Charity Begins at Home

There are approximately one million charities in the US. To contribute to most is to get yourself on the mailing lists of many others. I used to just throw their flyers away and keep the address tags, but now I've decided to become more aggressive. http://www.charitynavigator.org/ is a great index of charities. The pie chart that shows the program expense, administration expense and fundraising expense is a little misleading since naturally little known charities must spend a bigger proportion on fundraising. More telling, I think is the salary of the CEO. How many $20 contributions are needed to make up a $600,000 salary? What ethical person could take that much money from people who need help? From now on, I'm going to return their envelopes with a note that explains that the CEO salary of ____ is too high and I have decided to give my money to a local charity.

Giving locally isn't all cut and dried either. Our two thrift stores have restrictive overheads also. Most of the volunteers sort through the daily contributions and take anything decent home. I heard one rumor that one woman even has a second house for storage and holds regular rummage sales in the neighboring town. I sell stuff I find on eBay and they resent me. If I buy anything it means they missed it. I went to both the charities and offered to sell on eBay for them, but both declined my offer.

I don't make enough to give enough to qualify for the itemized income tax form, (I don't need no stinking receipt) so I can give the true charitable way - anonymously. So I think I will send cash to the local pet groomer who takes in homeless animals and works hard finding homes for them. Or send cash to the young man with a brain tumor - not that it would help, but it would make him feel less alone. Or help the old lady with cancer who always took such pride in her yard but cannot pull the weeds anymore. Charity, after all, begins at home.