One would hope. But if it's one thing I've learned, always vet the charity through Charity Navigator or a similar site, and then give directly to the charity itself. Where I live, there have been a couple of scandals over the years with United Way officials skimming off the donations for themselves. I would never trust any third party to give the money as directed.
on someone's fb page. A girl from my neighborhood that my sisters and I hung out with all the time. She lived next door and was in the middle of our ages.
It is one of those things that I thought we were supposed to not show off to other people about doing good for others. I mean WHY would this be better than fast offerings. They get cash I assume? I don't know. It is just a way for members to show everyone else they are holier than thou. I certainly hope my daughter has never done that. She hasn't posted it on fb, so probably not.
It's important to see that the head of your charity earns at least $500 thousand to a million salary a year and then you know you can trust them. Or look for one that gives world wide conferences once a year and won't let you drink coffee cuz that's God's kind of charity and how can you not trust that?
Vet them like summer says. Most of the big ones are just money making machines for the ones who run them. I was shocked when I looked up the Susan Komen one and the ASPCA. We give directly to small charities. Anybody who honors movies stars is never getting a dime from me.
On the surface, the giving machines look like a cute Christmas tradition. But with almost everything the church does, things aren't always as they seem.
My concern with the giving machines is that I think that they may just be another way for the church to extract money from church members and even nonmembers. Then later, the church will take credit for the donations when it reveals how much it has donated to charity. The church doesn't need an additional source to help those in need. It already has fast offerings, tithing and billions upon billions of dollars.
Edited to add:
In addition, the machines just feel like a PR move. When it puts choices like "dig a well" or "buy a goat" into its machines, it creates an impression to members and nonmembers that that is what the church generally does with its money. It's not. The church mostly hoards it and builds temples.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/2022 11:40AM by want2bx.
Wow. I just assumed Giving Machine meant a charity. So I looked it up and it's all Mormon? And this is what I got:
What is the LDS Giving Machine? Image result for what is a giving machine Giving Machines include items such as groceries, fresh water, child vaccines, beds, hygiene kits, farming equipment, medical care, job training, educational supplies, beehives and livestock.
I can't be bothered to investigate further, but this is the usual: The members do the giving and the church takes the credit.
> > The members do the giving and > the church takes the credit. >
When the Holiday Season is over, a final total will be announced, for which the church will take credit.
The assumption will be that that final total was passed along to the 'needy'.
What won't be announced is the amount subtracted by the church to cover costs and expenses, including all the efforts to publicize both the event and its final success. The church does nothing for free... "Free" does not pay the bills, nor put something aside for the future, which is looking quite perilous, from the perspective of a dwindling-in-influence minuscule Utah-based religion.
For the last few years I have given directly to carers and sanctuaries in AU. I know them, and know they are legit. None of them make money and use their own for a lot of things. Everyone has jobs or they are retired. The work they do is hard both physically and on the heart. It's a 24/7 gig with little reward or acknowledgment. This last year I have a couple of small groups in Ukraine I contribute to.
Another way to help Ukraine is to support their small businesses. Using the filters on Etsy and Ebay you can find some amazing things. Handmade things you can't get in the US. Beautiful artwork I wish I could afford. So far, I have bought dolls, stamps, coins, and custom leather items. Six weeks shipping and less than to AU.
I say to think about the things you really care about and want to support then find good, responsible ways to do that.