Doctors Without Borders and others

[tonepoet]

This is not a political post.

My practice has always been to sit down in December and make my charity contributions for the year. But, I have decided to make small monthly contributions to two charities helping in parts of the world. 1) Doctors Without Borders and 2) World Food Program.

As with all charities, I do check how they are rated with charity watchdog organizations. Both of these charities rate "A"

Doctors Without Borders have had 2 doctors and one staff member lose their lives in the past few months trying to help out.

My Wife and I thought that we could forgo a dinner or two out per month and instead give that money to Doctors Without Borders and the World Food Program during this present turmoil in the world.

Peace.

 

[twocorgis]

This is not a political post.

My practice has always been to sit down in December and make my charity contributions for the year. But with this conflict in the middle east, I have decided to make small monthly contributions to two charities helping over there. 1) Doctors Without Borders and 2) World Food Program.

As with all charities, I do check how they are rated with charity watchdog organizations. Both of these charities rate "A"

Doctors Without Borders have had 2 doctors and one staff member lose their lives in the past few months trying to help out over there.

My Wife and I thought that we could forgo a dinner or two out per month and instead give that money to Doctors Without Borders and the World Food Program during this present turmoil in the world.

Peace.

My very wealthy godmother left most of her estate to Doctors Without Borders when she passed away, and boy did it piss off her money grabbing stepchildren!

The two you mention, along with St. Jude Children's Hospital (who I am proud to have done a number of fundraisers for) are the top of the heap when it comes to charities. Good on you!

 

[shihan]

A good choice. We also support those 2 nonprofit groups. They do good work in a world sorely in need of it.

 

[Rocky]

Fine organizations. If I had more money, it would go to those folks as well.

Due to matching funds from a couple of organizations, I contribute to the local food bank/pantry so my modest contributions can make a real difference.

Another interesting organization is Heifer International (heifer.org), which also ranks high on Charity Navigator and others.

 

[Uke]

I contribute to the local food bank/pantry

Yes, DocsWOBrdrs is a great charity. I used to contribute to them, but like Rocky, I'm really focused on local misery now days. I find I can know little more about local groups (in my case, a food bank/homeless vet group) which helps me know the money is really helping local misery. If you're like me, you've only got so much you can "save the world" with, but I thinks it's really important to share in an informed way what you have where you can.

 

[tonepoet]

Another interesting organization is Heifer International (heifer.org), which also ranks high on Charity Navigator and others

Rocky,
Yes, they are on my "annual giving list" each December

 

[tonepoet]

@Rocky @Uke

Yes, local giving is good. We have a local one here called Opportunity House that helps homeless women and single Moms that we give to. My wife also volunteers to work in their thrift store. I have given them 7 guitars to sell (no Guilds or anything collectible) as well as some cheaper amps and drum cymbals I wasn't using.

Their thrift shop is a source of used books for me to buy and read.

 

[chazmo]

Great charity, but please, please, please gang no comments on why you're donating... You mentioned the conflict(s) in the middle east, tonepoet, and you're treading on difficult/unallowable discussion here. Please no more of that, gang.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

I had a friend who got involved with D w/o B after his tour as a medic in Vietnam.

Based on that alone, I'd give the organization a thumbs up: his character was such that I can't imagine he'd have anything to do with them if they weren't "on the up and up".

 

[Midnight Toker]

Always best to check on a “nonprofit charity” and their standing as to the % of your donation that will actually be used for their mission statement purpose, and not just some outlandish administrative costs. Too many are granted tax exemption while in fact raking in 100’s of millions that go to nothing more than the upkeep of their posh headquarters and the annual salaries of their suits. The way I see it, once the original mission statement of a nonprofit is realized, they should not be able to simply just tack on more demands as it’s typically a sign that their #1 goal is to keep the cash flow rolling. Their exemption should be revoked! Too many started w/ honorable legitimate causes that over time morphed into the outlandish, often ousting the very people that started the whole thing in the first place.

 

[rmoretti49]

Doctors Without Borders is my favorite charity. The courage and self-sacrifice of their personnel is humbling to behold.

 

[Rocky]

Always best to check on a “nonprofit charity” and their standing as to the % of your donation that will actually be used for their mission statement purpose, and not just some outlandish administrative costs. Too many are granted tax exemption while in fact raking in 100’s of millions that go to nothing more than the upkeep of their posh headquarters and the annual salaries of their suits. The way I see it, once the original mission statement of a nonprofit is realized, they should not be able to simply just tack on more demands as it’s typically a sign that their #1 goal is to keep the cash flow rolling. Their exemption should be revoked! Too many started w/ honorable legitimate causes that over time morphed into the outlandish, often ousting the very people that started the whole thing in the first place.

March of Dimes started as a polio charity, then morphed into a birth defects charity once a vaccine was developed. I can't speak to what their Charity Navigator ratings are, but it was seen as a way to re-harness the existing fundraising mechanics into another cause.

 

[davismanLV]

March of Dimes started as a polio charity, then morphed into a birth defects charity once a vaccine was developed. I can't speak to what their Charity Navigator ratings are, but it was seen as a way to re-harness the existing fundraising mechanics into another cause.

Being able to morph and change with the times or demand is a good thing. However, March of Dimes gets only 2 out of 4 stars on Charity Navigator with a 74% rating. Doctors Without Borders, USA get 4 of 4 stars and 98% rating overall, with 99% in financial & accountability with TONS of information about the company and it's goals and Culture & Community and Leadership & Adaptability. MofD has like, ZERO information about the charity.

 

[Midnight Toker]

March of Dimes started as a polio charity, then morphed into a birth defects charity once a vaccine was developed. I can't speak to what their Charity Navigator ratings are, but it was seen as a way to re-harness the existing fundraising mechanics into another cause.

