"Big List" of Nonevangelical Disaster Charities

[Tars]

Quoted from The Daily Kos article about the list of "non-dominionist" charites, maintained on the "dogemperor's diary" blog.

Daily Kos article


"Anyways...a lot of us want to know how we can help out folks who may have lost their homes (and, possibly, loved ones, and definitely possessions) as a result of the California firestorm. Unfortunately--as in many other things--dominionists have set up specific "front charities" that are part of the "parallel economy" but also target survivors for "convert or starve" evangelism--that is, when the money makes it there at all.
Back when Hurricane Katrina hit, I set up a list of "good and bad" charities--in part because the US government was promoting some pretty skeevy dominionist "charity fronts". So, here we go--the Big List, California Edition."

"The original impetus for the Big List was from a original post on Dark Christianity; I created the list, in large part, due to FEMA's promotion of dominionist "charity fronts" (some, such as Operation Blessing, who had known histories of very skeevy fundraising practices, and others which had histories of "convert or starve" evangelism) to the almost total exclusion of legitimate charity groups.
I am posting this list for folks to not only know of good groups to donate to in regards to relief (this was originally meant for NOLA relief, but the charities are also applicable for California relief), but also so that you can notify workplaces of both the "good guys" and groups to avoid (due to dominionist links). There are far worthier charities than dominionist groups, and I'd MUCH rather my money go to them than to support "stealth evangelism" and the like."

