Giving away 100k in 2020

[konapoppy]

As I mentioned in my goals post, I plan to start redistributing wealth. My goal for 2020 is 100k. My plan is to have this be to individuals, not necessarily tax deductible donations.

Would you all be interested in following along with my journey and providing your ideas?

[waverly]

I would be interested in a donation haha.

Anyway, sure I would be interested in hearing how you decide and who you decide. Maybe people who are facing medical challenges?

[imojoebunny]

What I see a need for in my community, is for funds to help prevent homelessness for working people with low income. I have seen a number of people who need a month or two of rent to avoid being homeless because of illness, child being sick, sudden job loss, even when a new job is secured within a few weeks or months, it is easy to get behind, ect. Once homeless, the bar to get back into a home is much higher (eviction ruins credit, need a large security deposit, few places will take them, and they charge higher rents, utilities require set up fees, many possessions may be lost), but if there was a way to get them a month or two of funds for rent, when there was a crisis, that could all be avoided, and they could get back on their feet much sooner. It seems most charities wait until the person is homeless to help, or when they are already facing eviction, and the cost is much higher.

The struggle is finding the people in this situation, and getting them help before they are way behind. I think hospital social workers, churches, and other such social services could help find people in this situation.

Another thing that seems effective here, is a group that assist with home repairs for the low income elderly, allowing them to stay in their homes, which are often multi-generational, as many are caring for grandchildren or have other relatives who stay with them. The labor is volunteer, so funds are raised for supplies, and there are work days through the year. They do everything from yard work, painting, roofing, to building wheelchair ramps, to plumbing.

It is neat that you are in this position, and I hope you find some ways to make an impact that is meaningful to you, and helps others.

[sloan]

It depends what areas are most important to you.

Things that would pop up for me:
Underserved schools, buying loads of supplies (individual stuff and classroom) and/or creating a college scholarship for kids from a local school you choose
Helping women start legit non-MLM businesses or gain new skills they can use to get better jobs
Support for those dealing with medical issues- this could range from a big help of a specific person (ie their mortgage while they’re out of work for treatment) to smaller support of dozens/hundreds (ie providing premie baby books to your local NICU)

[winecat]

Provide vet care for people who can't afford vet care for their animals.
Buy school pictures for kids who can't afford it.
Establish a low cost mechanic shop with a sliding scale based on income.
Build a tool library so that people can do home maintenance/improvement without having to outlay all the $$ for tools. Provide low/no cost technical classes.

[konapoppy]

imojoebunny you are getting at exactly what I am planning. People who are on the bubble (many of whom make just enough to not qualify for services, but not enough to actually live with any security). Similarly, I want to provide support to people who are freelancers who need stability to keep reporting, making art, etc.

[scm1011]

This is wonderful and I'm very interested in hearing about your journey. I really think imojoebunny 's idea of helping those who are temporarily financially insecure would be particularly impactful.

[kershnic]

I think partnering with a non-profit you trust would make sense. I’m a social worker and I know tons of families through work who would benefit from small grants to do these types of things.

At a previous job we had a contact of an older, presumably wealthy, man who was willing to buy things like furniture and air conditioners and diapers for families in need. It wasn’t an official organization, but when we had a family with a need that seemed to match his mission we had to write a letter with some general information about the family’s circumstances and need, and then they got it or did not.

You’d have to decide if you want to focus on a particular need, and if you want to have guidelines like maximum you give to one individual/family or what level of proof of need you want to follow.

[kershnic]

Oh, the same fund I mentioned above we also used to buy a new laptop for a low income student who was starting college.

And where I live now buying a car or fixing an older broken car would be huge needs that make a big difference in my clients lives.

[Mushe]

This is really lovely, konapoppy. I love the idea of folks on the bubble, and helping them to self-sufficiency. There’s a great lady here in Sacramento who has a non-profit who does this kind of work, and she has her go-to sponsors for things like 12 donors giving $100/mo to get a family housed and give them time to get a FT job, etc. She works a lot with refugees too.

Anyway, I bet there is something like that in your area too!

[konapoppy]

Jan 5, 2020 15:29:46 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Oh, the same fund I mentioned above we also used to buy a new laptop for a low income student who was starting college.

And where I live now buying a car or fixing an older broken car would be huge needs that make a big difference in my clients lives.

These are all great ideas. I have worked with Girls Inc before, and they have needs for when the girls go off to college.

[mcsangel2]

Not sure what you think of this idea, but a few months ago I started following r/Assistance on Reddit. It's just full of people that need help (not always monetary, but usually), and sometimes it's a lot of money and sometimes it's just a little. Just, everything. Vet bills, unemployed for a few months and behind on rent, or they need $5 for Lyft, or paid for meds and can't pay the cell phone bill, or people who are drifting in and out of homelessness (and it's a ton of work to keep your head above water then). You have to use your best judgement on whether or not a poster is trying to scam you, so most people who want to help ask for Amazon or Walmart wishlists to buy directly off of, or for posters to provide proof of the situation before giving money. But lately I keep thinking that if I had the money to spare, this would be a great place to help individuals.

