Don't worry, give money
Organizations rating nonprofits appeal to the results-oriented. But is that what charity is about?
The tagline for Charity Navigator, the charities rating firm reads, “Your Guide to Intelligent Giving.” At the start of Lent, Pope Francis encouraged another way.
In an interview before Ash Wednesday, the pontiff explained that believers should prioritize giving to the needy, and not second guess how that money might be spent. When considering a homeless neighbor, asking for gifts on the street, the pope said, “There are many excuses” we use to justify not giving, like, “I give money and he just spends it on a glass of wine!”
But, Francis noted, sometimes a “glass of wine is his only happiness in life.” Fair enough! Further, Francis cautioned against giving money without looking the recipient in the eyes, failing to regard him as another human being.