The following charities have been confirmed not to have known links to dominionist groups. Some may have elements of controversy otherwise (in particular the American Red Cross). I am only rating these in regards to whether or not they support theocratic rule and/or coerced evangelism.
San Diego Foundation (Community foundation in San Diego, possibly one of the better sources for longterm assistance funding, so donations there are appreciated)
Second Harvest (the famous food bank. Originally started as Kentucky Harvest, nonsectarian, good folks all around. They also do not partner with any known blatantly dominionist groups. Some have expressed concern regarding Second Harvest's accounting practices in areas. Those with concerns may wish to give to another food bank service such as Dare To Care, below.)
Dare to Care (a group that is a national food bank but also local (they started out in Louisville, KY). Many national grocery chains, such as Krogers/Albertson's/Giant work with Dare To Care and even allow you to buy prepackaged bags of essential food for needy families (and they give you a tax deduction form for it too--so if you buy a $10 or $20 bag of food, you can take it off on your taxes). You can donate directly, or see if your local supermarket chain works with Dare To Care in your area.)
United Way (the umbrella group for a lot of major charities. Nonsectarian, to the point many dominionists don't like them (many dominionist groups also don't like them because they support Planned Parenthood and/or March of Dimes, both of which they've accused of supporting abortion (and the accusation against the March of Dimes is especially bizarre, but also a very popular urban legend in the dominionist community)). In some areas there have been questions re financial accountability but they have been working on this longterm.)
Presbyterian Disaster Response (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
United Methodist Committee on Relief (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Father Joe's Villages (a Catholic charities group associated with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, has done a great deal of assistance in regards to CA firestorm relief)
Tzu Chi (a Buddhist charity group that is operating a relief fund)
Lutheran disaster fund (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Mennonite disaster service (Anabaptist religious order (they're "plain folk" like Amish, also pacifist, but do believe in use of modern tools and the like; they do a lot of good charity work))
Mennonite Central Committee (the larger of the Mennonite charities, Canadians may wish to consider this as an option as well)
Catholic Charities USA (generally good folk; do be advised there is controversy on Catholic Charities attempting to deny benefits to same-sex partners, so if this concerns you you may wish to give to a charity associated with denominations more welcoming to LGBT folks or possibly Rainbow Fund or Montrose Counseling Center, below)
United Jewish Committee (also good folk)
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (in the event they may need to call doctors to treat people)
American Radio Relay League (aka ham radio. Seriously. (Right now the only method of communication to many areas is through ham radio relay nets.) Hams do a lot of general disaster work as well. As the FCC now has removed the Morse Code requirement, the test to get on the air is very easy--basic electronic knowledge and a few questions on rules for the entry-level license, and more involved knowledge for General and Extra. You also don't necessarily need a ham radio to participate--the Echolink network allows VoIP connection to amateur stations and repeaters worldwide (convenient for you guys in apartments).)
Friends Disaster Service (much like the Mennonites, the Society of Friends also does a lot of disaster work)
Hurricane Watch Net (THE major net for disaster reports and communication for areas cut off by hurricanes.)
VOIP Weather Net (A new extension of weather nets, including Skywarn and Hurricane Watch Nets, that is useful at times of natural disaster; specifically, it uses the Echolink and IRLP VoIP networks to connect to amateur radio repeaters in threatened areas. A great way for you folks with your ham tickets in antenna-restricted areas to help out during disasters.)
Volunteers of America (an ostenably Christian group but not terribly sectarian and probably a good alternative to the Salvation Army for those who are a bit concerned at the direction the Salvation Army has taken as of late)
REACT International (another group (this one largely working with CB radio operators and ham operators) for communication in areas that have been subjected to disasters)
Habitat for Humanity (ostenably Christian, but again, not one that overtly prosyletises. Jimmy Carter has done much work for them in past; mentioned because Habitat housing is probably going to be badly needed, especially in California (which has some of the least affordable housing in the country, with even small homes normally beginning at $500,000 and above).)
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (again, good folks all around.)
Humane Society of the US disaster fund (HSUS operates rescue and housing for pets during evacuations and post-disaster.)
Noah's Wish (despite the name, they aren't dominionist, they are an animal rescue charity that specialises in disaster rescue and care of animals. Again, good folks all around, and did much assistance with Katrina disaster relief. Of note, they do assist in rescue of nontraditional pets (like snakes, "pocket pets" like ratties, etc.) which are occasionally not accepted in HSUS shelters. Of particular note, Noah's Wish is providing specific aid to horse owners in the Del Mar area.)
Americares (another non-sectarian international charity group. Good folks all around; very underadvertised.)
Episcopal Relief and Disaster group (another choice for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Direct Relief (another medical assistance group in the same vein as Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres; specialises in disaster area medical assistance)
American Friends Service Committee (another assistance group associated with the Society of Friends)
Feed The Children (after research, I have not found complaints of dominionist activity (and even some evidence dominionists aren't terribly happy with them, partly because Feed the Children has pointed out that prosyletising dominionist "charity" groups have made it much harder for legitimate charities to operate in places like the Middle East), so I am recommending them tentatively as one of the "good guys".)
Plan USA (another children's charity that is explicitly nonsectarian)
Mercy Corps (a Catholic associated group that does worthwhile charity work and is actively soliciting funds for NOLA relief. Not to be confused with "Mercy Ships" (in the "bad guys" section, below) which is associated with Youth With A Mission.)
Montrose Counseling Center (per a post (in the original LJ article) has specifically offered sanctuary and assistance for LGBT individuals from the NOLA area and may offer similar assistance to CA fire survivors)
OxFam (I'd like to thank the readers of Dark Christianity in the Commonwealth countries for reminding folks of OxFam, which isn't terribly publicised in the US. OxFam does a LOT of good work, and definitely do count as "good guys" in this list. (I'm actually sort of embarrassed I didn't remember them, seeing as a friend of mine actually has a link on his website to OxFam's tsunami relief pages! >_<))

