s/o So is World Vision not a good organization

[rookie]

for actually getting gifts into the hands of the needy?

 

My dc want to send goats, chicks, ducks, trees, etc., as a Christmas gift to others. After reading another post I am questioning whether this is wise way to send help.l

 

If not, can you recommend an organization that gets 100% of our donation into the hands of the people who need it?

 

Thanks.

[stripe]

I don't think any organization can get 100% of your money in the hands of the needy; there are costs associated with distributing money. I suggest if you want 100% of your money to help those in need, then you need to seek out needy people to give it to directly.

[rookie]

If not 100%, what's the organization that is actually getting needed things into people's hands.

[milovany]

You might consider Gospel For Asia (http://www.gfa.org). I know that for their regular missionary support program 100% of the donation amount is sent to the field, so I wonder if this might also be true for their similar Christmas gift-giving program (you can buy chickens, goats, etc. for third world families). The link for the program is on the home page.

[Dee22]

Check out this website: http://www.ministrywatch.com/ :001_smile:

[msjones]

What's the concern about World Vision?

[Heather in the Kootenays]

What's the concern about World Vision?

 

Over the years, I've had two concerns with WV

 

1. They spent a small fortune soliciting my money - way too much advertising for me

 

2. A young friend was in Africa when gifts arrived. She says they were immediately confiscated by the most powerful in the town.

 

that's just my experience

[Ferdie]

I highly recommend the Children's Hunger fund. 99% of their revenue go toward program expenses. I served on their BOD several years ago and they run a very tight ship. I remember one time when they got a large donation of medical supplies. They had the money to ship them internationally, but the president refused to spend donor money on shipping because he knew that he could find a freight company to donate the shipping task as well. They have a gift catalog on their website:

 

http://www.chfus.org/

 

We have also sponsored a child through World Vision for years. I have been happy with their efforts to keep us in touch with our sponsored child. I have pics of her since elementary school. She is now in college, so I know our money has gone toward helping her. I have never sent her a gift though. We just send money every month to the charity.

 

Per this website World Vision allocated 87% of their budget toward program expenses.

 

http://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=5968

 

Lastly, I don't know if you are going to find and organization with 100% allocation toward program expenses becase most non-profits will have admin. costs for the admin. staff, accounting and audit fees, processing donations and office rent.

Edited December 16, 2009 by Ferdie

[Prudent]

2. A young friend was in Africa when gifts arrived. She says they were immediately confiscated by the most powerful in the town.

 

I don't see how that has anything to do with World Vision. That sort of thing happens to many humanitarian organizations in areas like that.

[PineFarmMom]

You might consider Gospel For Asia (http://www.gfa.org). I know that for their regular missionary support program 100% of the donation amount is sent to the field, so I wonder if this might also be true for their similar Christmas gift-giving program (you can buy chickens, goats, etc. for third world families). The link for the program is on the home page.

 

Actually, that was what I was going to recommend. That is how our family is doing it this year, and after reading the book of the founder of the organization, I feel comfortable with their goals.

[Corraleno]

I don't think any organization can get 100% of your money in the hands of the needy; there are costs associated with distributing money.

 

Actually charity: water does. 100% of donated money goes to drilling wells; all the "overhead" costs (including advertising) are donated separately by suppliers, and I believe their staff is volunteer. What they do is partner with charities that are already "on the ground" drilling wells; essentially they say "here is $20,000, go drill X number more wells while you are there," so 100% of what you donate goes directly to funding wells.

 

http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/index.php

 

They require that members of the local community provide much of the labor for free, which not only keeps costs down, it prevents local leaders from funneling money to themselves or their own families. The finished wells are supervised and maintained by a local committee, and they require that half the committee members be women.

 

Besides the obvious health benefits of clean water, having a local well means that girls do not have to travel long distances to collect dirty water every day ~ and this is often the major barrier to education for girls. Girls, and women, are also often vulnerable to attack when walking long distances outside their own village. The average woman in Africa walks 3 miles a day for water.

