Sam (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
l33tminion) wrote2009-12-14 01:45 pm
l33tminion) wrote2009-12-14 01:45 pm
A Bit More on Charity
Here's a bit more from my thoughts about charitable giving.
Among other things, I've been doing some research on Charity Navigator (evaluates many 501(c)(3) organizations based on their public tax filings) and GiveWell (looks for more in-depth measures of performance and effectiveness, but evaluates far fewer organizations as a result1). (I knew about Charity Navigator before, but I found out about GiveWell through Singer's book.)
Here's a list of my favorite nonprofit organizations (intentionally leaving out local causes, partisan political organizations, and organizations that I support in large part because I personally enjoy / benefit from their work):
Combating Poverty (Direct Approach)2
Oxfam (CN)
UNICEF (CN)
Partners in Health3,4 (CN, GW)
Combating Poverty (Innovative Approach)
The Carter Center (CN, GW, more commentary)
Cultural Survival4 (CN)
Kiva5
Solar Oven Society
OLPC4
Environmental
Union of Concerned Scientists4 (CN)
Sierra Club6 (CN)
Political
American Civil Liberties Union6 (CN)
Electronic Frontier Foundation (CN)
Human Rights Campaign6 (CN)
If you have other nonprofit organizations you'd like to mention or something to say about any of the above, I'd like to hear from you in the comments.
1 Also grants $25k grants to the charities they identify as most effective, as a way of encouraging transparency and self-evaluation.
2 Big donations go here.
3 Their administrative overhead and fund-raising costs are extremely low.
4 Organization has headquarters in Boston area.
5 I recommend both backing microfinance loans through Kiva and funding Kiva itself.
6 Not 501(c)(3)s, though they have 501(c)(3) foundations that do only non-lobbying stuff. The Charity Navigator page gives info about the 501(c)(3) foundation only.
Among other things, I've been doing some research on Charity Navigator (evaluates many 501(c)(3) organizations based on their public tax filings) and GiveWell (looks for more in-depth measures of performance and effectiveness, but evaluates far fewer organizations as a result1). (I knew about Charity Navigator before, but I found out about GiveWell through Singer's book.)
Here's a list of my favorite nonprofit organizations (intentionally leaving out local causes, partisan political organizations, and organizations that I support in large part because I personally enjoy / benefit from their work):
Combating Poverty (Direct Approach)2
Oxfam (CN)
UNICEF (CN)
Partners in Health3,4 (CN, GW)
Combating Poverty (Innovative Approach)
The Carter Center (CN, GW, more commentary)
Cultural Survival4 (CN)
Kiva5
Solar Oven Society
OLPC4
Environmental
Union of Concerned Scientists4 (CN)
Sierra Club6 (CN)
Political
American Civil Liberties Union6 (CN)
Electronic Frontier Foundation (CN)
Human Rights Campaign6 (CN)
If you have other nonprofit organizations you'd like to mention or something to say about any of the above, I'd like to hear from you in the comments.
1 Also grants $25k grants to the charities they identify as most effective, as a way of encouraging transparency and self-evaluation.
2 Big donations go here.
3 Their administrative overhead and fund-raising costs are extremely low.
4 Organization has headquarters in Boston area.
5 I recommend both backing microfinance loans through Kiva and funding Kiva itself.
6 Not 501(c)(3)s, though they have 501(c)(3) foundations that do only non-lobbying stuff. The Charity Navigator page gives info about the 501(c)(3) foundation only.