What Causes Do You Support?

I just signed up for my first fundraising event since 2010, the New York to Washington DC Climate Ride over five days in late September. I'm excited about this, but my money raising chops are a little underused as of late. The last major fundraising events I participated in were three years' worth of the Team Livestrong Challenge ride, and in the most recent one I raised $3,000 for the Lance Armstrong Livestrong Foundation, before the shit really hit their respective fans.

Over the years I've donated small amounts to causes and organizations I support (my alma matter, the music camp I attended in high school, various conservation and wildlife organizations, etc.), have given in support of friends participating in charity endurance events (shit, ZombieSquirrel, that reminds me—are you still accepting donations?) and have paid my fair share of entrance fees for my own participation in such events.

Not surprisingly, a specific event sparked my interest in dedicating myself to several months worth of fundraising—I chose to enter my first Livestrong Challenge in honor of my cousin, who was battling melanoma at the time that I registered and passed about two months before the ride took place. I carried on with the Challenge for two subsequent years, raising more money each time, despite everything sketchy I heard about the organization and its allocations of funds. In retrospect, I wish I'd instead dedicated my efforts to an organization that had directly helped my cousin, the Melanoma Research Foundation, even though part of the appeal of raising money for Livestrong was how well organized everything was—and is—that they do.

This time my efforts will be directed at a cause that's been close to my heart since childhood: environmental sustainability and climate change. On the registration form, the Climate Ride organization asks prospective participants what interest brings them to the event. I wrote,

"When I was a winter-loving kid learning about the Greenhouse Effect, one of my biggest fears became the prospect of growing into a world where snow didn't fall during the winter anymore, because the planet had gotten too warm (overly simplified but heartfelt, nonetheless). As a lifelong snow lover, this terrified me, and to see that, for all intents and purposes, it appears to be happening now is devastating. If that's not reason enough, I don't know what is."

And that is something I truly believe, enough to put social awkwardness aside and ask family and friends to contribute. Enough to ride seventy miles a day five days in a row. Enough to get past my shyness and go into this event alone not knowing anyone—maybe with two or three exceptions, depending on how things pan out.

/end personal testimonial. And no, I'm not asking for money.

So, all that aside, a few questions (and the purpose of the thread):

1. What causes do you support?
2. Where, if anywhere, have you given your money?
3. Do you do it on your own by choice or only when asked?
4. What causes or organizations do you stay away from, based on their reputation or things you've heard about how they use their money?
5. Do you do any fundraising of your own, and if so, do you feel comfortable asking the people you know for money to support things you believe in that they may not?

 

I'm also drawn to environmental causes.
For me, the biggest donation of the year goes to our local land trust. They have preserved thousands of acres of local forests and fields. I like the cause and the fact that they run a very lean organization yet get a tremendous amount accomplished. All the money stays local.
After that I donate to the educational institutions I have attended, the local food bank, and the charity fund at the local hospital. Again, I like to see results in my backyard.
I have pretty negative feelings toward large national charities particularly the American Cancer Society. I see them as a large black hole that swallows tons of money from well intentioned folks but manages to eat most of the money rather than doing something useful.

 

YAY! I'm always taking donations!!! Just click here!

1. I support the MS because I had it and so did my mom. It has been a big pain in my neck for a very long time.

I'm also a sucker for my friends' kids when they're raising for whatever team/club they have joined. I will always buy Girl Scout Cookies because they are fucking delicious.

2. I give to the National MS Society because they are most reputable and trustworthy. They also have helped me a lot, so I like to give back.

3. I donate and raise money for the NMSS on my own because I want to thank them for all they have done for me!

4. There was a place in Ohio that was for homeless/poor. There was some issues with money "disappearing."

5. Yes, I am an advocate for the NMSS and I do a lot of fundraising for them. It's also part of my job to work with donors to bring money into the College for research and scholarship. I have no problem asking.

Probably drunk...or high...or both.

 

My band donates time, talent and money to many local causes. We always show up when asked, and often approach organizers when we learn of a worthy event. We have worked with Veteran's Haven, Rock Against Hunger, Drive for a Match (bone marrow registration), Toys for Tots and a few others.

Personally, I've worked for local MS drives, donated for cancer research , PBS and the Lions Club., and collected for food drives.

 

I support a bunch of causes. Money is perpetually tight, but I spare what I can and since I work at a university it's easy to give five or ten bucks to a number of groups who have bake sales or just ask for donations on campus. The ones that are around frequently are the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the local Domestic Violence Crisis Center, the Red Cross (both blood drives and asking for money after natural disasters, In addition to donating blood, I'm on the bone marrow donor registry. I also donate to political groups and causes, in the run-up to the last national electoins I gave to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Obama's campaign (specifically when matching donations were made to run ads defending healthcare reform,) to Planned Parenthood, and to groups running pro-same-sex-marriage ads in states where it was on the ballot. Every few paychecks, I'll either give a few bucks to the National Center for Science Education or buy them something from their Amazon wish list (they promote and defend teaching evolution and climate change in public schools.) There are a couple of local events I participate in, including a charity spelling bee to benefit a local school for disadvantaged and troubled children.

 

I'm not a hardcore supporter of any cause really. I wish I was passionate about something and had the time/money to do something.

I do support The Red Cross, Blood donation, local park dept, solar power/clean environment, electric cars, anti-circumcision, homeless shelter, Sea Shepard, and Habitat for Humanity in one way or another.

