Favorite food charities?
This year, for two of the many, many Christmas's we have to go to, we are doing a charity drawing. I am positively THRILLED about this! At one of them, we usually do a gift exchange where we all bring something worth $20 or whatever, and then you pick, and subsequently the next person can either steal your gift or pick a new one, which I just hate! It's morphed into bring whatever you want to take home with you and then try to steal it back, so my husband's uncle brought a 5' tall industrial sprinkler two years back; the first year I went, I got his aunt's leftover yard lights that she had bought too many of and I live in an apartment! Anyway, sorry, off track, this year we are all going to pick our favorite charity and then draw one charity out of a hat and all donate money to that one charity. I just am in love with this idea- it's so reflective of what the Christmas season should be about. I know for one of them I am picking the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (my FIL has Parkinson's as did my great grandma, so it's a very personal choice). For the other one, I would like to pick a food charity, since it's such a huge passion in my life. What are your favorite charities and worthy causes? Thanks so much for your help and happy holidays Chowhounds!
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Thank you, HillJ, for clarifying that. You are absolutely correct that every small charity will not be included in GuideStar. People do have to be familiar with the group to whom they are giving however.
It is very easy to set up internet sites and lately there have been many appeals from organizations whose websites have no identifying materials whatsoever other than a method to send money. If you can't check them out, don't give to them.
This was a major problem with Katrina recovery efforts in which a great deal of charitable contributions never reached the intended recipients.
I have been involved in fund-raising for many years and have rejected many clients because I would not accept their practices or what I considered an unacceptable level of overhead.
I am proud of the groups for whom I have worked as I'm sure you are. But I think we both should make every effort to make it difficult for the unscupulous to prey on the charitible instincts of kind people.›1 Reply-
re: MakingSense
HillJ
Dec 19, 2006 11:30 AM
Point taken. Knowing the difference between a state registered charity and a cause marketing campaign, or a marketeer jumping on the charity bandwagon should not be difficult to distinguish. You are absolutely correct that websites whose sole purpose is to collect funds for charitable organization are appearing daily. Answer: Deal direct. Ask questions and take more than a paper interest in your commitment and the chances of getting burned decrease tenfold.
Sadly, many fine and above board charities can't and don't have a website because funding isn't there to maintain it or funds are restricted and don't allow for communication costs of varying kinds.
MSense..thank you for keeping your piece of the charity "pie" honest and taking an informed approach.
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Whether you chose to give to Heifer International or not, they offer a perfect example of what you should look for when you give to a charity. Go to their website. On it you can find that they are REAL.
They have a phyical address, a board of directors made up of substantial people and they are registered as a legitimate 501(c)3 non-profit with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax form that they file annually, the Form 990, showing what income they receive and how it is spent, is available at that website as is their annual report.
Some charities will not have such beautiful websites, but they should be registered with the IRS as non-profits and you should be able to find information about them.
One excellent resource is GuideStar.org which lists information about 1000s of charities and posts their Form 990s so that the public can check to see which charities are legitimate.
Sadly, many charities benefit only their directors and very little of what they collect actually gets to those who need our help the most.
Always check. If a charity is unwilling to give you information, be suspicious. There are others that will.›1 Reply-
re: MakingSense
HillJ
Dec 19, 2006 04:22 AM
I've held a career in non profit for 30 years. Before misinformation leads to less holiday giving, I would add that Guidestar receives all of its industry information from the charity. Guidestar is a resource for those working in the non profit field as much as it is a source of information for the giving public. All charity information is public record. Any individual may request information by asking. The non profit industry is a profession like any other business and yes individuals rec' paid salaries, the rent comes due.
Monetary contributions impact programs, services and the infastructure needed to sustain a charity year to year. Inkind support can be just as important such as food drives.
Please don't stop giving because you've heard the wrong information or because the media jumps on covering "bad apples" that exist in every profession.
Many more wonderful examples exist where volunteers and paid professionals work up to their elbows in soup kitchens, pantries and food banks to bring REAL food, REAL sustanance and a REAL feeling of hope to those very much in need. Due to the cost associated with Guidestar's charity membership NOT every legit charity will be listed. Guidestar is also a business.
Those working in the food service end of charity for decades have a proven track record..many at the local level are part of the larger network. If in doubt, ask your local Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, VFW who they donate to and you'll get the best answer out there.
Pardon the soapbox. It's a professional I'm proud to defend.
Happy Holidays!
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I love heifer.org . Every year my husband gets the joy of another family enjoying a pork chop somewhere in the year as a stocking stuffer. It is a good organization and well run.
