Charity poll

[darlas_mom]

And so we begin with one of the first and most important steps for fandom_helps in this year's Blogathon: choosing a cause that we can all unite together to support.

I apologize that the poll is a bit later than I'd intended. RL being what it is, sometimes things are tardy. :-/ I promise, though, I will keep up with everything in the future!



Poll

In case you want more info about each charity before you cast your vote, I'm providing links to each charity's website and the rating guide at the American Institute of Philanthropy, where each charity has been graded for the percentage of donations actually spent on their charitable purpose, among other criteria.


Each charity on this list was included on the American Insitute of Philanthropy's top-rated foundations. These groups are the ones who make sure the absolute most of our sponsors' money will find its way to the people who need it. My system for choosing was to pick the two highest-rated organizations in any given category (where possible). Failing that--e.g, if the ratings were tied or if there was only one organization in a category--I chose the groups that do the most international work, rather than the ones that focus on any particular single country. As both our membership and potential sponsorship are/will be internationally diverse, it seemed to me that the best thing to do was choose organizations that were likely to benefit all of us.

Thanks,
Heather

Charities by category:

ABORTION & FAMILY PLANNING
Pathfinder International
Planned Parenthood International

AFRICAN-AMERICAN
Africa-America Institute
United Negro College Fund

AIDS
AIDS Research Alliance
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

AMERICAN INDIAN
American Indian College Fund

ANIMAL PROTECTION
Animal Welfare Institute
Wildlife Conservation Society

ASIA & ASIAN-AMERICAN
Asia Foundation
Asia Society

BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind
Helen Keller International/Childsight

CANCER
Cancer Care
Cancer Research Institute

CHILD PROTECTION
Child Find of America
Child Welfare Legaue of America

CHILD SPONSORSHIP
Christian Children's Fund

CIVIL RIGHTS & ADVOCACY
Center for Constitutional Rights
Interfaith Alliance Foundation

CONSUMER PROTECTION & LEGAL AID
Public Citizen Foundation

CRIME PREVENTION
Prison Fellowship Ministries

DISABLED
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE
Phoenix House Foundation

ENVIRONMENT
Conservation Fund
World Resource Institute

HEALTH
National Organization for Rare Disorders

HISPANIC
Hispanic Scholarship Fund

HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING
National Alliance to End Homelessness

HUMAN RIGHTS
Center for Victims of Torture

HUMAN SERVICES
American Red Cross

HUNGER
Action Against Hunger
Global Hunger Project

INTERNATIONAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT
Doctors Without Borders
International Medical Corps

JEWISH & ISRAEL
American Jewish World Service

LITERACY
Proliteracy Worldwide
Reading Is Fundamental

MENTAL HEALTH
National Association for Research on Schizophrenia And Depression (NARSAD)

PEACE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
International Peace Academy

POPULATION PLANNING
Population Action International

PUBLIC POLICY
Common Cause Education Fund

SENIOR CITIZENS
AARP

TERMINALLY OR CHRONICALLY ILL
Compassion & Choices
Sunshine Foundation

VETERANS & MILITARY
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Global Fund for Women
Women for Women International

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Junior Achievement Worldwide

YOUTH - RESIDENTIAL CARE
Cedars Home for Children Foundation