Any experience with World Vision or Child Sponsorship?

[Changes in Latitudes]

Has anyone had any experience (first-hand or otherwise) with charitable organizations like World Vision? It's been a good year for me (relative to the rest of the world, they've all been good years), 2 decent paying jobs, plenty of time off, buying a first house. I always had an internal promise to turn around my progress in the form of charitable causes and one of those has been child sponsorship. My curiosity is the overall legitimacy of these organizations, anything I have been able to dig up regarding World-Vision Canada has been outstanding, but I know that we have some well travelled people here that may be able to add something. So please, fire away.

Thanks!


And while we're at it, I will plug this website:
http://www.givemeaning.com/

It's like giving an Itunes card, but for charities. So you get a certain donation to spread the way you see fit. I apologize to my family in advance, but you have enough goddammed sweaters and shit neither of us including myself really need.

[Hedley]

The main question you want to ask any charity:

"What percentage of my donation will actually
made it out to the people who need it?"

The people running charities almost always
grimace when this question is asked, and
the reply will almost always be evasive and
untruthful.

See, any charity is going to have overhead
of a bunch of fat cats that administer it, and
it takes big bucks to keep those people in
the lifestyle to which they have become
accustomed.

Most of the time, charitable donations are
a form of voluntary taxation - overwhelmingly
the money is used to fund a bureaucracy,
and precious little of the money actually
gets where it's supposed to be going.

[Roar]

A good friend of mine was flying in Sierra Leone back in 2002 and after seeing first hand the child poverty there he and the others on the job started their own charity. It has official Canadian Gov't charity status, and I know he is always looking for more sponsors the link is http://www.first-step.org/

[Changes in Latitudes]

A good friend of mine was flying in Sierra Leone back in 2002 and after seeing first hand the child poverty there he and the others on the job started their own charity. It has official Canadian Gov't charity status, and I know he is always looking for more sponsors the link is http://www.first-step.org/

I remember reading about that here a long time ago, I really appreciate you bringing that up. Thanks! I'll definitely look into them. If any of the Aries guys (Hakon or Michael) are on here, feel free to PM me.

[chipmunk]

My parents have sponsored kids through Plan Canada (formerly Foster Parents Plan) for years.
They both work in the health care field and a few years ago did some volunteer work in conjunction with PLAN in an area in Nicaragua where PLAN was very active - I think half the families in the village had sponsored kids. They were very impressed with the way that PLAN was helping the community (not only is each sponsored kid helped, but the entire community) and the way they used local workers to help out with letter-writing, aid administering, immunization clinics, etc.
I haven't looked at the percentage of your donation that actually makes it to the kids, but seeing first hand how the money was being used....

[Cobra64]

I had the chance to visit first hand a World Vision project in Ecuador a couple years ago. I was there with my dad who has been working with international NGOs for over 20 years, but is not involved in any way with World Vision. We were both very impressed with the organization and their model. I would not hesitate at all to financially become involved with them.

[North Shore]

I took on a WV sponsorship that belonged to a friend who died in a plane crash. My experience with it has been very positive. However, I get at least one letter a month looking for more cash, and there is a strong Christian tilt to the whole thing, which may or may not be your thing..
If I had to do it again, starting my own sponsorship, I'd probably go with one of the non-denominational orgs out there. First Step is #1 on my list, seeing as I know some of the guys running it...

[xsbank]

I have bought goats and toilets and other items from Oxfam, being captivated by their promotion, but I honestly did not investigate them properly.

If you are interested in a charity, you should investigate Oxfam as part of your search - they are very active in Africa.

[Expat]

World Vision is very active here in western Afghanistan. They do not pay high salaries, and seem a very serious organization.

[Invertago]

I recall world vision being around 85% efficient, as in 85% of your donation goes to the cause while 15% is keeping the organization operating (can't avoid that completely) I do get tired of their marketing, they sent me a pack of seeds that I'm susposed to mail back with my donation so they can send the seeds to africa... I felt like I was going to be funding Canada post with that one mind you. I just wish they could spare me the gimmics, give me an annual report in the mail telling me what they did over the past year and I'll give them an annual donation.

Side note: if you donate with your credit card to some charities, the credit card company takes a significant cut, so try to use a check or something so you see more of your $ reach the kids.