 

I first learned about charity: water when I read an article saying it was the best "bang for your buck" of any international charity, and now I am a big supporter. It saves lives (especially babies), it gives girls their lives back, it helps empower women, and it gives people something every human should have access to: clean water. Here's a story about one of their projects in Uganda, it's called "Will the Beautiful Women of the World Please Stand Up"

http://www.charitywater.org/projects/fromthefield/uganda.php

 

Jackie

[Ferdie]

Actually charity: water does. 100% of donated money goes to drilling wells; all the "overhead" costs (including advertising) are donated separately by suppliers, and I believe their staff is volunteer. What they do is partner with charities that are already "on the ground" drilling wells; essentially they say "here is $20,000, go drill X number more wells while you are there," so 100% of what you donate goes directly to funding wells.

 

http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/index.php

 

They require that members of the local community provide much of the labor for free, which not only keeps costs down, it prevents local leaders from funneling money to themselves or their own families. The finished wells are supervised and maintained by a local committee, and they require that half the committee members be women.

 

Besides the obvious health benefits of clean water, having a local well means that girls do not have to travel long distances to collect dirty water every day ~ and this is often the major barrier to education for girls. Girls, and women, are also often vulnerable to attack when walking long distances outside their own village. The average woman in Africa walks 3 miles a day for water.

 

I first learned about charity: water when I read an article saying it was the best "bang for your buck" of any international charity, and now I am a big supporter. It saves lives (especially babies), it gives girls their lives back, it helps empower women, and it gives people something every human should have access to: clean water. Here's a story about one of their projects in Uganda, it's called "Will the Beautiful Women of the World Please Stand Up"

http://www.charitywater.org/projects/fromthefield/uganda.php

 

Jackie

 

That looks like a great organization.

 

They have a link to their financial statements. Per their financial statements, last year they had revenue of $6.5 million of which $4.5 went to program services. The rest of the money went towards management, general funds, development and public relations.

[stripe]

I am definitely a fan of organizations helping increase the supply and availability of clean water around the world, and decreasing the supply of dirty water (putting in toileting facilities is an excellent way to do this). Thanks for the info. Often things like water just don't sound so exciting as, say, new clothes, but what's more basic a need than water, and what a shame that so many on earth lack it.

[Mrs Mungo]

Heifer International is also a great organization.

[tdeveson]

I've been giving to Heifer for a long time. They don't give money to people, what they do is go to a village in Africa or some other third world country, and even in impoverished areas of the United States like the Mississippi Delta, and show up with animals (chickens, ducks, pigs, honey bees, oxen) and staff to teach them animal husbandry. When they leave a village, they leave behind families that are empowered to support themselves and don't need to beg. This also discourages the powers that be from stealing the gifts. They're happy to steal food and supplies, but who wants to steal chickens you have to feed, water, and take care of before they give you the first egg or drumstick?

 

They also set up a system where families who receive animals share the offsprings when they arrive.

 

I've done a lot of research on charities -- I want the most bang for my money and I don't need any CEO's making huge salaries like at the Red Cross. The Heifer Orgnization has an amazing track record for keeping their overhead extremely low.

 

Each year I ask my family to buy animals in my name. I don't get 'stuff" under the tree. I get certificates from my husband, sister and children telling me what they donated. I usually get several flocks of chicks, honey bees, and my husband often goes for something expensive like an ox which makes me deliriously happy. An entire village can share a couple of oxen to tend their fields.

 

As an aside, for two years running, ds has asked that we put a note in his birthday invitations asking people to not bring him presents, but instead give to Heifer. He gets a lot of baby chicks, baby ducks, and other various baby critters. I would have never asked him to give up his birthday presents like this, but I believe that an example is the most powerful way we can teach charity. I'm very proud to say that my son considers charitable gifts in his honor to be superb gifts.

 

As for me, ever since I've had a strict rule not to give me anything for Christmas other than a certificate from Heifer, I feel that I've gotten the very best Christmas gifts I could ever want. Every year each of my gifts is exactly what I wanted. ;)

 

http://www.heifer.org/

 

I can't recommend them enough.

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Edited December 16, 2009 by tdeveson

[Peek a Boo]

Heifer International is also a great organization.

 

yeah. they do a lot of education [TEACH a man to fish....] and part of their deal is that donors pass along the gift by giving offspring [of the animals ;) ] to others.

