Something you may not know when giving for the holidays

[427 S/O]

Head of United Way...................Salary in excess of $350.000

Head of American Red cross.........Salary in excess of $350.000

Head of Salvation Army...............Salary about....$12000

[Silverback51]

I refuse to give money to organizations.

I have given thousands of dollars to people I have known that need help, and never expect to, or ask to be repaid. I can never write it off on my taxes this way, but I have a good feeling, in that I really helped someone. To me that is much better than giving money to an organization that in some cases uses over 50% of the money for administrative costs. Screw them all.

[NeoConMan]

I throw money in the SA kettle, but I have to agree with SB51.

The United Way and their head guy Byron Mulroney was the last straw for me in the early nineties.

I'm not even happy with some of the stuff my church does with the money we give.

My favorite gift over the last few years?
Anytime the wife and I are eating out and a man in military uniform is there, we get his check.
Whether Taco Bell or our favorite Steak/Seafood house, I pay the bill with pleasure.
Never deducted charity from my taxes in my life.

[HI Cobra]

I have no problem giving to Salvation Army. I will not give to the United Way
because of their overhead and more so because they pulled their financial
support to the Boy Scouts because the BSA did not allow gays to be troop
leaders. What is wrong with that picture?
Way back when I was in the Army the Salvation Army gave us stuff like shoe
polish and never asked for anything. Different story with the Red Cross who
always had their hand out for just about anything. I don't give to them either.

[turnpike boy]

I wouldn't give the Red Cross the sweat off my b*lls. Memories of coming off the plane and being charged 50 cents for a crap cup of coffee.

Same for United Way. All they ever seem to do is demand your volunteerism and your cash.

Salvation Army is another matter. NEVER a hand out - only a hand up. You work for your keep. They've helped out family and friends -truly helped - and for that I never pass up their buckets.

[J. T. Toad]

the salvation army isn't quite correct.

"W. Todd Bassett, National Commander of the Salvation Army, was paid (along with his wife, who also works for the organization) $94,091 in salary and benefits in 2003 (including house and car). (Source: Fayetteville Observer)"

and I wonder what his house and car looks like.

[nevermind65]

There was a big issue with UW at a company I worked for a few years ago. We wanted to direct our money to specific organizations as many of us didn't support some of them. When we tried to do this (which is SUPPOSEDLY allowed with UW), they basically told us it wouldn't matter. If I stop giving to some group, they'll just take more money from the next guy to replace my loss.

Screw that stuff. I stopped giving altogether and just started donating at the end of the year. My sister-in-law used to volunteer for UW in the county she lives. She would go to their facility every Saturday and bust her rear. Half the people would sit there and do nothing. Then she found out the people sitting on their rears were getting paid $10/hour. That was the last time she volunteered for them.

UW sucks.