(I am mirroring this from my original post on Dark Christianity and will attempt to update this list much as the original version is updated; there may be some lag between the two versions, though.)
(Part of the reason I am mirroring this here is for wider exposure, and partly in the event that the list hits the LiveJournal limits of post length.) This will also, hopefully, result in a more readable list.)
...but anyways, here's some notes on whom to donate to and whom not to donate to in regards to NOLA relief and dominionist groups. (Very sadly, dominionist groups will run charity groups taking advantage of people who may genuinely want to help. Most of the time, "help" from these groups occurs with substantial strings.)
I am posting this list for folks to not only know of good groups to donate to in regards to NOLA relief, but also so that you can notify workplaces of both the "good guys" and groups to avoid (due to dominionist links). (There are far worthier charities than dominionist groups, and I'd MUCH rather my money go to them than to support "stealth evangelism" and the like)
Good Guys:
American Red Cross (if one is not so worried about scandals in fundraising; some folks don't donate to the Red Cross for that reason)
(I have been notified that people have other objections, including controversies regarding recognition of Adom Mogen David (the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross/Red Cresent societies) and regarding blood donation. Regarding the first--*ALL* blood donation groups, sadly, reject gay/les/bi/trans folks unless for self donation--that is from FDA regulations (and it is an area the FDA needs to change, I completely agree). Secondly, the Adom Mogen David controversy is one with the International Red Cross/Red Cresent Society, not necessarily the American branch thereof (and there are groups in *other* countries that have raised similar objections, including in India and Nepal where Hindu and Buddhist symbols have been proposed as a substitute for the Red Cross/Red Cresent.)
(I have noted the Red Cross *is* controversial and people may wish to donate to other organisations because of controversies with the Red Cross/Red Cresent. I am trying to focus on groups that are either specifically nonsectarian or are affiliated with a church (but do have policies against prosyletisation during disaster ops), and groups to specifically *avoid* due to known links with dominionist groups (i.e. there is a real risk that donations to the group *even for well intended purposes* may be used in support of dominionism). If you have evidence that the Red Cross *is* specifically supporting dominionism, please let me know.)
(For those who have serious objections regarding the ICRC's rejection of official recognition of Magen David Adom (which is ICRC only, the American Red Cross has actually *lobbied* for recognition as noted in a comment below), Magen David Adom *does* have an American branch.)
(For those objecting to the blocking of blood donations by gay/les/bi/trans individuals, I have no good solution. Magen David Adom, the Red Cross, private blood banks/plasma banks, and in fact *all* groups operating blood banks are required to reject gay men due to an FDA directive (again, as noted in a comment below). The only way of fixing that is going to be either donation in a country without such ornerous rules (in which case the blood might not be allowed into the US) or working to get the present administration changed. I do *not* look to see the FDA changing this anytime soon, partly because it failed when Clinton was in office, partly because we had an active dominionist as head of the FDA approvals committee till July, and partly because the FDA is *still* attempting to stonewall emergency contraception availability thanks to dominionist pressure--much less allowing gay men (one of the most demonised populations among dominionists, if not *the* most demonised, anymore) to donate blood.)
Second Harvest (the famous food bank. Originally started as Kentucky Harvest, nonsectarian, good folks all around. They also do not partner with any known blatantly dominionist groups. Some have expressed concern regarding Second Harvest's accounting practices in areas. Those with concerns may wish to give to another food bank service such as Dare To Care, below.)
Dare to Care (a group that is a national food bank but also local (they started out in Louisville, KY). Many national grocery chains, such as Krogers/Albertson's/Giant work with Dare To Care and even allow you to buy prepackaged bags of essential food for needy families (and they give you a tax deduction form for it too--so if you buy a $10 or $20 bag of food, you can take it off on your taxes). You can donate directly, or see if your local supermarket chain works with Dare To Care in your area.)
United Way (the umbrella group for a *lot* of major charities. Nonsectarian, to the point many dominionists don't like them (many dominionist groups also don't like them because they support Planned Parenthood and/or March of Dimes, both of which they've accused of supporting abortion (and the accusation against the March of Dimes is especially bizarre, but also a *very* popular urban legend in the dominionist community)). In some areas there have been questions re financial accountability but they *have* been working on this longterm.)
