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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   2797 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 13, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Entrepreneurial charity...

I'm pretty well off but I haven't given a lot of money to causes recently because they all suck. I mean, really, they suck. Many I've dealt with are just incompetent. To the point where they can't even cash checks in a timely manner or return phone calls. I shouldn't have to nag you to cash my $20,000 check. Others enable the very thing they are trying to solve. Breast cancer charities don't want to cure breast cancer. Homeless charities don't want to end homelessness. Many non-profits exist merely as grifts to employ non-productive college graduates. But the worst problem is that nearly every non-profit seems to be infected with the woke mind virus. Even if they were doing good work (which I doubt in most cases) I wouldn't feel good about donating to a non-profit that supports that stuff.

But I'm still an altruist at heart and I have more money than I need. So I'd like to go solo and do charity work on my own.

I've done a few things that are really minor like pick up trash or shovel the sidewalk near my house. But I think there are a lot of opportunities to do something bigger. What's something that a person could do with their time and money to make the world a better place. Something that doesn't involve interacting with any institution at all? Should I just straight up send people cash?

Should I just straight up send people cash?

Depending on how much cash you're talking--yes! Go pay off someone's house, or student loans, or car... their reaction will be 1000% more gratifying to you than any check mailed to an institution. Even more if it's not some random stranger, but someone you care about (e.g. relatives, friends). For example.

In terms of contemporary ideals re: "effective altruism" this is probably not a great way to go, of course. Most people who can qualify for a loan will be able to pay that loan off on their own eventually, and the misery they'll go through to do it is pretty small by comparison with some of the other trials people have (hunger, homelessness, etc.). But if you'd like to prioritize people who will cash your check quickly, be effusively grateful about it, and not spend it employing humanities graduates who can't find a job peddling DEI for woke corporations, then I recommend thinking of people in your life who have a medium-sized debt hanging over them (and who aren't likely to resent your generosity--you do have to pick your targets with some care). Just go wipe that debt out and watch them grin.

(I feel I should add, as a mod, that there is a place where Zorba accepts donations to keeping the site up and running, too. Zorba has been pretty low key about it, which I think is appropriate, and I don't know whether this place counts as an "institution" in your reckoning, but--one more option among many.)

e.g. relatives, friends

beware of risk of people starting to queue for handouts - may be nice to do it anonymously

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