I'm gonna give it all away...

[rk911]

I don't know much about either of those charities, although I have read some fairly negative things about St. Jude's fund raising practices, including suing estates and spending 30% of funds raised on fund-raising. https://www.propublica.org/article/st.-jude-fights-donors-families-in-court-for-share-of-estates also https://www.propublica.org/article/...hile-many-of-its-families-drain-their-savings and search Google for "St. Jude's suing donors"

St. Jude is one of our favorite charities and I will take a look at the link provided. We rely on https://www.charitynavigator.org/ when considering donating to a specific charity. Charity Navigator rates St. Jude as 4-star, 100%.
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/620646012

 

[Kork13]

My brother/parents stayed at a Ronald McDonald House for a while (20ish yrs ago) after he first got a cancer diagnosis. They were fantastic.

In general, I'm one to say that the best charities to support are the ones you have a personal connection with, or a personal connection with their mission. Just as an example, as an orphan, perhaps you find a community center or orphanage that you'd like to support.

I also lean toward more local charities when I can, to make more of a direct impact ... also, because the national charities tend to be far better funded, and they also frequently have much higher rate of admin/advertising costs, which don't really provide much benefit to the cause.

 

[street]

Stormy Kromer, I just want to say my concern is for you, and to take care of you first.

 

[HGTVFanatic]

Stormy — Don’t give up and throw in the towel just yet. Get second and third opinions. Try to keep a positive attitude. Blow some of that dough on yourself. I like your choice of charities. I contribute to World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders and Operation Smile.

 

[ut2sua]

Stormy — Don’t give up and throw in the towel just yet. Get second and third opinions. Try to keep a positive attitude.

Agree. Doctors are great, but they have been known to be wrong before. One such example was with my immediate family a long time ago. Please get second and third opinions. We all need good heart folks to hang around with the rest of us a lot longer.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Thanks all.

I am heading to Rochester to my friends at the Mayo Clinic soon. Muscle deterioration that stumps the good doctors here. Good people. A year ago I could have played a football game with against a good team. Now it hurts like he!! to put on a pair of socks. I don't want to take time or effort from children that need help at the doctor's office, but I want to show them they can beat trouble when it comes to them.

As far as the estate stuff goes. I am giving the land I inherited to my children. Plus about half of what I earned. The rest is going to the salvation army and the orphanage who saved me 50-50.

I have been fortunate and want to help others, thanks all, I appreciate your help.

A word to you all. We're all a day away from a life changing event that you cant control.

 

[calmloki]

Best to you Stormy - do good and be well - hope for the best.

 

[street]

Stay strong, you are not alone, we all are not given any more than we can handle. All will be fine My Friend.

 

[tmitchell]

Sending you good wishes Stormy. This is a sobering and also inspirational thread.

 

[pacergal]

Praying you get the answers needed from the good Docs at Mayo.
Please know you are in my prayers.
Take Care and keep us posted as you wish.

 

[marko]

Stormy Kromer, I just want to say my concern is for you, and to take care of you first.

Stormy — Don’t give up and throw in the towel just yet. Get second and third opinions. Try to keep a positive attitude. Blow some of that dough on yourself. I like your choice of charities. I contribute to World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders and Operation Smile.

Sending you good wishes Stormy. This is a sobering and also inspirational thread.

Praying you get the answers needed from the good Docs at Mayo.
Please know you are in my prayers.
Take Care and keep us posted as you wish.

+100 Prayers

 

[finnski1]

Thanks all.

I am heading to Rochester to my friends at the Mayo Clinic soon. Muscle deterioration that stumps the good doctors here. Good people. A year ago I could have played a football game with against a good team. Now it hurts like he!! to put on a pair of socks. I don't want to take time or effort from children that need help at the doctor's office, but I want to show them they can beat trouble when it comes to them.

As far as the estate stuff goes. I am giving the land I inherited to my children. Plus about half of what I earned. The rest is going to the salvation army and the orphanage who saved me 50-50.

I have been fortunate and want to help others, thanks all, I appreciate your help.

A word to you all. We're all a day away from a life changing event that you cant control.

Thanks for the update and this post. I hope that some sort of unexpected positive outcome may come out of your Mayo visits. I am not a religious person and can't "pray" for you nor would I presume that would do any good. I really applaud your wish to help others and especially the orphanage which helped shape you. Best of luck.

 

[njhowie]

My Dr gave me some news and it changed my outlook.

