Ito Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Blood is nice, but money is better. Its not like a
> hurricane is making people bleed. There are many,
> many other needs:
>
>
https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateSt
> ep=2&itemId=prod10002
Most charities have become just like everything else in our society -- opportunistic people take over management of them, and try to "grow" them into the largest entity in that "market" in order to benefit personally from them.
Look at Susan G. Komen. They expend a lot of resources (cash) suing other charities who threaten their market share or use marketing slogans similar to thiers. They used to be sincere and did great things, but then a professional management team took over, and protecting the enterprise and growing its power and profit became the real mission (non-profit just means you don't pay taxes on your profit).
Credit Unions no longer offer reasonable interest rates because the board and president desire big yachts and all the perks of the C-suite. The NRA, AARP, AFL-CIO, Red Cross, all of these organizations (I know these are not all charities, but any organization falls into this trap eventually) are more concerned with their gorwing their political power and revenue than with pursuing their "mission".
If you must give cash, try to find a small, newly organized, maybe even faith-based, group that is directly involved in taking action rather than fundraising and holding charity balls and using their organization for political grandstanding.
It's better to take positive action yourself, but we don't all have the time and energy. But giving money to these overgrown bureaucratic money machines is only helping priviliged wealthy people enjoy the perks of being in charge of a powerful organization.