Thread Drift

[Pax]

Indy - I got so tired of the way money was wasted by all the big charities I just stopped giving. Now it's all local, right down to the personal level... my sister in law's younger sister has cancer, so I send her money to help out with expenses. A friend from a motorcycling forum has a disabled daughter, I buy up fun stuff and send it along with some money to help out with her expenses. Local animal shelter needs supplies I buy a bunch and haul it over there. Just feels better to skip the "middle man".

[indysteel]

I mostly give to friends for their own charitable endeavors and to small and/or local NFPs. Girls, Inc. is probably the biggest exception to that at the moment, but I have a clear sense of where my money is going and I really like how they interact with their donors, at least locally. The only other one one my radar is a local chapter of a big organization for which I was once a board member. I'm torn about that one because my connection to their mission is a lot more tenuous now, but I'll probably still keep them on my list. I believe in what they do; but some of the frustrations I encountered as a board member have colored my desire to give. I don't know how fair that is because my frustrations had nothing to do with actual programming or how donations were spent.

[Wahine]

Indy - I got so tired of the way money was wasted by all the big charities I just stopped giving. Now it's all local, right down to the personal level... my sister in law's younger sister has cancer, so I send her money to help out with expenses. A friend from a motorcycling forum has a disabled daughter, I buy up fun stuff and send it along with some money to help out with her expenses. Local animal shelter needs supplies I buy a bunch and haul it over there. Just feels better to skip the "middle man".

This is exactly how I feel. I had someone ask me to donate to Run for the Cure. She's using it as motivation to get fit. So I told her I wouldn't donate any money but that I would give her some donated coaching time. It's all about keeping it local and real.