Who are you to assume what I mean?<br><br>but yes, let us hope that peace in the Sudan will help all of those people affected.<br><br><br>but where will we be when the future comes?

and for all of those .. attempts at making negative responses aimed at trying to make me become inflamed .. did you not read what I said .. in the initial post? <br><br>just let me inform you that this computer is not set up for "speaking to" anyone.<br><br>;) <br>but where will we be when the future comes?<br>maybe someone will reinvent a sense of humour

I donated a bit more than 25$ at first and 10% of my paycheck of the 31st since you were asking.<br><br>I am not religious and never go to church. But I know that lots of people "donate" 10% of their income to their church on a monthly basis. Maybe they should donate that $ to a good cause for once.<br><br>_________________________________________<br>Just a different kinda geek...

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>But I know that lots of people "donate" 10% of their income to their church on a monthly basis. Maybe they should donate that $ to a good cause for once.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Since you admittedly don't go to church, you don't know where that money goes...do you?<br><br>My dad is involved with an organization at his church that helps needy people.<br><br>Is that not good enough? Yeah..there are people in desperate need over there...but let's not ignore those that are here nearby.<br><br>

to be fair, the regular tithing in most churches is often used to pay for operating costs. that's not to say that there isn't a second tithing for the poor or any other cause, but most churches use their tithing to pay salaries, bills, etc. on the other hand, some of the organizations that are set up to provide assistance to the victims are probably using a hefty portion of the donations for operational costs and those donated dollars are very reduced by the time any victims see results. choosing how to donate can be tedious, but respectable organizations should be able to tell you the percentage of the donations that actually go to the intended recipients.<br><br>--<br>one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -Plato

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Maybe they should donate that $ to a good cause for once.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Maybe they donate to the International Brotherhood of It's None of Your D@mn Business<br><br>

There's the rub, right there. How much of the money actually makes it to the victims. Even the most respectable aid organizations generally have huge OC's, which can sometimes cut the net donation down to as little 15 cents on the dollar.<br><br>When I lived in Boston, I rode annually in a bike-a-thon for the Jimmy Fund (benefitting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and the event (the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge) had an unmatched net donation rate of 92 cents per dollar! But that was because virtually every facet of the events operating needs were also donated. Groups like Unicef Red Cross, and the United Way rarely have that luxury (not to mention their scope is global rather than regional).<br><br>

Besides the operational costs, that money also goes into a lot of Marketing. Every church tries to attract as many people as possible, to become more powerfull and to "spread" the "word". Marketing is not cheap, I would know, I work in it. I am not saying that they do not give $$ to charities, but usually only part of the surplus goes to good causes. Now you gotta remember, every church is different too, so I am not trying to bash the church your relatives go to. What I am saying is that hundreds of millions of $$ go into churches every year. Only a real small fraction of that $$ reaches the ones in need.<br><br>A good example of that would be those charities you see on TV having 1hr shows, where they provide pictures of hungry children and anorexic bodie. How much does it cost to air a 1HR telemarketing show on a National channel? How much of your "10$" really goes to that child in need? Usually about 10-20% of the money reaches that child, and even that is in food which was bought from "special suppliars".<br><br>_________________________________________<br>Just a different kinda geek...

You work in marketing, but in fact you don't know. Even non-profit organizations set advertising and marketing costs apart as a separate line item. They are NOT part of the operating costs, and are funded independantly. Therefore the cost of an infomercial or a direct mail campaign does NOT impact donations (except, of course, to increase them if the campaign is effective).<br><br>You might wanna know what you're talking about before you start telling the rest of the world "how it is". <br><br><br>

LOL... you beat me to it. Our agency works on just such an account, and our fees (what little there is) are funded completely separate from the charity itself.<br><br>