Discussion on:

10 worthy charities for the Internet age and the holiday season

If a charity is really a charity then the executive management team deserve reasonable compensation for their skills but part of that compensation should be the personal satisfaction that they are doing good instead of a large salary.. Otherwise the charity just becomes a business that profits from clients good will being poorly represented. Unfortunately this is not the case with many of the charities listed. I have no issue with compensating the head of a charity with a salary representative of the middle class if that is their full time occupation. But some of the charities listed compensate their management with middle to upper six figure salaries which are paid first before a dime goes to the cause. Peoples good will should not be support a luxury lifestyle when a charity is involved, yet that is what happens.

So how can you tell? Before giving ask for the salary for the CEO of the charity or their last income tax submission. Charitable income tax forms by law are considered public knowledge that should be available on request. If the organization refuses they I suggest you find another worthy cause. CEO salaries are listed on these forms by law. You then have to decide if the CEO is getting a reasonable salary for their effort.

My guidelines are as follows: For any charity where the CEO earns over $200K I take my money somewhere else. For a local (not national) organization around $100K is my maximum limit.

While this may seem high to many, very few charities actually fall within these guidelines. When choosing to give, I evaluate the cause and its effect and scope in relation to the CEO's salary. For many even $50K is too much. For others I may let my limit slip a little but never above $250K. Charities claim they need to pay this much to get good people to run them. I say if it takes that amount of money to attract a person to run it, then that person is not doing it for the cause, but for the money and image.

When I give to a charity or non-profit I want my money to go for the cause, not to support someone's luxurious lifestyle.

Jweil,

I agree with you in part that as donors it is our responsibility to ensure the efficient delivery of charitable services. As others have noted on this thread, there are many resources which rate and benchmark charities based on such criteria. I have been referring to them for assistance for years.

I do take exception, however, to the notion that workers in the charitable sector need to be self-sacrificing saints. One of my sons has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade, and he could easily make more in the private sector. While I am sure there are some salaries that are out of scale, the figures you use for a guideline for CEOs is extremely low compared to what these people could make doing similar things outside of the charitable sector. I am not sure why someone who has chosen that line of work should be boxed into lower salaries then they could make elsewhere. Your contention that "personal satisfaction" from working for a good cause should be part of their compensation doesn't wash with me. Shouldn't we all get personal satisfaction from designing safe bridges for the public, providing relevant, unbiased news, keeping our streets safe, educating our children, or developing software that helps people do any of the above?

Thanks bergenfx,
I was having the same reaction to Jweil's comments. My grandfather once said to me that teachers didn't need to make good salaries, because we really want the people who love teaching so much they'd do it for free. On some non-well reasonsed level, this makes sense for teaching, running a charity, etc., however in a practical sense, don't we want the best and the smartest to be our teachers? Also, shouldn't that same criterion apply to the private sector too? Shouldn't we only want someone to be a CEO of a major corporation, who loves it so much he/she would do it for free? Couldn't we lower their salaries substantially with that reasoning?

I find your response interesting from the fact that it contains things that I find I probably should have been made more apparent as well as contentions that were not made.

First of all, I did not say that the head of a charity should be a "self sacrificing saint" . I would contend that if the head of a national charity is making $250K is not sacrificing very much if at all. I agree with you completely that some of reward for working for a non-profit or charity is personal satisfaction you get from helping the cause. That said if one feels "boxed in" salary wise and is not getting enough personal reward for their efforts, they should go back to the private sector where profit is everything so that they can get what they think they deserve. Working for a non-profit should not be based on monetary compensation or recognition yet far too often it is used for just that reason. A person who decides to work for a non-profit should not expect to get near the same salary that they could in the private sector and that part of their compensation should be in the results of the work they do - on what they are freely contributing to society. Most of the example you mention are jobs in the private sector and very few of those jobs get 6 figure salaries. What I find so ironic is that "celebrities" get huge monitory rewards for entertainment while some of the professions you mentioned can hardly keep a roof over their heads. Personally I think from this respect the country has it head turned upside down. Getting personal satsifaction should be part of the reward from any job, but more so from a non-profit. I have historically research some of the charities listed. When you add up salaries, overhead, marketing, and advertising, $,80 to $.90 of every dollar that they take in goes to the above, leaving $.10 of that dollar to the actual cause. While that dime certainly helps, think of all the good that could be done if the non-profit employes and their vendors were not lining their pockets with diners hard earned money. With non-profits a donor gets nothing back other then the satisfaction they are funding something that needs such funding and the money will be used for a good cause. In the public sector, the "donor" is receiving goods or services for their money. From my perspective a "good cause" does not mean the management team of a non-profit living high on the hog". As to the comment below, I read sometime ago that CEO's of American based companies earn 10 times what the equivalent European CEO makes. Yes we do need to lower CEO salaries, golden parachutes, and stop rewarding them with high payouts for failure when they leave. It is about time that management employment contracts contain a clause that states no bonuses for failure.

the celebrities and athletes. They are bringing in the "millions" and do not even work all year! But wait a minute, most consumers are so absorbed into their TV, they could not do without it and are willing to pay whatever it takes. I say, get a life and get away from TV!

