Donation Madness. The Crime of it all

Hello again, Im really not sure where to put this, so please, our all knowing Mods, move this to the correct forum.

Disaster Disaster everywhere. Please donate, please give.People need your help urgently. The cries can wrench ones heart.

Do I want to give? Yes. Do I? No. Why not you may ask. Because I have lost total trust in charities. How often do we read so much money was collected, only to hear later, so much of it is missing? Take Katrina and Haiti for just a couple of examples. How often to we read so and so was caught with their hands in the cookie jar?

I actually had one of those little candy, peanut, dispense things in my bar that cost you a .25 cents. It was suppose to be for helping people. I asked the guy how much of it actually went to helping the people. He said, actually between you and me, after everything is taken out for all involved, the actual people it was helping received a Half a Cent on every quarter. Half a Cent? I was shocked to say the least. Needless to say I had him remove the machines.

People used to stand at the end of the exits of the highway trying to collect money for whatever. That turned out ugly as well. The people were collecting for a very rich man, so that they could have a roof over their head. The "Roof" was beyond slum. Living conditions extremely bad. Meanwhile the guy they worked for and collected for lived on easy street with no money going to help anybody.

To be continued:

It is bad enough I have to let my hard earned money go to things I don't even support because it is the law. It is bad enough I have to bail out millionaires because they are greedy. It is bad enough I have to pay a income tax, when I know it is actually illegal. This list could go on and on. I'm sure you get my drift.

I want to help, but I don't want to be robbed because of my generous heart either. It makes me mad to think there are others sitting back and laughing at my ignorance for giving.

I cant go run off to these places to help, because my life and family is here and I am needed here.

I had a kid ask me for a dollar one day when I was leaving the store. I said No right away. When I got in my car though, I started thinking as I drove home. Went back and asked him what he wanted it for. He said to eat. His mom was a crack addict etc. I asked him if he wanted to make a few bucks. Long story short, I took him home and put him to work in my garden. He was clueless about gardens, but willing to learn. He is now a big helper, wiser in gardening ,and a bit richer and fed. I don't feel robbed now. I feel like I actually gave something and it helped.

The animals really break my heart but I can't really go run off to help clean off that nasty oil either. I have strays here at home that people leave behind when they move on.They need me too.

So, maybe, we should just start giving the help where it is needed on our own streets in our own neighborhoods. Take care of our own for awhile. Seems no one else cares if they recklessly give away and also pocket are hard work. I am sorry I can't help in the big picture, a crime has been committed one time to many for me and my faith has failed me, but the little pictures? I'll try and do all I can. Maybe somehow, someway, we can rectify this crime of trust.

Sorry for the babble, just had to get it off my chest... Thanks for listening

HSUS (Humane Society)
is one of the worst. They make over 100mil a year and only give 4% to the animals they serve. Meanwhile the people that run it are living the dream.

www.buckeyefirearms.org...

reply to post by Darkice19


yes that one makes me really sad. I mean the animals are the ones I would really want to help and I just know they don't get much. All I can do is help feed around my neighborhood. It really is a crime how much is lost into deep pockets.

Thanks for commenting and the link as well

I agree.

The best way to give to charity is by giving yourself to help out at a place within your community.

Do you realize that not all people have the luxury of volunteers that are willing to help ?

Did you realize that those people even with those criminal, greedy, immoral not worthy of being a member of the race we all hope and / or say we are. They have benefited from that money even if it was almost nothing.

Now because others are corrupt they have to live with even less .

I totally agree with you. It's why I didn't donate to Haiti. As sad as it is it's the truth.

Another thing that SHOULD help these overseas charities is the exchange rate.

Here is one thing about immigrants with good jobs here that have "money going overseas" a lot of Americans get mad about that... But sometimes that money is being used by a person and not a charity organization to HELP children in poor places get fed and educated. People on their own can do a lot. In America we have the welfare state and it's too easy for people who don't need the help to abuse the system, for some it's a way of life and it's nearly impossible to know if someone is lying and abusing your help, or if the really need it.

I really wish we could get an ATS list of charities that 80% or more of the money you donate goes to actually accomplishing what it says it will.

the phone telemarketers that call on behalf of the FOP or veterans or firefighters only give usually 13 to 15% of the proceeds to the organization. when people ask you this they always seem offended like the telemarketer is a crook. 15% of the total income of one of those businesses is a lot, and there are usually 2 or 3 in every small city in the country. it costs money to pay these people to call on behalf of these organizations, telemarketers got bills too. but think of how much 10 to 15% of the couple million each of these places make a year equals out to on a bigger scale. there are thousands of these places sending hundreds and thousands of dollars to these organizations each year. so really you have no excuse not to donate except your own selfishness.

reply to post by Novise



What a novel idea that some one might actually get 80% instead of less then 5%. That is a great idea if we could actually find those charities so we could make a list here on ATS. The question would then be, which book are we seeing that they present to the public? It is really all so frustrating and I feel bad for those that do really need our help, and Im pissed off because I know so many have given in trust that it will go where its suppose too and it doesn't.

I mean think about it. Say you are a waiter. How would you feel knowing the tip you just made was actually from money that was suppose to go to helping someone that you donated to originally. Grrr is all I have to say....

