PR Straight Talk

This is a peak time for charitable giving. I once represented a fine organization called Geneva Global, which represents wealthy donors by investigating and conducting due diligence of charitable projects in Third World countries, seeking out those with a successful track record of performance.  Geneva then recommends an assortment of these proven projects to donors, who after choosing their favorites, subsequently have the philanthropic advisory group facilitate their donations directly to these grassroots charities, by-passing umbrella organizations or governments, and avoiding possible corruption and bureaucratic ineptitude.

The man who made Geneva Global what it is today, and who was CEO when I represented it, Eric Thurman, a brilliant and dedicated humanitarian, and who is soon launching an important Philadelphia-based non-profit called The Christian Community Network, co-authored a book with Phil Smith entitled, “A Billion Bootstraps:  Microcredit, Barefoot Banking and the Business Solution for Ending Poverty” (McGraw-Hill).  This is an important book providing an overview and thorough “soup to nuts” introduction to donors about “microcredit” - one of the most effective forms of charitable giving, especially in Third World countries.

Co-author Phil Smith, a former Oklahoma and Texas oilman, and very astute businessman, conducted in-depth research about the most effective forms of philanthropy - and came to the conclusion that microcredit was the most proven and bang-for-the-buck effective, above the many others he considered.

With microcredit, a donor provides a small business loan of anywhere between $25 to $2,000 to a poor working man or woman (usually woman) in a developing country, someone who has suffered impoverishment by either being unemployed or underemployed.  By empowering such a person to start-up her own little business(perhaps a fruit and vendor stand in the marketplace, or little tailor shop, or canteen), the donor creates an entrepreneur who now becomes embarked on the path of self-sufficiency, dignity and economic freedom for herself and her family.  The additional benefit of microcredit is that the loans, which are paid back at fair market value rates, are recycled, thus enabling a new fledgling entrepreneur to get started in a similar fashion.

“A Billion Bootstraps” is a book I have already recommended in this blog, and recommend again to those of you considering an effective and powerful way to make your donations effective.  Bootstraps also has a chapter which recommends various humanitarian organizations that specialize in microcredit - or microfinance, as it is also known.

If your donations are smaller, but you wish for them nonetheless to have moxie, you might also consider providing microcredit support via a website called “www.kiva.org” - a wonderful way to target your giving to specific projects that have undergone due diligence.

All of this said, there are thousands of other charitable organizations doing magnificent work in the world, both domestically within the USA, and internationally.  How do you know which of them are the most effective in terms of fulfilling their respective missions, and best-run?

An impressive website called “www.CharityNavigator.org” evalutes charities and assigns a rating to each, designating up to four stars for the best.  I encourage you to explore this site.  You can either enter a charity you are considering into their search engine, to discover if indeed they’re doing a good job.  Or, you can hunt for an effective high-star-rated charity within a category that resonates with your interest.

For example, if supporting the work of homeless shelters appeals to you, you can discover four star organizations such as the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, Georgia; or Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn, Illinois; or the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless in Chicago…and many others.  My recommendation is to always look for those that have earned a four-star ranking.

You may be interested in helping the work of food banks.  Organizations such as the Atlanta Community Food Bank in Atlanta, Georgia; or the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, California; or Channel One Food Bank in Rochester, Minnesota - and many other food banks with four star ratings, could be worth your consideration.  Perhaps you can start with the one right in your very own community.

If you wish to support non-profits that help and enhance the lives of the intellectually disabled, I can think of no better an organization than Best Buddies International (www.bestbuddies.org) in Miami - and of course it has earned four stars by Charity Navigators.  That organization is headed by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, son of Sargent Shriver, the first Director of the Peace Corps, and Eunice Kennedy, founder of The Special Olympics.  This would be a great way to support and embrace the life of an intellectually disabled individual - but always a human with great heart and the need to give and to grow.

Then, there are fine youth development and crisis non-profits like the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education organization in Philadelphia.  There is also KidsPeace:  The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, in Orefield, Pennsylvania.

In terms of international development, both poverty alleviation, medical support and agricultural development, look for great four-star organizations like Americares; American Jewish World Service; ACCION International; HOPE International; FINCA International; World Vision; CURE International; Compassion International; Grassroots International; and Oxfam America.

Finally, if your heart is in the humane treatment of animals, Albert Schweitzer said:  “Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”  And Gandhi said:  “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  If your passion is to instill more respect and reverence for animals, especially the abandoned dogs and cats in our animal shelters, you may decide to support such four-star rated no-kill shelters like Animal Haven in Flushing, New York; or the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  But there are many dozens more around the country that are no-kill, and need your help.  Or, you may decide to start-up a committee of your own within your own community, and work to influence a no-kill policy at your own local shelter.  You may wish, too, to support the work of the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, D.C., which advocates no-kill as a policy for healthy and adoptable dogs and cats. 

However you decide to give, do give - and give smartly…from the heart.