Anything I need?

“Please let me know if you need anything”

https://www.charitynavigator.org/

My friend BG asked me the other day.  “Please let me know if you need anything”

Now BG is a banker and even though I know she really didn’t mean “ANYTHING” it gave me the impetus to do some thinking (and some minor research).

The United States Budget is about $4.5 trillion for 2020.  That is 4,500,000,000,000.  Now, the world’s population is about 7.7 billion.  For ease of discussion (and for round numbers), let’s say the population is about 4.5 billion people - and the US Budget is about 4.5 trillion dollars.  Again, for ease of analysis - that is about one thousand dollars for every person on earth.  

Some statistics I found suggested that ⅓ of the world’s population makes under $1 a day - using the figure of 7,7 billion people, ⅓ of that would be about 2.8 billion people make less than $365 in a year.  If everyone on the planet got $1,000 a year, there would be great rejoicing from those 2.8 billion.

But, throwing the numbers aside.  Let me ask BG for enough money to solve three basic needs:  clean and abundant water; nutritional (and enough) food; and reasonable living quarters (including indoor plumbing).

So, BG, please give me a loan to solve those needs - clean water, appropriate food, and decent housing.  

But, then I started thinking again.  That would be quite an expense - so we would need oversight and management of the funds.  We would have to hire administrators of such a program - at least one for each country (and maybe more for populous countries like China, India, Nigeria and others); then multiple people for each region (like states); then multiple people for each city, town, community, and county in each state.  But, all those people would need support people behind the scenes - secretaries, accountants, caseworkers, clerks and more. So, that $1,000 a year for every person on earth would get cut back to pay the staff.  How much might it cut it back?  Good question!!

There are some charities (like the Salvation Army) where supposedly about 82% of the donations go to program services.  There are others, like the Disabled Police and Sheriffs Foundation, where about 90% of the donations go to pay fundraisers!  Now, in the past, I have been called by a different ‘charity’ that supports police that also has huge costs in raising the money.  When over 50% of the donations go to pay staff, to me, that indicates that the funds really aren’t going for program services.  

So, hmm… BG can I have enough money to get even man, woman and child on this planet $1,000 and with 100% of the funds going directly to program service?  And where there is no corruption, greed, or graft?  

Well, BG, I meant well!!!  

“Yes, Pollyanna - I’d like people in the world to have clean water, nutritious food, and reasonable shelter.  And my guess is that it would take more than $1,000 a person.”

From Matthew 25: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, "I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” 

The link at the top of this post is for Charity Navigator - you should be able to check how well your favorite charity fulfills its mission.  

But, back to reality, BG, we need to give positive support to those that have nothing.  Is there a way?  

Karen

(Who is putting money into a Red Kettle this Christmas season)