Making Donations

[rstegeman]

Yesterday, I had a gentleman approach me outside of a store and he was doing some fundraising. Usually in my area, it’s typically for some inner-city project to help keep kids off the street, and I don’t mind donating. Yesterday, I was distracted and didn’t really listen closely and just gave him a few bucks.

Afterwards, it dawned on me that he said he was raising money for his church. It got me thinking about the whole thing…is it wrong to donate to a church that isn’t Catholic (I’m just assuming he wasn’t raising money for a Catholic church)?

On one hand, the money they raise could help them in their mission to convert folks and if those folks are atheist/agnostics/non-Christian then I view it as a somewhat positive thing because they’ve introduced someone who might not have known Christ, to his teachings (albeit, misguided as they might present them sometimes). My hope is that one day, these folks who have now come to know Christ will then decide to come to know him completely by joining the Universal Church.

On the other hand, I don’t want to provide any support to a church that preaches the wrong message and seeks to convert Catholics among others to their ranks.

So for the non-Christian folks, they are starting them in the right direction, but for the Christian people, they are leading the in the wrong direction.

I don’t like turning down people in need of help. But maybe the help he really needed from me wasn’t financial like he thought, but rather I should have offered him the opportunity to be taught about the True Church.

Just curious as to other’s thoughts on this.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[1ke]

Personally, no, I don’t donate to any cause that is religious & non-Catholic. There are too many legitimate needs within the Catholic Church, and I do not think donating to non-Catholic religious causes is prudent. When I donate to Catholic causes, I check them out to ensure they are well-run, good stewards of the funds, and faithful to the Magesterium.

I also do not donate to any non-religious/secular cause that I have not thoroughly investigated to ensure how the money is used (% overhead versus % that goes to the actual mission), offensive associations (Planned Parenthood), or unethical practices (fetal tissue or embryonic stem cell research).

There are lots of seemingly-benign charities that fail to meet one or more of my criteria when I investigate.

Whenver I am appraoched in person, or on the phone, I simply say the following:

• I have already allocated my charitable budget for the year. If you would like to send me some information on your charity, I’ll review it and make a decision for next year. *

99% of charities never send me anything. I do a yearly plan on how I am going to allocate my stewardship giving… so I do not feel at al guilty when I turn away those who are not on my plan.

 

[puzzleannie]

I have on rare occasions given to projects sponsored by other local churches, but only when I know those running the project, that its outreach is not based on proselytizing for that religion, and it is of direct benefit to the poor or others in the community, or if it is for a cause I am also involved in. I never give to those soliciting on the street or in front of Walmart with plastic buckets. The places I have lived these have been real scams in the past. My stock answer when asked in person or on the phone is “we do all our giving through our church.”

 

[dwc]

We try to give mainly to medical and Catholic charities. We have friends through work who are protestant and have solicited money from us for missionary trips they are going on. This makes me uncomfortable – usually the trips are youth trips and on the one hand, I applaud any young person who is going beyond themselves to serve others and I want to support that. On the other hand, why don’t Catholic kids do more of this? The only time I refuse to give to people I know is when protestants are going to evangalize in traditionally Catholic countries – I’m like, uh, I can’t believe you even asked me to support that.

 

[holly_potter]

I also do not donate to any non-religious/secular cause that I have not thoroughly investigated to ensure how the money is used (% overhead versus % that goes to the actual mission), offensive associations (Planned Parenthood), or unethical practices (fetal tissue or embryonic stem cell research).

There are lots of seemingly-benign charities that fail to meet one or more of my criteria when I investigate.

Whenver I am appraoched in person, or on the phone, I simply say the following:

• I have already allocated my charitable budget for the year. If you would like to send me some information on your charity, I’ll review it and make a decision for next year. *

99% of charities never send me anything. I do a yearly plan on how I am going to allocate my stewardship giving… so I do not feel at al guilty when I turn away those who are not on my plan.

I should try doing that! At least, when fundraisers of the wrong sort ask me. On campus, sure, I buy a cookie from a bake sale that seems okay, like the Native American one, or College Republicans, or something like that. I have had to ignore the Girl Scouts table, and the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer foundation, to name a few.

 

[tesai]

I was wondering if there was something I could find that tells you what organizations stand for and what they do so I donate carefully. I found out on my catholic radio station that the Juvenile Diabetes foundation gives 6 million dollars a year for embryonic stem cell research, I had not donated to them but I would not like to make that mistake. Is there a book or something. Please help! Thanks

 

[PhilipCal]

Personally, no, I don’t donate to any cause that is religious & non-Catholic. There are too many legitimate needs within the Catholic Church, and I do not think donating to non-Catholic religious causes is prudent. When I donate to Catholic causes, I check them out to ensure they are well-run, good stewards of the funds, and faithful to the Magesterium.

I also do not donate to any non-religious/secular cause that I have not thoroughly investigated to ensure how the money is used (% overhead versus % that goes to the actual mission), offensive associations (Planned Parenthood), or unethical practices (fetal tissue or embryonic stem cell research).

There are lots of seemingly-benign charities that fail to meet one or more of my criteria when I investigate.

Whenver I am appraoched in person, or on the phone, I simply say the following:

*I have already allocated my charitable budget for the year. If you would like to send me some information on your charity, I’ll review it and make a decision for next year. *

99% of charities never send me anything. I do a yearly plan on how I am going to allocate my stewardship giving… so I do not feel at al guilty when I turn away those who are not on my plan.

Above Post X-2. Okay, you gave the guy a couple of bucks. No harm done . I’m big on keeping my giving within the family, and my family is the Catholic Church. We have plenty of worthy causes. Some more so than others. I just try to keep it in the “Family”…

 

[tesai]

I get the message, that’s what I’m going to do from now on, at least I know if I do Catholic Charities it’s not going anywhere ugly. I accidently did some donations no knowing any better. Now I do. Thanks for your help.

 

[1ke]

I was wondering if there was something I could find that tells you what organizations stand for and what they do so I donate carefully. I found out on my catholic radio station that the Juvenile Diabetes foundation gives 6 million dollars a year for embryonic stem cell research, I had not donated to them but I would not like to make that mistake. Is there a book or something. Please help! Thanks

Well, I start with their website, sometimes it’s pretty easy and sometimes it’s not. If it’s a medical cause, about 99.9% of them support abortion, embryonic stem cell research, or fetal tissue research on aborted fetuses. I’ll ask the person on the phone, but often they don’t know.

If I can’t find the info on their website easily, then I look them up on various pro-life websites or I write a letter and ask for a response in writing-- I’ve gotten several organizations that did write back and confirm they support these unethical practices.

All the major ones are out: American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Komen Breast Cancer, Juvenile Diabetes, Muscular Distrophy, etc.

I stick to Catholic organizations that I know well.