Charity begins at home

December 18, 2007 7:59 AM

I'd like to donate money to charities on behalf of my family members, but I'd like to tailor it towards their occupations/interests.

So far I have:
Doctors Without Borders for my mom, a nurse
Engineers Without Borders for my dad, an engineer

I need one that involves teaching, one that involves that involves construction [bonus points if concrete/cement plays some central role in the charity] and one that assists children.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I'd prefer no religious affiliation.

posted by cloeburner to Society & Culture (11 answers total)

Response by poster: I'm aware of prior threads, but they aren't picky enough. Oh yeah, nothing that involves the exploitation of an animal either. Thanks.
posted by cloeburner at 8:00 AM on December 18, 2007

One Laptop Per Child Foundation? Teach for America (obvious) or New Leaders for New Schools?
posted by shwynn2 at 8:05 AM on December 18, 2007

You might find some ideas at changingthepresent.org
posted by goml at 8:44 AM on December 18, 2007

Save the Children or Unicef are the obvious children's charity choices.
posted by dmt at 8:51 AM on December 18, 2007

I posted this org on an earlier question, I think they're great. It may work well for your "construction" theme as they build water wells.

charity:water
posted by illek at 8:52 AM on December 18, 2007

For construction, Habitat for Humanity seems like the perfect choice. Guaranteed cement foundation, at least.

For the "children" charity, avoid pretty much any "Adopt a Child" foundation, as these can be problematic.
posted by Deathalicious at 9:08 AM on December 18, 2007

The children's charity I'd go with Child's Play. It's really pretty fantastic (and I've donated to them before).

For the construction, I'd go with Habitat for Humanity. It's an old stand-by, but a good one.
posted by oddman at 9:41 AM on December 18, 2007

Response by poster: Great suggestions so far. Just out of curiosity is there an organization like Habitat for Humanity that is not Christian?
posted by cloeburner at 9:49 AM on December 18, 2007

donorschoose.org - teachers (generally in lower income districts) propose things they need for their class. I picked out projects in the cities where people live and related to their job. (Nutrition program for a dietician, etc.)
posted by k8t at 10:43 AM on December 18, 2007

Teacher & Children: Safe Passage has started schools for the children of families who glean the garbage in the Guatemala City dump. Families receive an in-kind donation to replace the income lost when the child attends school. They now provide literacy classes for parents, a health clinic, and have changed the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. Sadly, the founder, Hanley Denning, died in a car accident this year, but the work she began is continuing.
posted by theora55 at 11:17 AM on December 18, 2007

There's quite a lot to choose from on Kiva.org but the method of donation may not be what you're looking for. Kiva works by providing loans to businesses in third world countries which are then repaid leaving the donor free to reloan the money. I'm sure you could find businesses that your relatives would like or you could get them gift certificates for them to pick the businesses themselves. It's the charity that keeps on giving!
posted by LunaticFringe at 11:40 AM on December 18, 2007