Categories for Choosing a charity
Written By: Joe Costanzo Director UK Institute for Migration Research (UK-IMR), www.uk-imr.ac.uk Anyone today with access to modern media has... View Article
“What is altruism without effort?” As a researcher at USAID CIDI, I have spent a great deal of my time... View Article
“Just because you didn’t receive a tax write off, recognition from a local organization, or a thank you card doesn’t... View Article
Are you prepared to help others in the most effective and efficient way possible? When disasters strike, many people’s first impulse is to collect food or clothing; it is not unusual for community and local groups to collect thousands of pounds of material – typically used clothing, canned food and bottled water – realizing only afterward that they do not know whether it’s actually needed, how they will transport it or who will distribute it.
To ensure that your money is doing the good you intended you have to look past aid agency advertising, name recognition, and "happy stories", and instead look for evidence that the aid agency is following best practices and constantly improving their organization.
Reflecting on the debate over disaster/poverty tourism a couple of weeks back some bloggers, such as Tales from the Hood and Pepy Tours, have argued that there is a benefit, if done right, of donors visiting aid recipients. And, if done right, I agree. One of the common complaints after the tsunami was that donors did not come and check whether aid work was done well or learn about the real needs of aid recipients. Donors do need to have a greater understanding of what does and does not work in aid as well as common problems associated with aid. Properly structured visits can help them become better donors.
During dinner with my brother last weekend our conversation turned to microfinance and the fact that it’s not living up... View Article
What’s the worst present you ever received? A crazy colored sweater from your aunt Martha, questionable cookies from a neighbor,... View Article
“You wouldn’t want to receive something you didn’t ask for or need at Christmas, let alone during a humanitarian crisis.”... View Article
Most of us have heard of bad aid projects, but few of us really know what makes a program good... View Article
Everyone has heard of aid agency waste and poorly implemented programs, but few people understand the underlying causes. Unfortunately, poor... View Article
Join us as we host a panel discussion on: Diaspora: who are they, why do they matter, and how are... View Article
We’ve all heard of, or even volunteered for, popular non-profit organizations like United Way, Salvation Army, Goodwill, American National Red... View Article
The recent posting Analyze This on Philanthrocapitalism stated “In a speech at the conference, Ken Berger said that sometimes he... View Article
Going back to school always gave me mixed emotions. Not every year, but at every stage of my education, I... View Article
Feeling sad that summer is coming to an end? That’s normal! Instead, think about all the memories you and friends... View Article
“Hit the ground running” As a Crisis Corps Volunteer (part of the US Peace Corps) I was sent back to... View Article
As Director of D-TRAC in Thailand, I was regularly approached by donors wanting to fund aid agencies helping with the... View Article
Donations can be misused and ill-spent despite the best intentions of donors Deciding whether or not to donate and which... View Article
This posting is from a journal I kept as a Crisis Corps volunteer working on the tsunami recovery in Thailand.... View Article
Think about the most memorable photo in a recent advertisement from an aid agency. What emotion did that photo create?... View Article