[Peek a Boo]

http://www.heifer.org/

 

I can't recommend them enough.

 

 

gmta....

 

i'm glad I didn't type out a lot, lol!

 

Thanks Toni.

 

 

also: they do a lot of agricultural/crop type of things too.

[Amber in SJ]

I learned something interesting in my work with our church's humanitarian services department.

 

We used to have book drives where we collected childrens' books and even textbooks to send to places domestic and international where books are not readily available to children. Then we learned that in some countries the shipments of books were siezed by the government and re-sold for their own profit. We started making books. By cutting up magazines and making our own scrapbook type books with cardstock and page protectors we are making books that teach, but are useless as a re-sale items. The ladies & families that make the books do a great job.

 

Anyway, just a little side note about the ingenuity of people who really want to give.

 

Amber in SJ

[Jenny in Atl]

I can also add again (my father was on the ground with both these organizations)... that Save the Children & CCF (now called ChildFund) get most of their $'s to the communities. They just don't throw money at them.

 

You sponsor a child, but the $ is pooled for the whole community. I went to visit a number of villages in Guatemala, with CCF, and got to meet my sponsor child, who is now a young woman. She helped run a rose business, that CCF helped to set up, that brought $ to the whole village as well as her family.

 

My dad has been to just about every major impoverished area of the globe (throughout Africa, India, S.E. Asia, the Middle East, South America/Mexico etc), and seen first hand the work of a number of relief organizations. Save, CF, & Heifer, are his top three recommendations. And if you are interested in relief orgs here in the US, the Salvation Army is still his top choice.

[Corraleno]

They have a link to their financial statements. Per their financial statements, last year they had revenue of $6.5 million of which $4.5 went to program services. The rest of the money went towards management, general funds, development and public relations.

 

Yes, I like that their accounting is transparent, and also that they keep the fundraising for their overhead separate from the project money. Public donations go directly into the field, and they pay their operating costs through fundraisers like the Charity: Water Ball, selling tee shirts, etc. Plus they have a long list of in-kind donations on their website, ranging from software to phone systems to printing and paper costs, PR & advertising services, etc. They even got the company who processes their donations to waive the processing fees.

 

I also like Heifer Int'l a lot. Every year I give an "animal" to each of my nieces and nephews, along with a Christmas ornament representing that animal, and a card about the gift.

 

My other favorite charity is the Fistula Foundation; the idea of these young women, often barely in their teens, being shunned for life as a result of being damaged during childbirth is so heartbreaking. :( (Probably not something that would be appropriate as a Christmas present, though ...)

 

Jackie

[Peek a Boo]

and seen first hand the work of a number of relief organizations. Save, CF, & Heifer, are his top three recommendations. And if you are interested in relief orgs here in the US, the Salvation Army is still his top choice.

 

I think this is more important than "what percentage of every dollar" is used. Not how much, but how effective.

[Carol in Cal.]

BK is a small Lutheran/Christian charity that serves very poor children in India. 100% of their donations go directly to assistance, as the board and administrators all donate their time. They keep it small partly so that they can continue to do this. It's a great, quiet, effective ministry.

 

Oxfam has an excellent reputation around water issues.

[abreakfromlife]

They require that members of the local community provide much of the labor for free, which not only keeps costs down, it prevents local leaders from funneling money to themselves or their own families. The finished wells are supervised and maintained by a local committee, and they require that half the committee members be women.

 

that is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

I don't see how that has anything to do with World Vision. That sort of thing happens to many humanitarian organizations in areas like that.

 

I agree it does happen to many organizations but I try to avoid the organizations I know it happens too in favour of some I know that don't have those problems.

[Crissy]

I have been happy with their efforts to keep us in touch with our sponsored child. I have pics of her since elementary school. She is now in college, so I know our money has gone toward helping her. I have never sent her a gift though.

 

Years ago I worked at a photo lab 30 miles north of World Vision's headquarters. Several times a year I would print an order of 3x5s for the company.

There were generally 4-6 photos of which WV ordered 150 prints each. The same child's photo was ordered in such quantity repeatedly.