Ever wonder how much of the donated money ear marked for helping those in need actually went into paying the bailouts? Funny how millions can go missing eh?

speaking of waiters my girlfriend is a waitress and sometimes a table of over ten will come in and leave her little to nothing. your server at any restraunt only makes around 2.15 an hour, and they don't even get to keep it since it all comes out in taxes. this is legal because although it is below minimum wage the tips are supposed to even it out. but when you don't tip you are basically being waited on for nothing, and someone has to take your crap when you complain about every little thing for nothing. here's a hint you are going to some crappy steak house not a 5 star resort why don't you try not being such a little whiny crybaby about everything. my girlfriend gets twenty or thirty dollar paychecks each week, if everyone doesn't tip how is she supposed to live off of that? people don't realize how much work it is running back and fourth filling up your drink every five minutes and bringing out all of that food so you can shovel it into your fat stupid face. and some people have the nerve to leave two or three dollars. i am positive that some of you are guilty of this. when you are sitting at the table in a restaurant and don't plan on tipping you are actually costing your server money. there could be someone else who isn't a fat, selfish, greedy scumbag who plans to tip who could be sitting there. i think if people realized their servers don't even get paid 3 dollars an hour they might be a little more generous.



[edit on 25-8-2010 by 2weird2live2rare2die]

reply to post by 2weird2live2rare2die


I hardly think that I am selfish in thinking if I give a dollar to help someone, I'd like them to actually get the dollar. Now don't get me wrong. I do know some money has to go to pay the people that are doing the work. To say they need 85% of the cost is nuts. Why not they get the short end? After all they are the ones trying to help yes?

I would be happier just to know that at least 60% went to where it was suppose to.

15% of millions, yes, it is helpful, but, that's not really the point here now is it?
I think the argument is where the the 85% or what have you is going. That adds up to way more then the tiny percentage of the help factor, and this is where I see the crime.

[edit on 25-8-2010 by yigsstarhouse]

[edit on 25-8-2010 by yigsstarhouse]

the american cancer society is a big scam

look at the board members and there connections

overhead and property ownership vs research funding


it's sickening and people want to do good,,,, and do donate having no clue it's really another type of scam praying on our sense of empathy for suffering



ps,,, a union was protesting a local bl\ood drive,,, because the people who transport the blood,,,,union workers,,, were unhappy with pay
disgusting as well

reply to post by 2weird2live2rare2die


Seems we were replying at the same time. The good news about tipping is thankfully, anyone that has worked in that kind of trade, has felt that pain and tends to make up for it. They at least balance the non tippers. I know, I am a good tipper, unless the server was just useless. That happens too and as much as I try to understand bad service, there really isn't much excuse for bad service. This though is really another topic to be explored later.....

reply to post by yigsstarhouse

I had a kid ask me for a dollar one day when I was leaving the store. I said No right away. When I got in my car though, I started thinking as I drove home. Went back and asked him what he wanted it for. He said to eat. His mom was a crack addict etc. I asked him if he wanted to make a few bucks. Long story short, I took him home and put him to work in my garden. He was clueless about gardens, but willing to learn. He is now a big helper, wiser in gardening ,and a bit richer and fed. I don't feel robbed now. I feel like I actually gave something and it helped.

This my friend is the best charity you can ever do. I myself will not donate to large charities save one, doctors without borders. I will personally donate to local charities, food drives, helping in soup kitchens et c. Doing something on ground level where you can see your time and effort actually helping other people is one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do.

I think we should start a list of who is good or gives the most and start the Bad list as well. It might help folks see where their money might actually be going. Maybe ATS can help bring the ugly to the for front and make a tiny difference.

My wife is on the board for the WYMCA. I think I am going to pick her brain a bit....

reply to post by yigsstarhouse


Charity by itself alone is one of the greatest virtues as it is not only aleves potential pain but it is also a form of sacrifice.
Deep down we all want to do the good thing and the right thing, but when we can do both in one gesture you also get another bonus, a good feeling about yourself and it is warranted.
There are organizations out there in fact there are probably hundreds of thousands or even millions that have found a way to exploit this greatest of all virtues.
They name themselves after the virtue in which they exploit, they call themselves charities.
The ugly fact is with almost all of them the Lions share goes to administration costs and very very little goes to the actual needing party.
My advice if you feel the need for giving charity, give it directly to whom you think needs it not an organization in general unless it is a local organization that helps locally soup kitchen, tent city, Etc. otherwise I believe you are just buying another yacht for some executive or foreign sheik or prince.
Hope this helped and you were able to glean some good ideas off of it.

reply to post by Seiko


Thank you, I agree with all my heart on that point. Not to mention it just makes you feel better to see the actual proof postive that you did help in some kind of way.

i don't donate to big charities either. however if i see a jar at a service station or a place like that for a kid with cancer or a family who had a house fire i drop in a couple bucks. i would feel very selfish and like a complete scum bag if i didn't, and you should too.

Originally posted by 2weird2live2rare2die
i don't donate to big charities either. however if i see a jar at a service station or a place like that for a kid with cancer or a family who had a house fire i drop in a couple bucks. i would feel very selfish and like a complete scum bag if i didn't, and you should too.

Ahh the jar on the counter...yes I have paid into these. I have also seen videos of these same jars being dug into by the people that work there and also just walked off with by thieves. So, does this fall under another title of, sorry the jar was full but we had a little problem, hope this 15% left helps at least?

No, I won't feel like a scumbag thank you. If I really care, I will find out where I can do something worthwhile to help, in the flesh. Then I will know for Sure it got my help 100%.

Things may vary by community, but here you can't go wrong with United Way, or Salvation Army.

United Way pays more for agency work, salaries, and gives cash to keep "helping" agencies going, (issues grants) while Salvation Army is more hands on.
They feed and clothe people, put them up for the night or longer, fill gas tanks for stranded people, and will buy bus tickets for stranded people.

I've never even heard a rumor of misuse from either agency, so I always feel confident in making donations to them.

I think a list has already been made, you might cross check some
of the known lemons against it and see if it looks legit.

www.charitywatch.org...