Comments on: BUY BUY BUY

Question: BUY BUY BUY

Pants! — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:41:30 -0800

Charity for Christmas?

I have pretty much everything I need (although not necessarily everything I would like). This year, I decided to ask for charity contributions instead. I'd like a list of charities that help people directly (such as MADRE and the Wheelchair Foundation)

Any that you know about that seem good to you?

By: jquinby

jquinby — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:50:00 -0800

Kevin Kelly (of Cool Tools, among other things) did a profile on these micro-loan programs that I've been interested in for awhile.

By: darsh

darsh — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:51:30 -0800

I cannot recommend Modest Needs enough. Their mission is to prevent people from entering the cycle of poverty by assisting low-income households to meet the short-term emergency expenses. You can ask for (or give) gift certificates , which can then be redeemed and used to either fund individual requests (all requests can be viewed), or go into the general fund.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:53:53 -0800

I am personally find of Seva and Doctors Without Borders for this sort of thing.

Another approach would be to look for charities that are local to you which help people in your own community with some sort of direct service or action. I'm often interested in the wishlists of the local humane society, food shelf or community action organization that need things like blankets, printers, labelmakers, etc. Sometimes if there are relatives hellbent on goods, not donations, you can order off of someone else's wishlist and just walk the thing over there. Craigslist used to have a feature that did this, but I'm having trouble locating it now.

By: rtha

rtha — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:55:26 -0800

Well, there're about a zillion great organizations out there that help people directly, but if I had to pick one right now I'll recommend WORLD (Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Disease). Their mission statement:

WORLD is a diverse community of women living with HIV/AIDS and their supporters working together to:
• Provide support and information to women with HIV/AIDS and their friends, family & loved ones.
• Educate and inspire women with HIV/AIDS to advocate for themselves, one another and their communities
• Promote public awareness of women's HIV/AIDS issues and a compassionate response for all people with HIV/AIDS.

They run on the tiniest of shoestrings imaginable, but their impact on the women they work with is amazing.

Disclaimer: my partner is on their board, and I've met a bunch of the folks who run it.

By: darsh

darsh — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:56:22 -0800

If you like the micro-loans idea, Kiva also has a feature where gift certificates can be bought and redeemed, so that specific people/ideas can be funded

By: amarynth

amarynth — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:57:48 -0800

I like Donor's Choose. Public school teachers submit proposals for materials that they need in their classrooms, and you can search by area or keyword to find a project that's meaningful to you.

You can also set up a gift registry or challenge.

By: Miko

Miko — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:01:31 -0800

The Heifer Project is also the kind of direct assistance you like.

By: iamabot

iamabot — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:06:23 -0800

I'm a big fan of Child's Play, but I think that's mostly because my wife won't let me play video games.

By: matildaben

matildaben — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:11:55 -0800

Charity Navigator can help you evaluate the charities before you choose.

By: goml

goml — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:21:30 -0800

changingthepresent.org

By: Seamus

Seamus — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:04:49 -0800

Seconding using Charity Navigator.

Also, Kiva.org is pretty cool because it isn't really charity and you can keep helping people with the same money over and over and over...

My mom thinks it's the SHIT! Not that she puts it that way, of course.

By: thinkingwoman

thinkingwoman — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:37:12 -0800

the kenya mobile library project.

By: Cricket

Cricket — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:41:47 -0800

I like St. Jude Children's Hospital (donations at my grandfather's death were sent to St. Jude and to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children), and I second Child's Play.

By: Doohickie

Doohickie — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:32:25 -0800

These are all great suggestions.

I met Robert Gamble a couple months ago. We have a common friend, and he used to be the pastor of a Presbyterian church in the U.S. He formed a foundation, This Child Here [caution: amateur webmaster!], that ministers to street kits in Odessa in the Ukraine. You can read about how he got involved in the whole thing here. If you are looking for an organization where a small contribution can make a big difference, this is one.

By: msali

msali — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:43:07 -0800

Have you considered checking with social services in your area? Frequently, they run Christmas drives, where you can 'adopt' a local family for Christmas. A form is provided to you with the family's wishlist and details, and you purchase what you can afford. I think it is a plus to keep my donation local, and the bonus is that since I am not donating to a large national or international agency, there is no threat of my name being sold AGAIN to other NGOs that are going to make every attempt (and misspend heaps of cash in the process) to wring a donor dollar out of me.
I do love Kiva, though.

By: genefinder

genefinder — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:17:36 -0800

I'll second Heifer. It's what all the Godparents will be getting for Christmas this year.

By: divabat

divabat — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:03:41 -0800

Seconding micro-loans, they're awesome.

Is there an organization in your community that needs support? By supporting them, you'd get to see first-hand where your money goes.