Yeah, I’m sure my comments don’t apply to each and every one, but it sure seems many do apply. For instance, in the early 80’s there was a woman who’s son was killed by a drunk driver. She was so appalled by the lack of DWI laws in an era where more people were getting killed by drunk drivers annually than died in Vietnam. She started Mad Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MMADD) and went before Congress and in 5 yrs time completely changed American society in regards to laws, policing, convictions, and education about drinking and driving. Mission accomplished!! They got 20x more done than they ever set out to accomplish. Then when she was happy and about to dissolve MMADD, the people under her booted her out and they are currently out there advocating national prohibition. . PITA is another one that has gone completely off the rails. If you’ve ever driven by their headquarters near Virginia Beach, you’d instantly know it’s all about $$$$$.

Hell, I even stopped buying Girl Scout cookies when I found out that the scouts themselves might only ever see 10¢ from that $8 box those girls and their parents are forced to push on the public. The rest goes to the lavish 85th floor Manhattan headquarters and administrative costs. Like any girls are camping in Manhattan!

 

[Default]

Troop 6000

www.girlscoutsnyc.org

Idk. They seem to be doing a lot of good stuff. And I'm pretty sure there's a troop or two in Manhattan.

 

[tonepoet]

Great charity, but please, please, please gang no comments on why you're donating... You mentioned the conflict(s) in the middle east, tonepoet, and you're treading on difficult/unallowable discussion here. Please no more of that, gang.

@chazmo , Duly noted. I edited out references to the geographical locale from my post.

 

[GAD]

Yeah, I’m sure my comments don’t apply to each and every one, but it sure seems many do apply. For instance, in the early 80’s there was a woman who’s son was killed by a drunk driver. She was so appalled by the lack of DWI laws in an era where more people were getting killed by drunk drivers annually than died in Vietnam. She started Mad Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MMADD) and went before Congress and in 5 yrs time completely changed American society in regards to laws, policing, convictions, and education about drinking and driving. Mission accomplished!! They got 20x more done than they ever set out to accomplish. Then when she was happy and about to dissolve MMADD, the people under her booted her out and they are currently out there advocating national prohibition. . PITA is another one that has gone completely off the rails. If you’ve ever driven by their headquarters near Virginia Beach, you’d instantly know it’s all about $$$$$.

Hell, I even stopped buying Girl Scout cookies when I found out that the scouts themselves might only ever see 10¢ from that $8 box those girls and their parents are forced to push on the public. The rest goes to the lavish 85th floor Manhattan headquarters and administrative costs. Like any girls are camping in Manhattan!

As with most things in life, it's not that cut and dry. While you're correct that the girls only get a small amount from the cookie sales, you are incorrect about "the rest" going to lavish headquarters. While the Girl Scouts as an organization are certainly not above reproach, the majority of cookie sales money goes to the hierarchy of what it takes to keep the Girl Scouts running. They own thousands of acres of park land that they use for girl scout camps as just one example. They pay girls to be coaches for these camps, as well as to manage the camps and so-on. As you might imagine, these are huge expenses.

I certainly have some issues with how the Girl Scouts are run these days, but your over-simplification of their finances is just wrong. In 2022 they made $19.9M from cookie sales and merchandise. In the same year they made $36.9M from membership dues. They gave away (gifts, grants, bequests) $28.6M that same year. Management and general expenses for the same year were $9.2M while Brand promotion and external engagement were $20.3M, Girl program development was $40.8M and so-on.

Source: My wife was a girl scout leader for almost 20 years and both of my daughters have been councilors at these camps. Plus actual documentation.

 

[Default]

GSA and BSA(17 years) are very much land-rich and -poor organizations and heavily dependent on volunteers. I used to plan my vacations so I could go to summer camp, as a leader. Popcorn sales were painful, so as many trips as possible were to inexpensive camping places.

 

[walrus]

GSA and BSA(17 years) are very much land-rich and -poor organizations and heavily dependent on volunteers. I used to plan my vacations so I could go to summer camp, as a leader. Popcorn sales were painful, so as many trips as possible were to inexpensive camping places.

+1. I'm also a BSA Dad of two boys, as well as a Scout myself in younger days. Agreed on the importance of volunteers. Whatever is happening on the "business side" of BSA or GSA, there is no replacment for the experiences they get out of these orgainzations. One might even call them "priceless". My youngest earned Eagle Scout, and all I can tell you is he worked hard for it, but he got to do so many cool things along the way he would never have done otherwise.

For organizations like these, and many other charities, volunteering your time and energy helps them more than money does.

 

[West R Lee]

I'd say "shameless plug", but there's no shame in plugging this. This was from a thread a while back, and this place quite literally saved the life of my grandson 4-5 years ago. He, by the way, has his first tee ball game in a couple of weeks, and I'll be there. So from severe birth defects and open heart surgery, a bowel resection, spinal surgery and having been born with one kidney, to tee ball in 4-5 years is a pretty good testimony for Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth.

The last time I was there, I read on the wall that they had over $200 million in unfunded services and function primarily on donations. They have the best doctors and nurses and turn away no child. When you spend months in a place like that, you get to know the nursing staff fairly well. I pressed one of the nurses about the criteria for working as a nurse at Cook? She told me they took the top 10% of nursing applicants, not just based on credentials or work experience, but also based on their demeanor.

A worthy cause for sure.......I've seen it first hand.

Walt Wilkins Giving Back

Not too polished, but to give you some backround, my grandson was born with a whole host of birth defects almost 2 years ago. After having undergone 5 major surgeries in 2 years, including open heart surgery, his prognosis is to lead a perfectly normal life. Jackson has spent about 3 months of...

letstalkguild.com

West