I send in more than $20 for many mundane "things" when I can. I think perhaps one reason I am often hesitant is that the $20. may never get to those in need. For instance, the World Food Program that is about to run out of money to help feed those in Somalia. Unfortunately, southern Somalia is being controlled by al-Shabab right now and they will not accept food from "infidels". Also, in Somalia food sent for those in the famine areas is being stolen and sold. So, I do not think we quilters (or others) are stingy... sometimes we just dont know what to do to really help.

u send what u can.. some it is $, some it is quilts, some it is food..... it's a personal choice.

In these crazy times it can be hard to decide who , what and where to donate. We are particular of who we donate too, If the majority of a monitary donation ( $ ) does not go directly to the ppl it is designed to help, we do not send $. We do not feel comfortable sendign cash to pay saleries, advertising and admistrative costs...

I agree - I think if we "knew" that our $ were being spent in the ways we intended, it would be easier to donate $ to a cause.

There are many reasons. When you give $20.00 most of it will not reach the destination. Sometimes money is better, but only if it can be given in person, which in most cases is not possible. In another instances, everyone will send money to get needed things and forget the little things that make us feel good and loved, and nothing do that better than a quilt, in my opinion. In many cases all you can afford is 10 or 20 dollars, but by donating a quilt it can be sold or raffled off and raise much more than you could donate by giving cash. When I donate a quilt I am not expecting that someone will own it immediately. It can be used any way they see fit to help those in need.

I once made one for Stop Domestic Violence. They had a surplus of them and used mine for a while to decorate their office and later on raffled it to help buy food for their shelter. I am sure at the end someone is loving my quilt and the charitable organization got their much needed assistance.

Sometimes it is exactly what I want to give, maybe not what is exactly wanted to receive.

I give a gift from the heart and hope that is the way it is accepted. What happens to it from the point I "gift" it, is entirely up to the receiver.

Money now goes to many family members for gifts as I have seen what they do with other gifts and my heart says they need money worse at certain times.

I believe it is because people have been burned by charities before. There are very few I give cash to, and that is because I know where the money will be spent -- it's intended purpose, and not for overly inflated salaries of multiple layers of unnecessary management, not 70 cents of every dollar used to pay for fundraising activities (!!!). Next time you get a call or letter asking for a cash donation, ask them to first send you a copy of their annual report which shows their budget. See the responses you get. By law, they have to tell you. They will try to stall. Check out http://www.charitynavigator.org/inde....view&cpid=224 to see more about this and who ends up with what.

And, no tarring and feathering...you just asked a legit question.

I would send money to help...IF someone I knew was going there and would make sure it got to whomever I wanted it to go to.

Once, driving around in Mexico my brother and his wife ran onto a girl's orphanage that was in dire need of everything. So for some years they went back and took a lot of stuff there, and we all dug deep for them. He was/is hard nosed enough to make sure that every dress and every pair of shoes and every dollar went to that orphanage and none other. He even piped in water so they wouldn't have to buy it a few gallons at a time.

Now where else could this happen? Every thing we sent went right there.
But other charities? I don't really trust them.

Very well stated!

Funny, just below my letter when I pushed "SEND" came this thing right below it!!!!!!




Donate Car to Make-A-Wish
Donate your Car to Help CA kids Free towing/ Maximum Tax Deduction
wheelsforwishes. org/ Make-A-Wish

I get tired of everyone wanting money and not items. I have also been dissapointed over the years with how money was handled. If some one needs food I would definitely give food over a quilt. I am just leary over giving money. When we adopted our first two children we also sponsored children in orphanages and send money monthly. When our children were home I asked the agency if I could send a thank you note and a picture to the people that had sponsored our children. I then found out that each of my children had 8 sponsors. The combined monthly money collected on each of my children was the same as a years income in the country they were living. It definitely was not spend on my children.