It always struck me as misleading that WV was sending images and profiles (probably letters and updates as well?) of the same 4-6 children to hundreds of sponsor families.

[Corraleno]

It always struck me as misleading that WV was sending images and profiles (probably letters and updates as well?) of the same 4-6 children to hundreds of sponsor families.

 

:iagree:

I've read that pretty much all the "child sponsorship" charities do this (choose a few photogenic kids with poignant stories and send their photos & letters to all the families). While I think it makes sense to distribute the money throughout a community rather than have a few "privileged" kids, I do think the advertising is VERY misleading ~ especially if it turns out that a sizeable chunk of your $30/month (or whatever) is actually funding the CEO's salary and not even going to the "sponsored" community.

 

At least Heifer Int'l does explain that the gifts are "symbolic" and you're not actually giving a flock of ducks to a particular family.

 

Jackie

[BikeBookBread]

Years ago I worked at a photo lab 30 miles north of World Vision's headquarters. Several times a year I would print an order of 3x5s for the company.

There were generally 4-6 photos of which WV ordered 150 prints each. The same child's photo was ordered in such quantity repeatedly.

It always struck me as misleading that WV was sending images and profiles (probably letters and updates as well?) of the same 4-6 children to hundreds of sponsor families.

 

Wow. Just wow. I guess one could find somewhere in literature that the photo was a "representative" of a child in need, but wow. I know PDG has asked us repeatedly to help save "Alex" -- a little boy on one of their TV ads.

[jeri]

karin was there and a couple of others.

 

Very cool and interesting place!

 

jeri

[Rosie_0801]

Well, there's my sister's work in Kenya :)

 

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=whykenya&init=quick#/group.php?gid=134870147297&ref=search&sid=545883624.869805405..1

 

http://www.whykenya.co.ke

 

They've been collecting donations for a poor as poor gets village in Western Kenya and are heading over there today to take a Christmas lunch and some presents for the kids. I know her Masaaii Mamma's niece is wanting sponsorship to high school (she wants to become a newsreader) and there are always children needing school uniforms, book bags and stationary.

 

100% of donations are going towards these projects. My sister and her partner are also building a safari business alongside their volunteer program so they have an income to pay their own bills.

 

Rosie

[Sputterduck]

Years ago I worked at a photo lab 30 miles north of World Vision's headquarters. Several times a year I would print an order of 3x5s for the company.

There were generally 4-6 photos of which WV ordered 150 prints each. The same child's photo was ordered in such quantity repeatedly.

It always struck me as misleading that WV was sending images and profiles (probably letters and updates as well?) of the same 4-6 children to hundreds of sponsor families.

 

How do you know what they were using that for? Do you know that they were sending them out to sponsor families? If so, I think it would have been found out already since at many churches there are pics on the wall of the kids the church supports and many of the church families support a kid themselves and you'd think someone somewhere would have noticed a duplicate.

 

Perhaps they were sending them out for promotions.

 

You don't know and it isn't right to assume.

[Crissy]

You don't know and it isn't right to assume.

 

I had regular conversations with the WV workers who brought the orders in during the 5 or so years that they were our client.

 

I was told that the photos went out with profile information about the child to new sponsor families. I do not know about letters and updates, so I placed a question mark after that sentence to indicate that I am not sure if they send those as well.

 

Is it right to assume I would share information like that about a company if I didn't know the facts?

[tex-mex]

http://www.livingbreadchurch.com/

 

This is whom we give to and know the funds are used 100% to the Palestinian refugees that Pastor Karen serves. She is an incredible woman and folks can go and serve 1-2 months in Israel. We have traveled in person to help.

 

http://www.heromakers.org/heromakers/home.jsp

 

These are our dear friends who live on the border and work with Mexican Orphanages. Again, the money goes directly to the orphans or building program on the orphanage site. Folks can take a 1-2 week trip to help also.

Edited December 16, 2009 by tex-mex

[hornblower]

I was told that the photos went out with profile information about the child to new sponsor families. I do not know about letters and updates, so I placed a question mark after that sentence to indicate that I am not sure if they send those as well.

 

I really think that these are promotional ones sent to solicit NEW sponsors. I've received promos like this from WV. When you get one of those and you do sign up, you're not assigned that child - you're assigned another one.

