In fact, the State Department is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its public-private partnership program to reinforce humanitarian mine action, and since 1993, the United States has spent more than $1.2 billion in nearly 50 mine-affected countries and regions. Benefactors say that homegrown charities are making an important mark in the world of philanthropy, complementing these types of governmental efforts as well as the many multimillion- or multibillion-dollar foundations and organizations with similar missions, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Red Cross, CARE, Mercy Corps and numerous other large-scale humanitarian organizations. But Smythe pointed out one specific characteristic of smaller efforts such as hers that sets them apart: Because homegrown charities start from scratch on a volunteer basis, very little goes to overhead. “Not a dime goes to any salaries,” Smythe said of the Basra Prosthetics Project. “That’s how Rotary operates. All money goes to training, airfares, equipment and prosthetics supplies—and none of it is going to salaries or fringe benefits. It’s money well spent from a donor’s perspective.” Another advantage that organizations such as the Basra Project have is the dedication and true passion that drives the people behind the cause. “All of what we do is accomplished quite well, and it’s all done by a very small, high-quality staff,” said Julius E. Coles, president of Africare, a D.C.-based nonprofit organization specializing in aid to African countries. “We really are working as a very dedicated group because we believe in the cause. We’re certainly not in it for the money.” A testament to what a philanthropic vision can grow into, Africare got its start in the early 1970s when a group of Peace Corps volunteers set up their headquarters in a basement with a grant of $39,550. With an initial project in Niger, they set out to help alleviate the effects of severe drought. Today, the organization operates a $50 million budget, with a high rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and an endorsement from the Better Business Bureau. With more than 1,000 employees—many of them African and all but 50 or so working on overseas projects—the organization operates comprehensive grassroots programs that address HIV and AIDS education, public health, agriculture, sanitation and political issues in some 25 African countries. “Africare is one of the largest, if not the largest, nongovernmental organization working exclusively in Africa,” Coles said. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth in our programs over the years, and we are a very well-respected organization in the African continent. And we’ve stayed the course, serving through droughts and through civil wars.” Throughout the years, Coles added, the organization has managed to focus the bulk of its spending on programming. For every dollar earned, 4 to 5 cents goes to fundraising, salaries and other managerial costs—a rate Coles describes as “fantastically low” in the charitable world. With this kind of targeted giving, Coles and his counterparts say, every donation makes an impact, right down to the individuals who want to help but can’t afford more than a few dollars each month. Heather Mueller is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Checking on Your Charity For many families and businesses, the holidays are a time for giving. After all, it only makes sense that goodwill would stir a desire to help those less fortunate. But in giving to charities and causes, many donors forget to ask how they can be sure their money is making it to those who actually need it. Of course, there are plenty of reputable charities that process donations effectively, but the number that run inefficiently or even fraudulently makes the question an important one to ask. There are a number of ways to check on your cause of choice, and it needn’t take much time. Several organizations examine charities with strict criteria for gaining endorsement. The Better Business Bureau (http://welcome.bbb.org), the Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org), Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) and the American Institute of Philanthropy (www.charitywatch.org) are all good choices for either finding a dependable charity or checking up on one you’ve already chosen. Leaders of CAFAmerica (www.cafamerica.org), a nonprofit that reviews charities for legitimacy and processes international donations, say more and more donors want to know what kind of direct impact their contributions will have. The organization serves as a distributor that connects U.S. individuals, companies and foundations to charities in more than 70 countries, and stakes much of its work on the claim that it’s important for donors to know where their money is going. These organizations and others provide valuable tips for individuals and businesses as they consider making donations. In addition to checking credibility, they say, donors should find out if donations are tax deductible, look into how a charity’s funds are distributed, and avoid making cash donations. — Heather Mueller

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