Charity Navigator

Wind Chimes: 3 Dec 2012

The chimes have begun to ring in the “new (church) year.” What do you hear?

Check out the Advent Calendar from Trinity Wall Street

Trinity (Episcopal) Wall Street has an online Advent Calendar for us. Every day features a short verse from scripture and an audio meditation from members of the church. Here is the link: http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/news/features/2012-advent-calendar

An Advent Calendar with a more “youthful” flavor

Here is another kind of Advent Calendar with a younger audience in mind:
http://bustedhalo.com/features/advent-calendar-2012

It is produced by The Paulist Fathers (a Roman Catholic Religious Order). Their ministry has the intriguing title of “Busted Halo Ministries” because they believe that “all God’s children are ‘saints in the making.’ Everyone is called to aspire toward the holiness and selflessness of a Mother Teresa or Saint Francis. At the same time we are all too often aware that this journey toward sainthood is one fraught with imperfections, struggles, and mistakes. Each of us sports a Halo that is either dented, scratched, tarnished… in some way Busted. Yet God loves us anyway and continually calls to bang out the dents and polish our halos up to a nice golden shine.” About BustedHalo

Yes, give us grace …

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for the First Sunday of Advent
Book of Common Prayer, p. 211

“Black Friday” began the “Shopping Season” and retailers are relentless in keeping us focused on buying often and buying more. “#GivingTuesday” (11/27/12) was an invitation to give and use your “buying power” in a way that benefits others for more than just a day.

I intend to keep that invitation in front of us throughout the “Shopping Season.” I believe (and am acting on my belief) that It is always the right time to be generous. If you haven’t participated in “#GivingTuesday” how about today? ~dan

Today’s give-a-gift-to-help-others idea:

Kiva — “a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.”

Looking for other give-a-gift-to-help-others ideas?
Go first to Charity Navigator for those ideas
and for an evaluation of how your dollars will be spent

Video: Advent in 2 minutes was produced by Busted Halo Ministries

Wind Chimes: 30 Nov 2012

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:18
(from Morning Prayer, 11/30/12)

As always, the chimes sound, moved by the wind. Do the chimes sound comfort as you listen? Do the chimes sound like a call to action? What do you need in this moment? What do you hear?

How will this happen?

How will the Lord be “near” the brokenhearted unless one who knows the Lord goes—with compassion and empathy—and is present for as long as it takes? How will the Lord work to “save those whose spirits are crushed” unless one who knows the Lord goes with—conviction and courage—and acts on behalf of and with them? How will the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, unless we who know the Son (and the Father who sent him) act accordingly? What do you hear?

Continue, please, the spirit of #GivingTuesday

“Black Friday” began the “Shopping Season” and retailers are relentless in keeping us focused on buying often and buying more. “#GivingTuesday” was an invitation to give and use your “buying power” in a way that benefits others for more than just a day.

Looking for a “reputable” nonprofit organization that helps others?

I encourage you to find out more about your favorite nonprofit on Charity Navigator. It is also a great starting point if you have an idea about what kind of efforts you would like to support but don’t know which nonprofit would use your gift wisely.

#GivingTuesday™ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.

Mission Statement
Go to the Home Page for #GivingTuesday
Wind Chimes for November 27, 2012

Advent Calendar Day 21: Charity Navigator

Members of the Sunday Morning Forum at St. Margaret’s are a generous lot. In Lent 2011 we were introduced to Charity Navigator—an online “guide to intelligent giving.” Many of us (me included) now use this online resource to help us in our charitable giving. We offer this link as a gift to you in the Advent Season. ~dan rondeau

Charity Navigator, America’s premiere independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency of America’s largest charities.” A self-description found on the Home Page.

Goal of Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving. Our goal is to help people give to charity with confidence. At the same time, we aim to help charities by shining lights on truly effective organizations. In doing so, we believe we can help ensure that charitable giving keeps pace with the growing need for charitable programs.

Our approach to rating charities is driven by those two objectives: helping givers and celebrating the work of charities.

Learn more: Methodology used by Charity Navigator
Home Page of Charity Navigator

Advent Calendar in one place
About the Online Advent Calendar

For further reflection

Here our Forum introduces you to “Charities building roadblocks to human trafficking” highlighted by Charity Navigator. Consider it an extension of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

Charities building roadblocks to human trafficking

Only last week (12/10) the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence concluded. December 10th is annually designated Human Rights Day by the United Nations. Human trafficking is violent and abuses the rights of the most vulnerable. Here is what Charity Navigator has to say about the issue. Organizations working to eradicate this abuse are listed here.

Each year in June, the U.S. Department of State releases the annual Trafficking in Persons Report in order to document the efforts by foreign governments to bring an end to human trafficking. The most recent report highlighted what most international non-profits already know: that the problem is as widespread as it is complicated.

Called the modern day slavery, human trafficking has many forms. Labor trafficking, bonded labor, sex trafficking, child sex tourism, forced child labor and child soldiering are among the more vicious.

People can become trapped in these situations through force, or drawn in through fraud or coercion by traffickers that prey on their desperation and trust. Immigrants, domestic workers and children are especially at risk.

Beyond the human rights impacts of trafficking, there can be serious health impacts including physical and psychological abuse, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex trafficking plays a large part in spreading the AIDS epidemic worldwide.

Unfortunately, ending these practices is not a simple matter. There continues to be a large supply of victims, especially in developing countries where poverty makes people vulnerable to fraudulent promises of employment or a better life elsewhere. Demand also remains high in more prosperous countries, making the practice even more difficult to eradicate.

Non-profits of all stripes are increasingly focusing on the issue of human trafficking. Some work to raise awareness of the issue; others are working in communities to protect the vulnerable and to alleviate the conditions that encourage trafficking; others concentrate on rescuing and reintegrating trafficked victims.

Note: The list of organizations highlighted by Charity Navigator is on the right hand side of the page from which this essay is taken: Charities building roadblocks to human trafficking

On 12/15/11 CNN reported that Google made $11.5 million worth of grants to organizations fighting modern day slavery (human trafficking). Google joins fight against slavery with $11.5 million grant.

International Justice Mission (IJM), “a Washington-based human rights agency that works to rescue victims of slavery and sexual exploitation in about a dozen countries” was one of the grant recipients. IJM is a 4-star organization as rated by Charity Navigator.

Tag: Charity Navigator

Wind Chimes: 3 Dec 2012

Wind Chimes: 30 Nov 2012

Advent Calendar Day 21: Charity Navigator