Global Giving
Global Giving1 is a non-profit public foundation that allows donors to directly fund social and economic projects, along with environmental causes, around the world. Unlike with many charities and non-profits, you’ll know exactly how your money is spent. You’ll also receive progress updates from local project leaders as they pull together their funding and achieve their goals.
A handy Donation Wizard can help you figure out which projects are in your area of interest. Or, you can browse projects as diverse as rebuilding the livelihoods of Sri Lankan tsunami victims, providing computer and HIV/AIDS education for women and orphans in Uganda, and addressing feminine hygiene in Bangladesh.
Fickle pickles who can’t decide on a project for a gift recipient can even purchase gift certificates that can be redeemed later on the Web site. All donations are tax-deductible so it’s tripleplusgood for everyone involved.
1Not ranked by Charity Navigator at this time. Global Giving does state that 90 percent (less transaction frees) of your contribution goes to the project you’ve selected; 10 percent is retained by the organization to cover operating expenses.
budak said,
December 14, 2006 at 10:06 pm
There is irony in that it is usually the right who advocate market-based solutions, which is exactly what ‘green’ consumers are doing. Talk about comparing apples and oranges…