What are your favorite charitable causes?
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Us Girls..Our Views 
#1 is literacy. So many of the problems in our country and others could be alleviated or wiped out if people were just more literate. And this is something that starts with kids and not due to any choices those kids have made. In many cases, it can be fixed with a small investment that will save lots of money in the long run.
#2 is destitute children, particularly girls, in developing countries. They have little hope of being anything but washerwomen or prostitutes without some help, i.e., a roof over their head and a basic education.
#3 is a variety of other children’s causes. I tend to focus on kids because it’s hard for me to have compassion for adults who have caused their own problems via choices they have knowingly made. I support mental health services for needy kids, programs for foster families, educational charities, etc.
#4 is destitute women’s causes. I support vocational opportunities in third-world countries and donate to some charities that focus on helping women make a living for themselves in the US.
I will never support UNICEF, though. This is a political organization that, among other things, pushes an agenda of abortion over adoption, to the great detriment of many children and families.
There are a few. First is the childhood cancer organizations. It became a large issue in my family when 2 years ago my nephew was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer that was in his testicle. He was 3 years old.
Then there is breast cancer. Several women in my husbands family have been hit with breast cancer and his aunt died from it.
Then there is mental health care. I’m big on this b/c I didnt ask to be bipolar and nothing I DID or didnt do caused this. Its something I live with everyday and my family deals with everyday.
We don’t give to any official charities.
However, we do many things relating to helping children.
Children are the ones who have to adjust to life based on decisions adults around them make.
Some times that really stinks.
My family.
Then I help, where I can.
When I can.
At Christmas we give to Toys for Tots. Every year the Gillette’s Children’s hospital airs all these stories on the radio, it’s very sad and I have a hard times listening to it. Jason has to listen to it, and he’ll pull over if it’s a very emotional one. He’d kill me if he knew I’m telling you this so shhh. It’s very endearing! So we always donate to them EVERY year. Jason signed up to have an on going donation. It makes both of us grateful for having a healthy son!
I don’t have any “favorite” charities per se… I’m often hesitant to give because I hear so many horror stories about fake charities who take your donations and don’t distribute them to the people they are supposed to be representing.
However, for the past couple years my students and I have participated in a “Performathon” sponsored by our state’s music teacher association, in which students prepare for a recital by practicing AND collecting donations for the charity. This year and last year it was the Ronald McDonald House. It was so uplifting and touching to see so many little kids get into the spirit of helping others.
My mother died of cancer in 2001 at the age of 59,so I donate money to charities concerning cancer.My dad died of a massive heart attack in 2006 at the age of 69,so I donate money to the heart and stroke foundation.
We do a lot of work with our church food pantry.
Other than that I just like to do random acts of kindness each day, like drop in on a nursing home just to say hi.
I give to the charity’s that don’t call and “beg” me for money. I don’t like that. I mean face it, we can’t give to everything. People that call me on the phone or send me “junk” mail, get ignored. I tend to give to all “natural disasters” like the hurricanes and floods, tornado’s. I also donate 4 times a year to the Epilepsy Foundation. They want household items and I always have a bag going for them and they also appreciate all my books. I also “donate” to kids selling stuff for 4-H and school fund raisers. If I can keep it in my schools and community and help “real people,” I’m happy doing that. Some of the huge corporations, I wonder how much “fundraising” money actually goes to what we think it goes for.
Humans and children, perhaps more to the children and I try to always do it directly. I don’t give money to corporations or organised charities as a non conscious rule of thumb.
I too am like JAM… We’ve helped out at our soup kitchen here in town..and a local mission. I really tend to stay off the “cause” bandwagon. I don’t like being a person who has to question everything but these organizations can make themselves look legitimate and we’ve all seen it over and over..they aren’t.
I would rather put my time and energy into what I can do for something than my money..which I need to live on.
I agree that you have to be careful whom you give money to. I have personally visited and worked directly (on the board and/or as a volunteer) with most of the organizations I give to – and all the ones that get significant money from me. In each case, I have a relationship with top people in the organization. That is how I am confident that the money is truly used for a good cause. I say “no” to far more causes than I say “yes” to.