[sadlebred]

One thing that is happening in my area is that people are paying off the money owed by students for school lunches at entire schools or in the case of the district I live in several organizations paid off the entire amount for the whole district. Often those kids will have a PBJ only for lunch until their bill is paid, and it may be their only meal of the day. Hunger makes it hard for students to concentrate in class.

If you do want to follow imojoebunny 's great suggestion, I recommend you contact school counselors. They know who is truly in need, which helps to eliminate some of the questions around scams for money. I'm part of an online "people in the community filling the gap" group. The group leaders work with school counselors & other community organizations to identify those in need whose immediate needs cannot be met by non-profits or by others quickly enough, etc. They put the call out on the Facebook group for money (donated to a central paypal account & paid directly to the apartment/power/gas company with a receipt posted to the group), clothes, furniture, whatever is needed.

(If anyone wants to replace the retaining wall in my yard that is falling down that I have no $$ to replace, I'll take donations. )

[fryjack2]

That is ( you are) amazing. I would love to follow along.

We also have a goal of giving away a good chunk of money. We are pulling our kids from their private school and their tuition was a ridiculous amount of money that we can now allocate to giving.

I worked in pedi onc for years and saw so many families endure financial hardship due to one parent having to quit their job to care for their sick child. Hospital social workers are great at identifying families that could use help. There are also organizations that raise funds to help pay bills for hospitalized people. It will be one place we donate.

I tend to gravitate towards organizations that help kids-as so many future issues can be helped or avoided with the right foundation- The Boys and Girls Club, Planned Parenthood or local women's health clinics, local children's organizations, Go Fund Mes for sick kids and their families, youth education, the local food bank, donating childrens books to homeless shelters, etc.

Would you consider creating an endowed scholarship to a local school or university?

[pumpkin]

You are amazing konapoppy; this is such a beautiful idea and I would love to follow along.

I also love the idea of folks on the bubble, and helping them to self-sufficiency. I also have a heart for assisting women and children who are starting over due to abuse.

I guess part of this is what speaks to you.

[sadlebred]

I forgot to add...

konapoppy This is an amazing thing to do!!!

[konapoppy]

Jan 5, 2020 22:43:32 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Would you consider creating an endowed scholarship to a local school or university?

I am excited to hear about your journey as well!

The scholarship piece is interesting. That has never been a huge draw to me, and I really wouldn’t want anything named for me (which I feel like those are, but I could be wrong). I would be more inclined to pay for college application fees and books/laptops/stuff for a dorm room. I think Girls Inc can point me in the right direction.

And thanks Mushe for sending me the name of that organization.

I still have a few contacts from my nonprofit days to check in with as well as some friends who themselves have been in the bubble.

I also plan to reach out to my IVF clinic and see if there are opportunities to cover meds.

And thanks for the kind words, all. I am not doing this for glory - it is straight up the right thing to do - but do hope to inspire others as I go.

[insominac]

Like someone else mentioned, homelessness is a huge issue in my community. There are working families who are in precarious housing - like motels or cars - as it can be really difficult to save up for a deposit and first months rent. I’d try and identify these families and help them out with those initial housing costs. A few churches open up their parking lots to families (I’d start there) and there are a bunch of motels that house families.

Other ideas:
SAT prep classes for first generation college students
Paying impound fees (without a car people can lose their job)
Identify people that are making a difference in their community and give them money to support their efforts

[lindyanne]

There is a page I follow to fulfill wishes of kids from foster care as they transition to adult hood - a bike for job transportation, a laptop for college, etc.

[SusanBAnthony]

Something that is growing in our school district is a group that sends home weekend/school break food and gift certificates, as well as provides cold weather gear (MN) since kids need it for safety and also to be able to participate at school. Oftentimes poorer schools cannot go out for recess unless everyone has snowpants and boots, so providing classroom sets. Usually kids do have coats.

I wonder if investing in local affordable housing in some way would be more effective than providing temp assistance. We've seen local nonprofits buy up NOAH complexes so prevent them from getting torn down and redeveloped. You might be able to make a big long term difference if you donate to allow them to buy a complex, and keep families in long term affordable housing, vs providing a one time stop gap.

[Covergirl82]

This is wonderful and such a blessing to be in a position to give away that much money!

My mind/heart generally go to kids in need - paying off school lunch debt, buying new backpacks/school supplies/shoes, stocking a school's care closet with winter gear.

Also medical debt, as PP mentioned.

[wildrice]

I love this and would love to hear what you do!

Have you read Evicted, by Matthew Desmond? imojoebunny's post reminded me of the people he followed for his book, and I think helping people in those situations would be a top passion for me in your situation. So many people could be in such a better position if they were just able to access a small amount of money when they needed it the most. That's awesome if you can provide that.

