These non-smoking ads are tops in my book, brilliant creativity!

Former President Bill Clinton’s charity drew an impressive international roster of donors last year, ranging from Norway and Oman to foreign lotteries, businessmen and celebrities, a contributor list released under an ethics promise by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton showed.

The Clintons agreed to annually disclose the names of donors to the foundation to address concerns about potential conflicts of interest between the former president’s fundraising abroad and his wife’s role in helping direct Obama administration foreign policy.

Here is a rundown of some of the more interesting contributors:

-Saudi Arabian businessman Nasser Al-Rashid, who has given at least $1 million.

-The Coca-Cola Co. and the Swedish Postcode Lottery, which each donated $1 million to $5 million since the foundation started.

-The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a labour union which gave $250,001 to $500,000 over the years.

-International online retailer Alibaba Group, which gave $100,001 to $250,000 in all.

-Professional golf’s PGA Tour Inc., which donated $50,001 to $100,000 overall.

-Celebrity businessman Donald Trump, who gave $50,001 to $100,000 overall.

-Automaker Nissan North America Inc. and the Metropolitan National Bank, which each has given $25,000 to $50,000 total.

I read the Bill Clinton biography, or I should say I listened to it and he is a very interesting and down-to-earth guy.  Go Bill!

Kim Kardashian would have never imagined getting beaten up for charity (and either would I) but this is what exactly happened when the reality TV star entered the ring for a little skirmish.

Kardashian, who got voluntarily into fisticuffs with a fan at the Commerce Casino in California, was punched in the face and had a black eye when the fight ended.

She had tweeted about her fears to fans before the fight, when she had confessed being “sooo scared”.

Her stepdad Bruce Jenner and brother Robert also received punches in the name of charity and shared the losers’ bench with Kardashian.

Robert even needed medical attention for a concussion.  I think celebs these days are absolutely crazy.

Sometimes other people just say it better!!

“Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.”
John D. Rockefeller

“Charity should begin at home, but should not stay there.”
Phillips Brooks

“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”
Bob Hope

I was browsing some tips over at Charity Navigator and I found this one that I thought was very important:

Find a Charity That Directly Accepts Car Donations
If at all possible, avoid the for-profit intermediary organizations that advertise so pervasively to handle your car donations. When you work with one of these organizations, they keep the vast majority of the dollars created from your donation. Even the most reputable of the agencies that handle these transactions keep nearly 50% of the car’s value for their troubles (other, less scrupulous entities keep 90%, or even more). If you can find a charity that handles the transaction themselves, they can keep 100% of their profits. It’s possible that the charities you already support have a car-donation program that you don’t know about. Check with them first.

If your charity wants someone to start a charity car program you should definitely use a company that give you 100% of the proceeds like ours does.

In the UK the reccesion has hit quite hard and it seems charities are feeling some of that pressure.  Donations made to the UK’s 170,000 charities have dropped by 11 percent to £9.9bn (£1.3bn in real-terms) according to UK Giving 2009, published today by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

In what is the most comprehensive research into UK charitable giving habits, the survey of 3,316 UK adults, carried out in June and October 2008 and February 2009 shows that the median amount donated per month was £10 per person in 2008/09, a decrease of £1 on the previous year.

Whilst the economic downturn has affected the total amount given there has only been a two per cent fall in the number of adults in the UK who donate to a charity each month, to 54 percent. This equates to 774,000 fewer people giving.

Medical research (20 percent), hospitals and hospices (15 percent) and children and young people (14 percent) are the most popular causes. Cash remains the most common method of giving with nearly half of donors (48%) giving cash and around a third of donors (31 percent) giving via direct debit.

Every year it is estimated that around £750m of Gift Aid goes unclaimed (2) on donations. UK Giving found that only four in ten donors Gift Aided their donations. Stuart Etherington, CEO, NCVO said: “Inevitably the recession is having an effect on charities, and on the levels of giving. But it would be wrong to predict the collapse of the sector because of the current climate.

“It is reassuring to know that the public are continuing to support the vital work that voluntary and community organisations do in local communities across the country. We would like to thank people for their on-going generosity.”

Commenting on the research, CAF Chief Executive John Low, added: “Even though there are welcome signs the recession is technically ending, the economic downturn is still severely impacting charities, many of whom have had to cut jobs while facing increased demand for their services.

Regardless of the challenges, UK residents are still donating a healthy amount to charities, keep up the good work!

With the upcoming release of that Woody Harrelson zombie movie it looks like everyone is taking advantage!

I thought this one might garner a few chuckles on a Friday afternoon.

I would say yes and I don’t think Microsoft is doing it the ‘right’ way.  Being a loser in this ‘popularity’ contest is very depressing.

Microsoft’s “Ultimate Gameroom Giveaway” is charity turned into a gimmick as voters decide which Children’s hospitals receive prize packages. I’m all for charity, but was it really necessary to guarantee a let down for kids in the 167 “losing” hospitals?

The three hospitals to receive an Ultimate Gameroom through Microsoft’s partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network are chosen by a very public popular vote. Not a random raffle, nor a secret vote, but a public popular vote with results regularly updating on the CMN’s website.

With 170 charities vying for the prized game rooms there will end up being 167 very disappointed kids wards.  I would love to see Microsoft step-up and give them all a little something, even if it is a smaller less expensive room.

Thanks for visiting our blog at CharityCar.us – on this blog you will find news, commentary and information on everything charity car related and also from the wider world of charities in general.  We encourage participation through commenting and would love to hear whatever is on your mind.  If you want to donate your car to charity follow this link.