Church of the Brethren Disaster Response (The Bretheren are an Anabaptist group like the Mennonites or Amish, but their disaster response is nonsectarian and they are good folks all around. This group is not to be confused with the Exclusive Brethren, who have multiple connections with dominionist groups and may be the subject of an ongoing steeplejacking.)
One Great Hour of Sharing (ecumenical group of multiple mainstream Christian denominations' disaster relief organisations (American Baptist Churches USA, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Church of the Brethren, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ and The United Methodist Church) for disaster relief; good "inclusive Christian group" alternative to AERDO.)
Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort (whom is working with Americares (see link above) in regards to fundraising for disaster relief)
Rainbow World Fund (a LGBT friendly charity that has been recommended in a livejournal comment in a linker's journal.)
Centers for Independent Living (a group that assists people with various disabilities in housing and jobs. Persons with disabilities had special challenges in regards to Katrina and may face similar challenges with the wildfires.)
Days End Farm Horse Rescue (A group specialising in large animal/livestock rescue)
Code 3 Associates (another group specialising in animal rescue)
Best Friends Animal Society (another group specialising in animal rescue efforts during disasters; options include online mall and telephone service charity affinity programs)
San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (Local SPCA affiliate; has been providing emergency shelter and assistance to animals displaced by the firestorm)
Additions in regards to non-dominionist charities are appreciated. According to some reports, local United Way groups are also conducting CA firestorm relief fundraising under their umbrella.
Groups to possibly watch/groups not necessarily "bad guys" but which may require caution
American Red Cross (with the major caveat that there are some fairly major issues not related to dominionism, and with the caveat that funds donated must be earmarked specifically for California firestorm relief; see below.)
(I have been notified that people have other objections, including controversies regarding recognition of Adom Mogen David (the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross/Red Cresent societies) and regarding blood donation. Regarding the first--ALL blood donation groups, sadly, reject LGBT folks unless for self donation--that is from FDA regulations (and it is an area the FDA needs to change, I completely agree). Secondly, the Adom Mogen David controversy is one with the International Red Cross/Red Cresent Society, not necessarily the American branch thereof (and there are groups in other countries that have raised similar objections, including in India and Nepal where Hindu and Buddhist symbols have been proposed as a substitute for the Red Cross/Red Cresent.)
(There have also been reports the Red Cross has charged persons for receiving blood and blood products received as part of disaster relief drives as well as money donated to disaster relief drives (which is not specifically marked for a particular campaign) being diverted elsewhere.)
(Due to these controversies, people may wish to donate to other organisations because of controversies with the Red Cross/Red Cresent. I am trying to focus on groups that are either specifically nonsectarian or are affiliated with a church (but do have policies against prosyletisation during disaster ops), and groups to specifically avoid due to known links with dominionist groups (i.e. there is a real risk that donations to the group even for well intended purposes may be used in support of dominionism). If you have evidence that the Red Cross is specifically supporting dominionism, please let me know.)
(For those who have serious objections regarding the ICRC's rejection of official recognition of Magen David Adom (which is ICRC only, the American Red Cross has actually lobbied for recognition as noted in a comment below), Magen David Adom does have an American branch.)
(For those objecting to the blocking of blood donations by GLBT individuals, I have no good solution. Magen David Adom, the Red Cross, private blood banks/plasma banks, and in fact all groups operating blood banks are required to reject gay men due to an FDA directive (again, as noted in a comment below). The only way of fixing that is going to be either donation in a country without such ornerous rules (in which case the blood might not be allowed into the US) or working to get the present administration changed. I do not look to see the FDA changing this anytime soon, partly because it failed when Clinton was in office, partly because we had an active dominionist as head of the FDA approvals committee till July, and partly because the FDA is still attempting to stonewall emergency contraception availability thanks to dominionist pressure--much less allowing gay men (one of the most demonised populations among dominionists, if not the most demonised, anymore) to donate blood.)
(In regards to persons worried about money not being applied for disaster relief, San Diego city officials have recommended checks to the American Red Cross be made out specifically to "American Red Cross San Diego Fire" to insure direction of aid money.)
