Good Charities

[iamjoy]

I know, there are tons. But what are some good liberal causes that are RESPONSIBLE with their money? I don't want to give to an organization that spends tons of money on administrative costs.

If anyone knows of some good charities that use most of their donations to help the ones who need it....

added on edit:
Preferred that you have the data about their admin. spending



Causes:
Reproductive Rights
Civil Liberties
Environment
Helping Poor/Hungry

[whalerider55]

1. a process word or two

great idea to do the research. if and when you find these organizations, i'd encourage you to make a committment of XX amount of dollars every year for three years. it helpsd the organizations plan for the future.

also remember, these organizations operate all year round... they'll probably need your money more un June/July, traditionally difficult fundraising months, than they do right this minute- unless there is a specific time limited issue they are working on.

whalerider55

[Straight Shooter]

2. National Resources Defense Council

A genuine environmental protection organization. The only group I consistently give money to, and also my next IRA beneficiary.

http://www.nrdc.org



One of their departments: http://www.savebiogems.org/whales/

edit:
More info: NRDC was named one of America's 100 best charities by Worth Magazine

Here's what Worth had to say:
Even by environmentalist standards, this is a relentless group of lawyers and scientists. It was the NRDC that finally got a judge to force the Bush administration to turn over controversial documents revealing which energy executives had been invited to help shape national energy policy (the administration has yet to comply). And it was the NRDC that thwarted plans to build an international airport between Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. Farther from home, NRDC's BioGems campaign recently helped save Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve from oil exploration by a Houston company and helped protect Costa Rica's Talamanca coastal region from industrial development.

Charity Navigator has given NRDC a 4 star rating

[wellstone dem]

3. Any Legal Aid office

if you have more than one, ask about what systemic work they have done. These offices do an amazing amount of work to fight back on behalf of those who are most vulnerable, addressing issues related to immigration, abuse, hunger, homelessness, discrimination, education.

[Booster]

4. I give to Heifer International because they give every kind of

animal you can imagine to people all over the world. People get pigs, sheep, chickens, and of course heifers with the understanding that when the animals have babies, that family gives the offspring to another family who is in need. You can even pay to take a working vacation to deliver the animals, but it's kind of expensive. I have been giving to this charity since Susan Sarandon was on Oprah telling their story. Great organization. For Mother's Day, I gave my Mother the gift of a water buffalo to another mother somewhere in the world who needed it for her family. My Mother wasn't exactly thrilled, but after she thought about it, she decided it was a great gift.

[Xipe Totec]

5. Centers for Abused Women

http://www.womenslaw.org/

[BOSSHOG]

6. DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

[likesmountains 52]

7. Send for the AIP Guide

It is a charity rating guide and shows how much of the $$ raised is actually given to the cause. My edition is a few years old but it gives the DAV the grade of D. If you have a specific charity you want me to look at I will be glad to report back.

Per your categories:
Reproductive Rights:
Planned Parenthood gets a B
Civil Liberties:
ACLU gets a B+
Center for Constitutional Rights gets an A-
Environment:
American Farmland Fund,American Forests,Conservation International Foundation,Cousteau Society,Earth Island Institute,Environmental Defense,Friends of Earth,Nature Conservancy all get an A
Hunger:
Freedom from Hunger,Bread for the World and Food for Survival all get an A.
Feed the Children (Larry Jones Ministry) gets an F

[proudbluestater]

8. Planned Parenthood and heifer.org

[gorbal]

9. Food bank

Give food or money to your local food bank or survival center. There is actually a food shortage this year. Unicef and the Salvation Army are also good charities:)

[TXDemGal]

10. Some my family likes are Heifer International

Our local food bank

Our local Habitat for Humanity

The Carter Center