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re: JudiAU
Katie Nell
Dec 18, 2006 11:09 PM
I'm leaning towards this one... it sounds like an very cool organization!
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re: Katie Nell
Katie Nell, What a great post at this time of year. Thank you. Heifer International has been my favorite charity for many years. Instead of simply giving someone a handout, Heifer provides appropriate animals (ducks, goats, chickens, pigs, etc) and teaches the recipients how to grow their flocks and care for them. It is a wonderful charity with a great track record of doing what it promises to do.
NB: when someone in our family does not respond to a "traditional" gift, the next year we send the money that we would ordinarily spend to Heifer instead of giving them another useless sweater they don't want or a tie they don't need and will never wear, etc. This way, everyone wins.I think it is also important to point out that although most of Heifer's publicity is about their overseas programs, there are a lot of programs here in the USA. One of the standouts is a large garden project in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn, NY that grows and supplies "boutique" lettuces and other vegetables to pricey Manhattan restaurants. City-based participants not only learn the mechanics of farming and make money, but can also enjoy fresh food that would ordinarily be out of their reach - both economically and goegraphically.
Heifer International has very cool gift cards to send that show which animals/programs you have chosen. Whole families can donate and buy a herd of animals (or a whole ark!) instead of doing the "grab bag" family gift exchange. Heifer is an all-around great program.
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re: Sherri
krissywats
Dec 19, 2006 02:13 AM
our dream is to one day be able to afford a whole ark in place of christmas gifts for our families.
You're right about the USA involvement - one of my favorite things as well.
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SanseiDesigns
Dec 16, 2006 09:04 PM
I concur with heifer.org. I met a couple last evening who donate to them annually, I do to RoomtoRead.org. Both organisations give to communiities in desparate need for support. But it is not a hand out as much as a hand up because the gift is one that requires continuing work of the recipients to make it sustainable and growing. In addition you know that the majority of what is donated is going to benefit the recipients, not to overhead.
Whenever I am asked what I want (in terms of a gift) I ask that they give to a charity of my choosing (or theirs) and send me a card. Everyone gains in the effort.
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krissywats
Dec 16, 2006 12:50 AM
Is it a food charity if it's the very source of our food?
heifer.org is my fav - it donates livestock, chickens, geese - all kinds of animals especially those that produce eggs and milk to help feed families and that are sustaining as a source of income for the families and villages. What I love most is that the families are taught to care for the animals and breed the animals and when they breed, the offspring are given to others that need the milk, eggs, income, etc. It's really an amazing organization.
And good for you! We're giving to charity this year too - no one i know seriously needs anything.
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HillJ
Dec 15, 2006 03:22 PM
Meals on Wheels
Second Harvest
and our local food bank
There are many wonderful food-based charities. Dh and I tend to look for those that outreach personally to homebound residents, provide fresh produce in addition to standard dry goods and we also feel it is important to support our local food bank. We donate to all three above four times a year.
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jpschust
Dec 15, 2006 01:59 PM
I adore Mazon- a Jewish response to hunger. It's a wonderful Chanukah gift and to put my money where my mouth is- I do probably 10k in eBay sales a year as a side business and 20% of all my sales go to Mazon.
The other charity for which I fundraise, and I'll plug to no end is NOCCA- New Orleans Center For the Creative Arts. (http://www.nocca.com). NOCCA is dedicated to helping high schoolers in NOLA who are extremely talented develop their skills at a level beyond what I could ever imagine. In an era where we keep taking arts away from schools where veryone is srapped for cash, no place is more strapped for cash than NOLA and no students deserve this level of education more than these kids. Proof: The Marsalis family virtually all went there. These are the kids who need this education the absolute most and society sees such amazing rewards in the arts from these kids.
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re: jpschust
In line with the NOCCA suggestion, but food-centric: Cafe Reconcile, a project in New Orleans designed to train at-risk youth for hospitality jobs by running a cafe. It is a great cause...here's the website: http://www.cafereconcile.com/index.asp
And the best part: you can donate, and then dine at Cafe Reconcile to interact with the people helped by the program and enjoy their good food!Or how about this one: donate to the rehabilitation of Willie Mae's Scotch House, a restaurant in NOLA's Treme neighborhood adopted by the Southern Foodways Alliance. 90+ year-old Ms. Willie Mae, famous for her fried chicken, received a James Beard award a few years back, and she's trying to get back behind the stove. The project is not-quite-finished, and a little more money is needed to get her back into her home/business. Donate online at http://www.southernfoodways.com/, click on the "I support fried chicken" link.
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