(Earmarking may be particularly important, as there are reports from Charity Navigator that some American Red Cross offices are donating funds to churches and there apparently is no good way to verify which churches are being donated to.)
Bad Guys
The charities listed below (and yes, I am aware I have at least two world-recognised charities) are not recommended for one or more of the following reasons:
a) Explicit support of dominionism (including lobbying for dominionist-friendly legislation such as DOMA acts, exemptions to laws prohibiting discrimination on basis of religion, etc.).
b) Unethical evangelism practices (forced evangelism, "convert or starve" evangelism wherein people are forced to hear sermons and/or convert to other religions before receiving aid, etc.)
c) Known front of a dominionist group or a group known to practice coercive tactics in a manner similar to dominionist groups.
d) Unethical fundraising practices directly connected with promotion in dominionist circles.
Operation Blessing (Pat Robertson's charity group. Has used planes (that were marketed as aid planes for Zairian refugees) to transport equipment for his own mining ops: Americans United and DKosPedia have further info; promoted by American Family Association (a virulently anti-LGBT dominionist group). Funds to this group (based on prior history) will likely not only support dominionism but things like threats to world leaders and the trade in "blood diamonds".)
Samaritan's Purse (Billy/Franklin Graham's charity group. Both Billy and Franklin Graham have been known to espouse dominionist statements in past, Franklin especially so. Per a report from someone who has sought employment with them. non-dominionists are not considered for employment and employees are required to have a reference from a pastor as well as a "testimonial of faith" on resumes for employment. Also is working with known dominionist group Traditional Values Coalition in promoting a "refugee adoption" scheme that requires statements of faith from both participating churches and refugees. Numerous reports of forced evangelism, in particular targeting children; a major part of Samaritan's Purse's operation in fact focuses on "convert or starve" targeting of children, including "sheep-stealing" from children who are attendees of mainstream Christian churches (extensive information in this Dark Christianity post--a full discussion would require a dedicated post on DailyKos). Frank Graham has been noted as promoting concept of Hurricane Katrina being God's retribution on New Orleans. Is known to have explicitly partnered with FGBMFI (an Assemblies of God frontgroup known infamously for interference in Latin American and US politics) in the FGBMFI's attempts to interfere in the inner affairs of nations on a worldwide basis. Has promoted Iraqi War and Israeli bombing of Hizbillah sites in Lebanon as "God softening the hearts" of Iraqis. Has promoted the attempted genocide of the Kurdish people (during Gulf War I) as a missionary opportunity. Maintains links to dominionist "parallel economy" alternatives to mainstream medicine (including the "Christian Medical and Dental Association", written about here.)
Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief (as noted multiple times here, the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest dominionist denomination in the US (having hijacked the seminary and church leadership some fifteen years ago). The Southern Baptist Convention's purges in its seminary in Louisville have literally destroyed a world-renowned school of social works. Some reports have been received in regards to Katrina relief efforts of "convert or starve" evangelism. Reportedly refused to accept canned water from Anheiser-Busch (for relief efforts) unless all traces water was from beer manufacturer removed.)
Convoy of Hope (group that specialises in "stealth evangelism" in its fundraising and is a "shell organisation" operated by the Assemblies of God, another large dominionist denomination; the group is located in Springfield, MO very near the AoG world headquarters, and is heavily promoted on the AoG's website. Do not give to this group; The Assemblies of God as a denomination is dominionist in its official church policy and also advocates "stealth evangelism" as official policy; the AoG is also directly linked with dominionist parties in both the US and Australia. "Convoy of Hope" is de facto the primary charity wing of the AoG and an example of the "stealth evangelism" practiced in this group; also keep in mind the AoG as a denomination does meet criteria of a coercive religious group. Trust me, speaking as a walkaway--you don't want ANY of your funds going here. Reports of forced evangelism for aid from this and practically all other Assemblies frontgroups.)
We Care America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God; see here and here for more details. Reports of forced evangelism for aid from this and other Assemblies frontgroups. Please see notes on Assemblies charity fronts under "Convoy of Hope" entry above.)
KidCare America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God; specifically targeting children as "child evangelism" front of We Care America. Targeted evangelism of children, especially in disaster aid situations, is generally considered unethical. Please see entry for "Convoy of Hope" re general notes on Assemblies charity fronts.)