[Hedley]

a strong Christian tilt

Not sure if anyone here is familiar with all the scandals in
recent years, where donations to southern evangelists
was going to fund corporate jets and lavish lifestyles for
the talking heads with the hairspray. Some investigative
journalist made them all look pretty bad.

And who can forget Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's
air-conditioned doghouse, paid for by donations?

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... c4&k=27270

Yeah, this is what I want my donations to go to:

With her former husband Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye became a household name in America through the PTL organization ("Praise The Lord" or "People That Love") that he founded in 1974.

Their television evangelical empire brought in close to $130 million annually at its height in the 1980s and reached 13 million homes daily.

Tammy Faye was a fixture of her first husband's ministry, her heavy mascara running riot as she tearfully beseeched TV viewers to open their hearts to Jesus and their wallets to PTL

the Internal Revenue Service started investigating whether the Bakkers were illegally using their tax-exempt ministry to pay for an opulent lifestyle that mushroomed to include several homes, servants, luxury cars, jewels, furs and an air-conditioned doghouse.

[Changes in Latitudes]

a strong Christian tilt

Not sure if anyone here is familiar with all the scandals in
recent years, where donations to southern evangelists
was going to fund corporate jets and lavish lifestyles for
the talking heads with the hairspray. Some investigative
journalist made them all look pretty bad.

And who can forget Jim and Tammy Faye Baker's
air-conditioned doghouse, paid for by donations?

All too familiar, Hedley. That's why I am doing the homework that you have recommended. That's been the problem, these jackasses roll up in a private jet or plug in an air-conditioned doghouse and it scares the crap out of people to the point where they won't donate a cent to anyone. I'm leaning towards the first-step group at the moment.

Merci, all!

[Hedley]

Look for a new charity soon:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461008,00.html

[silentivan]

Holy crap I thought that was Alice Cooper...

[Hedley]

Naw, this is Alice C:



And here's Ozzy:



and of course Marilyn Manson:

[Freetime]

I have really enjoyed sponsoring some kids through Compassion Canada. We send letters back and forth and the kids are truly overjoyed with the help, and their families are being helped too. 83% of the money goes to the kids and communities, 11.6% goes to fund raising, and 5.4% goes to administration.

[xsbank]

Follow-up on Oxfam Canada (one of 13 NGO orgs that make up Oxfam Intl): 8% goes to admin and 12% goes to fund-raising. 8% goes to Canadian education and outreach and 72% goes overseas.

So if you buy a goat, 72% of it goes overseas and 8% of it goes to needy Canadians.

[lilfssister]

That must be where that goat milk cheese I buy comes from?

Seriously though, the charities like buying a goat/pigs/cow etc. I wholeheartedly support (in theory and practice). Have done the OXFAM thing a few times. It made me feel good, and the recipients feel good. I don't need another thingamajig and neither did they.

[C23flyer]

Check out War Child Canada:

http://www.warchild.ca/index.php/aboutus/

I listened to Dr. Samantha Nutt, who started this charity, and she had some interesting stories to tell about her work in Africa, and the work of the organization. Their financial reports are at the top of the list of information sources. They purport to have one of the highest percentages of donations sent to the field of all Canadian charities. That info. should be in their financials.

[Siddley Hawker]

I've done the Oxfam thing a couple of times, but apart from the local hospital and Ste. Justine children's hospital in Montreal most of my donations go to the War Amps. One of my most sentimental possessions is a simple key chain from their CHAMPS program that says "War Amps supporter from the start."

http://www.waramps.ca/index.html

[altiplano]

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[Expat]

Christian Aid is another serious outfit here in Af.
Working with a Christian organization has some risk, but they seem to get along fine.
I have a few good friends working with them.

[tellyourkidstogetarealjob]

My wife has been donating to Compassion Canada for at least six years.

They send info monthly. The only time you are asked for more is on your sponsored child's birthday or Christmas, but it's only one written request. They don't pester their donors.

The child she is sponsoring is a girl - and her family - in western Rwanda, near the Congo border. She sends a letter once or twice a year.




Personally, I wouldn't give to Amnesty. I agree with a lot of what they do but in the last few years they seem more and more to be crossing the line between championing human rights' causes and political interference.

[like2fly]

Have been with Compassion Canada for the last 10 years....no regrets!