I finally changed my mind about donating to food banks after seeing one stat

I used to think my $20 donation didn't really matter much, like it was a drop in the bucket. Then I read on Feeding America's site that $1 can provide 10 meals through their network. That blew my mind because I always assumed most of the money went to overhead. I checked their financial reports and saw they spend like 97% on programs, not admin stuff. So now I do a $50 monthly donation instead of just throwing loose change in the bin. Has anyone else looked into the actual impact numbers for a charity and been surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

piperr582d ago

Same. I got a letter from my local food bank that said every $10 they get turns into about 40 pounds of food. I was shocked because I always thought they had to buy everything at retail prices. Now I do $20 a month automatic and don't even think about it. Did switching to monthly change anything for you?

cameron4262d ago

DUDE that stat is WILD. I actually heard something similar from a local food bank director who did an AMA on Reddit a while back. He said their buying power is insane because they get food from farms and stores that would otherwise throw it out, so they can stretch donations way further than people think. He also mentioned that even a small monthly donation helps them plan their budget better than a big lump sum once a year. It really made me realize I was totally wrong about where the money goes. Now I set up a tiny automatic payment every month and barely notice it, but apparently it makes a real difference.