[Perna]

Every Christmas season my husband I pick a charity and each give a bit, the same amount, to "their" charity. I was thinking about that and decided to look up charities and found this handy "grader" that looks at how well a charity manages the gifts it receives:

http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html

But I was looking at all the categories at the bottom and trying to pick one and wondering what category I think is more "important" to me; where I think my little gift might do the most good.

For me... I take my "little money" and help individual people. and most of the time they do not know that it is me.. I find that if I bargain shop... that some family will have toys for Christmas... or the clothes they need...or the work outfits that a woman may need to return to the workforce... to help her family.. or because of divorce..
My money and commitment stays within my community.. and I value that... my state has so suffered... and so many are in need...

I used to give.. when I worked... well was forced to give by my company to United Way - 100 percent compliance was the expectation.. and you did not go against the company in this... not if you didn't want to be made very miserable...

So.. I enjoy.. being able to have a choice...

[Perna]

Yes, United Way is not the best way. They are an agency that doles it out but takes a cut off the top. I had a boyfriend, big in the Leukemia Society that convinced me that you should just give to whomever you want to have the money and if they couldn't deal with that well, then they shouldn't "succeed".

I help individuals too but guess the "big guys" if they're well run, can probably do it a little better than I can, make me feel I'm part of a "group" of some sort. I can't decide if I'm into "education" or "social services".

[(JD)]

I am no longer a contributor to the United Way. They dropped all of the Boy Scouts because you have to have a higher power to join, and IF someone still designates a donation, they take as much as 30% for themselves. (How is that tolerance for other's beliefs?) As if the Boys in the troops in the districts aren't the sons of the workers in the area, and they are what? some alien force from zenoid?

I enjoy looking through the catalog of gift suggestions from the Samaritan's Purse... you know, rescue a child from bondage $50, provide a goat to a village $70. feed a person for a week $7.

[Perna]

Oh, the goats! I do Heifer International: http://www.heifer.org/ :-)

[nothemama8]

even with being a charitable organization ourselves Confident Beginnings (my self-help group here in Erie ) also gives when we can
Angie