Which charity would you like Engadget to support this season?
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 17th 2006 3:14PM
posted Nov 17th 2006 3:14PM
It may be mid November, but the scent of giving is already in the air here at Engadget. We've got some fun charity stuff planned, but we didn't want to just pick one without asking you guys first. So we narrowed it down to our top eight charities, and we'll let you decide where our proceeds go this season. Thanks for voting!Update: Ok, it's off the pain page so it looks like Save Darfur is our charity this season! Thanks for the votes, and stay tuned for fun charity stuff.
Save Darfur. If theres any humanitarian crisis that needs to be addressed urgently, it's the situation down in Darfur.
My vote is for The Human Fund
Save Darfur. Nobody else will.
I work for The World Bank and we get some funding from the Global Fund for our work in Africa and elsewhere so my vote goes to the Global Fund.
Playstation Survivor Fund.
http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/barney/
The choice is obvious.
CAFOD if its available in the US.
down with barney and his purple dong of death!
EFF makes the most sense since this is a Technology Website.
Saving a life is more important than enhancing one.
+1 for Red Cross.
It's curious that you would say saving a life is more important, and then you go and give kudos to the Red Cross. I refuse to give to the Red Cross because of their misuse of the funds they collected to aid September 11 victims' families. Instead, they opened up new locations and started an aggressive advertising campaign. I don't care who they're helping, I will never, EVER support the Red Cross AGAIN. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
I may not be a noble cause, but you could always donate to me :D
sarcasm aside, I would say Save Darfur
How about the St. Jude's Hospital?
I'd say the Buy APEGUERO a Treo 750 fund. My second is the Toys for Tots. Leave the Dalfur ones for the big boys like the UN. Toys for our own poor kids right here in our own country (that's USA for those out of towners) would be better IMHO.
I nominate the one with the lowest overhead.
That eliminates Darfur, Red Cross, and The Global Fund for starters.
What's the point in giving to charity if it all goes to pay someone's salary who's suppossed to be working for a cause that they SUPPOSEDLY beleive in?
Give where your dollar goes the farthest toward helping people, not paying people.
I have to go with Toys for Tots/Teens since my brother is a Marine I find that is on the only logical way to go. I should also mention that any of those is worth donating to.
Save Darfur.
Anything but the Red Cross. Doesn't anyone recall what they did with all the donations after 9/11? The money sure didn't go to the people who needed it the most.
Second Harvest! If we cant feed the indigent in our own country how can we expect to help people elsewhere!
My vote goes to the NRA. Without the 2nd amendment, the rest are not worth the paper they are printed on.
EFF? Are you guys kidding me? During this season of giving how can you possibly be more concerned about DRM, and whether or not your iTunes song is going to play on your 360, than hunger, disease, and genocide?
I fully support the endeavors of EFF but they REALLY shouldnt even be on this list.
Second Harvest!
Feed your own before you feed anyone else!
Why is the Salvation Army not on here?
I would like to add one more
http://www.mercury7.com
It's the Mercury7 Science Center, it is a mobile science and technology exhibit that travels around to schools to inspire 1st and 2nd graders in the fields of science and technology.
The Human Fund...Festivus for the rest of us...
Why is Creative Commons not there?!
But, aside from that, the EFF needs our support. Others, those unaware of the tech issues, will donate to those other organizations.
I'd like everyone to consider also donating to Medecins Sans Frontieres (aka Doctors without Borders), perhaps instead of the Red Cross.
I say this not just because of some of the recent scandals with the Red Cross' misappropriation of donated money, but because MSF uses more than 90% of all money in the field... i.e. not for administration. It's one of the most respected international aid organizations in the world. They are doing some seriously good work. It's definitely in my top three charities.
http://www.msf-usa.org/
The Official Engadget charity? Pwned and Wounded PS3 Launch Veterans
you guys could save my local science station. Not that in its current configuration is it worth saving, but could transform it with p3's and wii's and all the other gadgetry from your closests.... rapture...
and the overhead? only what you want to put into it.
the human fund, money for people. or second harvest.
