Where can ~$1000 do the most good these days?

December 5, 2020 11:44 AM

My husband and I are lucky in that COVID has been only an inconvenience for us and not a hardship. We have money (say, $1000) we want to donate to help ease the hardships other people are experiencing.

Riffing off Maslow's need hierarchy, we'd like to focus our funds on helping meet people's basic needs. We already donate to our regional food bank as well as a hyperlocal assistance fund. But there must be other organizations out there addressing issues beyond food. For example, are there groups that do for mortgages/rent payments what RIP Medical Debt does? I can't be the only one looking for the best way to help!

posted by DrGail to Grab Bag (24 answers total)

Would love to know the answer as well! Would love to know how/where I can best deploy my christmas bonus and am overwhelmed trying to sort it out.
posted by shaademaan at 12:07 PM on December 5, 2020

Best answer: Vox has an good article on this. Personally I give to GiveWell.
posted by catquas at 12:07 PM on December 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Give Directly isn't my favorite, but it's the best I've found so far at, well, giving directly.
posted by aniola at 12:20 PM on December 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

(FWIW, Givewell and Metafilter have a bit of a shared history.)
posted by box at 12:23 PM on December 5, 2020 [4 favorites]

After my local police killed George Floyd, the community really showed up, and one of the things that happened was an active mutual aid network was born on Facebook. I've been learning to let go of my desire for control and certainty, and have been pouring a big part of my budget into direct Venmo payments to people in need.

Do other communities have such things?
posted by advicepig at 12:24 PM on December 5, 2020 [5 favorites]

direct Venmo payments to people in need
I second that motion. Buy 10 grocery gift cards of $100 each. A local food assistance charity can help you give them directly people for whom they will make a difference. Here's an example of people doing this.
posted by beagle at 12:36 PM on December 5, 2020 [7 favorites]

I give cash to my local food bank, who are feeding far more people this year than usual. Giving cash is far more efficient than giving them retail priced cans. Lets them buy decent fresh food.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:39 PM on December 5, 2020 [25 favorites]

Do you have a local homelessness agency? A group that works to house people, keep people in their housing, advocates for affordable housing, etc? That might be a target.
posted by MadamM at 12:48 PM on December 5, 2020

Great point, fingersandtoes. Food bank networks are one of very few ways to help where your money can effectively be more than what you put in. They still run up against the bureaucracies and policies of the food banks where people can get food aid, so people are going to fall through the cracks, but again, your $1000 gets almost $9000 or buying power through the bigger ones like Second Harvest.

(In addition to my new mutual aid posted above, we are long time monthly donors to Second Harvest Heartland.)
posted by advicepig at 1:02 PM on December 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Yes, food bank, by all means. If there are clothing drives in your area, consider those as well. It's going to be a cold winter.
posted by SPrintF at 1:15 PM on December 5, 2020

I recently donated to a non-profit in my city (Nationalities Service Center) that is directing aid to undocumented immigrants to meet their basic needs, since this population is not able to access governmental aid and are also often essential workers. They also serve unaccompanied immigrant minors and refugees. I was not able to donate $1000, and I'm thankful you are in a position to do so, and are ACTUALLY DOING IT! I donated what I could and it felt good. Whichever organization you choose will be in a better position to assist their clients. Thank you.
posted by citygirl at 1:29 PM on December 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

If you live in the USA, I would think big picture and donate to Fair Fight Action or another group working on the Georgia Senate races. Hear me out: if you want to make the biggest long-term difference to people in need it will be by putting in power those who will pass laws that will measurably improve their lives. That's not going to happen if Republicans maintain control of the Senate.

If you live outside the USA, GiveWell is an excellent organization.
posted by Anonymous at 1:29 PM on December 5, 2020

Sure donate to food banks and women's shelters, but if you're in the USA I'd argue the long-term benefits to those people in need would be served as well or better by donating to critical political action groups in Georgia, as related in a recent post on the Blue.

You can also divide your money among several groups, I believe this is better on average than donating a larger sum to one group. This not only spreads risks and benefits across a portfolio of funding, but also helps more organizations who do good work to report better bottom line finances to their stakeholders.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:30 PM on December 5, 2020 [4 favorites]

I would have to concur with the comments above re Georgia. Climate change is an existential threat to humankind. Covid is not. (COVID is horrible, there is no doubt.) At this moment our best opportunity to make any progress in the USA on climate change is to control the senate. Improbable as it sounds, it is not impossible that the fate of us all might hinge on the election in Georgia. That being said, donating money to a foodbank is a lovely and generous act. Respect, no matter what you choose.
posted by jcworth at 1:51 PM on December 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Hello, I am also in Chicago! I give people rent money through my mutual aid network. If you are in Chicago or Cook (or any of the other suburbs, really), memail me and I'll let you know where to find your own local mutual aid network. Donating and focusing on political campaigns is great, but people need money now to pay rent, to stay housed.
posted by quadrilaterals at 2:08 PM on December 5, 2020 [6 favorites]

To answer the question in your subject line: "Where can ~$1000 do the most good these days?":

I think there's a strong argument to be made that the answer is "In the poorest areas of the world", which are outside the US.

