"Macro" Charity organizations

[PowerPenguin]

There may already be some of these out there, so please let me know about them if they exist:

Are there any "macro" charity orgs out there that act as a coordinating/one-stop donation shop for various affiliated issue-specific charities? One objection/concern statists have to a voluntaryist society is that there would not be enough consistency, etc. and certain groups would fall through the cracks, etc. This would be one solution to this legitimate concern.

[tracysaboe]

I don't like United way. Much of their charity money goes to the U.N. and a large chunk goes to planned parenthood.

Perhaps somebody can develope a meta "libertarian" charity.

Tracy

[dalebert]

The concept of United Way isn't bad, but Tracy is right about them being run badly. SUPPOSEDLY you have control of where your money goes. However, they have ways around that. See, they have a large pool of money that's not allocated. A lot of people jsut give them money and don't allocate it. So they can use that pool to move money however they like. Let's say Tracy starts donating $100 a month and wants it to go to an adoption facilitating organization. They can then take $100 of the floating money out of Tracy's favored org and start giving $100 of the floating money to Planned Parenthood. Surprise! Tracy just started donating to Planned Parenthood!

That's how it was described to me sometime back. I don't know if that's what they still do. What would be nice is if they allocated the floating money in proportion to how people chose to allocate their money. At least then it would be sort of representative of the entire donating population's choices and Tracy's $100 would influence other money to go toward Tracy's chosen org.

[KBCraig]

Working for the feds, I'm subjected to the annual United Way drive. For years, I've consistently pissed off my managers by refusing to play the game. They get rated on percentage of participation. Too bad!

I give directly. I would give to a meta-charity with libertarian goals. I don't give to United Way. Ever.

Kevin

[PowerPenguin]

I have no problem with Planned Parenthood, but the UN can definately kiss my keister.

[Russell Kanning]

Every Macro charity has it's problems .... especially connections with government and waste. Why do we need huge charities in order for people to be helped?

[tracysaboe]

Even the red cross and the Salvation army are full of waiste. THe Salavation army is a lot better then the Red Cross. But their's better, more efficient, smallere organizations.

I think a network of independent small charities is probably best.

Tracy

[toowm]

And a liberty-rating agency, checking the charity's administrative and fund-raising costs.

[PowerPenguin]

Even the red cross and the Salvation army are full of waiste. THe Salavation army is a lot better then the Red Cross. But their's better, more efficient, smallere organizations.

I think a network of independent small charities is probably best.

Tracy

1. Throw in St. Vincent de Paul Villages, but not to the same extent.
2. I'm not trying to pass a law or anything, Tracy, I'm merely purporting that this will naturally tend to develop in a free market, just as you tend to have a few dominant players and a whole bunch of lesser ones in the industry of your choice. Good insight though!

[tracysaboe]

Oh sure.
I don't think in a free society the big players would be quite AS waistefull though. The problem is, both of those big players get donations from the government -- federal, state, and various local ones. I think the 503c thing is a bit of a mercantilist thing that tends to protect the current players from competition too.

Anyway,

Tracy

[Dreepa]

Working for the feds, I'm subjected to the annual United Way drive. For years, I've consistently pissed off my managers by refusing to play the game. They get rated on percentage of participation. Too bad!

When I worked for the Navy they wanted 100% in our group.  Damn did they try and talk to me every day.
They said come on just $1 per paycheck.  One guy even offered to pay me the $24 up front.  I told him that convinced me to never sign up.

[PowerPenguin]

That's lame. When was this? Were you drafted or did you sign up? Personally, I would NEVER serve the feds period, but that's just me, and I don't think poorly of you because you did.