As investors, we are a group of people who are fortunate enough to meet our monthly obligations and have excess capital to invest and meet various personal goals like retirement, funding the education of a child or owning a home. Trying to maximize the returns on our investment and beating the indexes is probably a goal all of us share but some of us also get pleasure from donating to worthwhile causes. If Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors and the world's second richest man, can donate a majority of his fortune to charitable causes, we can also do something in our own small way. The one complaint I hear quite often from people who wish to donate is that it is hard to find good causes and that a large portion of what is donated is lost to administrative overhead.

This page was built to highlight worthwhile causes that address these issues and make a big difference in people's lives. We are open to suggestions and if you have a cause you believe in and donate to, please let us know through our contact form and we will try our best to add a link to it. You may also skip directly to the Current Disaster Relief section.

  The Grameem Foundation: The Grameen Bank was founded by a young economics professor in 1976 to provide microloans to the poor, many of whom live on less than $1 a day. The Grameen Bank requires no collateral and the program has been extremely successful at helping the poor achieve self sustainability. The loan repayment rate is surprisingly high at 98.45%. Every dollar you donate keeps working over and over again and touches many lives. I personally prefer a program like this which invests in the poor rather than giving them a one time handout. Through the Grameen Foundation, you can also designate which country would receive your donation. You can learn more about the Grameen Bank through this excellent PBS program and if you wish to donate to the Grameen Foundation, you can do so here.

  Sankara Eye Foundation: According to Dr. Abdul Kalam, the President of India, "I have seen good service in hospitals, and I have seen devotion in temples and religious centers, but here in SES, I see service combined with devotion". A $30 donation to the Sankara Eye Foundation can sponsor a cataract eye surgery and give the gift of sight. You can learn more and donate to the Sankara Eye Foundation here.

Current Diaster Relief Help and Donations

  The July 18, 2006 Indonesia Tsumani Relief:

Red Cross

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Indonesia Relief

  The July 11, 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings:

Mumbai Help

Detailed Information on Wikipedia