We Care For Youth (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God. Targeted evangelism of children, especially in disaster aid situations, is generally considered unethical. Please see entry for "Convoy of Hope" re general notes on Assemblies charity fronts.)
Dream Center of Los Angeles and other Dream Center locations (another "front group" operated by the Assemblies of God (and specifically Phoenix First Assembly of God), per the following Wikipedia article; has been tied to specific complaints of prosyletisation and mistreatment of evacuees (see post on Hurricane FEMA LJ community here; is also promoted by dominionist groups. Dream Center also linked with attempted unethical fundraising by Ted Haggard. Please see general notes on Assemblies frontgroups in general under "Convoy of Hope" entry.)
Mercy Ships (appears to be a dominionist "shadow economy" alternative to Doctors Without Borders. The fact that the major groups endorsing them are Focus on the Family and the President (who has links to dominionist groups and is likely a dominionist himself) tends to make one very leery. Practices stealth evangelism; had to do a fair amount of digging on the site to see that they do explicitly market themselves as a Christian group; a further websearch at a conservative Christian anti-dominionist site shows they are specifically affiliated with Youth With A Mission, a dominionist group that is known for coercive religious tactics that specialises in stealth evangelism to school students. This link and this link have further info on Youth With A Mission in general, and also includes mention of the "Mercy Ships". Per info from Rick Ross Institute, YWAM is a front group for the Assemblies of God; the link between YWAM and the AoG is confirmed at the Assemblies' own website. As noted, multiple exit counselling groups (including Rick Ross Institute and Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind Institute consider YWAM a coercive religious group (of note, Rick Ross Institute also effectly considers much of the Assemblies of God in practice to be coercive); in fact, Youth With A Mission is probably Assemblies frontgroup most consistently associated with reports of gross coercive activity (another list of known abuse is here. Please see notes regarding Assemblies frontgroups in general under "Convoy of Hope" entry.)
Northwest Medical Teams (group that is listed as AERDO member, linked with AoG frontgroup Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (per investigation by Chuck Currie); per this post may also be linked with FotF front groups targeting ministers; is known to explicitly promote dominionism.)
Global Hope Network (another dominionist charity promoted by Focus on the Family; promotes a group, "International Foundation of Hope", which is part of the "Colorado Springs Complex" of dominionist groups. Known frontgroup of Campus Crusade for Christ, a dominionist group with an extremely close relationship with the Assemblies of God (likely either as a de facto Assemblies frontgroup or as a co-recruitment front with the Assemblies) and which has been noted as being involved in both civilian and military dominionist initiatives; info here and here.)
MAP International (another group apparently meant as a "Christian alternative" to Doctors Without Borders, admits on its own website they explicitly prosyletise to people and other statements indicate dominionist worldview; it also appears that the only groups certifying them are various evangelical "accountability groups" like the National Association of Evangelicals, which is in itself suspicious. Linked with Campus Crusade (per its website) and International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, an Assemblies of God frontgroup.)
Adventures in Missions (a dominionist "mission" group promoted by the dominionist Traditional Values Coalition; ran a "host family" service that required a statement of faith from host families, refugees and ministers; has now abandoned this and now directing "missionary teams" to area to practice "stealth evangelism" to refugees (without actually helping them); requires statement of faith from volunteers; is apparently charity set up for the sole purpose of "stealth evangelism" and forced evangelism of persons seeking aid.)
Christian Disaster Response (a dominionist charity operated by "One Way Ministries" (a group in the
American Evangelical Christian Church, a pentecostal denomination) which is set up for purposes of forced evangelism.)
World Harvest (a dominionist group with several international branches. Site is presently down, but Wayback Machine archives available. Is heavily promoted by Focus on the Family (an example of this in regards to Boxing Day Tsunami relief is here as well as here. In Wayback Machine archives, the list of sponsors is potentially even more troubling (see Wayback Archive entry). "World Harvest" in and of itself (much like "World Prayer Center") is a specific "code word". Reports of forced evangelism with both Boxing Day and Katrina relief.)
Mission of Mercy (a dominionist children's charity associated with Bethseda Christian, a dominionist church in the Colorado Springs area. Associated with what I term the Colorado Springs Complex of dominionist groups. Targeting of children which is considered highly unethical.)
International Mission Board (another website operated by the Southern Baptist Convention (which is now steeplejacked by persons hellbent on turning the SBC into a "Joel's Army" denomination); promoted by both FotF and AFA.)