 

We're not with World Vision because I wanted a secular organization - hence we're with Plan Int'l but it works the same way. I get handwritten letters from our foster child & her parents. I *know* her and her family through our correspondence. There's no way that there's some long scam of using just one set of photos etc and fake letters - that would take longer and would be much more difficult to organize than the reality of having a child assigned to you to correspond with.

 

The money you send does not go to the child or their family - it goes to the general programs in the community: schools, wells, books, latrines, misquito nets. Letters and small parcels however DO go directly to the child.

 

With Plan (& I'm guessing it's the same wit WV) it is also possible to visit your child & I've met people who did that while they were travelling around the world. I really do think it's on the up & up.

 

The issue with gifts being sent to villages is tricky & for a long time Plan has been gently discouraging it - for reasons explained, about them being stolen, leading to jealousy etc. These organizations are humanitarian teams, not security or policing. The villages have their own power structures and the extreme poverty makes gifts very tricky there. What they're saying works best it to maintain a letter & photo contact, to encourage them to keep up with schooling, & to let the humanitarian group buy things for the village en masse.....

[Sputterduck]

The issue with gifts being sent to villages is tricky & for a long time Plan has been gently discouraging it - for reasons explained, about them being stolen, leading to jealousy etc. These organizations are humanitarian teams, not security or policing. The villages have their own power structures and the extreme poverty makes gifts very tricky there. What they're saying works best it to maintain a letter & photo contact, to encourage them to keep up with schooling, & to let the humanitarian group buy things for the village en masse.....

 

Yep. I don't think people realize this.

[Ferdie]

Years ago I worked at a photo lab 30 miles north of World Vision's headquarters. Several times a year I would print an order of 3x5s for the company.

There were generally 4-6 photos of which WV ordered 150 prints each. The same child's photo was ordered in such quantity repeatedly.

It always struck me as misleading that WV was sending images and profiles (probably letters and updates as well?) of the same 4-6 children to hundreds of sponsor families.

 

That's odd because while I do have photos from my sponsored child, I also have drawings and hand written letters that do not look like they were run off at a printers.

 

I really don't think it matters if one person is helping a sponsor child, or if 150 people are helping the same child. The bottom line is that somewhere in Columbia a girl from an area in need managed to graduate high school and is now getting a college education. She didn't have to quit school to help make end meets and did get sold into labor by her family. An educated girl will one day become an educated mom and that education will be passed on to future generations. It doesn't matter if one sponsor or 150 sponsors helped make that happen.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ferdie

[Rosie_0801]

I really don't think it matters if one person is helping a sponsor child, or if 150 people are helping the same child. The bottom line is that somewhere in Columbia a girl from an area in need managed to graduate high school and is now getting a college education. She didn't have to quit school to help make end meets and did get sold into labor by her family. An educated girl will one day become an educated mom and that education will be passed on to future generations. It doesn't matter if one sponsor or 150 sponsors helped make that happen.

 

No it doesn't matter, but this is not the only reason people have objections to World Vision.

 

Rosie

[Ferdie]

No it doesn't matter, but this is not the only reason people have objections to World Vision.

 

Rosie

 

What other objections? I really want to know since I send them money every month.

 

P.S. I just saw your post about the work you and your sis are doing in Kenya. Very cool!

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ferdie

[sarahli]

I've been happy with World Vision for the past 5 years we have sponsored a child. We get hand-written letters and pictures and updates of the work done in the community where our money goes. World Vision also built a well there, the children were digging in the sand to get drinking water. Our sponsored child is also provided with education fees and uniforms, birthday parties and livestock.

 

I haven't heard any controversy yet, but I will go check out the other post. Hopefully I won't be horrified :001_huh:.

 

eta- I've also worked in world vision booths, and know that sometimes the same profile will be sent to several states for different events. I'm sure they clear up any duplications in the computer system when the children are sponsored.

Edited December 17, 2009 by sarahli

[Rosie_0801]

My sister thinks very little of World Vision because so much of their work is short term, bandaid measures. You buy a goat, they get milk from the goat for a couple of years, then it gets old and they eat it. No more goat. It would make more sense to give breeding pairs.

