America’s nonprofit organizations will remember 2009 as the year of the double whammy: Donations are down, but needs are greater than ever.
Widespread unemployment means more hungry families. “The number of people in need has increased 70 percent and getting food to them is harder because of transportation costs,” says Lon Taylor, CEO of Feeding American’s Hungry Children.
Pets are suffering too. Home foreclosures have increased the number of abandoned pets, says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “When people tighten their belts, animals are sometimes left behind,” he says.
Our troops could use more support. Even in tough economic times, Americans rally to support our troops, but more resources are needed. For example, Homes for Our Troops, which builds adaptive housing for severely injured veterans, has a waiting list.
The dire economy slammed fundraising efforts of more than 86 percent of the nonprofits that participated in an Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy survey, and few expect much improvement in 2010. Many groups hope for a year-end burst of generosity as taxpayers look for last-minute deductions.
“Because of the recession, we are seeing two trends,” says Jennifer Tierney, development director for Doctors Without Borders. “Donors who have been giving in the past are very loyal, but giving at a lower level. And it’s more difficult to bring in new donors.”
In other words, it’s your chance to be a hero. “What I’d like to say to supporters is that it’s important to give now,” says Mark Nadolny of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “Every dollar, large and small, really has an impact.”
Some groups are hanging tough by trimming their budgets and creating opportunities for potential donors to interact. Doctors Without Borders ran a “Be There First” simulation on its Web site, offering users a chance to experience what it’s like to respond to a medical crisis. Supporters of the Humane Society get can sign up for e-mail alerts on the most urgent issues.
Even in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the collective generosity of Americans is astounding. Donations topped $300 billion in 2008, with assistance bound for locations ranging from remote jungles to the neighborhood food pantry, according to the annual report of GivingUSA. Faith-based organizations led the way, ranging from local churches to the international Samaritan’s Purse, and account for about one third of all gifts.
Another bright spot: volunteering. A government survey found more than 61 million Americans donating their time to community causes, a trend the White House is encouraging through its www.serve.gov Web site.
Charity, after all, begins at home. But your dollars can have a worldwide impact.
To celebrate the season of giving, Newsmax is shining a year-end spotlight on these worthy organizations that truly deserve your support.
Fisher House Foundation
Fisher House is all about meeting the long-term support needs of seriously injured veterans and their families. “We’re not the kind of organization that pounds our chest,” says spokesman Jim Weiskopf. “We work quietly in the background. And we know they appreciate what we do.”
The foundation supports 43 houses, near military bases and medical facilities, where families can stay free while their loved ones are receiving treatment. The group, which is counting on year-end donations to make up for a 30 percent drop in contributions, channels 97 cents of every single dollar directly to America’s heroes.
Frequent fliers can donate through the organization’s Hero Miles program. Donations have provided 17,000 airline tickets for loved ones who may not be covered under government guidelines.
“We go beyond what the government provides,” Weiskopf says. “We use the broader definition of loved ones to include grandparents or stepparents.
“If you’re a young serviceman and you are recovering from serious injuries, it’s nice to have your parents there, but you probably also want to see your girlfriend. If your high school football coach is a person whose presence could motivate you, we make that possible.”
The newest Fisher House in Los Angeles is 100 percent accessible for people with disabilities, which allows some patients to leave the hospital for quality time in a homelike atmosphere. Volunteers pitch in to help with chores such as grocery shopping, and families can lean on each other for support during tough times.
Since 1990, Fisher House has hosted more than 120,000 families and saved them more than $100 million in lodging and transportation costs. Weiskopf, a Vietnam vet and the father of a daughter on active duty, sees even greater needs ahead as more wounded Americans return from Afghanistan.
“You can have your disagreements with the government,” he says, “but when you see these young men and women, they are selfless in their devotion to country. We see the most grievously wounded, and you have to take some satisfaction in knowing you can make a difference in the lives of heroes.”
Feeding America’s Hungry Children
At a time when many families are struggling to put food on the table, it’s hard to watch as tons of fresh produce are tossed in the garbage. Lon Taylor sees it every day in Nogales, Ariz., a distribution point on the Mexico border where it’s estimated that more than 700 truckloads of nutritious food are trashed each year. That’s two truckloads per day.
“It’s all perishable and we have to move it quick,” says the CEO of Feeding America’s Hungry Children. “The quality is so good you can’t believe it was being thrown away.”
Although the fruit and vegetables may not be the perfect size or color for display at the grocery store, the “rescued food” is more than welcome at food banks across the country.
“We even give out recipes for unusual things, like spaghetti squash,” Taylor says. Your donation pays the transportation costs. You can contribute on the organization’s Web site or search the database to find the nearest local food bank on the receiving end in 26 states.
