Help SBR select a charity for 2008.

[20Four7]

I know most of you aren't Canadian but my personal favourite is the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness. www.ccfaa.com. From their mission statement:

The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness, for the prevention of child abuse and adult victimization was established in 1993 to assist Canadians affected by the life-long trauma of abuse—and to educate the public about the detrimental role abuse plays in our society.

A national registered charity, CCAA is powered by a committed group of staff and volunteers driven to combat abuse through our series of programs, special events, sponsored activities and public awareness campaigns.

Whether it’s fulfilling a child’s dream wish, developing abuse prevention programs or lobbying government for legislative change—CCAA is working to protect us all from the trauma of abuse.

So in that vein anything that goes to helping children is fine by me.

[BuddyBear]

those are all good charities that have been mentioned and worthy of consideration and you can't go wrong with any of course. However, millions of people and organizations support those charities already and will continue to do so.

you may want to consider some animal rights group charities and be a little novel for a change:

www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org

[Sportsgirl]

those are all good charities that have been mentioned and worthy of consideration and you can't go wrong with any of course. However, millions of people and organizations support those charities already and will continue to do so.

you may want to consider some animal rights group charities and be a little novel for a change:

www.aspca.org and www.hsus.org

I suggested one a few posts up ...

http://www.bestfriends.org/


22 of Vick's dogs are going here to be cared for and hopefully adopted. This place does phenomenal work in animal rescue.

[ritehook]

Jimmy V........

Find a cure for cancer and sports related, you can't go wrong.

I actually gave up some cash a couple of weeks ago to them.

They also swear that 100% of your donation actually goes to cancer research.....

Jimmy V does not appear to make the AIP A or B+ list.

I don't know where they rank; AIP charges $3 to get their full list, a fair sum for those who plan to give a substantial amount. Or just stick with their online A to B+ list.

[SBR_John]

Wow great thread and very enlighting. Several animal ones, lot of support for youth causes and cancer research. I got some reading to do.

[ritehook]

sportsgirl and buddy -
Neither aspca nor bestpals seem to make the A to B+ plus list. However, even AIP states on thier Top Charities ratings page that you should use thier list only as a general guide, and that it's important that the chariy mission agrees with yours.

Here are the AIP top-rated animal charities:

ANIMAL PROTECTION PHONE AIP
GRADE
American Humane Association 866-242-1877 A–
Bat Conservation International 800-538-2287 B+
DELTA Rescue 661-269-5054 A
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International 404-624-5881 A–
Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee 931-796-6500 A
Farm Sanctuary 607-583-2225 B+
Friends of Animals 203-656-1522 B+
Humane Farming Association 415-771-2253 B+
Wildlife Conservation Society 718-220-5100 A

[ritehook]

bestpals - bestfriends

Gotta go to make my daily bread for the day, or I'll be requesting that SBR make ME the charity of the year.

[vanman]

Anything to do with cancer research.

[robzilla]

I donated money to the place where my gf got our cat from.

Im not a big fan of cats, but I love this one. Her name is Madeline she was shaved cuz she was beaten and the blood messed up her fur.

[Willie Bee]

John, there are a few programs and groups in the San Antonio area that provide assistance for wounded veterans and their families. If you're interested in that, I'll get in touch with a friend who volunteers down at the Brooke Army Medical Center and see what kind of list she comes up with.

Hats off to everyone who donates to their local animal shelters

[BuddyBear]

Thanks Ritehook. However, I wouldn't worry too much about what letter grade certain organizations receive. A lot like magaiznes that come out and tell you what the "best" university is.....

The ASPCA is the oldest animal rights oragnization in the United States. It has a long history of supporting the plight of animals--specifically domestic ones.

The HSUS is an organization that is devoted toward stopping animal cruelty and animal fighting among other things. They've been around for a very long time as well.

Both are very reputable organizations that rely on donations to get by.

[wmublows]

Thanks Ritehook. However, I wouldn't worry too much about what letter grade certain organizations receive. A lot like magaiznes that come out and tell you what the "best" university is.....

