Thoughts on Efficient Tzedaka

[sam98]

Anyone here have thoughts about how to best deploy charitable funds within the frum community? If you had a meaningful sum of money to work with, what would you do with it? Assuming you want to be efficient, meaning you want to achieve the maximum benefit to the community.

[zale]

Anyone here have thoughts about how to best deploy charitable funds within the frum community? If you had a meaningful sum of money to work with, what would you do with it? Assuming you want to be efficient, meaning you want to achieve the maximum benefit to the community.

Start by looking at Shulchan Aruch. There is a very clear pecking order on how charity is to be prioritized. Family first etc.

[TimT]

What do you mean by "maximum benefit" ? There are organizations putting food on people's tables. There are organizations helping yesomim get married or paying for surgeries.

[jackofall]

My personal opinion is that organizations, especially large ones, should be required to have outside auditors/rabonim have access to all the books and ensure proper use of funds. We have way too many organizations that have MM$s of dollars passing through them with no oversight what-so-ever.

[JTZ]

My personal opinion is that organizations, especially large ones, should be required to have outside auditors/rabonim have access to all the books and ensure proper use of funds. We have way too many organizations that have MM$s of dollars passing through them with no oversight what-so-ever.

You don't trust them? 

[jackofall]

You don't trust them? 

Not a matter of trust. No one should be tempted with being responsible for lots of money with no oversight.

[JTZ]

Not a matter of trust. No one should be tempted with being responsible for lots of money with no oversight.

Trust but verify!

[Yammer]

There are so many organizations out there, you give to the causes close to your heart. ( Of course there are certain ones that come first halachically, but if your talking about a large sum it doesn't seem to be question )

My personal opinion is that organizations, especially large ones, should be required to have outside auditors/rabonim have access to all the books and ensure proper use of funds. We have way too many organizations that have MM$s of dollars passing through them with no oversight what-so-ever.

The large ones usually do have it, it's the smaller ones that don't.

[yitrap]

Trust but verify!

כבדהו וחשדהו

[JTZ]

כבדהו וחשדהו

Maybe that should go in the election thread. 

[yitrap]

Maybe that should go in the election thread. 

I stay far away from there.

[jackofall]

There are so many organizations out there, you give to the causes close to your heart. ( Of course there are certain ones that come first halachically, but if your talking about a large sum it doesn't seem to be question )The large ones usually do have it, it's the smaller ones that don't.

I believe there is a lot of misconception about this. Unless you have absolute knowledge about this you cannot assume that just because there is a rabbinical "board" means that is is true oversight.

[aygart]

Maybe that should go in the election thread. 

Halevai