CNN just showed three phone numbers for hurricane relief — for 10 seconds. Meanwhile, there were graphics littering screen showing the time, the anchor’s name, a crawl across the bottom, “LIVE” in the top corner, a CNN logo, “live from,” and two lines saying things like “HOW YOU CAN HELP”.
Why in the world can’t they have the number for the Red Cross on the screen at all times?
Also, one of the three numbers they showed was Operation Blessing, the corrupt organization run by Pat Robertson — you know, the Christian leader who advocates murder. Why does CNN promote this organization?
Actually, according to Charity Navigator — which investigates and rates the efficiency of charities — the American Red Cross gets 4 stars, their highest rating for efficiency. 91.1% of donations are used for programs, 5.4% for administration, and 3.5% for fundraising.
America’s Second Harvest rates 3 stars because they are less efficient — even though 98.1% of donations go toward programs and their administration expenses total only .4%, they are less efficient using that money.
Rated more efficient than either of these is Pat Robertson’s Operation Blessing, which uses 99.4% for programs and only .3% for administration. Statistically, they spend $0 to raise money — yet I’d still not give them any money because of Pat Robertson, his illegal activities in Africa, and his general… well, nastiness.
More at: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.alpha.htm
Most of the Red Cross’s donations go to administrative costs. People should give to America’s Second Harvest at www DOT americassecondharevst DOT com. 99% of their money goes to helping people. Imagine that.
But are you really giving money to Pat himself? Just a thought / question.
Well, that’s a sore point. Have a look at: http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/6535
For instance:
In 1996, the Norfolk, Va.-based Virginia-Pilot newspaper reported that two pilots who were hired by the charity to fly humanitarian aid to Zaire in 1994 were used almost exclusively for Robertson’s diamond mining operations. Chief pilot Robert Hinkle, claimed that in the six months he flew for Operation Blessing, only one or two of more than 40 flights were humanitarian — the rest carried mining equipment. OBI resources were being diverted to support the African Development Co., a private corporation run by Robertson. At the time, Robertson also had a special relationship with Zaire’s late dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.
… Even more disturbing is that Operation Blessing rendered a direct grant of slightly more than $2 million to Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network — “more than half,” Henderson says, “of the entire OBI budget for direct grants.”
Are you trying to tell me that there is an evil televangelist out there? Pu-Shaw.