donate to charity

[t_rizzle]

I've decided to do the whole "tithe" thing (i'm christian) where I give away 10% of my salary to charity. Any ideas? I know this isn't a very often asked question lol... but I've decided to make this sacrifice and give away that money to those who are less fortunate than I am.

[ekrabs]

That is very generous of you. This is something you'll want to speak with your pastor about. I'm sure he will answer any questions you may have.

[t_rizzle]

That is very generous of you. This is something you'll want to speak with your pastor about. I'm sure he will answer any questions you may have.

No no, I meant, any ideas on WHERE I should donate money to?

[ekrabs]

Where? Aren't you with a church? If so, then you just tithe that church you are with.

If you are not a member of a church yet, then the first thing you will want to do is go around and find one that you wish to join.

[StephaniePTY]

Hey, if you're looking for charities, I'm happy to tell you about my favorite: it's actually a charity club that I was president of when I was in college (last year). We raise money (I'm still sort of an alumni-participant) to build elementary schools in rural Cambodia. I know that raises more questions than it answers, mainly: Why elementary schools and Why Cambodia?

Cambodia has some truly devesating human trafficking rates: young boys and girls and some adult women sold into slavery, either as laborers or as sex workers. Children as young as four are sold into sex slavery. But, wherever a school is built, human trafficking rates drop. Schools give the parents somewhere to send their kids each day, instead of being tricked into selling their kids into slavery (common scenario: stranger approaches parents with "job offer" for their kids, but really it's "I'm going to kidnap your kid and sell them to a brothel.") So, we raise money to build schools.

Another thing I love about the charity is that so much of the money you donate actually goes toward building the school. The charity we work with uses 100% of the money the club gives them for building the school or school related expenses (hiring teachers, books, computers, a well for clean water for the school - often the first well in the whole town). So the only administrative expenses are the ones the club members incur, which are low because most of us like to donate supplies ourselves instead of using donated funds. (I made so many trips to OfficeMax for poster board on my own dime when I was president, they knew me by name!)

So, that's my pitch for Students for Cambodian Schools - we've got a big fundraiser coming up soon, but you can donate at any time: http://www.rit.edu/sg/cambodianschools/

[t_rizzle]

Hey, if you're looking for charities, I'm happy to tell you about my favorite: it's actually a charity club that I was president of when I was in college (last year). We raise money (I'm still sort of an alumni-participant) to build elementary schools in rural Cambodia. I know that raises more questions than it answers, mainly: Why elementary schools and Why Cambodia?

Cambodia has some truly devesating human trafficking rates: young boys and girls and some adult women sold into slavery, either as laborers or as sex workers. Children as young as four are sold into sex slavery. But, wherever a school is built, human trafficking rates drop. Schools give the parents somewhere to send their kids each day, instead of being tricked into selling their kids into slavery (common scenario: stranger approaches parents with "job offer" for their kids, but really it's "I'm going to kidnap your kid and sell them to a brothel.") So, we raise money to build schools.

Another thing I love about the charity is that so much of the money you donate actually goes toward building the school. The charity we work with uses 100% of the money the club gives them for building the school or school related expenses (hiring teachers, books, computers, a well for clean water for the school - often the first well in the whole town). So the only administrative expenses are the ones the club members incur, which are low because most of us like to donate supplies ourselves instead of using donated funds. (I made so many trips to OfficeMax for poster board on my own dime when I was president, they knew me by name!)

So, that's my pitch for Students for Cambodian Schools - we've got a big fundraiser coming up soon, but you can donate at any time: http://www.rit.edu/sg/cambodianschools/

Stephanie, if I do donate to that, is there any way for me to find out where my money went? as in like... to hire a teacher, or to build a well?

[ekrabs]

Perhaps we need to make sure something is clarified first.... Uh, and I will understand if this may comes across as offensive, but... I'm only telling you guys the truth.

Tithing may be preached as a form of charity, but in practice... it's not always so. In other words, tithing is specifically a biblical mandate to give 10% of your income to the church, to do as they see fit with that money, and that may and may not involve charities.

I used to live in a neighborhood next to a Baptist church. I could literally see parts of their buildings from my back yard. Anyways, I've participated in their activities before, because back then, my son wanted to join their Boy Scout program. They were constantly upgrading, and they even added a brand new auditorium. Truth is, they needed that because their group function was so large and loud that they were more of a noise issue than frat boys on a Saturday night.

However, what really started to bother me was when they started to re-decorate the exterior. Mind you, the exterior was perfectly fine and functional. But by the time they were done, it looked more like an exotic resort. Why? What charitable purpose does that serve? Worst of all, I got a glimpse of the Pastor's bed chamber. Yes, he has one there, and it's gorgeous. Like it was lifted straight out of a catalog. We were not allowed to go in, and normally the door was shut so I guess I was "lucky" to even have seen it.

To be fair, I also want to clarify something else. Not all Christian churches believe that materialism is an inherently bad thing. And depending on the denomination, there is nothing illegal or even immoral about this. However, it bothered me anyways, because of the over-the-top extravagance. By the way, not all churches, including Baptist churches, operate like this.

Finally, if you do find and join a church you enjoy and tithe to, you may also be able to find out how your money is spent. You may even be able to become a member of their budget committee. Understand that churches, as far as I know, are considered to be non-profit organizations, and therefore, are not subject to the same regulatory standards as normal corporations. In other words, the level of transparency and financial involvement you may be allowed access to will depend on the individual policies of each church. Simply put, some are very transparent about their cash flow while others are not.

In my personal opinion, if you want to give to a charity, you go straight to a reputable charity organization you like. However, if you believe in a particular church's goals and way of operation, then you will want to donate or tithe that church instead. Also, to be fair, tithing a church isn't always a bad thing. Even they have to pay the electric bill somehow.

Good luck!

[StephaniePTY]

Stephanie, if I do donate to that, is there any way for me to find out where my money went? as in like... to hire a teacher, or to build a well?

Right now, the money is being raised for the purpose of building a school in the name of our alma mater (Rochester Institute of Technology). It takes $13,000 to build a school, the club has raised about $4,000 so far (I believe). When we have enough to build a school, we'll take the money to American Assistance for Cambodia (the parent charity that has no operating costs), which will provide us with a list of areas that need schools, which we will pick a place from to have our school built.

However, if the club doesn't raise enough for a school within a reasonable time frame (the next few years), the plan is to just donate the money to the parent organization, who will then use it for the teachers/wells/books types of expenses for schools they've already built. They've built over 600 schools in Cambodia already, so there are plenty of schools that could use help from the general fund, as well.

You can also donate directly to American Assistance to Cambodia, if you'd like, and designate exact how the money will be spent. Their website is http://www.cambodiaschools.com/ You can also just visit that if you'd like more information about the organization and how the money is used.