Food bank organizers see longer lines every day. “We are seeing a lot of people who are college educated, who have been working for many years and say straight out, ‘I never expected to be in this line,’’’ says one official.
Although the number of people receiving food has nearly doubled during the past year, donations to Feeding America’s Hungry Children are down 20 percent.
It’s hard to find a nonprofit that will use your money more efficiently. More than 98 cents of every donated dollar goes straight into the program, and $1,000 moves a truckload of produce, worth $60,000, to where it’s needed.
Susan G. Komen For the Cure
It’s a scary statistic: 1 in 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, giving is an “opportunity to celebrate and honor your loved ones,” says Mark Nadolny, the group’s chief financial officer.
Former U.S. Ambassador Nancy Brinker founded the group in 1982, vowing to keep a promise to her dying sister to “end breast cancer forever.” Since then, the organization has invested $1.3 billion in research. At the same time, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when detected before it spreads beyond the breast, has climbed to 98 percent.
But the recession has brought new challenges, including access to mammograms and treatment for women who don’t have health insurance.
Organizers anticipated a drop in donations. “We redirected our budget to have every dollar available for the mission,” Nadolny says. “In these tough economic times, there are more people with greater needs and there are organizations that may not be here a year from now.”
One way to get involved is to support your local Race for the Cure, which designates 75 percent of the proceeds to stay in your community and the rest to go to research. You also can team up with corporate sponsors by purchasing products that display the trademarked “running ribbon.”
The group’s Web site also functions as a support group where breast cancer patients, survivors and their families can share their stories. As a supporter, you’ll receive a national newsletter and access to a national helpline for questions about breast health and breast cancer, including certified mammography facilities near you.
Doctors Without Borders USA
The haunting images on this group’s Web site reveal the face of human desperation in more than 60 countries. “We are dealing with the most vulnerable populations in the world,” says Jennifer Tierney, Doctors’ development director. “These are people who suffer from chronic nonnutrition, as well as outbreaks of disease and violence.”
Founded in France, the organization provides humanitarian medical aid without taking sides in a conflict. It won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. Staffers know how to stretch your dollars: $50 treats 100 pre-schoolers for malaria. Contributions spike whenever there’s a big disaster in the news, but donors are encouraged to pay it forward by signing up to make monthly gifts.
“That way, we can respond immediately whenever there’s a huge emergency and wherever the need is greatest, regardless of race, religion, or politics,” says Tierney, who is proud of the group’s transparency. “We want our donors to ask questions.”
Andre Agassi Foundation
Tennis great Andre Agassi has a new title: champion of education. His foundation supports a K-12 charter school in his hometown, Las Vegas. All 34 students in its first graduating class are bound for college.
“Some along the way have short-sightedly labeled us at-risk,” says graduate Simone Ruffin. “Well, we are at-risk. At risk of excellence. At risk of success.”
Since 1994, the foundation has raised $75 million and touched 180,000 lives through outreach and enrichment programs. The major fundraising event is the annual “Grand Slam for Children,” but donations on the organization’s Web site are welcome.
“At a low point in my career and my life, I figured out what matters most: a quality education,” Agassi says. “Our school has been like a laboratory where we innovate and rewrite the rules.”
Samaritan’s Purse
When disaster strikes, some people need a miracle to survive. For countless victims in 100 countries around the world, the helping hand comes from Samaritan’s Purse.
“I believe that it is important that we, as believers, not only respond, but go in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” says the Rev. Franklin Graham, eldest son of the Rev. Billy Graham and president and CEO of the nondenominational evangelical organization, based in Boone, N.C.
Within hours of a typhoon in the Philippines, a tsunami in Samoa, or an earthquake in Indonesia, the group’s Web site is filled with timely appeals for prayer and donations. In addition to meeting urgent needs, donors also fund long-term education, healthcare, and development programs. The group’s name comes from the parable in which a Samaritan cares for a stranger who has been robbed, beaten, and left to die. Christians are called to “Go and do likewise.”
The organization is proud of its accountability and of its $300 million enterprise of faith.
Its worldwide reach means your dollars are spreading hope on a massive scale. The annual Operation Christmas Child campaign has delivered 68 million gifts to needy children since 1993.
Homes for Our Troops
“What we do is a very clear mission,” says Tom Benoit of Homes for Our Troops.
The Massachusetts-based group builds special housing that allows severely injured combat veterans to live with dignity.
Click on the Web site’s interactive map, and you’ll meet heroes such as Army Spec. Kyle Burleson, who didn’t hesitate to answer the call to duty in Iraq. After a sniper’s bullet paralyzed the 22-year-old, he had to endure life back home in a tiny room of the 900-square-foot house he shared with his parents, his wife, and their two kids in Louisiana. Homes for our Troops built the family a brand new, wheelchair-accessible home, complete with high-tech doors that Kyle can open with his blow tube.