The ASPCA is the oldest animal rights oragnization in the United States. It has a long history of supporting the plight of animals--specifically domestic ones.

The HSUS is an organization that is devoted toward stopping animal cruelty and animal fighting among other things. They've been around for a very long time as well.

Both are very reputable organizations that rely on donations to get by.

I think its great that people care about pets, but there are many, many kids out there that really benefit from donations to places like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For instance, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does alot to help people with Leukemia. They offer financial support to families who have a child with Leukemia. One big thing that people don't realize is how expensive it is for the family to treat cancer. Families have enough to worry about and huge debt shouldn't be one of them. I have pretty good health insurance which pays about 80% of my son's medical bills. Sure, that sounds good, but that 20% that isn't covered is a lot of money. I was looking at one of our insurance statements from when Will was in the hospital and just for the hospital stay alone the bill was $11,000. The price of the chemo drugs that he gets is off he wall. My son has to go through a treatment program that lasts anywhere from 2-3 years (hopefully) and the final bill is most likely to be up around $150,000. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society help pay what insurance doesn't. I'm not saying that SBR should donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, because there are a lot of other charities that could use the donations too, but IMO there are better organizations to give to than ones that help animals.

PS Many people also don't realize how important it is to donate blood, especially during the holidays. It never crossed my mind until my son needing blood transfusion all the time. Just thought I'd pass that on.

[The Prick]

http://www.dav.org/

don't matter what yer politics are, these guys(and gals) did their jobs and deserve and need help

[GamblingMike]

So many great charities to choose from, one great one that I did not see mentioned is Joe Torre's Safe At Home Foundation for victims of domestic violence.

Regardless of what charity is chosen, a great gesture by SBR!

[BigD]

St. Jude Childrens Hosptal

[ritehook]

Thanks Ritehook. However, I wouldn't worry too much about what letter grade certain organizations receive. A lot like magaiznes that come out and tell you what the "best" university is.....

The ASPCA is the oldest animal rights oragnization in the United States. It has a long history of supporting the plight of animals--specifically domestic ones.

The HSUS is an organization that is devoted toward stopping animal cruelty and animal fighting among other things. They've been around for a very long time as well.

Both are very reputable organizations that rely on donations to get by.

If "letter grade" organizations are frivolous, then SBR is likewise!

From what I saw on the AIP site, they use rigid standards to grade a charity, from the annual reports that each charity by law (if they are to remain tax exempt) must issue.

They explain their modus on their site. I doubt it's like a magazine trying to boost circulation by issuing a "best of" list!

Again, look behind the emotions and obtain the annual report.

As the AIP site says, there are charities that do good work even if they don't make the A or B list (just as there are good sportsbooks that don't make the A or B list). But if they take more than 25% for admin fees (salaries, bonuses, other exec perks) they are not as fully dedicated to the cause as you may be.

If I wanted to contribute to an animal welfare charity I'd go to the local pound with dog and cat food, or dollars. Some of the folks there are parttimers working gratis - you can't beat that for a charity.

There are also animal charities that I think do better than SPCA - like the one in New York (and I think has branches), that adopts out all dogs and cats, and does not euthanize any.

I'm personally very suspicious of the big, established charities. When they've been around for decades and have reached a critical mass, they become self-perpetuating bureacracies. Much of the "good works" I think are done by smaller groups. (And incidentally, AIP does say that a smaller group may take a larger percent for admin, just because of the logistics - if you trust them go ahead and donate).

SBR may want to contribute to a high-profile charity (as they have done in the past) for the more positive PR that would generate, and the making of more powerful friends in the US.
Even if that charity eats up half the donated dollars for admin.

Finally, it is to me a curious thing that so many here react emotionally to a favorite charity, and do not even wish to know the nuts and bolts of the matter. In direct sales, we used to call such easy marks "mooches." (Different from "moochers.")

I'm simply saying, look beyond the pep talks and handicap the reality. (We are all handicappers here, ain't we?) Things are not always what they seem.

[wmublows]

Happy New Year everyone