Red Cross theft

Some sectors of the Red Cross actually took over $300,000 in generous donations to the Katrina victims. http://www.cnn.com This makes me sick. I gave to the red cross in good faith, next time I will donate to the Salvation Army.

alphieb said:

Some sectors of the Red Cross actually took over $300,000 in generous donations to the Katrina victims. http://www.cnn.com This makes me sick. I gave to the red cross in good faith, next time I will donate to the Salvation Army.

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At a bank I worked at a looong time ago, they wanted donations for the United Way...I flatly refused when the management was found to be skimming off of the top...

Who do I give my Conservative cash to?...My answer will absolutely blow your mind away...

cnredd said:

At a bank I worked at a looong time ago, they wanted donations for the United Way...I flatly refused when the management was found to be skimming off of the top...

Who do I give my Conservative cash to?...My answer will absolutely blow your mind away...

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This looks like a good cause. I have a problem with donating for adults that are capable of working. The children are helpless and that is who matters. I think a good way to donate is to provide coats, toys, tangible foods etc....to the salvation army, cash is to easy and tempting to steal.

alphieb said:

This looks like a good cause. I have a problem with donating for adults that are capable of working. The children are helpless and that is who matters. I think a good way to donate is to provide coats, toys, tangible foods etc....to the salvation army, cash is to easy and tempting to steal.

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That's why I donate where I do...

I avoid large organizations with administrative costs & overhead...

And going the "kid route" also causes less apprehension...

cnredd said:

That's why I donate where I do...

I avoid large organizations with administrative costs & overhead...

And going the "kid route" also causes less apprehension...

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You bring up an excellent point, costs and overhead is actually a big expense for the Red Cross. The Salvation Army does not have as much internal expenses. They have to have some obviously, but not like the Red Cross.

cnredd said:

At a bank I worked at a looong time ago, they wanted donations for the United Way...I flatly refused when the management was found to be skimming off of the top...

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Exactly, the United Way is a charity's philanthropy. The money is much better given directly to your charity of choice than through the administrative fees of another org.

As for the Sally Army, I refuse to give money to them as their charity isn't free. It comes with forced proselytization. Moreover, the Sally Army chooses to fire employees solely based on that person's religious belief while receiving governmental support. (Dodge v. Salvation Army also Lown v. Salvation Army).

shuamort said:

Exactly, the United Way is a charity's philanthropy. The money is much better given directly to your charity of choice than through the administrative fees of another org.

As for the Sally Army, I refuse to give money to them as their charity isn't free. It comes with forced proselytization. Moreover, the Sally Army chooses to fire employees solely based on that person's religious belief while receiving governmental support. (Dodge v. Salvation Army also Lown v. Salvation Army).

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Huh, interesting I did not know that. I'll tell ya, its sad one cannot donate for good cause without skepticism.

cnredd said:

That's why I donate where I do...

I avoid large organizations with administrative costs & overhead...

And going the "kid route" also causes less apprehension...

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Absolutely right! The only places for my charitable contributions are kid-related and as direct as I can find - no big org's with fat overhead.

One of my favorites is the Boys and Girls Clubs. Not through the national organization, though, directly to the local club, where I also volunteer a bit of time when I can and have an acquaintance with most of the Board of Directors (all local). Nothing like watching your charitable contributions at work. Very gratifying.

I'm confident that when I say a 'looong time ago', I'm even more long ago than you, but nonetheless, a loooong time ago, the United Way execs in our city were also found to be skimming. Like most companies in our city, mine made a big deal out of 100% United Way participation. It was an unsaid rule that anyone who didn't give to the United Way, would find themselves looked down upon when it came time for their next salary review. After the skimming revelation, the pressure eased - for a year or two.

oldreliable67 said:

Absolutely right! The only places for my charitable contributions are kid-related and as direct as I can find - no big org's with fat overhead.

One of my favorites is the Boys and Girls Clubs. Not through the national organization, though, directly to the local club, where I also volunteer a bit of time when I can and have an acquaintance with most of the Board of Directors (all local). Nothing like watching your charitable contributions at work. Very gratifying.

I'm confident that when I say a 'looong time ago', I'm even more long ago than you, but nonetheless, a loooong time ago, the United Way execs in our city were also found to be skimming. Like most companies in our city, mine made a big deal out of 100% United Way participation. It was an unsaid rule that anyone who didn't give to the United Way, would find themselves looked down upon when it came time for their next salary review. After the skimming revelation, the pressure eased - for a year or two.

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I don't know what you consider a "looooong time ago", but for me, it was 1991...

And you are correct...NOT giving to the United Way made me looked down upon...

I hope those who've felt that way about me feel like dirtbags now...

I don't give to anyone, Im too poor.

But, when I was in the military, they kinda made us give up money to charities (well they didn't MAKE us, but if you refused you had to see the 1SG, then the BN CSM, then the BDE CSM, then the DIV CSM, eventually one of them would convince you :mrgreen: ). I once gave to an organization call "Dogs for the Deaf" Now that I think about it, that doesn't make much sense.... Why do Deaf people needs dogs? They can't hear them bark!!!!

cnredd said:

I don't know what you consider a "looooong time ago", but for me, it was 1991...

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Oh, try 1975...

shuamort said:

Exactly, the United Way is a charity's philanthropy. The money is much better given directly to your charity of choice than through the administrative fees of another org.

As for the Sally Army, I refuse to give money to them as their charity isn't free. It comes with forced proselytization. Moreover, the Sally Army chooses to fire employees solely based on that person's religious belief while receiving governmental support. (Dodge v. Salvation Army also Lown v. Salvation Army).

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Interesting....I was never a big fan of the Red Cross, and my dislike of their organization only deepened when the reports of them misusing 9/11 donations, and now Katrina donations, came out.

I've never had a problem with the Salvation Army though. When I was in the Air Force, my shop would go out every couple of months and volunteer at the "Love Lunches" they held for homeless folks. We also organized squadron-wide clothing drives for the SA. I never once saw or heard anything that could be considered proselytization....but it seems like that's pretty rare.

And like Caine said, we were "highly encouraged" to donate to the CFC (Combined Federal Campaign), but we weren't required to go up the chain of command if we refused....though our supervisors would get on our cases for awhile. I gave every year but my last (was trying to save as much money as I could for when I got out), and always chose organizations that were for the benefit of abused children, as that is a cause very near and dear to me.

Anyway....yeah, not a fan of the Red Cross.