PhilanthroFlash

San Francisco is installing old parking meters in its most panhandled areas.  

All coins deposited in the bright orange meters will go to charities that help the homeless.

Read “S.F. parking meters retooled to aid homeless” at www.sfgate.com.
 

“I give away something up to $500 million a year throughout the world promoting Open Society. My foundations support people in the country who care about an open society. It’s their work that I’m supporting. So it’s not me doing it.”

–George Soros, billionaire speculator & founder of the Open Society Institute

Help the American Friends Service Committee respond to the flooding in Myanmar with immediate assistance to those affected.

Committed to long-term recovery for Burmese people, the AFSC is supporting: local community groups who provide social services and Buddhist monastic schools that feed & educate children unable to afford state schools.

www.afsc.org

“Go to your ATM and take out some money. How much money is entirely your business, but the sum should be sufficient for you to notice its absence. It shouldn’t hurt, but maybe it should pinch a little.

Take your money to an area of town where there are people who seek funds from passing strangers… When someone asks you for money, you give him $20. You repeat this until you are out of $20 bills… 

You might expect gratitude from your clients, but you may not get it. Some of your clients may not process the denomination of the contribution, and therefore your special virtue will go unremarked. Sometimes, alas, your clients will say insulting or incomprehensible things to you. Other times, they may be overly grateful, and follow you down the street asking in stentorian tones for God to bless you. The Untied Way is not a particularly comfortable charity.

Sometimes people ask: Won’t the Untied Way clients use their money foolishly? Won’t they buy drugs or cheap booze or unsavory companionship? And the answer is: Yes, they might. Have you ever spent your money foolishly? Have you ever behaved unwisely? Untied Way clients are human beings like you.

Sometimes people ask: Are the Untied Way clients worthy of these donations? What does “worthy” mean? How much suffering would you want them to have? How much virtue do you feel is appropriate? It’s like this: You can spend your time determining the eligibility of clients, asking them to fill out questionnaires and describe what other kinds of financial assistance they are receiving, or you can give them money and move on. The second way is more efficient.

It is the assumption of the Untied Way that people on the streets who ask for money need the money. It is not an occupation that people aspire to. The people on the streets are not middle managers seeking to supplement their incomes. They need money, and you have money. Maybe they are reduced to asking for money because they made foolish choices, but again: There but for the grace of God go you.”

–Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle

“All we can think about is how great it would be if we could use peer-to-peer fundraising to get our donors to ask one of their friends for money.

But the real power is going to come when everyday people start realizing the wealth of their personal networks.

When they realize that they can raise global awareness for an issue simply by voting for it, social bookmarking it, talking about it in forums & chat rooms, and giving small monthly donations we are going to see a wave of movement.”

–Jason Dick (from Giving Carnival hosted by SocialActions.com)

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

–Dalai Lama

Instead of buying someone a gift they’ll never use, give them an in-their-honor donation gift from Changing the Present.

 Changing the Present (changingthepresent.org) lets you choose the causes that mean the most to you–or your honored recipient.

New Leash on Life’s Lend a Paw program rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to be companion & social/therapy dogs.

Find out how you can help “hard to place” pups at New Leash on Life (www.nlol.org).

“I’ve been thinking about all the crap my children have and how much food we throw away. We have to do better.”

–Gwyneth Paltrow, who donated $75,000 to the Food Bank for New York City, which feeds more than 1.5 million people per year.

Find out how to contribute time, food, or money any day of the year at www.nycfoodbank.org.

“The word philanthropy has its roots in the Greek language meaning ‘love for mankind.’ It was never meant to apply only to donors of thousands or millions of dollars.”

–Arthur Frantzreb