Favorite Charities

[Unidyne]

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation: http://us.tzuchi.org/us/en/
(They run hospitals, schools and other charity works throughout Asia, and also operate a recycling plant that turns plastic bottles into fabric for blankets and clothing.)

Free Press Action Fund: http://savethenet.org/

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: http://cbldf.org/

[LaVidaRoja]

Webhick and I could both list the local food pantries where we volunteer. These are qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in communities where more than one in four families face food insecurity every day. Food pantries (or food banks, if you prefer that term) do not provide adquate supplies to feed a family for any prolonged period. The families we feed also are food-stam eligible, and may also be receiving assistance for things such as rent and utilities from other sources.
Those of us who are on diets, who debate the nutritional value as opposed to the costs/servings of the food we buy should be counting our blessings and putting the price of our weekly indulgences - whether in coffee, doughnuts, deserts, martinis or beer - into feeding those who cannot otherwise feed themselves.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Local intervention/shelter organizations that serve troubled families.

[LaVidaRoja]

Thank you JRB

[Pottapaug1938]

USS Salem (CA-139) - http://www.uss-salem.org
-- my Scout troop is based in Quincy; and six of my Eagle Scouts have done their Eagle Projects on board

Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org)
-- they not only provide people around the world with the means to support themselves, while keeping administrative costs low; they require the people to then turn around and help others. My wife and I saw their demonstration farm in Rutland, Mass., and it's quite a place.

[Cathulhu]

I donate to boob cancer and heart disease research, out of enlightened self-interest. The spouse has a regular donation taken from his pay for NW Harvest (where I would volunteer if I weren't sorta handicapped--I'm not permitted to lift more than a cat, and the doctors are arguing about the cat) all year around. And every year we donate to Red Cross at this time, since they were what kept my father-in-law alive in a German slave labor camp.

One of the reasons that my fave brewpub is my fave--Harmon's makes it really easy to do good. There are regular and frequent weekend specials where you buy dinner for yourself, and for one of the nice kids out of Ft. Lewis. They sponsor charity events and raise money from happy drunks, and those garlic parmesan fries are one of my reasons for living.

[Arthur Rubin]

I'm not permitted to lift more than a cat, and the doctors are arguing about the cat)

What does the cat think about it?

[Cathulhu]

Fortunately, Madame Cathulhu the tabby has decided she can hop up onto my lap herself. And still puts me to bed at night with a lengthy neck rub, as kitty physical therapist.

[Burzmali]

I've always given to Child's Play Charity, www.childsplaycharity.org. It's seemed appropriate as a gamer and as I've had a sibling and a nephew spend extended periods of time in the hospital.

[Brandybuck]

I have an automatic monthly donation to Salvation Army. The homeless need meals even if it's not Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[The Dog]

My wife works at Headley Court, the rehabilitation centre for wounded UK forces so Help for Heroes is naturally high on the list:
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

That apart, I am fond of dogs, so support Dogs for the disabled:
http://www.dogsforthedisabled.org/

and heavy horses:
http://www.theworkinghorsetrust.org/

and recently came across another charity, Greatwood:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... ldren.html
http://www.greatwoodcharity.org/

[Number Six]

For me the criteria on this are low overhead and administrative costs, and maximum benefit to the truly needy. Also teaching people to fish instead of feeding them for a day.

Mercy Corps and World Vision fit this criteria. America's Second Harvest takes surplus food and distributes it to the needy through food banks. The Catholic charities meet the standard criteria and are a big part of the New York Times "neediest cases fund".

[JamesVincent]

For me the criteria on this are low overhead and administrative costs, and maximum benefit to the truly needy. Also teaching people to fish instead of feeding them for a day.

Mercy Corps and World Vision fit this criteria. America's Second Harvest takes surplus food and distributes it to the needy through food banks. The Catholic charities meet the standard criteria and are a big part of the New York Times "neediest cases fund".

Catholic Charities are another big one for me since they are the ones that sponsor Villa Maria Continuum which is the mental health providers that the therapists for my children work out of.

http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/vil ... a-schools/

Besides being a resident/non-resident school up near Towson, Md they have branches like where my children go and their therapists go into public schools to help children of low income families while they are in school deal with school itself. They also sponsor monthly support groups for parents and children in every county in the Baltimore area. Im sure they have other activities around the country like this, Im just familiar with the ones around here.

[Pantherphil]

My favorites are my local church and my local Lions Club because they are 100% volunteer, no overhead costs deducted, direct service delivery to really needy people that you can see first hand.
In the professional category, I also like the Salvation Army because they are low overhead direct service delivery and are actually in the trenches helping needy people. I used to like our local volunteer Soup Kitchen but "professional" leadership has recently had a falling out in a power struggle with the "professional" operator of the local homeless shelter over who should control the kitchen. Quite a few of the "charities" in my neck of the woods get too caught up in money raising, leadership infighting, political pandering, and administrative waste that distract from the mission.
United Way is the bottom of the heap-- all fundraising, political correctness, and administration and overpaid staff. Be smart in your charitable giving, cut out the middleman.

[AndyK]

Any one caring for abused animals. Shelters, fostering agencies, etc.

The animals can't speak for themselves.

[Prof]

Wounded Warriors (we support fairly heavily), Salvation Army, our church, and I give a small (very small) scholarship at Clemson U. and one at Mars Hill College in memory of Dad and Mother.

[ashlynne39]

Webhick and I could both list the local food pantries where we volunteer. These are qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in communities where more than one in four families face food insecurity every day. Food pantries (or food banks, if you prefer that term) do not provide adquate supplies to feed a family for any prolonged period. The families we feed also are food-stam eligible, and may also be receiving assistance for things such as rent and utilities from other sources.
Those of us who are on diets, who debate the nutritional value as opposed to the costs/servings of the food we buy should be counting our blessings and putting the price of our weekly indulgences - whether in coffee, doughnuts, deserts, martinis or beer - into feeding those who cannot otherwise feed themselves.

Same here. I collect food, clothes, toys and school supplies for a Mission local to where I work. For me, I like giving within my local community. I can see how funds and donations are used and it gives me a chance to volunteer locally.

[ashlynne39]

Oh, and my other volunteer activity (which I love) is for the YMCA's youth and government program. I am the volunteer co-leader of the judicial part of the program for the whole state of Texas. I also coach mock trial and moot court teams for a local high school. We just had our district competition and my kids took first, second and third in mock trial and first and third in moot court. We are prepping for the state competition in january now. My high schoolers are amazing and I love working with them and this program. Its a nationwide program and attorneys are always needed to help out. It basically provides hands on training for all facets of government.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I have two:

Red Cross - I've given enough blood to keep 15 of me going.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

[Number Six]

Same here on Red Cross.

Another thought on this thread is when does giving become too much? Every millionaire and billionaire has foundations and charities to direct their fortunes into productive channels. There are large numbers of grants available from a plethora of charities, but we can't balance our federal budget, which really threatens the stability of the U.S.. About time that government does whatever it needs to to achieve paygo.