Considering the red cross/red crescent had a no jews allowed policy until last year, i really wouldnt support them. Charities should not descriminate based on religion or race.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5104680.stm
I would have said Medecins Sans Frontieres, but since it isn't an option, and the top story on their website is Darfur, let's do that.
I voted for Child's Play, they even have a charity hospital in Egypt! Can't say no to that...
Technology for all.
After all, we do spend A LOT of money on all these gadgets which we don't NEED for survival. there are lots of people whose lives could dramatically improve with more technology. So let's spend a tiny bit less to have pretty much the same standard of living but increase others' living standards many times over! EFF is good for us, but how does it help everyone? Technology For All now, EFF later...
It seems that Save Darfor primarily spends their money doing PR in the US and not actually doing things on the ground to help people there (not surprising since it is a war zone)....While their goal is laudable, the New York Times and Washington Post are gaining the most directly through Save Darfor's full page ads.
http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/faq/#5
"How does the Save Darfur Coalition help the people of Darfur?
We utilize media outreach, public education, targeted coalition building and grassroots mobilization to pressure policymakers and other decision-makers in the United States and abroad to help the people of Darfur."
March Of Dimes
Prematurity awareness.
www.marchofdimes.com
I vote for Free Software Foundation.
Didn't everyone tell America to stay the hell out of Iraq, that we should wait for a gobal or regional force before going in and helping them.
Now we are being ask to go in and take control away from the AU (African union) troops. But they are a regional force and had backing in the begining. I say let the world see what happens when you don't deal with terriost when they first become a problem.
Bob, African Union troops don't seem to be doing too well. Definitely Child's Play or Toys for Tots. IMPROVE YOUR HOMELAND before all those communists over the pond(I'm just kidding, Love you guys...commies)
How about The Salvation Army?
As much as I love technology, there are far more important things than giving kids more video games. I think aids support should be a top priority for everyone.
Please donate to the save the black slovak fund.
The world will one day be without a black slovak. We cannot have this happen. It is something that is so detrimental to our society to save we must donate to it. Remeber, there is only one black slovak alive today, so save this unique human from extinction.
We are asking for cash, and prospective spawning partners. Most of all we would like to go the cree flo dolla route - I need a Bently.
So please donate cast and a few more Bentlys. Spawning applicants must be of stripper quality from either SRO or 4play. All others need to stay hidden.
Thank you for considering giving your money to me. I will be happy with you giving me free money as a gift.
Your's truly,
The only black slovak.
I would have voted for an environment charity, it needs all the help it can get right now. I went with Darfur instead, although I think there are better charities that are more focussed when it comes to things like that. It was a toss up between Darfur and Red Cross.
I'll remember to click on some ads and help contribute a few cents.
medecin sans frontier should be on that list. Where no on else will go, they do. Where every one else has insane overhead, they don't.
Baring that, Global Fund. AIDS in Africa is a terrifying plague and will have impacts far beyond the deaths of the individual victims.
Speaking of Darfur...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/55370
I guarantee that 99% of the people who voted for the "Save Darfur", couldn't even find it on a map.
I agree, what's up with leaving out The Salvation Army!!
I voted for the Red Cross. Another worthwhile charity to consider is the Blood:Water Mission ... http://www.bloodwatermission.com
wheres the Make a Wish foundation?
How come you don't have Free the Children?!!!
I think we'd better make sure underpriveledged children in America are still able to experience christmas. We can't let christmas die! I mean really, what greater tragedy could there be? It's not like there's a large group of militant sociopaths kidnapping a children in the middle of the night in order to torture force them to kill their own parents as part of a massive child army or anything. Wait, there is?? Oh...
Seriously, if you're one who believes in charity, how can you concern yourself with some children tearing open presents on Christmas day while other children are being forced to tear open each other, everyday?