Saturday 20 April 2013

Charities: who wants my money?

throwing down the gauntlet
Source: "throwing down the gauntlet" by Mathieu Struck on Flickr.

I'm doubling my "foreign aid" (i.e. charitable giving) budget in the next year from 0.49% of my GPP (gross personal product) to 1%. This is deliberately higher than the 0.7% GNP that developed countries are supposed to contribute towards international development. I remember thinking in Modern Studies class that 0.7% was a ridiculously low amount to give in aid. True story.

The upshot is that I'm on the lookout for another charity to support with a monthly contribution. My criteria are few but demanding: 1) the charity has to impress me and 2) I don't want them to pester me and waste resources sending me stuff through the mail or by email.

Oxfam pushed the right buttons a few years ago with their £5 a month campaign. Who will it be this time?

I'll also be doubling my usual donation amount to anyone I know who is doing a sponsored something.

Gauntlet thrown.