Giving
This will be updated in early January. The information below this paragraph is still about right, but this year we gave closer to $14,000. It's not easy to do that, since we pretty much never have money in the bank. Our direction seems headed toward charities that rescue young children from sexual slavery--in Tibet and Cambodia in particular. There are lots of good causes out there, but this whole sexual slavery thing---well, I think we can all agree that's about the worst thing in the world, and as charities go, worthy enough! Here's another one we're committed to this year, $250 per month:
http://www.somaly.org/
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Every year, profit or usually no, we give money to a handful of groups. In general, we contribute where our contribution will be significant, but in at least one case, we just add spray to the pot. Our yearly gifts total about $12,000. Here's our list:
The Carter Center
The Carter Center tackles the difficult, ugly, and often dangerous causes that other groups ignore. It is solely responsibe for nearly wiping out guinea worm disease in Africa; and expects the wipeout to be complete within 3 years. The Carter Center is efficient (using only one staff member per location/cause, and giving the skills and tools and funding so that native groups can wage the fight themselves). There is so much more, too. Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter ride their bicycles four to six days a week when they're home in Georgia. That has nothing to do with anything, but you might find that interesting. cartercenter.org
Smile Train
You know those newspaper ads that show the cute little children with the scary mouths? We've stopped turning the page and started donating. It costs $250 to pay for one corrective surgery, which seems a bargain. We'll fix about twenty smiles this year. Fix one yourself, it feels good.
Donors Choose
You know how schools are strapped for money, and good programs are getting dropped, and underpaid teachers are buying pencils out of pocket? We all know that. Well, Donors Choose is a way that we and you and anybody off the street can pick a particular case, for example, a fourth grade science class in a lousy part of a poor particular town, and pay for some or all of what the teacher needs to get a microscope or whatever else might be needed. Rather than just vote pro-education every couple of years, you can actually be the hero that makes things happen. You pick your cause. Many of them require a total of $500 to $1200, and they may have collected part of that already, and you can either contribute more, or fill in the rest. It's a neat organization, and one we've given to many times this year, with plans to continue. First heard about it from Sally Struthers on a television commercial.
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Founded in 1997, it raises money to pay for prosthetics and wheelchairs and bikes or whatever a disabled athlete may need.
Of course there are uncountable worthy causes out there, but rather than spread our money too thin and not make hardly any difference at all to lots of groups, we're concentrating on the ones above.