Presbyterian Disaster Response (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
United Methodist Committee on Relief (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Tzu Chi (a Buddhist charity group that is operating a relief fund)
Lutheran disaster fund (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Mennonite disaster service (Anabaptist religious order (they're "plain folk" like Amish, also pacifist, but do believe in use of modern tools and the like; they do a lot of good charity work))
Mennonite Central Committee (the larger of the Mennonite charities, Canadians may wish to consider this as an option as well)
Catholic Charities USA (generally good folk; do be advised there is controversy on Catholic Charities attempting to deny benefits to same-sex partners, so if this concerns you you may wish to give to a charity associated with denominations more welcoming to gay/les/bi/trans folks or possibly Rainbow Fund or Montrose Counseling Center, below)
United Jewish Committee (also good folk)
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (in the event they may need to call doctors to treat people or run morgues in NOLA; water borne diseases are expected, among other things)
American Radio Relay League (aka ham radio. Seriously. (Right now the *only* method of communication to many areas is through ham radio relay nets.) Hams do a lot of general disaster work as well. As the FCC is considering dropping the morse code requirement for all ham licenses, getting a license will soon be easier than ever.)
Friends Disaster Service (much like the Mennonites, the Society of Friends also does a lot of disaster work)
Hurricane Watch Net(*THE* major net for disaster reports and communication for areas cut off by hurricanes.)
Volunteers of America (an ostenably Christian group but not terribly sectarian and probably a good alternative to the Salvation Army for those who are a bit concerned at the direction the Salvation Army has taken as of late)
REACT International (another group (this one largely working with CB radio operators and ham operators) for communication in areas that have been subjected to disasters)
Habitat for Humanity (ostenably Christian, but again, not one that overtly prosyletises. Jimmy Carter has done much work for them in past; mentioned because Habitat housing is probably going to be *badly* needed if/when New Orleans is rebuilt.)
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (again, good folks all around.)
Humane Society of the US disaster fund (HSUS operates rescue and housing for pets during hurricane evacuations and after storms have hit.)
Noah's Wish (despite the name, they aren't dominionist, they are an animal rescue charity that specialises in disaster rescue and care of animals. Again, good folks all around, and they are actively helping out in the Slidell, LA area in particular. Of note, they do assist in rescue of nontraditional pets (like snakes, "pocket pets" like ratties, etc.) which are occasionally not accepted in HSUS shelters.)
Americares (another non-sectarian international charity group. Good folks all around. They are actively contributing to NOLA relief efforts; Writer's Cafe has a website set up where people can donate via Paypal (http://writerscafe.net/donations.html#fark9).)
Episcopal Relief and Disaster group (another choice for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Direct Relief (another medical assistance group in the same vein as Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres; specialises in disaster area medical assistance)
American Friends Service Committee (another assistance group associated with the Society of Friends)
Feed The Children (after research, I have not found complaints of dominionist activity (and even some evidence dominionists aren't terribly happy with them, partly because Feed the Children has pointed out that prosyletising dominionist "charity" groups have made it much harder for legitimate charities to operate in places like the Middle East), so I am recommending them tentatively as one of the "good guys".)
Plan USA (another children's charity that is explicitly nonsectarian and is taking funds for NOLA relief)
Mercy Corps (a Catholic associated group that does worthwile charity work and is actively soliciting funds for NOLA relief. Not to be confused with "Mercy Ships" (in the "bad guys" section, below) which is associated with Youth With A Mission/Campus Crusade for Christ.)
Montrose Counseling Center (per a post (in the original LJ article) has specifically offered sanctuary and assistance for gay/les/bi/trans individuals from the NOLA area and will be providing medications for HIV+ NOLA refugees)
OxFam (I'd like to thank the readers of Dark Christianity in the Commonwealth countries for reminding folks of OxFam, which isn't terribly publicised in the US. OxFam does a LOT of good work, and definitely do count as "good guys" in this list. (I'm actually sort of embarrassed I didn't remember them, seeing as a friend of mine actually has a link on his website to OxFam's tsunami relief pages! >_<)) Church of the Bretheren Disaster Response (The Bretheren are an Anabaptist group like the Mennonites or Amish, but their disaster response is nonsectarian and they are good folks all around.)