I FIRED at 50. Now at 59. No regrets. Healthy as a rented mule til a month or so ago.

My sincere apology/sympathy for whatever news the doctor gave you. Glad that you are seeing the tremendous good you can do in this situation.

 

[harllee]

Don't give up hope! My husband has psoriatic arthritis and at one time it got so bad he could barely walk. But then a new drug came out--Humira--and he gives himself a shot every other week. It has given him his life back. I so hope there is a diagnosis with good medication for you too.

 

[bigriver]

I’m familiar with both St.Jude and Ronald McDonald house here in Memphis as well as LeBonheur Children’s hospital.
I have had friends go to Le Bonheur with their children over the long years and they are excellent. When it then becomes a serious cancer issue they go to St. Jude. I worked with a lady and then her son who was a St Jude patient. When he turned 18, he got a large ST. JUDE tattoo on his back if that explains the work they do. They spend millions of dollars a year and never charge a patient a penny. The parent and children come in town and stay down the street at Ronald McDonald house. We buy things and drop off at the house from Sam’s clip but you can go on Amazon and buy for them off their wish list.
I have personally changed my donations to Ronald McDonald and Le Bonheur. The ALSAC part of St Jude that asks for donations kept making me feel the money I was giving was just going back out in mailers. I sent several letters asking to remove me from the list but I would get back on with another donation.
I plan to leave my money to my states outdoor and wildlife agency. They are not funded by the state and I have enjoyed most of my life outdoors fishing in my youth and again in my later life.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

My Dr gave me some news and it changed my outlook.

I FIRED at 50. Now at 59. No regrets. Healthy as a rented mule til a month or so ago.

Net worth about 9M. most all self made, except $2M inherited...recently and very painfully/

I did inherit some land from the family that the children will inherit. mentioned above. Plus the earnings since the earnings since I got it. I feel guilty.

So. I set my children up well with education and their future inheritance. I live small, about $40,000 a year.

I am thinking about where to give it to. The children will get what I inherited. I want to help those who need it and have no other source (government) to look for.

My mom passed recently and I was exposed to a couple groups who help people in need that I am considering giving it all to. One is the Ronald McDonald House and the other is St Jude's Children's Hospital,

Anyone with any experience with either ?

I am an orphan myself, someone helped me 59 years ago. I want to give it back.

Thanks all.

We give to St. Jude's annually.
We have no children so we do what we can to help others.
Back in my medical construction days, I got the chance to work at St. Jude's research hospital in Memphis for a week or so. Tugged at your heartstrings to see how resilient and hopeful those little children can be.
According to their website:
"Unlike other hospitals, the majority of our funding comes from individual contributions. And thanks to generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food."
That's our recommendation. Sorry about your news from your doctor. We wish you the best.

 

[Hermit]

Before any large contribution, I think it is worthwhile to look on line at the organiztion's Form 990 and independant audits for the last few years. It is a basic verification that their financial house is in reasonable order and that they are open and honest about their finances.

 

[maxq]

I'm not sure if it has already been mentioned, but the Fisher House Foundation is similar to the Ronald McDonald House idea. They have lodging located on military bases and VA hospital campuses to provide free temporary accommodation to family members of military members or veterans receiving hospital care. I've volunteered at Fisher Houses in San Antonio and Houston. The last time I looked, they had the highest possible rating at Charitynavigator. I'm happily divorced and my daughter is financially very comfortable, so a year or so ago I changed my primary beneficiaries to St Jude and the Fisher House Foundation. An old boss is thrilled with free care her adopted disabled daughter received at Shriners Hospital and the moral support and medical navigation guidance they received, so I need to look into adding that organization also.



Website for further information: https://fisherhouse.org/about/

 

[rrs26ja]

I have given to St Jude for the past 10 years. Its a great cause, the kids who go there get free cancer treatment. I am considering doing a QCD when I become the age of RMD.

 

[braumeister]

That's one of my favorite charities.

I'm not sure if it has already been mentioned, but the Fisher House Foundation is similar to the Ronald McDonald House idea. They have lodging located on military bases and VA hospital campuses to provide free temporary accommodation to family members of military members or veterans receiving hospital care. I've volunteered at Fisher Houses in San Antonio and Houston. The last time I looked, they had the highest possible rating at Charitynavigator. I'm happily divorced and my daughter is financially very comfortable, so a year or so ago I changed my primary beneficiaries to St Jude and the Fisher House Foundation. An old boss is thrilled with free care her adopted disabled daughter received at Shriners Hospital and the moral support and medical navigation guidance they received, so I need to look into adding that organization also.

