Giving to non-Christian charities

[Lucy_1]

My friend has asked for donations for her birthday to a charity which helps provide essentials to poor countries. I have some reservations about this, because it is a Mormon organization and I don’t want my money to go to LDS proselytizing. I’m not sure how much sharing LDS doctrine is a part of this ministry, and don’t want to offend her by asking. I couldn’t tell from the website. On the other hand, LDS does a lot of good in the world, and I would like to support my friend on her birthday. Thoughts?

 

[Pattylt]

I don’t know your friend but would she be pleased if you donated to a Catholic charity that was accomplishing the same goals and did it in her honor?

I personally wouldn’t object if any of my friends picked another charity from the one I selected. The missions are the same after all. Just tell her that the charity you are donating to on her behalf is your personal favorite. I bet she’ll still be pleased.

 

[Peonies]

I would be hesitant to donate to an LDS charity. I like @Pattylt’s suggestion of donating to a similar charity that is one of your favorites in honor of your friend (as long as your friend doesn’t end up on their mailing list.).

 

[whatistrue]

The missions are the same after all. Just tell her that the charity you are donating to on her behalf is your personal favorite. I bet she’ll still be pleased.

I wouldn’t be so sure. There is often more to these charities than what is on the surface, and some (not all by any means) charities associated with a religious community also have other missions placed on them by the religious community that an adherent would want to support over one from a different community, even if the surface purpose appears to be the same. But I do think it is worth asking at least.

 

[T432]

I think the idea of asking friends and family from different churches / religions to donate to a religious charity of your choice actually puts those people in a problematic position. Just like the position you are in now.

It actually feels a little bit uncharitable and short sighted asking people to do this. Even though I’m sure your friend is coming from a charitable place.

I would personally give a small donation for the sake of friendship. However, if it was a close friend who I could speak to openly I would do what has been suggested. I.e. donating in my friend’s name to a charity of my preferred choice closest to my friends cause.

 

[Pattylt]

I agree that I wouldn’t just assume an LDS charity doesn’t also include missionary work! I’d also imagine it could be next to impossible to find out, either! The LDS are mostly ignorant as to where all their money goes. It’s very hidden. If her friends charity states that it’s for essentials for the poor or whatever then there are good known charities not connected to the LDS church that should also be appreciated. The point is to be helping the targets, right?

I would think that if you had a birthday charity set up for say, Catholic charities and some of your non catholic friends preferred to donate to sa similar charity they preferred, you wouldn’t feel slighted? I certainly wouldn’t. I would completely understand and appreciate the gift through any charity. If the LDS would feel differently then I think it must be due to whatever else it is going to.

 

[Jbrady]

My friend has asked for donations for her birthday

Out of principle, I never honor requests for monetary gifts, including donations to any organizations, religious or otherwise. I certainly have no desire to end up on some “sucker list” and get inundated with junk mail and spam.

I prefer to give a personalized gift of my own choosing. I consider cash gifts tacky, and requests for a gift of any sort a huge breach of etiquette. I’m inventive and generous enough with the gifts I give not to require any suggesting or prompting.

 

[Bluebright]

Why not tell the truth. Say you are catholic and don’t support that charity but you’d like to honour her in some way because she’s your friend, or something like that. Maybe you can plant a tree in her name or something like that or something else that’s neutral she can think of - ask her.

Personally I think that she no doubt means well asking for that as a gift as she probably just doesn’t want dozens of useless gifts and instead wants to help someone else. But it has the obvious downside of people not being able to chose and feeling forced into a gift and something I always hate with monetary gifts, people knowing the exact value. One thing I wouldn’t do is cave in and donate to this charity. Stick to catholic charities or something obviously neutral otherwise you could inadvertently be supporting abortion, the provision of contraception as well as other sins, not to mention the spread of heresies etc.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Is your friend a member of the Latter Day Saints?

 

[Raxus]

Not everyone gets what they wants. If your friend said that they want donations to this charity instead of anything else, just don’t donate and, if they ask, be truthful with the reason. Maybe they’ll think a little longer on asking for something like that in future.

If you know this friend would otherwise be happy with a different gift, then by all means do that.

 

[farronwolf]

If you would like to give to a cause that is worthy for your friends birthday, then do so if the charity does good for others as we are called to do by Christ.

Catholic or christian charities are not the only ones that do as Christ calls us to do.

