I need your help!
I know that we’re supposed to be the ones offering up suggestions and answers that help solve some questions, concerns, or situations you have in your lives, but today I need to flip the table around.
I need your help.
Badly.
Here’s the deal
Last night, I received an email from a non-profit organization with some details on their site, their purpose, and some other miscellany. Basically, it was a pitch from them (that I solicited) to have me guest post.
The problem I am having isn’t doing a guest post for someone. I enjoy doing that; it’s the fact that I can’t get enough information about them. They seem like a worthy cause and look well intentioned, but there’s just something I’m uncomfortable with about the organization, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Even more than that, we are planning a huge event for the end of the year on Go Team Duncan dealing with several charity organizations, and I’m running into the same problem planning that!
I think my biggest reservation is the fact that I don’t know how to choose an appropriate cause or charity. I told a friend of mine in an email that I felt like I was walking into a pound knowing that I could only take home one animal. Even if I’m saving one life, I’d almost rather not go in at all, knowing that I had to leave twenty others to their fate.
So you tell me
How do you choose causes or charities, but stay (mostly) unaffiliated?
How do you make the choice when there isn’t enough time research the organizations roots; ensuring they aren’t funded or backed by some organization that you absolutely do not support?
What are we (all of us) to do when we can only help one, but want to help them all?
There are a lot of you that come by here daily and don’t comment. That’s ok—we don’t mind. Today, though, I really need you to break your silence. Know that I will be (I always am, actually) very grateful for your comments and opinions on this. Also, feel welcome to mention a charity or cause you approve of.
Thank you.
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About Brandon
I choose and research programs that benefit my local community first. Cancer fund raisers, food banks,
clothes, food supplies, school supplies, supplies for Animal Rescue Shelters- any thing that will help my community and friends. By many making small steps all year long helps us share and build a community. Then I choose the ones that effect me directly.
So starting in your own back yard—thinking globally, but acting locally. That’s great!
I wonder, then, how we would be able to do it through our blog here, but thinking along the same lines?
There are many programs in our local communities that are related to National and World programs.;Cancer Research, Child Abuse, Animal Crulety, Hunger, and disater relief programs.Through your blog you can create a need to check locally in your community and state to find out what is needed. Being alert to the news, and knowing the agencies within your reach.I have seen a great increase in the amount donated to GoodWill and food banks. Why Not start a “Good Deed For The Day” program”.
Hmmm… You may be on to something there. Thanks, Gloria!
The first thing I always want to find out is how much of the money that I am donating is actually going toward the cause. It’s amazing how much money is spent on advertising or soliciting. Of course I am in a different situation than you, I am not putting my name on something. My advice to you is, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it until you are 100% sure. Here is an idea… start your own!
Good luck!
Very good point, John. That is part of what kills me regarding things like sending food overseas, etc. The freight, spoilage, and all that is rarely discussed. When it comes down to it, yes, every little bit helps, but my $1 a day may not actually be buying food at all.
Thanks for the advice!
As for starting our own, we have considered that. Not necessarily a charity, but more of a scholarship fund type thing. We’ll see how it pans out. We have a lot of initiatives that will have to wait until I get the opportunity to retire from the military and we can settle into a community.
Haven’t had time until now to dig up some info for you. I think I can help with the financial side/research. I’m not sure the size of the org you are questioning, so here are a couple articles that give great advice:
Putting Charities to The Financial Test: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204394804577007950027500904.html
Dig Deeper When Checking Out Smaller Charities
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204644504576651263505624464.html
There are a couple of organizations that do the legwork for you (I know there’s a chance the group you are looking into isn’t covered by one of these sites, but some others may be, these two come recommended by the WSJ):
-Charity Navigator, evaluates “the Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency of America’s largest charities”: http://charitynavigator.org/
-CharityWatch: “charity rating and evaluation service whose purpose is to help donors make informed giving decisions”: http://charitywatch.org/
I believe one of the WSJ articles above answers your question about how to research if a charity is possibly being supported by an org that you don’t want to support.
To answer number 1, I’m not really sure I understand what you are asking, but I’ll attempt an answer. I think if you’ll be publishing your donation/affiliation/support on your blog, whether you like it or not, you will be seen as affiliated. You are publically sharing your donation, so you can safely assume the public will associate you with that organization. And *in my opinion*, if you share it on your blog or in some other public forum, *I* will assume that you like/support/agree with the ideals and mission of said organization. That is strictly my opinion. Other people may not care. But that will be my assumption, so you can take that for whatever it is worth.
Number 3 is hard. There’s really no good answer to that one. You have to decide for yourself how to spread out your gift. Maybe this year you make smaller donations to a larger number of orgs, and next year you make larger contributions to a smaller number of orgs. Maybe you pick different orgs each year to really spread your gifts around. Maybe a different person in your family is responsible each year for picking the orgs. I know I’m just beating a dead horse, but we cannot help all of them. But we can make a difference for some of them. And that is better than nothing at all.
John said exactly what I was going to say. If you are not comfortable with the arrangement, trust your gut and move on. Or question the org. If there’s nothing to hide there, they shouldn’t mind answering your questions/addressing your concerns.
Wow! Thanks for the resources, Caroline! You are quite the overachiever!
Seriously though, this is great information. I assumed there would be watchdog groups out there for this reason, but sometimes (I guess for me anyway) they are difficult to find. Kudos to you on finding this stuff.
On Q1 – I kid of figured that is the way it goes, but I guess what I am most concerned with on that wasn’t so much the donation portion, but for the guest post. Showing your support is one thing, but writing to give a little parenting advice, then getting “affiliated” with the group, their morals, and (God forbid) their mistakes if they make them. The last thing I want to do, whether I would be able to walk away unscathed or not, is be affiliated with a group if they ended up in some sort of scandal.
(Q2 already covered)
Q3 – it is hard, and the old adage that “you can’t save ‘em all” rings true. We decided what we were going to do, but with the blog and the visible assistance, and what we intended to do through our own personal actions. We got enough advice to work it out pretty well.
I will say this, though, the information you provided should help a great deal, and I thank you for that. the charities we spotlight on the blog will be better vetted now. Good stuff.
(You’re so smart!)
You’re welcome. It’s helps that I had just posted those articles back in December (on DailyMomReport.com) and remembered reading another one that had the vetting groups
Makes sense about Q1 now. I hadn’t considered the point about you guest-posting. It may or may not help you, and this is an extreme example (really extreme!), but consider the Second Mile Charity, and the fallout surrounding the Sandusky scandal. Those Board members are being held to a very high standard, along with the donors. Whether you agree with that standard doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, perception is reality, and it’s much harder to take those initial perceptions and turn them around.
Glad to help
#reallygoodatresearch 
That does help, but I may need to put you on the staff with research like that! #wYwfoat?