Website for further information: https://fisherhouse.org/about/

 

[northwetmossbacks]

Here’s an oddball, offbeat suggestion……..

When I went to college (early 80’s), I applied for a very local scholarship where they only loaned out the interest on a large sum of invested money. My obligation was to pay back HALF of it. What a gift that was, as I was paying for my education myself!

It’s just my two cents……but I had always thought that was a brilliant idea! I don’t know how you’d go about it? Maybe set up a trust of some sort & have your kids manage it?? Then they could gift a large sum of money yearly to a charity of your choice every year in perpetuity?? Who better to manage your money?? They’d have a vested interest in seeing that it grows and continues on. If you give it all to a charity, you have no way of knowing if that $$ is going to directly help people or to buy office paper clips??

Again…..I’m pretty ignorant I. This area & this is just my two cents! I wish you luck, whatever you decide.

 

[JeKa]

My Dr gave me some news and it changed my outlook.

I FIRED at 50. Now at 59. No regrets. Healthy as a rented mule til a month or so ago.

Net worth about 9M. most all self made, except $2M inherited...recently and very painfully/

I did inherit some land from the family that the children will inherit. mentioned above. Plus the earnings since the earnings since I got it. I feel guilty.

So. I set my children up well with education and their future inheritance. I live small, about $40,000 a year.

I am thinking about where to give it to. The children will get what I inherited. I want to help those who need it and have no other source (government) to look for.

My mom passed recently and I was exposed to a couple groups who help people in need that I am considering giving it all to. One is the Ronald McDonald House and the other is St Jude's Children's Hospital,

Anyone with any experience with either ?

I am an orphan myself, someone helped me 59 years ago. I want to give it back.

Thanks all.

Experienced with both. Both are good causes and I am sure there are many others just as worthy.

 

[samcat]

Have you thought about giving some away now? Maybe a local organization that helps with those who have issues with housing. We have a local Catholic organization that buys apartments, renovates them and rents them out to low income families. There is another organization in our county that does something similar.

We also have a foundation that provides funds to people who have challenges in the housing area. Those who are being evicted because the landlord wants to sell the house and need to find some place to live but are finding sticker shock because they have lived in the same apartment/house forever.

I'm in the SF Bay Area and there is a huge need for funds to help these people...maybe there is something similar in your area. Instead of giving a lump sum, you could tell them you would give a certain amount each year for five years.

I also personally give to GoFundMes as part of my charitable giving. I'm 58 and have multiple friends going through cancer treatment, etc. One friend is my age, her husband is having a stem cell transplant and she is caring for three grandchildren at home. No income coming in...maybe you know people who are in those situations. Not a lot of work to do...just put in your credit card or send them a check.

I also love St. Jude's (our son lived in Memphis for four years and we fell in love with the city) and Ronald McDonald House! Just trying to think of needs in other areas.

 

[yclipse]

I commonly recommend to clients in your position that they look into a local community foundation. A gift of this size could be used in a number of different ways, and they will usually talk with you about ideas they might have.

 

[OldShooter]

Here’s an oddball, offbeat suggestion……..

When I went to college (early 80’s), I applied for a very local scholarship where they only loaned out the interest on a large sum of invested money. My obligation was to pay back HALF of it. What a gift that was, as I was paying for my education myself!

It’s just my two cents……but I had always thought that was a brilliant idea! I don’t know how you’d go about it? Maybe set up a trust of some sort & have your kids manage it?? Then they could gift a large sum of money yearly to a charity of your choice every year in perpetuity?? Who better to manage your money?? They’d have a vested interest in seeing that it grows and continues on. If you give it all to a charity, you have no way of knowing if that $$ is going to directly help people or to buy office paper clips??

Again…..I’m pretty ignorant I. This area & this is just my two cents! I wish you luck, whatever you decide.

@northwetmossbacks, if you can work with a community foundation what you want to do is pretty easy. The foundation we work with administers a lot of individually-established scholarship funds. I'd guess at least fifty. Each one has eligibility criteria for the person and the school. I think there are some that specify that they are for trade schools, for example. They run the scholarship competitions every spring according to the rules established by each donor.

The foundations actually has a large donor that covers most of their overhead (staff is only 4 people), so the overhead fees I see on our donations are a few percent a year and each account detail is reported separately. I also get credited for my prorata share of their investment income. (https://cof.org/page/community-foundation-locator)