Giving to the poor has been an interesting dilemma for me over the years. For example, I am very much inclined to give street beggars spare change even though I understand the arguments that that simply encourages them and draws more beggars to those places where they can successfully get money. I'm even more inclined to share my lunch or take-home sacks with someone who hits me up around lunch time.
With so many philanthropic opportunities around us, I was still surprised when we received in the mail a couple days ago a request from a couple in our church who are apparently planning a two-week humanitarian trip to Santa Cruz, Bolivia during which they will be volunteering at a disadvantaged children's home. I'm so used to either giving directly to the needy or filtering my donations through "name brand" organizations such as CARE or Habitat for Humanity or the Church, that I'm not sure how I feel about giving to a private person or couple and trusting them to use my money for the purpose stated in their appeal. Some amount of due diligence seems to be called for.
What do you think? What kinds of questions should we be asking and would the questions be different for a $20 donation than a $100 or $250 donation?
Interesting question. There was a woman in our ward a few years ago who'd served a mission in Bulgaria, and she and her former companions collected items for orphanages there once a year and flew to Bulgaria with what they'd collected. Many of us donated items. Later, after she moved out of the ward, her group incorporated as a 501(c)(3) corp and solicited monetary donations, to which I still contribute. That's my standard--is this couple planning to start up such an organization, or just seeking help with expenses for their trip? I like the accountability that goes with a professional organization for big amounts, but I don't mind giving small amounts/items for individual efforts.
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