Charity giving vs. trip to WDW

[mainegal]

I am in a quandry and I want to share with you and get your reactions.

I have a job that I hope is secure and a certain amount of discretionary money. I would love to take a trip to WDW. What fun for me!

However...
The library where I work and the library where I live are both having capital campaigns that could use my money.

Donating to the Nothing but Nets campaign (http://www.nothingbutnets.net/) will purchase mosquito nets that prevent malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.

I am concerned that much of the world's population does not have enough to sustain them. The drought in Kenya is destroying hope for food crops.

Rape is used as a weapon of war in Congo. Armed groups rape to terrorize and control women and communities and to humiliate families. Their lives are so much worse than ours.

Having knowledge of these things make it difficult to justify and enjoy a trip to Walt Disney World.

Any thoughts...???
Thanks.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Definitely heavy hitting quandries. I applaud you for being so globally and personally conscious enough to challenge yourself to make that decision.

Certainly any charitable organization would be thrilled to have a donation of that amount. I would say do what you feel in your heart is right.

WDW will be there for years to come. It may change up a little from time to time, but it will still be there. This year, if you feel your money could be better put to use assisting these causes, you should really consider that option. There is always next year!

 

[daneenm]

Such a dilemma and one we struggle with in our house. We are fortunate to have two incomes (almost required in the area we live) - we live comfortably but try not to do it beyond our means. So, we are usually able to plan at least some amount of vacation each year, but we also plan for what we expect to make in charitable donations.

Here is what we have chosen to do...Juvenile Diabetes research is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, as our son has had Type 1 Diabetes since he was 20 moths old. We are constantly bombarded with requests from really great causes, but have decided that the bulk of our donation money will go to our 'chosen' organization. While we would like to give to many causes, we just felt that we needed to pick a single place to focus most of our dollars, for a bigger impact.

For smaller donations, we choose to focus in our community so that our children can see a direct result in what we are doing - they see that not everyone has food in the cupboards and toys at Christmas and it is our responsibility to help. These are very tangible items, like having them shop for the children they pick from the giving tree and help grocery shop for the local food bank.

In addition to what we donate, we budget money to vacation as a family. We feel that it is important to invest in ourselves and our ability to 'decompress' together. Now, this does not always have to be Disney, we find less expensive ways to vacation if the budget does not allow in a given year.

The thing is, there will always be ills in the world, as you have nicely outlined, and we believe we need to do our part to help. Having said that, those ills should not stop you from also investing in yourself in whatever way makes you happy and keeps you sustained.

...and people think they come to the DIS Boards for light banter

 

[abish19]

I've considered this myself. Beyond having more than enough to eat, clothes to wear, a comfortable home, etc., is it morally right for me to spend such a large sum of money on WDW vacations? (We go about every 2 years, sometimes more often). When I compare the life I live to the lives of billions of people the world over, I realize that I am extremely wealthy (perhaps not by American standards but certainly in a global comparison).

You could absolutely postpone your WDW trip to another year and use your money for charity this time. Alternatively, you could take a less expensive trip and donate the difference saved.

One way that our family has resolved this is by consistent giving throughout the year. We tithe 10% of our income to our church, and donate above that for various church programs. We support a local food bank, donate to Toys for Tots at Christmastime, etc. Additionally, once a month we provide loan money to small businesses in developing countries through www.kiva.org. This organization gives microcredit to approved businesspeople in places like Africa and South America via funds provided by average people in first world countries. The loans are later repaid, and the funds you lent can be either re-lended to another worthy business owner or withdrawn. I like this organization because it gives people in extreme poverty a hand up; a way to support themselves, their families, and even other employees with a real business and regular income, rather than just one-time donations.

Remember that whatever decision you make, it's not wrong to use some of your money on vacations. Vacationing can strengthen your family and give all of you a break, which leaves you with more energy to improve the world around you.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

I did not run a check yet on the charities you mentioned but the following site gives good information on how the charity you may be thinking about donating spends the money it gets. http://www.charitynavigator.org/

When and how much one donates to charity is a VERY personal decision and one that we can not possibly answer for you. I personally have a few charities that I faithfully donate to. Each is significant to me for specific reasons and each I have researched or have been involved in so I have a good feeling about how my donations are being used. Instead of presuring yourself or making yourself feel badly for your good fortune and others lack of, perhaps you could set aside a monthly amount or a yearly amount that you donate to the charity/charities of your choice. Put it right into your budget and flag it for that specific purpose.

There really isn't a right or wrong answer. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself on vacation and certainly you should be commended for you concern for others who are less fortunate . I think that there are ways for you to accomplish both.

I am in a quandry and I want to share with you and get your reactions.

I have a job that I hope is secure and a certain amount of discretionary money. I would love to take a trip to WDW. What fun for me!

However...
The library where I work and the library where I live are both having capital campaigns that could use my money.

Donating to the Nothing but Nets campaign (http://www.nothingbutnets.net/) will purchase mosquito nets that prevent malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.

I am concerned that much of the world's population does not have enough to sustain them. The drought in Kenya is destroying hope for food crops.

Rape is used as a weapon of war in Congo. Armed groups rape to terrorize and control women and communities and to humiliate families. Their lives are so much worse than ours.

Having knowledge of these things make it difficult to justify and enjoy a trip to Walt Disney World.

Any thoughts...???
Thanks.