Smart Heart

My history as a donor to charities started with a little Filipino boy named Albert Dunque. When I was a university student, I got junk mail from the Christian Children's Fund. Their brochures had photos of cute, chubby-cheeked kids standing barefoot in front of shacks made of cardboard boxes. I fell for the marketing and committed myself to sponsor little Albert for US$20 a month. In exchange, I got regular updates on Albert and his family and letters from the boy himself. We were pen pals for many years until I left the U.S. and had to hand over his sponsorship to a friend.

I don't know what my $20 really did for Albert and his family, but his letters made me feel I had the power to help a little boy on the other side of the world.

Charities spend millions of dollars making sure we see the sad eyes and hear the heart-breaking stories that make us fork over cash. Unfortunately, there are plenty of charities that spend more on fundraising and admin than they do on the people they're supposed to help.

Over the years, I've learned it takes smarts, not just heart, to make a difference.

I still donate to a number of charities. I choose ones that don't just give people what they need, but teach people how to get it for themselves. I also donate to my high school and my university. Those schools gave me financial aid when I needed it. I want to pay them back so other students with no money can have the same chance I had. I give money to local theater companies because I believe in supporting the efforts of people who earn a pittance making us laugh and think.

I also give money to friends who run marathons, walk across the country, or cycle crazy distances to raise money for the charity of their choice because that way, I get to support friends and a charitable cause in one swoop. The old "two for the price of one" gimmick works well here.

Here are some of the organizations I support:

International Medical Corps
My friend, Margaret, works for the IMC and vouches for its worthiness, so I trust it's a good organization. Plus, I read their annual reports and get updates on what they do with the money they get. I like the fact that their focus is on providing health care training to the most desperate parts of the world so that those people can help themselves.

Kiva
The photographer who took my portrait photos for free apparently has a big heart for more than just cancer patients. He told me about this organization that allows donors to make micro-loans to micro-entrepreneurs. For example, you can lend $25 to a woman in Sri Lanka so she can buy some chickens and sell the eggs. When she pays back her loan, you get your money back. If you want, you can have that money passed on to another small business person. This allows a tiny bit of your money to make a huge difference to somebody, by giving them a chance to fend for themselves. Very smart.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Gateway Area Chapter in the U.S.)
My brother-in-law, David, is putting himself through rigorous training to cycle 100 miles this September to raise money for this charity. He's doing it in memory of his Uncle Jack and others who are suffering from MS. I have a friend who is living with MS, so I feel I'm supporting her indirectly as well.

Project Enlighten
A friend of mine has interviewed somebody from this charity and vouches for its good work. And a fellow cancer survivor whom I met through my blog is walking all over the U.K. to raise money for this charity, so I'm supporting her healthy lifestyle as well as this charity. Project Enlighten found a way to get aid into Burma (Myanmar) after the cyclone earlier this year, when huge, multinational charities were turned away by that country's military regime.

Environmental Working Group
This organization analyzes thousands of household and personal care products we use everyday for their effectiveness and chemical content. For example, I find their analysis and rating of sunscreens extremely helpful since our kids wear sunscreen almost every day here in sunny Singapore. That's a lot of exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals that might not even be blocking out the sun.

The Hunger Site
This very clever online charity uses the basic principles of online marketing to benefit the hungry around the world. You, the donor, click on this site and the corporate sponsors (online marketers) donate money for food to the hungry. In exchange, the marketer gets your "eyeballs", or exposure for their ads on the site. So donating to the hungry doesn't cost you a single penny. This is the smartest use of online marketing I've ever seen. They also have Web sites to benefit other causes: The Breast Cancer Site, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest Conservation, Animal Rescue.

Here's a great Web site that evaluates charities based in the U.S.: The Charity Navigator. They study and rate charities on how well they spend their money. Before you donate any more money to your chosen charity, I suggest you look it up on this Web site to see how it rates.

Catholics believe in tithes - giving ten percent of their income to the Church. I'd rather give my money to organizations that are transparent and financially responsible, that actually spend the money on the people they claim to help. The Pope doesn't need any more gold-threaded robes.