Charity Giving
I created this lens to help people learn the ins and outs of charity giving. It is better to give than to receive. However, some charities are better than others and some are prone to fraud and abuses. An educated giver is a better giver.
Links about Charity Giving...
- Charity Navigator
- This site rates how good or efficient is a Charitable organization.
- ABC 20/20 story on Charity Giving
- John Stossel's report on Charity giving in America.
- Charity giving is selfish...
- A story about the benefits of giving.
- Give.org
- An organization on giving.
- Forbes rating of charities
- A special report by Forbes Magazine.
- Buffett donates fortune
- Warren Buffett donates his fortune to the Gates Foundation.
- Gates Foundation
- Gates Foundation will cease to exist 50 years after the death of the three main donors.
- Whythawk
- A site that rates NGO in Africa.
Some Do's and Don'ts of giving...
- Never donate over the phone.
- Donate without making a fanfare. The Bible says when giving, one hand should not know what the other is doing.
- Give without strings attached.
- Always keep your promises. If you pledge to give, make good on that pledge ASAP.
- Always check a charity organization's history before giving.
- Sometimes, giving your time is better than giving money.
- Always follow up and keep a watchful eye on the charities you support.
- Be an example to your kids and be generous when giving to a worthy cause. Get them involved as well.
Some poor examples...
- Ted Turner announced in a press conference that he would donate $1 Biollion dollars to the UN a few years ago and later reneged on his promise when he lost his fortune of AOL stock. Ted Turner
- Donald Trump announced that he will donate a few hundred acres of land to the NY State Park system but then requested that the park be named after himself-very tacky.
Donald Trump - Live Aid concert in 1985 is a poor example of how fund raising and distribution was a total disaster. You can read the controversy over this on Wikipedia - Live Aid
- The 9/11 Fund was set up to help the families cope with the loss of their loved ones. Here is one example of mis guided attempt to help. Curse of 9/11 Widows
- State Lottery is a way promoted to help Education. It is not quite charity but they promote it as if it is a good way to help support public education while taking a chance on winning big.
A bad idea"
Some examples of good works...
- The Room to Read Project started by John Wood.
Room to Read - Oprah Winfrey Charity giving.
Oprah's school
Some quotations...
- It is better to give than to receive.
- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
- But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:1-4
- A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. - Proverbs 11:24-25
- The love of money is the root of all evil.
Charities that I support personally...
- NESC
- ChipIn donate link to support Nairobi Eastlands Support Centre - Nairobi, Kenya.
- Kirinyaga Sports Foundation
- ChipIn donate link to support the Kirinyaga Sports FFoundation in Kenya.
Great books on Amazon
Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compasionate Conservatism Who Gives, Who Doesn't, and Why It Matters
Amazon Price: $26.00 (as of 07/13/2009) 
Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 07/13/2009)
Reader Feedback
poutine wrote...
I agree that one should be extremely careful to which organization one donates.
There are a lot of fraud out there.Beware.
Posted August 31, 2008
poutine wrote...
I agree that one should be extremely careful to which organization one donates.
There are a lot of fraud out there.Beware.
Posted August 31, 2008
Lensmaster
dfgdf wrote
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Posted September 13, 2007
steveffeo wrote...
Hi Jack awesome information I am going to use it for the Foundation.
http://www.squidoo.com/foodforeveryonefoundation
Thank you very much
Steve
Posted May 15, 2007
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by jackclee
Hi, I'm Jack. I am currently enjoying early retirement. I worked for IBM for 28 years on various projects dealing with Museums and Libraries. I have t... (more)