Jason,

Thank You.

Get off your high horses and quit your bitch'n. I'll bet half the complainers don't even give to charity. Y'all need to take a chill pill!

I applaud Jason for going out on a limb and reminding us of our duty to help others. Instead of bashing Jason's choices, recommend some of your favorites.

This is a festive season for celebrating whatever you believe whether it be Chistmas, Hanukkah, or the WInter Solstice. Stay positive and a lot more people will take you seriously.

Happy Holidays to all!

....your LOCAL animal shelters and Rescue Organizations always needs pet food, toys, medicine, medical care, bedding, volunteers, animal socializing and foster homes....that goes directly to the animals....

While none of us can save the world, we can all help a little, just a little niceness from each one of us will go a long way to a better world.

And aside from cash to charities, just helping your neighbors who are having issues is a good thing.

that ANYONE should tell a woman what she should do with her body. Any group that touts itself as a charity, and then treats women with such disrespect, will not get a red cent out of me!

BTW-- I'm a Pastafarian myself, not that it matters!

All is good, but if you want more bang for your buck check out Charity Watch:

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

Their criteria points to efficiency, which is an important factor to me. I do give to three that may not rate well there:

Salvation Army
Red Cross/Crescent - ( I agree with Jason there)
United Way

You might check out the Children's Hunger Fund.
According to Forbes Magazine they are among the most efficient charities, with more than $.99 of every $1.00 going to the cause.
Yes. I do contribute to them.

Soooooooooooooo ... ... everyone on here must be making loads of monay from some of the comments I've seen ,, ,, ,,, ,,,
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As for my business it's off by 80% from 2008 .. .. .. I have been fortunate to have good friends, family and a few fantastic customers .. .. ..
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This year I was finally able to break even ... ... and I was blessed to be able to gift a
used laptop to a local lady that has been out of work for almost 2 years and needs a computer at home so that she doesn't need to go to the library to apply for jobs online.
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I am getting ready to gift another computer to a family that needs one for the children to be able to do thier homework on .. .. no it isn't a "gamer" as I was asked by the kids .. .. but it is good enough so that they can get thier homework done and Mom can look for a better job.. ...
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To the point folks .. .. it didn't seem like a lot as these were old units taken in trade some time ago and nobody would pay a dime for them .. .. but to these folks .. .. it is a " God send" ... ...
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Ask around .. .. churches , radio station dj's, local military bases [ these folks usually can't put two nickels together and need to use the bases computers to talk to their loved ones over seas ]
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I'm sure that there a hundred or maybe even a thousand charities that can use a helping hand or refer you to a person who can use a bit of help .. .. just your service on their existing computer could be their Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday .. .. ..
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All that I am trying to say is ... ... that even if you or your company is strapped this year you have something to give that few others can match
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Oh **** ........ I just realized that I am preaching to the choir .. ... please excuse my ignorance .. ..
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Thank you to all here that have helped me over the years .. ..
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Merry Christmas , Happy Hanukka [sp] .. .. Happy Holidays .. ..
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Sincerely yours
Michael Lewis
Owner
The Office Connection
Denver, CO

I think the key is to give what gifts you have to others as you can, not only during the holiday season but all the year through. You can give money, time, talents, blood; you can just listen to someone or share a smile. Help out a neighbor, coworker, friend or stranger. There are many ways to give, just listen to your heart and share your love and joy with others in whatever way is appropriate.

2)Hellen Keller International
3)Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Please think of your charities around tax time, as well.......

The North Shore Animal League is one of the worst charities around. Last I checked, over 90% of contributions were wasted trying to get more contributions, or a higher salary for the executives. The have a ONE star rating from a few charity watch organizations. Although I believe their supposed cause is good, they might as well be a for-profit company. Almost any other charitable animal organization around is a far better place to donate your money. Unless you just love having your donations "taxed" by 90%! Guiding Eyes for the Blind, while not that bad, is also lower-rated than most other charities for the blind or seeing-eye dogs. NEVER give without researching a charity first! Also, if someone calls you for a donation, you should immediately be suspicious of how they're spending their donations!

Nice as it is, I no longer give to these large organizations. My charitable contributions are all done at the local level where my time and money are used far more effectively than b these large companies with corporate style headquarters. As the saying goes, Charity begins at home.

I liked seeing Kiva as the first one on your list.
I've been a Kiva lender for several years, and it's an awesome to help others all year round. Not just during the holiday season, when everyone tells you you're supposed to do good...
It is almost a selfish feeling: it is so easy to help others, and it feels so good, that once you start helping you can't stop:)

Good job getibg the word out Jason.

Don't forget Matt Damon's water.org

Don't blindly give to any charity without first looking into it. Investigate your charity at places like Charity Navigator. Fore example some charity's spend more on advertising than the cause they help. Also look at their admin costs which include executive salaries.

