fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2558 ]

[ SECRET POST #2558 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2558 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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[Frozen]

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[Cabin in the Woods]

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[Trailer Park Boys]

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07. [posted twice]

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[ ----- SPOILERY SECRETS AHEAD ----- ]

08. [SPOILERS for Elementary]

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09. [SPOILERS for Zelda comic]

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10. [SPOILERS for Breaking Bad]

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11. [SPOILERS for Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]
[WARNING for suicide]

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As I'm apparently now a grown-up (age 25), I've started looking at my budget and realized that I'm not making my contribution to charity. This is actually a big part of my religion and I figure it can't hurt. I've been raised to be fiscally responsible, so I know a certain amount goes into my savings, then to my basic needs (rent, food, etc), some to my own entertainment, and then some for charity.

But I don't know who or what to donate to. I want absolutely nothing to do with any charity that aligns itself with a political cause of any kind. I do like the idea of donating to the Humane Society and other animal welfare groups (and plan to), but I also feel I should be helping with human suffering.

So what are your favorite charities that lack skeletons in the closet or scandals (*coughsalvationarmycough*)? That actually deliver on what they promise? That actually use your money to help?

Don't know any off hand, but I just want to say not to focus too much on looking for one that takes a ridiculously low amount for admin. purposes, since that's what a lot of people believe you should do... Despite proof that those charities tend to be less efficient with the money they're given.

Randomacts?

Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders is a favorite of mine.

My local vet, the RSPCA and...I cannot remember what it's called off the top of my head, but $30 is deducted each month to support a kid in Africa through school.

Sometimes I give to 'Kids with cancer' and other such organisations who gather donations in the street, but not the sign up ones. I tend to the specific ones with a specific cause, like local help centres and not countrywide ones.

So *generic animal welfare* would be a no, but local greyhound rescue group would be a yes.

Oh and Second Bite, which brings meals to those who cannot otherwise get them. You can donate money, food or outright participate.

Then there's things like Salvation Army that I won't give money too, but clothes and bedding and books are all fine because how can you fuck that up.

Edited 2014-01-04 02:48 (UTC)

I'm a fan of Doctors Without Borders and Heifer International.

Sorry to piggyback, but this post reminds me: does anyone know of any blood drives that accept gay men? I'm a straight woman, but I just don't feel comfortable going to one that doesn't, even if it's for statistical reasons.

If you're the US it's a policy set by the Food and Drug Administration; I'm pretty sure all blood drives have to follow it.

That's what I think as well, which... sort of pisses me off, because the first reason I can think for that is AIDS, and I thought we established in 1991 or something that (a) gay men /=/ AIDS and (b) AIDS /=/ gay men. Surely we've moved past biased assumptions?

Re: Related question

flipthefrog.livejournal.com - 2014-01-04 05:11 (UTC) - Expand

+11111111

(Anonymous) - 2014-01-04 05:32 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Related question

(Anonymous) - 2014-01-05 00:16 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Related question

flipthefrog.livejournal.com - 2014-01-05 00:21 (UTC) - Expand

What country/state are you from? There may be local laws that prevent blood drives from accepting blood from gay men.

One possibility is to look into local groups. Most areas have a bunch of smaller local charities or groups that accept and need donations. And generally speaking those small grassroots local groups don't have a lot of skeletons in the closet.

(reply from suspended user)

Would donating canned and dried goods to the local food bank be similarly effective?

Call ahead to check if they're in need, but otherwise I'd say a definite yes.

Re: Favorite Charities?

agentcthulhu - 2014-01-04 02:50 (UTC) - Expand

(reply from suspended user)

Re: Favorite Charities?

agentcthulhu - 2014-01-04 02:52 (UTC) - Expand

That's actually a thing in Homestuck Fandom, so widespread we even do it in Chile. It's called the "Can Town Project".

There's a character in the webcomic that was wandering through a desert - he was very hungry, thirsty and lonely; until he came across an abandoned vessel that had a lot of canned food. So much, that after he satiated his hunger and thirst, he entertained himself building a miniature town with the cans. It was a cute, happy scene.

So, the project started with a group of HS fans from the US decided to gather at a Con with donations in canned/dried food and hygiene care products; and gave them away to a local shelter in the city the Con was done. The idea caught on, everyone liked it, and groups of Homestucks of varied sizes and locations started repeating the gathering of goods for donation in their hometowns.

Most food banks also take cash.

I give to all of the local humane groups/animal rescue groups, plus the non-profit Search and Rescue for the tri-state area. Additionally, I donate clothes and other items to the local homeless shelter outreach group, and am donating some furniture, books, and more clothes to them in the next couple of weeks.

From what I understand, if you really want your money/donations to make a difference, keep them local. That being said, I try to donate at least once a year to Defenders of Wildlife and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

tbh your username sounds like a charity. A++

Re: Favorite Charities?

hands4healing - 2014-01-04 03:08 (UTC) - Expand

I really like Oxfam; it does some really great long-term projects in developing nations. Also, micro-loans on sites like Kiva are a great way to know exactly where your money is going.

Seconding Kuva. And the faxt that it is a lian means that I'm reminded regularly to check back and relend my donation. It's a really fabulous idea all round.

If you like the idea of helping animals and want to help people, you might look into donating to training therapy animals, or a local pet shelter. Maybe you could donate pet supplies to a food bank; a lot of poorer people aren't able to keep pets just due to costs.

Sorry, I don't have any specific names, just ideas. You could talk to local vet or maybe food bank to see what options like that there are.

Heifer International.

Food for the Poor and Feeding America.

http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/apps/aaron/

I got from a Quaker mailing list, which is as legit an endorsement you're going to get anywhere ever.

Actual Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) charities are:

http://www.afsc.org/

http://www.quno.org/

Also the Yearly Meeting for your country / region (see http://www.fgcquaker.org/connect/quaker-finder) can direct you to legit charities.

I promote going through the Friends to find good charities/worthy causes to donate to, though I am not one myself, because they always weigh out the options very carefully which charities to throw their (considerable) moral weight behind, and they do scads and scads of research / consideration before they choose which cause to sponsor, to avoid the very problems you've stated in your OP.

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