Also some of their food programs leave a bit to be desired. They go into some isolated areas once a month to drop off maize. Each family gets the same amount regardless of family size and if it runs out before the month is up, they have nothing. It would make more sense to provide enough that some could be used as seed corn.

 

That's the kind of stuff my sister has told me, anyway.

 

Rosie

[st_claire]

We've looking into WV and found it to be quite good. DH is a chartered accountant and he read their financial statements and most of the money goes to the needy. They vaccinate the animals before giving them, and many of the programs allow the gift to multiply or be reused. For example, stocking a medical centre is $100 and pays shipping for the $1,300 worth of medical supplies for the clinic that are donated by companies. A $100 small business loan, when it gets paid back, it then re-loaned out to a new person. And while their motivation to do good is based on their Christian beliefs, they do not preech in exchange for giving the gifts. They operations are fairly secular beyond their motivation.

[Hedgehogs4]

Children's Hunger Fund has one of the Highest percentages of gifts going to the needy. They take out only operating costs which they keep VERY low, and they have big donors to help them run their operation which means gifts go to the children in need.

[Friederike in Persia]

It is VERY easy to critisize what people are doing, without knowing the whole picture!

 

I've been living in an incredibly corrupt country for the last 11 years, trying to not get sucked in. You can hardly imagine what it takes and sometimes, despite of best efforts, the system gets the better of you. Not saying I've become corrupt, just saying that many efforts have not worked out because of yet another hurdle.

So yes, maybe somebody's shipment got all confiscated and sold on, do you think the people involved (from the Western side) wanted that? Do you think they don't care??! Should that be a reason to not try and help the poor people in that place?

 

It is only really possible to get 100% of the money staight into people's hands if an organisation is very small or gets other funding as well. How else would their people live? Big organisations have the andvantage that they can move a lot, at times.

 

A case in hand: My dh heads up a small NGO here in Tajikistan. A few years ago they distributed flour sacks to widows in need. Some we knew personally, others we saw their desperate situation,.... but it was for about 100 households, not more. When Save the Children distributed food in the valley that we lived in they did it to thousands and thousand of households. To keep overheads down (I assume) they used local people to distribute. So some food went to rich people, but still a lot of very needy people got food who would have gone hungry otherwise.

 

There is a reason why desperately poor places are where they are and it very often has to do with lots and lots of corruption. I think it's still worthwhile to try and help, but it sure isn't easy and not all of the good intentions will work out the way it was hoped for.

 

So keep giving your money to what you think works out best, but please don't bash hole organisations who are working against odds that are difficult to imagine from where you are.

[creekland]

What about Samaritan's Purse? Does anyone have knowledgable comments about them? We do shoeboxes every year for their Operation Christmas Child and, in better economic times, have done other donations as well - esp from their Christmas catalog of animals, bicycles, etc.

[sarahli]

What about Samaritan's Purse? Does anyone have knowledgable comments about them? We do shoeboxes every year for their Operation Christmas Child and, in better economic times, have done other donations as well - esp from their Christmas catalog of animals, bicycles, etc.

 

One of my good friends knew someone who worked with Samaritan's Purse and left the organization because of scandals and poor practices within the organization. I don't know exactly what happened, or if this is the norm for this organization, but I can ask my friend for more details.

 

I don't think there's any harm in doing the shoebox program. I'm sure the donated toys make it to some child somewhere. I think if you are going to donate larger sums of money over a longer term it is good to dig a little deeper.

[sarahli]

My sister thinks very little of World Vision because so much of their work is short term, bandaid measures. You buy a goat, they get milk from the goat for a couple of years, then it gets old and they eat it. No more goat. It would make more sense to give breeding pairs.

Also some of their food programs leave a bit to be desired. They go into some isolated areas once a month to drop off maize. Each family gets the same amount regardless of family size and if it runs out before the month is up, they have nothing. It would make more sense to provide enough that some could be used as seed corn.

 

That's the kind of stuff my sister has told me, anyway.

 

Rosie

 

I know they do a lot of short-term and emergency work, but they are established long term in very many communities too. They have been in the Swaziland community where we sponsor for at least 8 years.