One Great Hour of Sharing ( ecumenical group of multiple mainstream Christian denominations' disaster relief organisations (American Baptist Churches USA, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Church of the Brethren, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ and The United Methodist Church) for NOLA relief)
Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort (whom is working with Americares (see link above) in much the same fashion as Writer's Cafe (and fark.com via Writer's Cafe) are working on assisting Americares)
Hurricane Housing (This is an interesting charity (sponsored by moveon.org); specifically, people are pledging room and board for hurricane victims. If you have a spare room or spare property and live within a few hundred miles of the affected area (especially in Texas) this could be immensely helpful. (As an aside, fark.com actually has a similar program going on in one of its threads where people are offering room and board to hurricane victims.))
Planned Parenthood of Houston (has offered a free month of birth control and/or Plan B emergency contraceptive to NOLA refugees. (I would say it's especially important to support them for two reasons: a) there are already reports of NOLA refugees being raped in shelters and b) dominionist groups are already attacking PP Houston for offering contraception/emergency contraception.)
Rainbow World Fund (a gay/les/bi/trans friendly charity that has been recommended in a livejournal comment in a linker's journal.)
Centers for Independent Living (a group that assists people with various disabilities in housing and jobs. As a substantial number of the NOLA refugees (especially those IN New Orleans still, and who are being evacuated to Houston and Baton Rouge) were in fact unable to get out due to poverty and/or disabilities, and will need help getting back on their feet, this is a good group to help out especially.)
Days End Farm Horse Rescue (A group specialising in large animal/livestock rescue, is cooperating with another animal rescue group)
Code 3 Associates (another group specialising in animal rescue (and working with Days End Farm Horse Rescue) in the Mississippi area)
Additions in regards to non-dominionist charities are appreciated. According to some reports, local United Way groups are also conducting NOLA relief fundraising under their umbrella.
Bad Guys:
Operation Blessing (Pat Robertson's charity group. Has used planes (that were marketed as aid planes for Zairian refugees) to transport equipment for his own mining ops: http://www.au.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5489&abbr=cs_ and http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Operation_Blessing_International have further info; promoted by AFA. Funds to this group (based on prior history) will likely not only support dominionism but things like threats to world leaders and the trade in "blood diamonds".)
Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief (as noted multiple times here, the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest dominionist denomination in the US (having hijacked the seminary and church leadership some fifteen years ago). The Southern Baptist Convention's purges in its seminary in Louisville have literally destroyed a world-renowned school of social works.)
Convoy of Hope (group that specialises in "stealth evangelism" in its fundraising and is a "shell organisation" operated by the Assemblies of God, another large dominionist denomination; the group is located in Springfield, MO very near the AoG world headquarters, and is heavily promoted on the AoG's website. Do not give to this group; The Assemblies of God as a denomination is dominionist in its official church policy and also advocates "stealth evangelism" as official policy; the AoG is also directly linked with dominionist parties in both the US and Australia. "Convoy of Hope" is de facto the charity wing of the AoG and an example of the "stealth evangelism" practiced in this group; also keep in mind the AoG as a denomination is a coercive religious group. Trust me, speaking as a walkaway--you don't want ANY of your funds going here.)
We Care America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God; see here and here for more details)
KidCare America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God)
We Care For Youth (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God)
Dream Center of Los Angeles (another "front group" operated by the Assemblies of God, per the following Wikipedia article; has been tied to specific complaints of prosyletisation and mistreatment of evacuees (see post on Hurricane FEMA LJ community here; is also promoted by dominionist groups)
Adventures in Missions (a dominionist "mission" group promoted by the dominionist Traditional Values Coalition; ran a "host family" service that required a statement of faith from host families, refugees and ministers; has now abandoned this and now directing "missionary teams" to area to practice "stealth evangelism" to refugees (without actually helping them); requires statement of faith from volunteers; is apparently charity set up for the sole purpose of "stealth evangelism")
Christian Disaster Response (a dominionist charity operated by "One Way Ministries" (a group in the
American Evangelical Christian Church, a pentecostal denomination))
World Harvest (a dominionist group with several international branches. Site is presently down, but Wayback Machine archives available. Is heavily promoted by Focus on the Family; see http://family-topics.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family_topics.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=16200. In Wayback Machine archives, the list of sponsors is potentially even more troubling (see http://web.archive.org/web/20010614150355/www.worldharvest.cc/about.html). "World Harvest" in and of itself (much like "World Prayer Center") is a dominionist buzzword anyways.)