Such a saga could be the script for a home makeover reality show, but it’s also an inspiring display of pride and patriotism. General donations to the effort are up 30 percent, despite the economic downturn. The organization has completed 42 projects nationwide, and at least 30 more are under way.
“But there’s a great need out there,” Benoit says. “We have two or three dozen men and women on a waiting list.”
Ironically, the slowdown in the housing industry has created a bigger pool of volunteers from the construction trade. Donations account for half the materials and labor for each home, costing an average of $300,000. The benefits: priceless.
“We got a letter from a wife who said she had been her husband’s nurse for two years,” Benoit recalls. “The best thing about the house was that they could be husband and wife again. It really hits you that it changes relationships.”
William J. Clinton Foundation
Former President Clinton reaches across political boundaries to use your dollars to address some of the world’s toughest problems. His joint fundraising efforts with former President George H.W. Bush raised millions for victims of Hurricane Katrina in the United States and tsunami victims in South Asia.
“Thanks to the Internet, we all have more power than ever to make a real difference in the lives of people down the street and around the world,” Clinton says to potential donors in a welcome video on his Web site.
His foundation has several major initiatives:
In addition to online giving, the Clinton Foundation sponsors an annual conference where student volunteers contribute their ideas and world leaders are urged to make commitments to take action.
“Our differences matter,” Clinton says. “But our common humanity matters more.”
American Friends of Magen David Adom
Magen David Adom, which means “the red star of David,” is comparable to the American Red Cross. Saving lives in Israel has been the mission of this group since 1940. As volunteer Seri Gottleib explains in a Web video, Magen David is the Israeli equivalent of calling 9-1-1 for emergency medical help.
American donations have funded a fleet of ambulances and a state-of-the-art national blood center. Visitors from the U.S. are encouraged to donate blood during their stay. “By fulfilling this mitzvah,” Gottlieb says, “we become like one family.”
The Humane Society of the United States
From polar bears to prairie dogs, animals in need get a helping hand when you donate to the Humane Society of the United States.
“It’s been a tough year,” says Wayne Pacelle, the group’s president and CEO.
But the society has responded with some of the most creative fundraising out there, including an online trivia game in which players earn “kibble” for dogs and cats in animal shelters. Advertising revenue from the site, www.experienceproject.com/savepups, benefits pet adoption programs. Click on http://hsus.myboneyard.com to donate your used electronics, such as computers, monitors, cell phones, and MP3 players.
With rising home foreclosures, the Humane Society estimates that 8 million pets will end up in shelters this year, and more than 3 million healthy, adoptable dogs and cats will be euthanized.
“It’s a totally preventable tragedy,” Pacelle says. Money from the national campaign aids local shelters that are battling budget cuts and educates the public about the myths and merits of shelter pets.
Besides donating on the society’s Web site, you can get involved by signing up for live alerts on topics ranging from puppy mills to laws affecting our food supply. You also can find out about local fundraising walks, or how to save marine wildlife by picking up beach trash.
By celebrating animals and fighting to end abuse, the society aims to make the planet a better place for people as well. Dogfighting and cockfighting raids also put a dent in illegal gambling and drug traffic, Pacelle says.
“There’s a direct relationship between animal cruelty and human violence later on,” he says. “We believe that caring for animals is a basic human responsibility.”
There’s more to smart giving than just writing a check. Savvy donors take the time to check www.irs.gov or an independent rating service, such as www.charitynavigator.org, to verify an organization’s nonprofit status.
Charity Navigator even has a nifty calculator to display the net cost of your donation and the savings for your tax bracket, showing that you may be able to afford a larger gift than you thought.
You also should ask tough questions about how your money will be spent. Efficient organizations will spend at least 75 percent of your donation on programs and services, keeping fundraising and other expenses to a minimum, the independent American Institute of Philanthropy says on its Web site, www.charitywatch.org.
Just say no to high-pressure telephone solicitors; hang up and do your homework before you give. Avoid the impulse to drop a few bucks into a collection bucket. Not only will you be unsure of where the money is going but also you won’t have a receipt when it’s time to do your taxes.
Respectable nonprofits will respect your privacy. Most groups have a donors’ rights policy and post it on their Web sites. You might be required to opt out by clicking to indicate that you don’t want your personal information to be shared with anyone.
Be careful of “sound-alike” names. Many so-called charities use sympathy-charged buzzwords such as “veterans” or “children” but don’t measure up to the standards of more established organizations. And always read the fine print, especially if you are buying a consumer product that promises to donate a portion of the proceeds to a worthy cause.
Officials at Susan G. Komen for the Cure trademarked their “running ribbon” logo for breast cancer donations because “people thought anything with a pink ribbon on it was coming here,” says Komen CFO Mark Nadolny. — T.A.
As originally published in Newsmax magazine.