Another major area of concern for me is helping people who have ended up in the criminal justice system find meaningful employment after release and getting them a real shot at staying out of jail long term and putting their lives back together. I imagine things like helping them have money for a deposit on an apartment, buying interview clothing, paying for job search related costs, taking a computer class at a community college, etc would go a long way for that. I am not familiar with any specifics on how to go about that, though.

I look forward to hearing your updates!

[thebulldog]

are you considering blogging or otherwsie tracking this? this would be a great magazine article.

[Cappy]

Jan 6, 2020 12:06:58 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

are you considering blogging or otherwsie tracking this? this would be a great magazine article.

THIS!! I want to read about your journey. And this would be something lasting to live on beyond you. Kudos!

[Pom]

You are wonderful for making this commitment.

In the area where H grew up...small town-ish, there was a community foundation that assists with low income housing, scholarships, emergency assistance. The same area just started a homeless youth program. Where we live now, I volunteer with a program for teens aging out of foster care and provides support to kinship foster families. Some of these kinds of orgs in your area might help you reach the kind of folks you hope to help.

Good luck!

[krystee]

This is amazing, what an incredible goal!

I totally agree with @imjoebunny about helping those temporarily in need BEFORE homelessness, and I also see a need for basic cars for single moms who don’t have an extra dime for expenses, and a car would make the difference between the ability to get a job/a better job or being unable to work.

Also, a great organization is Together Rising, run by Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach. At Christmas, they identified 500 families with needs up to $1,000 and individuals could match to them and fulfill the need. With a donation of your size, they might help you find a number of families who had needs above that amount.

[Mushe]

konapoppy, my mom is involved with her local AAUW chapter, and I really love some of what they’re doing. They do a science and math camp for girls called Tech Trek, and do fundraising to send these girls for free.

[Poppy]

I LOVE this. Amazing! Please do share as you make progress.

I have done a little research via effectivealtruism.org and the like and I'm really pulled to the work-to-give model since I feel my work is so overvalued (shhh, don't tell my employer, lol).

My big issues are 1) getting my husband on board and 2) being paralyzed when choosing causes. So anyway, I'm especially interested to hear about those topics but I'd love to hear about all of it.

[simpsongal]

I think it's awesome and ditto the above to partner w/local clergy and social workers - folks on the front lines and boots on the ground. I can't imagine how helpful it would be for these folks to have a 'guardian angel' type number to call when the situation presents itself (esp if they're tempted to reach into their own pocket). E.g., a family struggling w/a car repair that's undermining their job propsects and income - maybe they just need a break and you can take that burden off their plate and give a couples weeks' groceries money as well.

My folks do that in their own way. They rent to low income and section 8 and my dad would often forgive or reduce rent - esp around the holidays.

[minzy]

I love this idea, too. Kudos to you for both being in a position to be able to do this, and for having the wherewithal to consider it. I will also be very curious to see what you come up with, please keep posting about it! 🙂

Climate, health, and education tend to be my top priorities, so that’s where a lot of our funds tend to go.

As for the social aspect and inspiring others, there are a few clubs in my area that are in to group giving (none of which I’ve joined for various reasons), but I’m intrigued by each, and you might consider something like them if you aren’t in something like them already. There’s the Rotary, whose whole idea is service above self, which seems generally to be a great idea. There’s another women’s group that lunches periodically with tiered giving requirements, but I don’t tend to see people my age in their pictures. And I’m aware of a newer, third group that meets quarterly. Members are all required to donate a set amount, and they have three nonprofits speak at each meeting. Members vote for their favorite, and all the money goes to the winner on the spot. (I sampled that one and wound up writing a check to one of the two “losers.”)

One thing I struggle with in terms of giving both money and time (and maybe you do, too) is where best to make a difference. Often I choose the small things, as they can be immensely satisfying, since I know with certainty that my actions have an effect. So I sort donated books and drive food to homebound people and pull contaminants out of the school compost bins. I’m often reminded of that ”thousands of stranded starfish” story, where an old man sees a little boy picking up and throwing starfish, one by one, back into the ocean. The old man basically says, “What are you doing amidst all this? You can’t possibly make a difference!” And the boy chucks another starfish, and says “I made a difference to that one.” I often feel like I am the starfish chucker.

But I wrestle with the idea that chucking them one by one is not truly the most efficient use of time or resources. And for the stuff I tend to do, it’s probably not. I read a book a couple years ago, written by a physician who was practicing medicine in a third world country on a short term basis. They made what seemed like the tough call to focus on prevention, where they could impact and save perhaps thousands of lives, rather than helping to fix time intensive one off medical cases. The approach seemed callous to me at the time, but I’ve thought of it often since. It makes me wonder if I should act on “bigger” issues when I spend time volunteering. So lately I have been trying to have more of a say in some of the higher level conversations, based on what I see at the ground level.

Anyway, pardon my rambling thoughts. Thanks for what you’re doing and for sparking the conversation!