 

For the last couple of years I've been part of Not Far From the Tree, a group that picks fruit in several of Toronto's wards. They connect with home owners who have fruit trees, then send out teams of volunteers to pick the fruit. From the website:

"When a homeowner can’t keep up with the abundant harvest produced by their tree, they let us know and we mobilize our volunteers to pick the bounty. The harvest is split three ways: 1/3 is offered to the tree owner, 1/3 is shared among the volunteers, and 1/3 is delivered by bicycle to be donated to food banks, shelters, and community kitchens in the neighbourhood so that we’re putting this existing source of fresh fruit to good use."

Cargo bikes are fun to ride! Not Far From The Tree

 

Mostly local community based organizations, with time and money. Along with the Katzen Cancer Research Center (also local), PBS, ACLU, National Resource Defense Council......and a leftist college student in NYC (my daughter).

 

I don't like giving money. I try to donate to charity causes my time whenever possible.
I supported with money Amnesty and Médicines Sans Frontiers.
With time obv. more local or national causes, associations of PhDs, associations in favour of nuclear power, lessons in primary school, some more charitables, help at school to kids with difficulties that cannot afford private lessons, playing music at retirment homes, collecting food outside of the supermarket to be sent to Africa...
I think that simply one has to give what one has when see the opportunity.

I try to stay away from ambientalism causes, some are nobles (like save the whales) other simply closed minded (against NP) and generally are too full of unreasonable fanatics.

 

Animal and environmental. I strongly believe that every whale corpse washed up on a beach should be delivered to the nearest Japanese embassy so they can do their scientific research on whales without killing more.
I turn out (posh name is 'field officer') for a horse rescue. Sussex Horse Rescue Trust has its open day on Easter Sunday, come if you can - and thats about as much pressure as I put on people to donate or help raise funds.
I will give to Cancer Care, but not to research because of animal suffering involved.
I used to foster for Cinnamon Trust based in Cornwall. They help take on the pets of dying people with money. With 10 million quid in the bank, they would not pay their vet bills, and I got threatened with court action. They had 15million in the bank last time I looked. Much of their money is invested. They turn away people in need who are not in a strong financial position. I think thats pretty shitty. They send them to PAPAs - People and pets advocates, who I support with the open offer of vet run transport, or transport to and from foster homes. I do vet runs when asked. Last year I think it was (memory probs), I was called to pick up a 6 month old rottie who was due to be killed. The owners had an elderly entire bitch I was told, and he tried to hump her so killing him was cheaper than castrating I guess. I picked him up under cover of darkness from the back of the vets, and delivered him to Sussex.
The Sussex lot had me trawling the docks for an escaped peahen for three months. Caught her eventually. I guess I donated petrol and time - I am not in a position to be very generous with cash - my rescue dogs are getting on now. One of 20 and two of about 13. They are my responsibility. I have to budget for emergency treatments as well as the regular costs for drugs. I am rich in canine love. We used to turn out together for street collections, they supported animals who were less fortunate than themselves.
I do know of totaly bent animal charities, one in particular helps no animals at all, although call themselves a cat rescue and have a charity shop. They were recently left a house by an old lady - she told me she wanted her cats graves undisturbed. House was sold and most likely they will build a new small house in the garden. Goodbye kittys graves.
I do tend to look on the charity commission website to check out the finances of charities if I am considering offering help or the odd bit of cash. I avoid the foreign sounding chaps who set up a table asking for donations for an animal rescue out of this area. They used to put up a sign saying they donated £30 a month to the rescue. (The rest they kept.) Myself and my sons filled 6 boxes between us in four hours, and each box takes about £150. I go into the shops that have let them set up outside, and ask the managers to kick their arses off their property sort of thing. I am not the only person who does this. I guess spreading the word about them and asking other ladies to persecute them out of the area would also be my way of asking people to donate to a charitable cause.

 

Anything anti-corruption.

 

I raise money for cancer research by paddling in Dragonboat competitions.

Fund rasie money for Doctors without Borders, amazing group of special people.

Continue support Nick Brandt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia in his efforts to save the wild beasts of east africa. Love his passion and he is a down to earth guy.

I do whatever I can for recovering addicts, mostly donate my time.

And most importantly support ZombieSquirrel!

 

I used to donate money to various orgs randomly and without a lot of forethought. Public radio, planned parenthood, splc, democratic party during election seasons, various health related causes, SPCA, etc etc.

Now I only give once a year and that is to Doctors without Borders.

 

The List Project after I made acquaintance to a group of brave interpreters facing uncertainty as the US forces withdrew from Iraq. Some of their words will forever echo in my mind, I can't believe how bravely they acted. I can't help but feel responsible for the US government failure to process SIV visas properly.

March of Dimes, I walk for babies every year I can.

Along with the help of my coworkers we try to adopt a family each year for Christmas. The family is chosen by a county social worker. Last year we met the challenge of a family of 8 who were incidentally muslim but clearly were in need. I was a little worried we wouldn't pull through based on the initial reactions and reminded people that it was a single mother of seven children who had only a very modest request for winter clothing. We came through in the end with a very generous donation for the kids and grocery gift cards.

I frequently donate to the food shelf.

 

The only charity I donate to is Smile Train, but I donate regularly. I like how they focus on a single solvable problem and have very little overhead.