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Ask Slashdot: Making Donations Count

Posted by samzenpus on from the biggest-bang-for-your-buck dept.

An anonymous reader writes: As a recent college graduate I now have a job and enough money to actually buy things and donate to causes. Up until now I really haven't been paying attention to which groups are best to donate and which are scams. For example, Goodwill seems like a great organization until you dig deeper and discover they hire under privileged and disabled people only to exploit the related government handouts instead of doing it to benefit those people. What are some quality organizations to donate to? Who do you donate to and why? I'm looking for improving the poor, supporting constitutional rights, and supporting issues many Slashdotters can agree on such as net neutrality and anything against the media companies. I don't care what political group the money ends up going to. The specific case is more important than some arbitrary label. I'm also in the USA, so foreign recommendations are probably less helpful.

3 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. How about by bobstreo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since it's Slashdot:

    Free Software Foundation http://fsf.org/

    Electronic Freedom Foundation http://eff.org/

    American Civil Liberties Union http://aclu.org/

    Make sure they are registered as a 501(c)(3) so your donations are tax-deducible.

    I'd skip sending money to ISIS or the Taliban. It's probably not tax-deductible and may result in unpleasant imprisonment.

  2. No Organizations by ClubPetey · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't donate to any organized cause. Even the best run, most efficient ones still have part of your dollar go to administrative or marketing costs.

    As you move through life, you will meet plenty of people that need help. Give that pan handler on the side of the road a hamburger. Help your single-working-mother neighbor by paying for a baby sitter so she can have a night out. Buy groceries for the person in line at the store behind you that is using food stamps.

    Or, donate your time. Join Habitat for Humanity and build a house for someone.

    While all these options take more time/effort than just entering your credit card into a website, those donations of money/time will be completely dedicated to the person in need.

    --
    Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes
  3. Constituional Rights by Kunedog · · Score: 5, Informative

    Also the NRA since he wants to protect constitutional rights and the ACLU has a few embarrassing gaps in that regard.