Author Topic: I no longer give to charity and here is why... (Read 2265 times)

crossbro · « **on:** June 15, 2014, 10:44:27 PM »

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Every year, it spends less than 3 cents on the dollar helping kids. ...

In the past decade alone, Kids Wish has channeled nearly $110 million donated for sick children to its corporate solicitors. An additional $4.8 million has gone to pay the charity’s founder and his own consulting firms.

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Over a decade, one diabetes charity raised nearly $14 million and gave about $10,000 to patients. Six spent nothing at all on direct cash aid.

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•To disguise the meager amount of money that reaches those in need, charities use accounting tricks and inflate the value of donated dollar store cast-offs – snack cakes and air fresheners – that they give to dying cancer patients and homeless veterans.

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Over the past decade, the charity paid its solicitors nearly 90 percent of the $27 million it raised. It spent about $21,000 each year on its cause, most often buying plane tickets to reunite families.

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Last year, it reported raising $3.1 million cash and spent about 60 percent of that, $1.8 million, granting wishes.

The same year, Kids Wish raised $18.6 million, its tax filing shows. It spent $240,000 granting wishes – 1 percent of the cash raised.

LINK

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2014, 11:27:44 PM »

It is better to do many things locally and personally.

Monetary help is one of them.

crossbro · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2014, 10:50:03 AM »

True above Matt.

You cannot trust anyone, anymore.

A few years back after the hurricane in the Carribean our diocese collected money from all the parishes and handed it over to a charity and recommended a charity that turned out to be a complete fraud.

Catholic Charities is now fund raising with United Way which has a history with Planned Parenthood. UW claims that only a couple of its chapters now give money to PP. Untrue, PP will get its money one way or another. If you go to UW they give money to feminist groups, you know that money is being funneled back to PP. Catholic Charities also discriminates on the basis of food stamp eligibility and has basically become a distribution franchise for the Federal Govt.

If you give money to a charity, you just basically bought someone a steak dinner.

Tiffany · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2014, 11:01:16 AM »

UW partly funds a local clinic which refers for abortion and distributes the morning after pill and other abortifacient drugs.

shin · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2014, 11:30:17 AM »

Here's some folks who could use some help.

The Davidson family from the Little Flowers Family Press.

moneil · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2014, 07:23:32 PM »

As far as I know Catholics ought to give due regard to St. Matthew's Gospel, Chaper 25, Verses 31 - 46, and the Corporal Works of Mercy, also not to forget the First Epistle of St. Peter, Chapter 4, Verse 8: But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins.

I'm thinking one ought not to just stop giving, but prudence and due diligence are in order. Charity Navigator is a source many use to evaluate regional, national, and international charities. They provide evaluations of charities based on several parameters, and show what percentage of an organization's income is spend on programs, administration, fundraising expenses, etc.

Focusing one's giving on local organizations is another option, and one should have the opportunity to see their work, ask direct questions in person, etc. I've never heard a problematic story about a St. Vincent DePaul Society local Conference, or example. They are connected to the diocesan Church and I appreciate that may be problematic for some traditionalists. So, a similiar type of apostolate could be organized at one's chapel.

There are also many ways to give besides just cash. Many people donate produce from their gardens to local food banks. Groups like Meals on Wheels always need volunteers to prepare and deliver meals to shut ins. Food banks need volunteer workers and some, especially some St. Vincent DePaul groups I'm aware of, need people to repair donated furniture and appliances and to mend donated clothing before distribution.

Many churches have some type of care ministry in which volunteers give the elderly who don't drive rides to appointments (and to church), prepare and deliver meals to families where the mother just had a baby, or to someone recuperating after an illnes, surgery, or cancer treatment. This may also include help with housekeeping or baby sitting. Many churches have programs where food is taken to a family after a death, and a hot meal is provided in the parish hall the day of the funeral.

There are lots of ways to practice charity without having to write checks or to worry about being taken advantage of, with a little bit of effort and research.

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2014, 10:21:52 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

It is better to do many things locally and personally.

Monetary help is one of them.

This!
May I strongly suggest to give to traditional Catholic charities, whether your time, money, food from your garden, etc. Get the priest of your parish to compile a list of family businesses so you can support each other. Share the lists with other trad parishes and families.
We should be concentrating our donations to fellow traditional Catholics. So many are desperately poor. In these dire times why do we look outside our faith family? Wasn't it St. Paul who counseled us to care for the brotherhood?

Nadir · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2014, 10:29:03 PM »

Crossbro, your post actually uses the word charity wrongly. What you are referring to are fundraising organisations, not charity. These people act as agents coming between your donation and people in need. They can be unscrupulous creatures, or people of integrity. You jus have to chose well, if you wish to give money through agencies. I don't give through agencies myself.

Charity is God's great gift to us, and which we must, as Christians, put into practice. It is not an organisation; it is a virtue which we have to nurture. If we don't nurture it we die spiritually and our religion is an empty shell.

You could be totally penniless and still practice Charity.

Matthew 24:12

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And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.

In like manner, where there is no charity, iniquity abounds.

Matthew 24: 31 - 46

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And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [ For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in:

Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.

Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.

And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.

It's that simple, but not easy.

Tiffany · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2014, 05:14:35 AM »

Something people with money could do is provide a fish meal on Fridays to a soup kitchen. You don't necessarily have to cook it and serve it but ask if you could provide the funds or the actual ingredients for fish or a vegetarian dish for that day.

TKGS · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2014, 05:37:11 AM »

Quote from: moneil

I'm thinking one ought not to just stop giving, but prudence and due diligence are in order. Charity Navigator is a source many use to evaluate regional, national, and international charities. They provide evaluations of charities based on several parameters, and show what percentage of an organization's income is spend on programs, administration, fundraising expenses, etc.

I've never seen this website so I took a gander. The website does not rate charities unless they have annual receipts exceeding $1,000,000.00.

I seldom donate to organizations with this kind of income. This kind of annual income, I think, tends to change the way the people involved in the charitable endeavor look at their organization. The prime motivating factor sometimes ceases to be the charitable work they are doing and becomes the maintenance of the fundraising work. It is also indicative of a bureaucratic approach to providing their services.

When I give donations to charitable organizations (and I presume we are talking here about organizations other than our traditional chapels and traditional Catholic organizations) I tend to donate to very local groups who are likely to have more knowledge of the people they serve rather than groups who have national scopes and provide their services based on checklists and objective rules.

Croix de Fer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2014, 09:05:05 AM »

Quote from: PerEvangelicaDicta

Quote from: Matthew
It is better to do many things locally and personally.

Monetary help is one of them.

This!
May I strongly suggest to give to traditional Catholic charities, whether your time, money, food from your garden, etc. Get the priest of your parish to compile a list of family businesses so you can support each other. Share the lists with other trad parishes and families.
We should be concentrating our donations to fellow traditional Catholics. So many are desperately poor. In these dire times why do we look outside our faith family? Wasn't it St. Paul who counseled us to care for the brotherhood?

truth

shin · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2014, 09:34:18 AM »

Quote from: PerEvangelicaDicta

Quote from: Matthew
It is better to do many things locally and personally.

Monetary help is one of them.

This!
May I strongly suggest to give to traditional Catholic charities, whether your time, money, food from your garden, etc. Get the priest of your parish to compile a list of family businesses so you can support each other. Share the lists with other trad parishes and families.
We should be concentrating our donations to fellow traditional Catholics. So many are desperately poor. In these dire times why do we look outside our faith family? Wasn't it St. Paul who counseled us to care for the brotherhood?

Amen amen.

moneil · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2014, 03:02:56 PM »

Quote from: TKGS

Quote from: moneil
I'm thinking one ought not to just stop giving, but prudence and due diligence are in order. Charity Navigator is a source many use to evaluate regional, national, and international charities. They provide evaluations of charities based on several parameters, and show what percentage of an organization's income is spend on programs, administration, fundraising expenses, etc.

I've never seen this website so I took a gander. The website does not rate charities unless they have annual receipts exceeding $1,000,000.00.

I seldom donate to organizations with this kind of income. This kind of annual income, I think, tends to change the way the people involved in the charitable endeavor look at their organization. The prime motivating factor sometimes ceases to be the charitable work they are doing and becomes the maintenance of the fundraising work. It is also indicative of a bureaucratic approach to providing their services.

When I give donations to charitable organizations (and I presume we are talking here about organizations other than our traditional chapels and traditional Catholic organizations) I tend to donate to very local groups who are likely to have more knowledge of the people they serve rather than groups who have national scopes and provide their services based on checklists and objective rules.

You make some excellent points TKGS, and I don't disagree that the phenomena of "professional charities" (for lack of a better phrase) like the Red Cross or Mercy Corps greatly changes the dynamic of personal charity. Still, they do seem to me to have their role to play, especially in disaster situations, and there may be something to be said for having people who "know what they are doing" in place in certain situations. IF this is a venue where one feels called to give, it is good to do some vetting. I mentioned Charity Navigator because friends whose judgement I generally trust and whom I know to be thoughtful and careful in this regard, use it. There may be other or better rescources also.

Having worked in South America and East Africa, and knowing first hand what life can be like there for some people, for me international projects have a place in my giving, and that requires some research to be sure I'm donating wisely (both from an ethical and an effective criteria), and that giving will more likely be through some organization, unless one hapens to know a personal contact overseas. I likewise like to support local organizations and projects, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that being the sole focus of one's giving.

Tiffany · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2014, 07:20:22 PM »

The Red Cross is a joke. Give money to the National Guard before the ACR if you want it to go towards those helping disaster victims

CathMomof7 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 02, 2014, 12:09:03 PM »

You can be charitable in many ways, without having to give monetary donations to organized fund raising organizations.

By one month's of groceries for a large family and drop it by with a warm smile.

Ask to borrow a friends car, and take it for an oil change or new tires.

Go buy a few sets of new sheets and give them to a family.

Pay a bill for someone.

Babysit a couple's children and give them a $40 gift card to a local restaurant.

Mow the lawn of an elderly couple you know.

These small and relatively inexpensive acts go a long way.