If the hint that the charity proselytizing keeps you from wanting to give to them, then be honest with your friend and tell them.

 

[Hodos]

My friend has asked for donations for her birthday to a charity which helps provide essentials to poor countries. I have some reservations about this, because it is a Mormon organization and I don’t want my money to go to LDS proselytizing. I’m not sure how much sharing LDS doctrine is a part of this ministry, and don’t want to offend her by asking. I couldn’t tell from the website. On the other hand, LDS does a lot of good in the world, and I would like to support my friend on her birthday. Thoughts?

If it is an LDS Ministry then I think you have to assume that proselytizing is part of the ministry, whether that be directly, or indirectly. I would not donate to that organization. That being said, there is no reason you cannot donate to another organization in her name.

 

[Lucy_1]

Yes, she’s a devout Mormon.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Okay, then if it were me, I’d take her to dinner for her birthday and not let the donation thing be a big deal.

 

[Lucy_1]

OK, thanks guys. I think I will pass on the donation and do something else. Thanks for your help!

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I once had much the same reservations about donating to the Salvation Army, but the money they spend, and the massive resources they devote to helping the poor and disaster-stricken, are so large in comparison to the paltry amount they spend promoting their (materially heretical) religion, that I was able to resolve the doubt in favor of donating to them. Yes, they’re a church, but — and I mean no offense in saying this — the religion part is kind of an afterthought, at least in the eyes of the larger society. Many charities in the South have a religious component to them, offering Sunday services for the poor and homeless, but as with the Salvationists, it’s fairly trivial, compared to their charitable work on behalf of the poor. I have no problem donating to them either.

Any likelihood the Catholic Church could start a highly recognizable and visible charitable institution, to try and outdo the Salvationists in reach and generosity? There is one such traditionalist Catholic group, regarded by many as schismatic, who do this kind of work, but that’s about it.

 

[phil19034]

Any likelihood the Catholic Church could start a highly recognizable and visible charitable institution, to try and outdo the Salvationists in reach and generosity? There is one such traditionalist Catholic group, regarded by many as schismatic, who do this kind of work, but that’s about it.

The Church has it… Catholic Charities and there is also the Society of St Vincent de Paul. The only reason Catholics don’t have a name like the Salvation Army is because Catholic Church doesn’t focus on just one ministry. The Church is involved in everything.

https://www.svdpusa.org/

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

Any likelihood the Catholic Church could start a highly recognizable and visible charitable institution, to try and outdo the Salvationists in reach and generosity? There is one such traditionalist Catholic group, regarded by many as schismatic, who do this kind of work, but that’s about it.

The Church has it… Catholic Charities and there is also the Society of St Vincent de Paul. The only reason Catholics don’t have a name like the Salvation Army is because Catholic Church doesn’t focus on just one ministry. The Church is involved in everything.

I did think of SVDP but, unless there’s something I’m not seeing, they are not generally known outside of Catholic circles, whereas with the Salvation Army, everyone has heard of them, and the casual observer might not even be aware they are a distinct religious denomination.

 

[phil19034]

the Salvation Army, everyone has heard of them, and the casual observer might not even be aware they are a distinct religious denomination.

most people don’t know they are a religion. In my mind, they are well known because they just focus on doing one ministry.

The Catholic Church does a ton of different things, from hospitals to building shelters, etc.

But also, the Catholic Church does everything in a decentralized way.

Each parish does their own thing, each diocese does their own thing, each bishop’s conference does it’s own thing, each religious order does its own thing, etc.

If the Catholic Church were to do what the Salvation Army does, we could make a huge impact in one type of ministry, but all the other things the Church does would go without.

I think it’s best for the Catholic Church to continue to just be involved with everything, helping the people she can, and not worrying about doing it better than everyone else.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

If the Catholic Church were to do what the Salvation Army does, we could make a huge impact in one type of ministry, but all the other things the Church does would go without.

I think it’s best for the Catholic Church to continue to just be involved with everything, helping the people she can, and not worrying about doing it better than everyone else.

I did not mean for the Catholic Church to focus on outreach to the poor, to the exclusion of all other things. I had more in mind the Catholic Church establishing a high-profile social outreach, with the goal being to become “top of mind” and to attempt to rival the Salvation Army. This would be “good competition” where the beneficiaries would be the poor and distressed, and you can never have too much of that.