Do I say something?

My cousin is running in a race next month through the march of dimes charity. The march of dimes is one of those charities that are listed on the "worst" charity list. My job who matches donations even has them on the not match list because of how much money actually goes to the charitable organization. According to what my job post they only donate 5-10 cents of every dollar. She asked me to donate and I won't because the money isn't really helping anyone. Do I say something. Dh even said they are on the top 10 list and we aren't donating. I feel bad and am big into charity donations but can't support this one.

Would you want to know? And if anyone knows if the march of dimes has cleaned up their act please let me know that too.

Update - Thanks everyone. She actually just called and we were chatting. She asked if I was donating and I told her that I'm not and why. She was surprised to hear it and googled while we were chatting. She said it stinks but the cause is a great one and if the race brings more light on the subject then at least it makes it worthwhile for her to participate. Which I agree.

Message edited 3/18/2014 4:23:48 PM.

Do I say something?

Wow! I never knew that about March of dimes

Re: Do I say something?

Ughhhh!! I have the same problem! My 2 cousins always raise money for March of Dimes, but I refuse to donate for the reasons you mentioned. They never ask specifically for a donation, but they promote on FB & I feel bad about not donating.

I wish they would do their own research before asking ppl to support a charity that isn't all that great...

ETA, I don't feel comfortable saying anything to them bc they are both pretty passionate about it...

Message edited 3/18/2014 4:10:52 PM.

Re: Do I say something?

Honestly some may consider it rude, but I rarely respond when I'm hit up for charities like this. More often than not, you're part of a long email list anyway, family or not. This also sounds like a topic you should keep your opinion to yourself on. Isn't this the one that deals with preemies? My nieces are preemies and I know it would come off as offensive if I put in my 2 cents about how I felt about the organization no matter how I worded it, KWIM? I participated in a walk for this the year they were born and had a good time and it still brought awareness about the issue and I wasn't giving an amount that I would miss from my paycheck anyway.

Do I say something?

I would definitely want to know. Let her know the facts so she is aware. I had no idea how little they end up donating. Sometimes people want to raise awareness for a certain cause if it's close their heart but if she has no personal connection to the cause, she is better off spending her time and money for a better charity.

Do I say something?

i would tell her, but i would put it like this...

"since you're so passionate about XYZ, and even running a race to raise money, i got a bit excited for you. so i started to look into the great things the charity does. sadly, i found out these details..."

and provide her with something to back it up.

then leave it for her to decide if she wants to continue to be associated with them.

Do I say something?

Yes I agree its great to spark awareness but I also like to know that at least a good part of my donation is going to help the people they are helping to raise awareness about. I was part of the charity board at my job when it was first created and I was amazed at how large of a discrepancy there was between charities and how much they actually "donate" and how much actually goes into the pockets of their cfo's and such.

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I guess it depends on your relationship with them. I think unless someone has some kind of issue where it's hard to process info, it's not necessarily our place to educate them on something. It's one thing posting it on LIF to raise awareness but I still feel that it could bring drama otherwise. I remember a few years ago there was a thread about people who thought that it was wrong that people who created a charity where all the $$ went to the family was wrong, but they also failed to realize that when you are a FT caregiver you can't work.

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Personally, I would do some more research on the funds the charity collects and what the money they do raise goes to (even if it is a small percent) instead of relying on the word of your employer. I've done a lot of research on MOD and know many people who's lives it has affected - specifically regarding improving newborn screenings at hospitals in every state.

However, at the end of the day, it's your money and maybe you could tell her that you don't really know much about MOD, but you are a big supporter of (fill in the blank) charity and would love to donate to that charity in her name.

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I actually just wrote a paper on this a couple of months ago... Same thing with the Red Cross and Unicef. Not to mention the CEOs pay themselves a HUGE salary.....

Some of the best ones are
Make a wish
St. Jude
Ronald McDonald House
Susan G Komen

upwards of 90% of your donation actually goes to the cause....

Its so sad how large charities can actually contribute so little....

Do I say something?

Tough situation - glad you worked it out. I never knew that about March of Dimes! Thanks for sharing the information. Such a shame.

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Do I say something?

Please make sure that you are getting your info from a credible source!! If it's from that stupid chart that makes its way around social media a few times a year, it is totally wrong! March of Dimes uses anywhere from 64-78% of their donations. While it's not 100% it definitely isn't only 5-10%. MoD does amazing work for premature babies and their families who may not be able to afford the proper treatment and care that preemies require.

I hate that false info like this is being spread about great organizations like MoD and other ones.

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Do I say something?

Thank you.

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Do I say something?

Go look on any charity's financial reports and see the percent that goes to "program". This is generally the amount of every dollar that goes to whatever cause the charity is about.

March of Dimes is no where near 5-10 cents per dollar in what goes towards their programs. It's more like 65-75 cents per dollar.

There have been a lot of incorrect infographs out there and people assume they are true. Heck, I even assumed it. Before you say anything or spread any type of assumption about a charity, either visit charitynavigator.org or go right to their website and look up their annual financial statements.

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