I too would like to would like to give a donation to help the Filipino people out after such a terrible event. However I'm afraid any donation I give will end up in the pockets of the people who need it least. I know from first hand experience someone who recevied a lot of money that was donated to help the victims of the earthquakes in China. That person was living in Australia at the time of the earthquakes. It makes me quite disolusioned about charities.

Find a good secular one & I'm in

I was involved in the PNG Tsunami in 98 was there for the actual event and subsequent clean up . I was shocked by what I can only describe as the industry of disaster and the desire for the money shot. So I understand what you are saying

That being said dont get dragged into what I found as a very grey argument. Disasters cost money to run and the reality is for every bag of rice someone somewhere needs to be on a PC doing something boring and what is viewed upon as irrelevant. "I want my money to go directly to those who need it " well right now those people just want to be fed, medicated and housed the majority of the cost to implement those three things will be in logistics . So don't be concerned with a percentage of your coin going to running cost its just as important .

So I would be looking to two organisations

MSF (medicons sans frontier) doctors without borders this will support the make shift hospitals they were in my experience the ones that got **** done .

The second is Caritas international which is a catholic run aid org . Don't be put of by the religious bit . In the Philippians like a lot of undeveloped countries the church runs the schools hospitals workshops for the poor basically they are the local council. Caritas is a direct link to those diocese ( local councils ) Also in my experience the ones that got **** done .

Hope that helps

As a rule of thumb, any fundraising by the Salvo's used to result in over 97 cents in the dollar hitting the streets.
I see no reason why it would have changed- so if the Salvo's are doing thier bit in the Phillipines you can be pretty sure your donation is doing its job.

my choice for donations-
Salvo's get my cash, [and I have collected for them many times as well]
Red Cross get my blood and whatever cash I can spare,
I tried giving the cat haven's collector, next doors cat last time they ignored our go away sign, and got them confused

I refuse to donate to anyone else collecting as they are all too often "commission collectors"

stephen

Without trying to bag medicins sans frontier, I did sign up to donate to them regularly, however, when i sat down and read through the reams of fine print I discovered that in the first year of your 5 year donation plan 80% went to the financial organization in sydney that processes all the electronic donations. it wasnt until the 5th year that MSF recieved more than 80% of the donated money.
personally I would try the salvos, lots of volunteers and you can give as you can afford. my daughter spends alot of her time on occasions like this shaking a tin, god bless her

^^^ We're not Christian, but my wife gets free loaves of bread from Bakers Delight & delivers them to local primary & a special-needs school (where she works) so that kids with thoughtless parents who don't bother to pack their lunches can eat through the day...does that count as charitable?

If money is all you have to give, make sure you do your research as said above...if you have some time - donate that, it's just as important and will give you a better return in your own peace of mind.

Mobydisc said..
It makes me quite disolusioned about charities.

They way some of the MAJOR ONES have been calling me up lately I feel like nothing more than a resource. The marketing tactics they use are unpleasant.

"First of all thank you so much for all of your donations so far."
translation: "You've been flagged as someone very likely to give us more money, again."

Charity is not viewing me as a resource.

I just received an email from Rommel Juan [owner of the phillipines company that makes reproduction jeep bodies]

His advice is for Americans [similar probably works for Aussies too] to donate via these organisations:

American Red Cross, they have volunteers spread throughout the region, donations via online.

AmerCares, has a shipment good for 20000 people on the way- along with medical teams

UN World food program, active in the area, donations via online.

Phillipines Red Cross- donate online.

Or, the Salvation Army Typhoon Haiyan relief effort, via the salvo's website.
Rommel states that 100% of the donations to the salvos will hit the ground as disaster relief.


stephen

Thanks for the red thumbs above fellas, also very christian Red-thumbers take a second to picture yourselves choosing to give to a Muslim charity collecting for the Typhoon. Would you?

Just for the record I never red thumbed anyone. And this post isn't directed at anyone. But I like the Muslim comparison . With all the bagging out of Christianity in the topic and other threads, I wonder if people would bag other religions the same way. Not that I'd want that. Didn't mean to hijack the topic.

Not sure for the Philippines...

Here two non rip off aid organisations for Africa:

www.foodwatershelter.org.au/

goldertrust.org/

evlPanda said...

Mobydisc said..
It makes me quite disolusioned about charities.

They way some of the MAJOR ONES have been calling me up lately I feel like nothing more than a resource. The marketing tactics they use are unpleasant.

"First of all thank you so much for all of your donations so far."
translation: "You've been flagged as someone very likely to give us more money, again."

Charity is not viewing me as a resource.

Your mistake there is giving correct info. I don't see why they need anything other than correct credit card info. Rest I make up.

*this applies to 95% of non shopping/shipping related web forms i fill in