Mission of Mercy (a dominionist children's charity associated with Bethseda Christian, a dominionist church in the Colorado Springs area. Associated with what I term the Colorado Springs Complex of dominionist groups)
International Mission Board (another website operated by the Southern Baptist Convention; as noted above, SBC is blatantly dominionist; promoted by both FotF and AFA)
World Relief (another dominionist charity that largely operates in the dominionist "shadow economy" and is promoted largely by dominionist evangelical groups; promoted by both Focus on the Family and American Family Association)
Samaritan's Purse (Billy/Franklin Graham's charity group. Both Billy and Franklin Graham have been known to espouse dominionist statements in past, Franklin especially so. Per a report from someone who has sought employment with them. non-dominionists are not considered for employment and employees are required to have a reference from a pastor as well as a "testimonial of faith" on resumes for employment. Also is working with known dominionist group Traditional Values Coalition in promoting a "refugee adoption" scheme that requires statements of faith from both participating churches and refugees.)
Mercy Ships (appears to be a dominionist "shadow economy" alternative to Doctors Without Borders. The fact that the major groups endorsing them are Focus on the Family and the President (who has links to dominionist groups and is likely a dominionist himself) tends to make one very leery. Practices stealth evangelism; had to do a fair amount of digging on the site to see that they do explicitly market themselves as a Christian group; a further websearch (http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/ywam.htm) shows they are specifically affiliated with Youth With A Mission, a dominionist group that is known for coercive religious tactics that specialises in stealth evangelism to school students. (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/ywamstory.html and http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/youthwithamission.html have further info on Youth With A Mission in general, and also includes mention of the "Mercy Ships"). Per some info (http://www.rickross.com/reference/youth/youth6.html) YWAM may qualify as a front group for the Assemblies of God; the link between YWAM and the AoG is confirmed by the AoG's own website (http://intercultural.ag.org/im_involved_donor.cfm).)
Global Hope Network (another dominionist charity promoted by Focus on the Family; promotes a group, "International Foundation of Hope", which is part of the "Colorado Springs Complex" of dominionist groups)
International Foundation of Hope (the aforementioned dominionist charity in question that is part of the Colorado Springs Complex of dominionist groups)
Christian Emergency Network (a group that is almost entirely funded by dominionist denominations and groups (per http://www.centoday.com/about_cen/partner_list.php)
Churches of Christ Disaster Relief (the Churches of Christ have often been noted for dominionist activity, and this organisation in particular does have disturbing reports regarding it; see http://tinyurl.com/95v58 for info on, among other things, psychological abuse of children by orphanages operated by this group. The Churches of Christ are also known to be a coercive religious group, specifically practicing "shepherding" (a particularly nasty type of religious coercion wherein the church is split up into "cells" with members of the cells watching over each other to make sure they toe the party line): http://web.archive.org/web/20030811181111/www.vcnet.com/measures/TDD.01.html has more info. One of the major founders seems to be Tusculum Church of Christ in Nashville, which apparently does have shepherding groups (http://www.tusculum.org/ministry/homegroup.shtml) so I would be inclined to place it as one of the potentially coercive groups. A brief perusal of the website of another group founding this org, Granny White Church of Christ in Nashville, also seems to back this up: http://www.grannywhitechurch.com/coc.htm))
(This group should not be confused with the United Church of Christ, which is actually an accepting group; there are *multiple* church denominations using "Church of Christ", including the International Churches of Christ (which are known to be coercive).)
