DailyDirt: Effective Charity FTW
We've previously pointed out how some charities might need some changes to improve their reputation, public image and effectiveness. Some charities have been vilified for million-dollar CEO salaries or inefficient operations, but in the end, everyone wants to see more net good come from their donations than would have happened by doing nothing, right? Here are just a few examples of charitable organizations getting some good results -- even if their methods may still be debated.
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- Last year, the Ice Bucket Challenge raised about $115 million (in the US alone) from 2.5 million people, raising awareness about ALS -- and wasting a bit of water. According to the ALS Association, the Ice Bucket money for ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's disease) will be spent thusly: 67% on research, 20% on patient and community services, 9% on education, 2% on fundraising and 2% on external processing fees. The Ice Bucket Challenge was one of the largest charitable events (outside of disaster or emergency), and it may be difficult to repeat this kind of viral phenomenon. Still, the ALS Association wants August to become a traditional month for ALS awareness... and a couple million bucks will be spent to try to get more than a few million back in donations. [url]
- The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) funded a biotech company with $75 million to research a cure for over more than a decade. A treatment from Vertex Pharmaceuticals appears to be successful for some patients, and further research could improve the results for more people who suffer with cystic fibrosis. [url]
- Instead of money, Toyota donated its engineers to the Food Bank for New York City. Armed with a philosophy of 'continuous improvement' (aka kaizen), higher productivity at the charity meant more people were fed more efficiently. Elsewhere, Toyota's efficiency methods are also being used at more and more hospitals. [url]
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