As an example- in the poorest countries, there are people go blind because, tragically, they lack the resources for surgery that can be had for as little as $50. So, for $1000, you can keep 20 people from going blind in those coutntries. (See the Seva web site). I think it's hard to see $1000 having that much impact anywhere in the US.

Of course, there may be many reasons you prefer to give money locally.

(Also: If you are really interested in "where can my charitable donations do the most good", you might want to look into Effective Altruism, which is an attempt to answer that very question).
posted by ManInSuit at 2:32 PM on December 5, 2020 [6 favorites]

Give it to people in need. Skip the agencies. I would split it up into ten $100 donations. $100 is enough to buy groceries or pay a bill or buy a bus pass or fill up with gas. Agencies always have overhead. If your local community has a 100 Neediest cases or similar program, that could direct you. Or, join a COVID mutual aid group on Facebook in your local area. Every day people are posting their needs.
posted by hworth at 2:41 PM on December 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Directly to people. There are a lot of us out here who are struggling and also mostly ineligible for official aid programs (for instance I've been denied unemployment which was basically my only financial aid source as an individual, and my small business is too small to actually qualify me for any of the aid available to small businesses. I'm literally depending on the kindness of family and friends for any expenses above my rent rn). See if you can find some people in your communities, online or in person, to donate $100 each or any other way it feels right to split it. I guarantee you there are people you know to whom getting that much would be an immediate, enormous help.
posted by augustimagination at 2:49 PM on December 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Modest Needs helps working families meet unexpected lump-sum expenses (e.g., car repair, catching up on rent or utilities after being out sick, dental bills). There is occasionally a slight whiff of "deserving poor" rhetoric about them, but there is no doubt that preventing someone already housed and employed from being evicted or losing their job is a lot easier than helping them after some unexpected expense has upended their lives (and, obviously, less traumatic for them). With $1000, you could probably prevent a couple of evictions all by yourself.
posted by praemunire at 3:20 PM on December 5, 2020 [6 favorites]

If you have a mediation services nonprofit in your area, they likely provide landlord/tenant mediations. This can be a way to keep people in their homes, if landlords are willing to qork with them.
posted by entropyiswinning at 3:23 PM on December 5, 2020

Best answer: Food banks are often inundated with donations around Christmas, and then people go hungry in the difficult winter months of January - March. Consider waiting until January and then donating to a local food security organization.

As someone who has experienced food insecurity, I can say there is a lot more dignity in receiving food resources that you can take away with you and prepare/eat privately than there is in "free meals" for poor people that you eat in some kind of cafeteria or church hall.

If you end up donating to a food security organization, think about the experience of the people who use the service. What is it like to stand in line for food for several hours in public/in the cold? Do they have to pray before they eat to be allowed to eat? Are they given dented cans/expired food to take home with them? Do wealthy students come volunteer for work experience, or are peers involved in serving others?

My vote is for a food security organization that goes out of its way to protect and enhance the dignity of its clientele.
posted by unstrungharp at 5:35 PM on December 5, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Paying for people's bail via a bail fund can have a tremendous impact. Not being able to afford bail can ruin someone's life even if they are later found innocent -- they can't make it to their job, which compounds into not being able to make rent or car payments, which then makes it near impossible to get a job again. It's particularly powerful now, when a visciously disproportionate number of covid cases in jails and prisons makes being held in custody a potential death sentence. Plus, once someone's bail is paid, the fund can reuse a large portion of your donation to bail out someone else!
posted by Pwoink at 6:22 PM on December 5, 2020 [7 favorites]

I'm partial to Poverty Alleviation Charities which is also based in Chicago.
posted by borkencode at 8:21 AM on December 6, 2020

Another vote for food bank. They have the ability to multiply the value of your donation many times over as they have the ability to buy at non-retail prices. Many, many people are food insecure right now and food banks are trying their best to keep up, but need lots of financial support to do it.
posted by quince at 4:53 PM on December 6, 2020