All good causes - something we all need to consider is giving wherever we can. Besides United Way, American Cancer and one of the ones on your list - we have taken in our nephew. Instead of Foster Care or Juvenile Detention he has been with us for several years now. He graduated from high school and we are now helping him through college. He wants to be a teacher.
All we ask from him is to: Someday pay it forward!
Happy Holidays!

I like your list, Jason, but find it lacking in the direction of education and human rights. Each charity needs to limit it's focus in order to do it's job well, and many on your list do deal with them incidentally to their main program. The lack of medical care, food, water, ... whatever ... is rarely isolated but frequently intertwined with many causes. Our responses need to coordinate to address the multi-issue causes.
- - -
Inclusion of the Komen Foundation triggers a thought. Komen deserves tremendous credit for it's facile and aggressive tactics in getting corporate America to turn almost everything pink and raise awareness, funding, and attention on the scourge of breast cancer. It is discouraging to note that the parallel cancer -- prostate cancer -- receives less than half the federal research funding and about one-sixth the research funding over-all. Yet, more men are getting prostate cancer each year than women get breast cancer. I wonder how many corporate CEOs (mostly men) who have signed on to the Komen pink campaigns realize that their chances of having prostate cancer themselves has risen to 1 in 6. Unfortunately, while there are several un-coordinated groups focused on prostate cancer, there is no counterpart to the fine work the Komen Foundation has done.

AmpleHarvest.org, founded by CNN Hero Gary Oppenheimer, is the only solution to hunger and malnutrition that uses the Internet instead of a constant [re]supply of food to attack this problem.

Traditional food programs ask you to donate food or money to a food bank or food drive for an "eat once" contribution of a can or box food. And then you need to do it again and again.

If you contribute to the AmpleHarvest.org Campaign, you are creating a sustainable and recurring opportunity for local growers to share their harvest with neighborhood food pantries for many years to come.... greatly magnifying the impact of your donation.

Only two years old, AmpleHarvest.org is already working with more than 4,600 food pantries across all 50 states. They need and deserve your help. Diminish hunger, fight malnutrition and improve the environment with one donation that lasts forever.

It's easy to focus on the charities with seemly big impact but let's not forget the charities that take care of the people here at home. The charities that help make life in your local community more liveable with food, shelter, and other aid to those less fortunate. Rescue Missions, local foodbanks, and others provide services and aid right here and right now

I agree with what I have been reading it should be charitable and the CEO should have a reasonable salary. But, at last look Red Cross is second only to Unicef with ripping the charity off. The CEO is paid 675K plus a multitude of perks and benefits. I have to also doubt them being a charity since their heavy duty assistance is usually accompanied by a bill for their services. Ask most GI's about them and you will get a real earful

With all of the pain, starving and homelessness on this planet today, you list an organization at #1 that gives a monetary loan to entrepreneurs? I don't have anything against helping others with their business endeavors, but let's help the less fortunate with food, water shelter and safety before we put them in business. If you felt that this charity should be on your list, at least put it it last. Obviously, your priorities are reflective of your sitting in an office with little outside contact, all day. Get from behind the keyboard and walk down an impoverished street in your hometown and tell me these people need a loan for their new business. With the economy in the state it is, extra money for charities is hard to come by. Let's help the truly needy with the basics we take for granted before we bankroll someones business idea!

You don't see how Kiva might be the ONLY good solution for solving hunger and poverty in the long term? Time and again it has been show that just throwing food, formula, and water at the impoverised only makes the problem worse in the long term, it is not a solution! Kiva gives those impoverished people the opportunity to become productive members of society, and therefore feed themselves and their family for generations to come. Use your head a little!

very good commits .... may i add watch out for "charities" that try to install false guilt,
we should love others as our self not more than our self,

Great challenge, excellent choices Happy Holidays to all!!!
CW, SGK, RC/RC
Thank you.

wikipedia

While all good recommendations, i prefer to give to the local food pantries. Also, a little off topic, it seems that we should add the big A as an addendum to Goodwin's Law. Buy a bag of groceries while you're shopping, and don't forget an extra bag of dog/cat food for the local shelter.

I contribute to Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and, locally, to the Veterans Guest House, which offers free temporary lodging to families of veterans who are temporarily hospitalized (for surgery, etc.) at our local VA hospital. Also, I contribute to our local food bank. The demand for free food has increased over 300% this year from last year.

Child's Play Charity, started by the Penny Arcade webcomic team, is incredibly nerd-oriented.

Wonderful article, wonderful comments. I have done some research into charities and come up with my own list - glad to see that some made it to your list Jason - also appreciate the comments on salaries, guilt giving, etc. One of my pet peeves is the Von's grocery stores that solicit at checkout, and never has any checker told me anything about who gets the donations, or whether Von's matches the donation or whatever.
I am fortunate to work for a company that matches gifts $25 and over. I'll be checking those charities with the links given here - I used BBB in the past and many charities don't qualify using their criteria. Yes, and let's remember those overcrowded animal shelters too....

Check them out here:
http://heifer.org/

Also Delancey Street is a good organization:
http://www.delanceystreetfoundation.org/