The above is the one piece of advice about contributing to a charitable organization that everybody should have tattooed to the inside of their eyelids.
Always contribute to an organization's general fund. Always. You don't get quite the endorphin rush as you do when you write "for tsunami relief" on the check, but you're actually contributing to a much greater, longer term good.
The simple reason for this is that organizations really do spend the money wherever you tell them to. Their auditors demand it. And all too often too much money is raised for one particular disaster while others go underfunded - and under reported.
Posted by MartialYes, that is absolutely correct and should be widely promulgated. Thanks for pointing it out.
Posted by: Sarah on January 6, 2005 06:23 PMAlso: If you're gonna contribute money now, don't forget to contribute money three-six months from now when they'll still need it. Too often a disaster disappears from the headlines and thus from public consciousness, taking down public charity with it. I plan to contribute another meager twenty five bucks to the UNICEF general fund a month from now; then a month later; and so on until the year is done. I hope it goes farther in South Asia than it does here. :)
Posted by: Kevin Moore on January 8, 2005 02:25 AM