Pick a charity!

[Blacksad]

I like the cancer research idea too.

But this isn't for charity reason, with 3 grand-parents who got a cancer, I know that I'm bound to die of one, that is, if I do not die of a heart disease first.

 

[Maraxle]

How about United Way? They contribute to a ton of different causes.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Red Cross, perhaps?

One of the charities involved in bringing drinking water to those that don't have it (I think that might include Oxfam)

 

[Holy Bovine]

United Way tends to see a lot of its donations eaten up by administration costs (the last figure I saw was that $0.48 of every dollar they collected went to admin costs). It would be more effective IMO to give to one specific charity and cut out the 'middleman' so to speak.

Cancer research sounds like a good one (assuming there is an international based foundation)

 

[Pielorinho]

Morrus, do you have particular criteria for choosing a charity?

Doctors Without Borders/Medicins sans Frontieres is a fantastic group that does fantastic work; they've got international appeal, and I've not heard of anyone who objects to them.

If you choose a medical charity, there are two caveats. First, make sure it's a group without ridiculous administrative costs. There are a lot of groups purporting to be medical research charities that give very little of your donation to actual research or other charitable aims.

Second, and this is probably not an issue here, but consider whether you want to donate to a charity that performs animal experimentation. Although it's an issue that I have mixed feelings on, having worked in research facilities, it's something that folks can feel strongly about.

Doctors Without Borders, being a group that crosses into all sorts of different settings, may be highly relevant to the product.

Daniel

 

[Horacio]

My vote for cancer research or Medecins Sans Frontiers/Médicos Sin Fronteras/Doctors Without Borders

 

[Furn_Darkside]

United Way tends to see a lot of its donations eaten up by administration costs (the last figure I saw was that $0.48 of every dollar they collected went to admin costs).

Admin costs tends to come down to two things- it goes towards fund raising or six-figure salaries for the board members of the charity. United Way, Red Cross, Save The Children, Greenpeace- and countless others "charities" are guilty of this kind of behavior.

I hold the opinion that most charities are primarily get rich scams for those involved, and are only secondarily interested in their cause.

FD

 

[alsih2o]

My vote for cancer research or Medecins Sans Frontiers/Médicos Sin Fronteras/Doctors Without Borders

agreed

 

[Dinkeldog]

Doctors without Borders would be excellent.

So would UNICEF, although many Americans might balk at that one.

 

[Ravellion]

So would UNICEF, although many Americans might balk at that one.

Really? Something happened with Unicef in the US?

I think the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is also a very good organization. I would vote against Greenpeace though.

Rav