Comments on Shaken Mama: Please help cure my cynicism

Sorry, can't talk you out of your tree because if ...

2008-04-12T05:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry, can't talk you out of your tree because if you look to your right, you'll see me sitting on the next branch.

Your advice is really awesome -- thanks folks! I t...

2008-04-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Your advice is really awesome -- thanks folks! I thought people would write back about how heartless I am, as if I'm, as GM puts it, FOR breast cancer.

Thanks again -- glad I'm not the only one consistently put in this quandary.

We too, donate to plenty of charities. However, I...

2008-04-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

We too, donate to plenty of charities. However, I'm NOT a fan of most of those walk/run events.

A) If you research what % of money even goes to charity, it's quite low with some of them. And it's taking advantage of people's emotions for the topic at hand. (who would say, no, sorry, I'm FOR Breast Cancer) That straight up pisses me off.
B) (here comes the rightfully, IMO, cynical scientist-by-training part) Sometimes the best, most groundbreaking earthshaking research results come from a lab that works with Drosophila (fruit flies), nematodes , zebra fish ( a model fish organism), or even something like arabadopsis (a plant!).

So does a Breast Cancer Charity donate to them? Or do they only donate to labs doing "breast cancer research"? Because really, it's so much broader than that scientifically. Believe it or not things that go on in fruit flies are often EXACTLY what is going on in a given cancer. Same cell signaling path.

OK, off my soapbox. So yes, I feel somewhat curmudgeonly, but no, I won't support those walks.

The exception I've found so far is one local one I can explain, if you want.

Can you tell you hit a nerve of mine???? lol

In our neighborhood, as soon as the weather gets e...

2008-04-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

In our neighborhood, as soon as the weather gets even slightly warm, there will be a knock at the door once or twice a week. And never mind that it's nearly dinnertime and I know absoLUTEly, that this is not going to be anyone offering to help wrangle the kids or finish off the meal while I go upstairs and sip wine while staring off into space...no, I still, knowingly and like the dimwit that I am....open the door. And always ALWAYS, it's someone looking for $$. (Or my soul, but that's a different story...)

And so after a year or two of spending a ridiculous amount of money in equally ridiculous tiny amounts, we also went with the charity budget approach. A GREAT way to go -- and also I don't burn dinner nearly as often.

Another thing to look into: charitynavigator.org. This is one of a few sites that provide data you can use to evaluate and compare charities. You can even search by a pet cause and figure out the best way to maximize your investment. Kiva's also a fantastic way to go.

Also, when Chebbles is a little older, check out the book "Beatrice's Goat" and Heifer.org. The book tells the story of a girl and her family benefitting from a goat provided to them through Heifer.org, and it made everything click with my kids. They could really relate to how the donation changed Beatrice's life. Of course, I wept hormonally while reading it to them....but I'm a big sap....

KP

Kiva looks fascinating! I'm intrigued by the .1 de...

2008-04-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Kiva looks fascinating! I'm intrigued by the .1 default rate. These people are paying back their loans WAY faster and more reliably than people in the US do.

And a charity budget is a good idea. We don't usually know our budget until December, but it would be good to allocate percentages ahead of time. And maybe put aside some money for friends' causes?

Sorry, to have part 2, but because I do this, it i...

2008-04-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry, to have part 2, but because I do this, it is easier for me to refuse as I can refer to my charity budget. Often I try to give in non-monetary ways...goods, services, time, etc.

This past year, I sat down and decided how much mo...

2008-04-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

This past year, I sat down and decided how much money we were going to give to charity. Then I picked out charities and made their budget. I left some discretionary money to be used for anything else that came up. I guess there is never a guarantee how the money might be used, but I tend to give to local things as if something is awry, I'll know soon enough!

hey, my friend just clued me into Kiva, a lending ...

2008-04-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

hey, my friend just clued me into Kiva, a lending organization that lets you be a part of giving people a chance to build their business in (mostly) third world countries. And you do get your $$ back. You can start as low as $25, I haven't picked a person yet, but I plan to. Maybe this can help with the cynicism? I do fundraisers sometimes, mostly I just hit up my brother. :)

Philosophically, I think you're right Fringes. I d...

2008-04-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Philosophically, I think you're right Fringes. I do worry, even if the charities aren't ones I feel connected to, about letting down my friends somehow.

This is me getting all spiritual up in your commen...

2008-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

This is me getting all spiritual up in your comments: if you feel it, do it. If the charity is not speaking to your soul, and you are looking for justification, give elsewhere. Good causes led by good people are sustained one way or another. The huge charities as well as the tiny ones.