A great website I heard about on NPR. Helps to evaluate the strength of the giving and how far your dollar really goes.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/I just sent Heifer:
The following summarizes your order
Name Qty
Flock of Hope 2
Flock of Geese 3
Pretty cool.
We get a lot of inquiries about MAW, compared to other orgs. at the office and I always refer them to Charitynavigator
local food pantries are some of the most effective places where you can be sure the donations go to those that need them. It's hard for a CEO to get rich skimming slices of bread out of the loaves they collect. You bring in a bag of groceries, and you can be pretty sure that they will be eaten by somebody who is hungry.
Well we try to do something similar. We have a pretty sizable homeless population in Savannah. They tend to gravitate to one of the city Squares. Each year we gather up warm clothes around the house and take coats and shoes and gloves or anything that will help keep them warm. Then we order about 10 pizza's from the local pizza place and have them delivered to the center of the square. It's not much but at least we see our cash go directly to the needy.
We also do a lot of direct donations. Clothes, food & those things go local.
When we catch fish almost 1/2 typically goes to the shelter at the beach.
They deserve some fresh fish too.
I remember one time a few years ago when my dad and I went to drop it off,
the cook was away and the backup never showed ... My dad never even blinked.
Although we had a houseful of people, he and I cooked fresh tuna for about 40 people
and ate dinner with them. Good times.
There was a TV News segment tonight that I found very appealing.
Someone went into a K-Mart store and offered to pay off (completely)
all of the "lay-a-way" accounts that were less than $100.
The store manager said the total came to something more than $15,000.
The store then notified the customers so they could come in to claim the purchase.
The "Layaway Angel" was kept anonymous...
Of course, not everyone could afford to do that, but the idea is there.
That is very cool. I hope to do that someday.
Well we try to do something similar. We have a pretty sizable homeless population in Savannah. They tend to gravitate to one of the city Squares. Each year we gather up warm clothes around the house and take coats and shoes and gloves or anything that will help keep them warm. Then we order about 10 pizza's from the local pizza place and have them delivered to the center of the square. It's not much but at least we see our cash go directly to the needy.
You're a good man, Charlie Brown. :salute: