Causes

[Raising Heel]

A spin-off from the pot-slash-freedoms-slash-taxes thread seems in order. It's something I've been wondering about anyway.

What types of causes do you support with your time, efforts, and/or money? Not talking about a one-time contribution but things you believe in enough that you regularly support their mission.

Select as many as apply. Poll responses are anonymous. Feel free to elaborate, or not.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Arts, Culture, & Humanities (libraries, performing arts, public broadcasting)
-- my girlfriend is heavily involved in her small hometown's (surprisingly vibrant) performing arts / theater center, so.......now I am too lol.

Education (childhood/youth/adult education, policy, scholarships/foundations)
-- Rams Club, son.

 

[Raising Heel]

Shameless bump

I'm a little surprised that the Arts category is out in front. What is everybody supporting? I typically donate to the fundraising drives for WSGE, the local public radio station out of Gaston College. Unlike many other public radio stations, they're almost entirely music focused: Alternative Country, Folk, Blues, Beach/Shag, Big Band, Rock n’ Roll, Gospel, and Jazz.

 

[HeelFan58]

You seem to have left off veteran's causes.

 

[Raising Heel]

You seem to have left off veteran's causes.

Would probably place that under Human Services. Rivals only gives you 10 poll options, so....

 

[gunslingerdick]

I'm a little surprised that the Arts category is out in front. What is everybody supporting? .

Don't get me started.

The Academy of Fine Arts here in Lynchburg, VA just completed a $16 million campaign. They had very little trouble meeting goal. Meanwhile we have people sleeping on the streets and going hungry and kids without any direction in their lives because their parents are dead or in jail. Smaller nonprofits with solid missions are going out of business. But giving millions of dollars to the Academy so you can attend elaborate parties and rub elbows with people you wish you were as rich as seems like a totally reasonable cause to support. SMH. I know that there are good causes that would fall under that category. But as someone that runs a nonprofit org that's dedicated to preventing kids from joining gangs, helping them graduate high school and just generally helping them build the self-confidence they need to be successful in life, it pains me when I see the ultra-wealthy throwing money at causes for the sole reason of social climbing. I'm not saying that everyone that gives to "fine arts" does it for that reason, but that category, far more than the others, attracts that type of donor.

I was glad to see that no one has chosen "International". As I mentioned, I live in Lynchburg, VA - where Liberty University is located. My organization has a close relationship with Liberty as we probably have close to 100 volunteers annually from the school. So I talk frequently with Liberty students, faculty, staff, supporters, etc. Those kids are often "called by Christ" to pack up their shit for months at a time and head over to some village in Africa to "save those poor, desperate people". You know what?...we have poor desperate people. There's a lot of good people can do here in America. It just seems so weird to me that someone would choose to help people in a foreign land before helping their neighbor. IMO, many of them just want the experience of going to Africa or with the Liberty students, maybe just being able to say that "I spent 3 months in Africa helping the less fortunate." I guess that's ok. Good works are good works. But I simply can't understand it when I look at the needs in America...or Virginia...or Lynchburg...or down the street.

 

[Raising Heel]

^^^ Completely agree with your first paragraph. Living in a large city like Charlotte, this kind of self-aggrandizing "charity" is especially pronounced. I don't have any friends who are major donors, but I do know a few who are involved in an unbelievable number of causes because they get off on all the hobnobbing they get to do at all the events they attend.

Regarding your second paragraph, I am someone who volunteered for an international development program. Without getting bogged down in the rationale, I'll simply say that the poverty and suffering I saw abroad is a completely different brand than what we have in the U.S. Here, there are a number of civic organizations that provide certain safety nets. There, they had nothing. Absolutely nothing. People with literally nowhere to live and no food to eat. I definitely encountered the "you should be helping locally" response a lot when fundraising for my trip. I get it but I don't think it's makes anyone unpatriotic to choose a different route.

 

[gteeitup]

all but international and community development.

yep, i'll be king one day.

 

[Louigi]

As a Christian, I tithe 10% of my income to my church first before anything.

After that I give alms to different causes. I have supported most of above poll in one way or another.

Stewardship is also more than money.

At one point in my life I was president this board and served on 4 other non-profit boards, help start a non profit though my church when I was still in NC that still operates today, taught Sunday School, and was Lt. Governor for Kiwanis and helped start a Key club in a high school, and start a renovation of a Children s Hospital.

Not as busy on boards now because I was too involved many years ago and will not do that again.

 

[prodigy9]

L10$

 

[Raising Heel]

Stewardship is also more than money.

Absolutely. That's why I phrased it as "support" rather than "donations" or something like that. Most of the volunteer work I do is a donation of my time rather than money. "No margin, no mission" holds true, but a little sweat equity has always felt more rewarding to me than just writing a check.

 

[Louigi]

Absolutely. That's why I phrased it as "support" rather than "donations" or something like that. Most of the volunteer work I do is a donation of my time rather than money. "No margin, no mission" holds true, but a little sweat equity has always felt more rewarding to me than just writing a check.

True, That