World Relief (another dominionist charity that largely operates in the dominionist "shadow economy" and is promoted largely by dominionist evangelical groups; promoted by both Focus on the Family and American Family Association.)
Christian Emergency Network (a group that is almost entirely funded by dominionist denominations and groups (per the partner list, almost entirely neopentecostal dominionist groups at that))
Churches of Christ Disaster Relief (the Churches of Christ (not to be confused with United Church of Christ) have often been noted for dominionist activity, and this organisation in particular does have disturbing reports regarding it; see this page for info on, among other things, psychological abuse of children by orphanages operated by this group. One of the major founders seems to be Tusculum Church of Christ in Nashville, which apparently does have shepherding groups per its website so I would be inclined to place it as one of the potentially coercive groups. A brief perusal of the website of another group founding this org, Granny White Church of Christ in Nashville, also seems to back this up per its website. The "home church" may in fact be Highland Avenue CoC in Abilene, TX, which is documented here; of note, it does not seem to be associated with the mainstream United Church of Christ.)
World Emergency Relief (an explicitly dominionist/"Christian Supremacist" charity group (they literally will not work with non-evangelical charity groups, and follows guidelines of another dominionist charity group, AERDO (see below); per a related entry for Northwest Medical Teams (above) the group may be the hospital-evangelism extension of the National Association of Evangelicals)
AERDO 2nd link (an umbrella group for multiple dominionist charity groups; almost all the dominionist groups listed above are in their members list (available here) including MAP International and (sadly) World Vision and Salvation Army as well. Many of the links are not even to charities but explicitly dominionist groups (including "Harvest Foundation", a group dedicated to exporting dominionism, as well as groups practicing "creation care" aka dominionist "wise-use". One of the major speakers for AERDO is Chip Ingram, a "Christian counselor" who is blatantly dominionist (see this link for info) and has (among other things) promoted the "women should be subservient to their husband as their husband is to God" sort of deal up to and including telling women they should not pay bills. AERDO affiliates are required to sign a statement of faith that they operate under the statement of faith of the National Association of Evangelicals; AERDO's statement is at this link and NAE's statement of faith at this link. NAE from the beginning has had close links with dominionist groups as noted here.)
Scientology Volunteer Ministers (Whilst not technically dominionist, is part of a group well known for coercive activity and with practices similar to dominionists (yes, Scientology has its own form of dominionism, termed "clearing the planet"). More info on Scientology itself at Operation Clambake, among others.)
Salvation Army (Sadly, information has forced me to list this group as dominionist; see below. Supportive of dominionist groups like "Operation Blessing" and also having restrictions on funding; has used homeless groups to fight initiatives for Fairness Ordinances and has actually threatened to close soup kitchens and homeless shelters in areas whose Fairness Ordinances require offering benefits to partners of LGBT individuals (365Gay has info); dominionist groups have supported them in this (see Concerned Women for America article); many LGBT groups are boycotting as a result. This has included lobbying of known dominionists in the government by the Salvation Army (see Working for Change article). Has fired people who are openly pagan from Salvation Army aid centers (per at least one pagan website). Some people have reported that the Salvation Army (as church; yes, it is actually a Calvinist church with a pseudo-militia structure) may be a coercive religious group: see report from walkaway. A second investigatory report also confirms possible coercive tendencies (possibly the result of a steeplejacking in progress); there are also reports that the Salvation Army as of late has taken an explicitly neopente dominionist viewpoint in regards to the concept of "spiritual warfare", including explicit embracement of neopente concepts of "deliverance ministry". Is a member of AERDO, which is an "umbrella group" of dominionist-friendly charities. Because of this and other reports, sadly, the Salvation Army must squarely be listed as "bad guys".)
(Additional info--there is specific evidence of lobbying for Bush's "faith based initiatives" program; Michelle Goldberg (author of "Kingdom Coming", a recent and important work on dominionism) has noted Salvation Army offices not only explicitly "redlining" Jewish and LGBT people in an attempt to not hire them but requiring similar "church background checks" to those used by Shepherd's Purse and now requires employees and volunteers to sign statements of faith as a condition of employment. A Freethought Today article from Goldberg also notes that the changeover in enforcing "religious purity" by the SA (in regards to charity operations) is in fact very recent, and dates from the Bush administration's blessing towards "faith based" initiatives; the article also gives further details on the attempted purge of LGBT and non-Christian people from the Salvation Army of New York's aid programs.)
