FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: erika on November 19, 2008, 11:08:03 AM
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nevermind.
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I basically grew up in poverty, so I know what it's like and have eaten food bank food myself. This stuff does actually make its way to little kids in your neighborhood who were just born into their situation and probably will grow up to be responsible members of society themselves someday.
I dropped an easy twenty bucks worth of groceries on the food bank just yesterday. Tossed in some brownie mix, because poor kids deserve brownies sometimes too. It's quick, easy, and makes you feel good.
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Yeah we have a box here at work to collect for the MD food bank and its all but empty :( I just thought if people put it in perspective, a few dollars each year wouldn't seem like that big of a deal.
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Also, my big two rules when it comes to charitable giving:
1) go to guidestar and make sure the charity you're donating to is using the money effectively. It changes from sector to sector, but generally no more than 14% of their overall budget should be spent on marketing and admin costs. If they are spending less than 86% of the money they receive on these non-program costs, it's not a good sign.
2) Give your money or your time. Generally speaking, the non-profits I've worked with have a shortage of labor (especially skilled/semi-skilled) and would like your time more than anything. If not, money is a close second. An example with the food bank: they appreciate your food, but when you give food they have to sort it and store it. If you give them money: not only can they buy the specific products that they need, nutritionally, but they generally have more buying power than the average consumer so they can actually buy more/$ than the average.
Not to say that they won't be grateful for any donation, because they will.
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normally im broke so i usually donate time/labor. not to mention i feel better when i get home and realize what i missed doing that day: television, video games, endlessly surfing the internet.
it's a guaranteed nite of good sleep.