Choosing a Charity

Last November I wrote some of my thoughts and frustrations about the constant barrage of appeals for money from charitable organizations. The ones that I have chosen to support are ones where I am sure my money is being well spent. Most but not all of these are local.
The topic of charitable giving came up again this morning when I received the Annual Report from the organization Kiva. Although I believe there are some very good large charities it is hard to sort out the ones that are most effective. Some time ago I read a Nicholas Kristoff column in the New York Times telling about Kiva. Since then I have contributed some of my donations to it.
Kiva loans small amounts to people around the world who have no other access to capital. I have loaned money in $25 increments to women struggling to start small home based businesses or farmers who need money for fertilizer or animals, or shopkeepers who need more products to sell. My money is added to that from other donors to meet the need of the individual. The best thing about it is that the money is a loan, not a gift. It is paid back over a specified period of time. When it is repaid, I have the option of getting the money back or re-loaning it. It is a nearly painless way of giving, really the gift that keeps giving.
The Annual Report is rare as such reports go because it is a fascinating description of the work of the organization. They have the highest rating from Charity Watch and pride themselves on transparency. The report may be found at www.kiva.org under Updates.
Along with Kiva I should mention the other international charity that I think is well worth while. I volunteered in a medical clinic in a Haitian village for several years. I know that every dollar donated goes to provide medical supplies and pay the salaries of the Haitian staff who work there. American volunteers pay their own way and the young doctor who founded the clinic and continues to be it’s director and guiding force receives no compensation. Haiti has long been the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and since the earthquake the people are only more desperate. www.healingartmissions.org