Donating to Mercy Ships

[MIGrandma]

I’ve been watching Mercy Ships on Hulu, and am considering starting a monthly donation to them. Wondering if anyone else donates, and if so what has your experience been like. We donate once a year to St. Jude’s but we get bombarded with their mailings and address labels and I hope Mercy Ships doesn’t do this. I feel it’s just a big waste of paper and donated $$ for all the mailings that St. Jude’s does.

i used to feel that our donations should stay in our own country but when I see these people in the poorest countries of Africa with huge tumors on their faces that have been growing for years simply because they don’t have adequate health care it just breaks my heart. Or to see children with severe bowed legs and to have surgery on the ship it only takes 15 minutes per leg to straighten them, and see their smiles when they learn to walk properly makes me smile too.

I think it looks like a very worthy cause to donate to, and wonder what others here think about the organization.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I have not, because I don't like the huge request packets (they must have gotten our name from someone else we did donate to.)

If you want to, you could try sending a letter with your donation asking NOT to be put on their mailing list or shared information lists.

We've recently tried this with a couple of places, but its too early to tell if it has worked.

 

[LuvOrlando]

The biggest trouble with sending money to any organization claiming to redistribute money overseas is there is so much corruption it nearly never gets to your intended recipient, even businesses who try to make inroads tend to fail. Too many news stories to count, but maybe if you can find a kid going on some kind of humanitarian trip you;ll have a better shot, young adults are always doing this in the summers. I'd call local schools and religious organizations and see if they have any personalized programs then hand a kid going where I want my money to go, the donation and ask them to do as they see fit.

 

[georgina]

Mercy Ships has a 4/4 rating on charity navigator website, specifically on where they spend their money. It is a good place to check out groups without saying they are all corrupt.

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/262414132

I have threatened to stop donating to groups that send me too much stuff, and they have responded by reducing the number of appeals. Covenant House is one. They agreed to only solicit me once a year.