Alternatives to the Big Charities

Give to the YMCA...100% of the money all goes to scholarships to allow people that can't afford their programs into them.  (at least in my area it does, having worked for the YMCA for a couple of years.)

My other, non health related, suggestion is to donate to your local community theatre.  In the past year, grants have declined greatly, and the community theatres in most areas are suffering greatly.  This is a way to encourage both young and old to express themselves creatively.  Most of the money donated goes to set building and tools, very little goes to administrative costs.

charitynavigator.org is a nice site.  It allows you to look up different charities to see how they use the funds that are donated to them.

The YMCA has an annual drive, if you contact them and say you want to volunteer during the drive, and then start asking your normals for money, they Y will give the appropriate paper work to explain their Community Support campaign.  They will take care of you...again, in my experience, but every Y is run differently so can't guarantee it.  They are usually non profits, so they will give you their 501 3c # so you can write it off.  Most community theatres also have fund raisers, it is much harder to get donations for it, because people don't see it as life or death. 

the bear's new bike fund

100% of donations go directly to program services. All administrative and marketing costs are funded by independent outside sources.

http://www.nationalcac.org/

Hey!  CACs are Childrens' Advocacy Centers.  CACs coordinate police, forsensic interviews, medical, counseling, and court services for victim's of child sexual and physical abuse.  This is a grassroots organization that really works.  Most centers are child friendly.  Ours has cats running around and art work from children on the walls.  As a police officer (SVU), I work with CACs every day.  They do a LOT of great work and get little recoginition.  I'd like to report they don't get much business but I can't.

Anyway, if you have a CAC in your area, consider donating some cash.  It is sorely needed and will benefit victimized children.  If you don't have a center near you and you want to help a center in need of some immediate help, the Sangamon County Children's Advocacy Center in Central IL 217/522-2241, could use your help. 

http://www.co.sangamon.il.us/Departments/child.htm

I know many of us get tired of getting hounded for donations.  I'm one of them.  I'm also a skeptic when it comes to charties.  But CACs are legit and they do make a difference in the lives of children (what could be more important?).  Consider supporting your local CAC.   

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A lot of community organizations are 501(c)(3)s.  In addition to my church, I donate to organizations I have volunteered for over the years: my local community radio station, to the National Center for Youth Law www.ncyl.org, to HOPE worldwide www.hopeww.org.  I guess having been involved in the organizations makes me confident about what they do, plus they are all the type that most of the money goes to the work, not to fundraising.  There are a few others I donate too from time to time, but those are the repeat players.  It's all tax-deductible.

 None of those are sports-related though.  YMCA sounds like a good choice for that.  Good on you for wanting to use your resources for your community.

Not necessarily true.  A lot of community arts groups are 501c3 because they have a significant enough education and community outreach program.  Just find out which are or aren't if you're interested in deducting your contribution on your personal income taxes.

Cheers!

Tom

Not sure this is accurate, there seems to be nothing that disqualifies a community theater or the like from obtaining 501(c)(3) status. From wikipedia:

501(c)(3) exemptions apply to corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.

Community theater can be both literary and educational.

Not a tax accountant, but I do have some connections with a community theater. Not sure of their tax status, but I have asked. 

There are also a number of organizations that are outlets of church denominations where donations are utilized at 100% because the administrative and operational costs come from offering plates of congregations.  So when I donate $50 to Lutheran World Relief, I know that THAT $50 goes completely to feeding  someone, or rebuilding house destroyed by storms or drilling wells or whatever. 

There are plenty of charities out there like that.

Peace,
Brian

Just as a footnote, I heard back from my local community theater group and they are indeed a 501(c)(3) organization; donations to them are deductible.

http://www.citedesarts.org/

Aren't the "offering plates of congregations" funded by donations? Therefore, how can you say donations are 100% utilized for program services? To me it's disingenuous to say MY donation went to the mission while someone else's donation went to administration.

Not knocking on LWR, but their 2005 annual report shows total revenues of $48,665,222, of which $2,326,832 (4.78%) went to administration and fundraising. Exemplary, yes, but not 0%.

http://www.lwr.org/about/docs/2005ar.pdf

Ok... my point is this... if you give directly to LWR, those donations are not eaten up by administrative costs.  Their report must make note of the administrative costs but those donations are donations given by denominations, and therefore people in the pews...

I don't think it is disingenuous, my main point still holds.  If you give directly to LWR, you can be assured that that money is used 100%.  If you are a Lutheran, or some other supporting judicatory (which I don't think exist, but might), then you can know that a minor portion of your weekly/monthly/annual offering goes to support the administrative costs.  

The nuns at St. Charles Children's Home in Rochester, NH lead kids in a daily four-mile run around the city.  The nuns started the program to curb behavior problems, and give the kids a positive outlet for angry energy.  The program has been around for 10 years.  Maybe there is a similar program at a home or prison near you - give someone the opportunity to put on some sneakers and do something positive with their life.

Alternately, I've been hearing about yoga/meditation programs in schools (can't think of the name of the most famous one, but the organizer was featured in Runner's World a few months ago).  Yoga gets the kids moving (most don't have phys ed classes anymore).  Plus, the practice teaches them patience, and to breathe when frustrated and stressed out.  Studies show that participants are more focused and mindful at school.

Some donations ARE earmarked for particular programs.  HOPE worldwide, for example, has backers that will just support a particular program -- to fund the teaching hospital in Cambodia, for example.  Then the organization also needs money from the general fund, raised from other sources, to fund administration and fundraising (about 15% for that and other charities that do well in this area.)  That's why that ask supporters like me to donate to the general fund -- "unrestricted" funds -- so that they can honor the commitments to specific donors to spend $X on specific programs, which each have their own budgets & accounts.  They have to be strict about this.

From what I understand, some of the "race" organizations do the same: they get the corporate sponsors to fund the race, then earmark the individuals' donations into the specific program funds.