc) and advocacy groups (i.e. organizing to make changes in The Way Things Work). (Many groups do both, but generally will focus more on one or the other.) Reason being: food banks funded by private individuals are currently necessary but they should not be. A group which advocates to address the root causes of food insecurity is going to make more long-term positive impacts in the world (assuming that they're effective); yet, right this moment, people need food. So do both.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:38 AM on September 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Do not feel guilty about not personally volunteering your time! Most places I've worked, volunteers ranged in usefulness from 'nice to have around during specific occasions when we need extra manpower' to 'a pack of irritants who are taking up staff time due to their need for handholding.' Trust me, we'd mostly rather have your money!
I personally prefer to split my money between direct services (i.e. food banks, shelters, etc) and advocacy groups (i.e. organizing to make changes in The Way Things Work). (Many groups do both, but generally will focus more on one or the other.) Reason being: food banks funded by private individuals are currently necessary but they should not be. A group which advocates to address the root causes of food insecurity is going to make more long-term positive impacts in the world (assuming that they're effective); yet, right this moment, people need food. So do both.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:38 AM on September 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:49 PM on September 10, 2017 [5 favorites]