(At least one reader has suggested that donations to SA may be safely made with a similar earmarking to that of the American Red Cross (checks made out to "Salvation Army CA Fire Relief"). There will need to be watching to make sure there is no diversion.)
(Be aware that at least one amateur radio "health and welfare" network operated by the Salvation Army exists. Persons wishing to support amateur radio efforts in a more inclusive manner may wish to donate to the ARRL directly.)
AFA Adopt-A-Family Program (presently closed but may be revived for fire victims) (a program operated by the dominionist group "American Family Association", one of the most vociferously antigay/antiwoman/anti-anything-not-dominionist groups in the US; per the site's own literature only dominionists will be accepted into the program (references are required from a pastor for being allowed to room with a host family); this same group has also claimed that Hurricane Katrina itself was an act of divine retribution for (among other things) allowing Mardi Gras to continue and tolerating LGBT individuals and practitioners of Voudon and has supported state AFA affiliates issuing similar statements.)
World Vision (Again, much like the Salvation Army, new info has forced me to add this to the "bad guys" list. Historically has had a reputation of being a reliable charity but has also had reports, much like the Salvation Army, of support from or supporting dominionist groups; is promoted by Focus on the Family and whilst World Vision does promote condom distribution in African countries for HIV prevention they have taken official policies, in particular regarding homosexuality and church/state issues, which are troubling (see see here). I would be inclined to state that, like the Salvation Army, people who are concerned about money possibly being used to support dominionist causes would wish to avoid this charity. One should be aware that the blatantly dominionist group AERDO actively lists both World Vision and Salvation Army as members. New info has come out that the CEO of World Vision, Ted Engstrom, is in fact a voting member of the board of directors for Focus on the Family (see financial statements from FotF itself, or FotF's form 990 for 2005 here for more info). Evidence exists that World Vision has historically supported dominionist groups including Samaritan's Purse (info here), World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs (info here--of note, this includes explicit embracing of "Joel's Army" concepts of "spiritual warfare" and "deliverance ministry"), Global Harvest Ministries (and there is evidence the founder of World Vision may be very deeply involved with neopente "Joel's Army" groups), and many others. Based on this info, I am forced to place World Vision in the "bad guys" section and cannot recommend in good faith that people donate to them.)
End Notes
Further commentary (including additions to lists of Good Charities/Bad Charities and additional info on "charities of concern") is greatly appreciated. (I actually want to get a good list together so that people who want to donate but don't want to risk their money being diverted towards dominionist groups can have a resource for "responsible donation". The people of New Orleans are going to need a LOT of help in the coming years, and I want them to be able to be helped without being preyed upon by dominionists.)
As noted above, I am strongly requesting feedback regarding listing of AERDO associated groups as definitely dominionist-linked. (AERDO seems pretty hard dominionist as do most of the groups; I ask for the input because if we list all AERDO members as "bad guys", both World Vision and the Salvation Army go from the "iffy, you may not want to donate" to the "avoid like the plague". AERDO's general activity concerns me enough I am considering doing just that, but again, would appreciate feedback from others.)
If anyone is reading this via a link from someone else's blog or journal, feel free to add a comment with a group (either a "good guy" group, info on a group listed, or a listing of a group to avoid) and I'll add to the original as well as this post.

[radio4progressives]

thanks for cross posting this important informational list of 'good guys-bad guys' charity list.

btw. on a related matter, today's edition of Raw Story reported on the the outrageous scam of Congressional earmarks appropriating citizen tax money to fund evangelical organizations in this article.

This is being done under Democratic leadership.

Quoted from The Daily Kos article about the list of "non-dominionist" charites, maintained on the "dogemperor's diary" blog.

Daily Kos article


"Anyways...a lot of us want to know how we can help out folks who may have lost their homes (and, possibly, loved ones, and definitely possessions) as a result of the California firestorm. Unfortunately--as in many other things--dominionists have set up specific "front charities" that are part of the "parallel economy" but also target survivors for "convert or starve" evangelism--that is, when the money makes it there at all.
Back when Hurricane Katrina hit, I set up a list of "good and bad" charities--in part because the US government was promoting some pretty skeevy dominionist "charity fronts". So, here we go--the Big List, California Edition."

{snip}