1.19.2010

On charitable giving

(gleaned from Steve Allen's blog)

This article suggests you DON'T give to Haiti.

An interesting (though not entirely beautifully written) piece. He makes a good point. For one thing, there are the points in his article [sketchy organizations, limited ability to use the funds currently, permanent earmarking of funds unnecessarily], but then there's also the 9/11 effect: people give more than is needed--usually to the Red Cross--and other charitable organizations suffer as a result. If you're thinking of texting to donate, consider just giving a $10 bill to your local charity or donating to a general fund, not a Haiti-specific one.

Thoughts?

[ author's note: if you would like to give to Haiti anyway, Google has put together a nice list of ways to do so, along with a--slightly voyeuristic--Google Earth satellite view of devastated areas. ]

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