Charities... Best way to help people out?

[mattspurplepen]

I've been thinking about giving some money to charities, maybe volunteering in the future as well. But for right now i kind of wanted to find some charity that isn't corrupt and give a donation..
I think this thread could be a good spot for discussion on the importance/usefulness of charities of all different kinds.
Personally I would like to help out any poor people or (women/children) or possibly animals/ nature conservation..
preferably through a non-christian or religion based organization.
I don't think i can make a difference or anything just wanted to do something, if you have any suggestions please hook me up!

[Aaron]

Don't donate to charites that approach you on the street.
Only donate to those who have not-for-profit status.
Question how much of your money will go to advertising/admin, and how much to actually making a difference.

[mattspurplepen]

yeah for sure, I was just looking for something to give maybe $200 to or maybe a few to split about that much. Christian/faith based organizations piss me off because they don't do things to help people but rather preach to them while helping as a duty. I just want to contribute to a secular not for profit charity.

[Aaron]

^ not true in most instances.

[mattspurplepen]

hmm well in any case i just dislike their attitudes haha, hey i'm an asshole.. what about doctors without borders?

[mattspurplepen]

Actually I'm diggin unicef's website is there anything wrong with them?

[Aaron]

Nah. Just keep reading, the more info you know for better.

[mattspurplepen]

well i don't know man, its a tough call i'll definitely look into everything for a while longer and then decide. Maybe in the end, the red cross?

[okay]

what about amnesty international?

[mattspurplepen]

hmm yeah amnesty international sounds the best actually so far, thanks for reminding me of that!
Does anyone know about invisible children? I might consider them too but amnesty sounds respectable

[Reaganista]

aclu plz think of the oppressed homosexuals

[marcus_in_absentia]

lol wut

[Reaganista]

give the aclu money to help get rights for gays

[mattspurplepen]

hmm that is another important cause, though not to be impartial i might contribute towards amnesty. maybe i'll donate once a year, and sometimes make it dif. ones.

[okay]

also there is the organization that works to buy back slaves in africa, etc. i cant remember their name, but they use your donated money to buy slaves back and help them get rehabilitated and stuff; NPR has done some interviews with their founder and done stories on the organization a couple of times.

haha okay, the way i phrased that, it sounds terrible. what theyre doing is in a lot of places in third world countries, basically human waste will kidnap people or trick them into some sort of scheme, and then they say that the people have to pay them back before they can leave, which is made sure they can never do, so they're basically enslaved, and this organization buys the slaves back rather than trying to get the slaves back via armed intervention.

[Reaganista]

id rather donate to ppl who kill slavers than to subsidize them by giving money to their buyers

[okay]

Its a lot cheaper to just buy the slaves rather than going in with an armed force and killing the slavers.

[okay]

im pretty sure this is what i was talking about http://www.antislavery.org/

[Reaganista]

giving money to slavers is a ridiculous solution to slavery

[mattspurplepen]

hmm i dunno man that could actually be helpful as well, and its happening to children that **** sucks.

[Reaganista]

no buying slaves does not help end slavery