Charity work?

[Aerosheik]

What charities do you give to? Do you think it's possible to establish a charity organization that is atheist based and not turn it into what would resemble a church? Also, who or what type of people do you think deserve charitable giving?  

[Shaded Spriter]

I currently don't give to any Charities...I gave to Children in Need and Red Nose Day charity Events in the past year.

Lance Armstrong is an Atheist and started a Charity to help cancer survivors...If you think about it there are a lot of Charities which don't resemble Churches NSPCC, RSPCA, McDonald's Charity.

I think anyone in need deserves Charity, from the homeless to 3rd world countries to Children and even Animals there are a lot of Charities which help people.

There are some Charities which "say" help people but they are more Lobbying Groups trying to make government do something which I don't agree with. (i.e. Cancer Charities which lobby government to impose Smoking bans.) Also there are Church charities which who along concentrate on spreading Jesus than actually doing the Charity work they are meant to be doing. (I think these types of Charities should just concentrate on one thing Either Spread religion or help people...I don't care which.)  

[Aerosheik]

Thanks for your response. I want to give, but I'm having to decide who/what deserves my donations. Also I want to promote those that do not sell themselves as a religious organization. I'm going to have to do some digging on this. Doesn't Richard Dawkins have some form of foundation as well?  

[Tenth Speed Writer]

Right now, I'm considering giving to a couple of programs run by my friend's church. One is to give Christmas gifts to a couple of good-spirited but financially poor families nearby, and the other is a major project that's being run over in a number of countries in Africa to dig wells for villages that otherwise would struggle to get fresh water.  

[Meirelle]

I give to charities sometimes. Like in some stores where they're like, "We can add a dollar to your purchase and that will go to such-and-such charity." It's usually that kind of thing, and it's usually spontaneous. I never give out a lot all at once, but the money does add up. 3nodding  

[AnonymouZ]

If they ask, and i have spare bucks... why not. But i almost never have enough change to put into those salvation army collection... thingies. Kinda makes me feel bad cuz those dudes shake the bells for a LONG a** TIME. hahahaha, then again... it's not for THEM so...

In any case... i think amnesty is kinda atheist, isn't it? Then again, they're all political oriented... they're still in need tho... so.

Also, isn't it ******** up how when [most] people think charities, they think spare change? I think the most i've given is like 25 bucks. And that was YEARS ago.  

[Aerosheik]

It's kinda like in the movie, Office Space. They take fractions of a cent and roll it into one account. It does add up, a lot. I'm just trying to align my lifestyle and support of needy causes with how and what I believe. I say this because most organizations, whether they are non-profit or not, are taking a fraction off the top of each donation to pay themselves and the costs associated with running the charity.

I realize needy people are just that, and not necessarily looking at the foundation's morals, or beliefs that are giving them support. However, we have the opportunity to say something with our dollars when we do or don't support charities based on their alignment with how we feel about religion, politics, and/or the relative need of the cause being supported.

The only thing left is a good resource listing charities and organizations and their histories, views, and goals.  

[Arios V]

Let's see I've worked with (Going out collecting donations, helping at events, etc.) and given money to the following within the past year:

The Make-A-Wish Foundation
Give Kids The World (It's like a resort/theme park for kids who have terminal illnesses.)
The Multiple Sclerosis Society

I don't think any of these are religious based.  

[Shaded Spriter]

Arios V

The Make-A-Wish Foundation

MAW is a charity which I have not donated to ever but I like.  

[Arios V]

Shaded Spriter

Arios V

The Make-A-Wish Foundation

MAW is a charity which I have not donated to ever but I like.

It is a great foundation, In the past year I've donated about $100 to MAW.  

[Tchaik]

Through my parents church, I buy a present or two for a needy kid. It's religion-based, yeah, but I still like to do good things for people.

I also donate $1 a week out of my paycheck from work, to the United Way. It doesn't feel like a lot, but like everyone says, it adds up.
3nodding  

[Koravin]

World Wildlife Fund. Save the planet.  

[AnonymouZ]

Aerosheik

It's kinda like in the movie, Office Space. They take fractions of a cent and roll it into one account. It does add up, a lot. I'm just trying to align my lifestyle and support of needy causes with how and what I believe. I say this because most organizations, whether they are non-profit or not, are taking a fraction off the top of each donation to pay themselves and the costs associated with running the charity.

I realize needy people are just that, and not necessarily looking at the foundation's morals, or beliefs that are giving them support. However, we have the opportunity to say something with our dollars when we do or don't support charities based on their alignment with how we feel about religion, politics, and/or the relative need of the cause being supported.

The only thing left is a good resource listing charities and organizations and their histories, views, and goals.

Not just money for themselves, but money to pay for advertising. I mean... my parents used to (and still do i bet) receive those letter-things that ask for money ALL the time. I can only imagine how much money it takes to have that much paper used to ask for money. Money that COULD be used for the cause, but then, if you don't advertise, no one knows your cause and you're ******** dude, you seem to be really committed to this. Tho, an openly atheist charity foundation...? I haven't even heard of it... yet. There goes the advertising point again.  

[Sagara-kun-Blue]

I have spontanoeuosly donated $53 to the Humane society before. But I feel bad, I haven't really donated a lot. I took part in a fundraiser for hurricane Katrina relief, when that was going on. But there's this really cool site, www.freerice.com and it gives you vocabulary questions with some hard ones! The more questions you answer right, more and more rice is given to hungry people in third world countries. Theres this other one, www.care2.com/click2donate that you can choose from a vairty of different causes, and I think it's something similar. I've only looked at it yet, it was in someone's store I was browsing. So Check these out and see if they're any good! Thanks yu! ninja  

[Levis Pennae]

I don't really like to just give money to an organization. I like to more volunteer my time, which I think is more valuable to them then donations, which the majority of which goes to administrative costs anyway.