MAP International (another group apparently meant as a "Christian alternative" to Doctors Without Borders, admits on its own website they explicitly prosyletise to people and other statements indicate dominionist worldview; it also appears that the only groups certifying them are various evangelical "accountability groups" like the National Association of Evangelicals, which is in itself suspicious)
World Emergency Relief (an explicitly dominionist/"Christian Supremacist" charity group (they literally will not work with non-evangelical charity groups, and follows guidelines of another dominionist charity group, AERDO (see below); per a related entry for Northwest Medical Teams below the group may be the hospital-evangelism extension of the National Association of Evangelicals, a group now run by Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs)
AERDO 2nd link (an umbrella group for multiple dominionist charity groups; almost all the dominionist groups listed above are in their members list (http://www.aerdo.net/Members/Home.lsp) including MAP International and (sadly) World Vision and Salvation Army as well. Many of the links are not even to charities but explicitly dominionist groups (including "Harvest Foundation" a group dedicated to exporting dominionism, as well as groups practicing "creation care" aka dominionist "wise-use". One of the major speakers for AERDO is Chip Ingram, a "Christian counselor" who is blatantly dominionist (see http://mercy4you.tripod.com/links/id15.html for info) and has, among other things, promoted the "women should be subservient to their husband as their husband is to God" sort of deal up to and including telling women they should not pay bills. AERDO affiliates are required to sign a statement of faith that they operate under the statement of faith of the National Association of Evangelicals (presently a dominionist organisation itself, whose president is also the lead pastor of "New Life Ministries", a Colorado Springs megachurch at the heart of much of the dominionist movement in the US); AERDO's statement is at http://www.aerdo.net/AboutAerdo/PrinciplesofPractice.lsp and NAE's statement of faith at http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=nae.statement_of_faith)
Scientology Volunteer Ministers (Whilst not "Avengelical"/dominionist, is part of a group well known for coercive activity and with practices similar to dominionists (yes, Scientology has its own form of dominionism, termed "clearing the planet"). More info on Scientology itself at http://www.xenu.org)
Salvation Army (Sadly, new information (listed below) has forced me to list this group as dominionist; see below. Supportive of dominionist groups like "Operation Blessing" and also having restrictions on funding; has used homeless groups to fight initiatives for Fairness Ordinances and has actually threatened to close soup kitchens and homeless shelters in areas whose Fairness Ordinances require offering benefits to partners of gay/les/bi/trans individuals (http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/052404salArm.htm has info); dominionist groups have supported them in this (see http://www.cwfa.org/articles/7003/CFI/freedom/) and many gay/les/bi/trans groups are boycotting as a result; this has included lobbying of known dominionists in the government by the Salvation Army (see http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=12718). Has fired people who are openly pagan from Salvation Army aid centers (http://www.holysmoke.org/wicca/cwr1-03.htm). Some people have reported that the Salvation Army (as church; yes, it is actually a Calvinist church with a pseudo-militia structure) may be a coercive religious group: see http://journals.aol.com/timblair0/TIMBLAIRUSARMYVIETNAMVETERAN/entries/332. Is a member of AERDO, which is an "umbrella group" of dominionist-friendly charities.)
(http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050904143609990007 specifically has an article detailing some of the dominionist theology of the Salvation Army, which includes elements of "deliverance ministry"/"spiritual warfare". Because of this and other reports, sadly, the Salvation Army must squarely be listed as "bad guys" and people strongly recommended NOT to donate to them.)
(I have also found further evidence of the general coercive tactics and support for dominionism: http://www.danmahony.com/wp6.htm)
AFA Adopt-A-Family Program (a program operated by the dominionist/Avengelical group "American Family Association", one of the most vociferously antigay/antiwoman/anti-anything-not-Avengelical groups in the US; per the site's own literature only dominionists will be accepted into the program (references are required from a pastor for being allowed to room with a host family); this same group has also claimed that Hurricane Katrina itself was an act of divine retribution for (among other things) allowing Mardi Gras to continue and tolerating gay/les/bi/trans individuals and practitioners of Voudon (http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/22005b.asp) and has tolerated state affiliates stating the same thing (http://www.livejournal.com/~pattiquest/153516.html documents, for starters).)
Northwest Medical Teams (group that is listed as AERDO member, linked with AoG frontgroup Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2004/04/prayer_breakfas.html); per this post may also be linked with FotF front groups targeting ministers)
World Vision (Again, much like the Salvation Army, new info has forced me to add this to the "bad guys" list. Historically has had a reputation of being a reliable charity but has also had reports, much like the Salvation Army, of support from or supporting dominionist groups; is promoted by Focus on the Family (http://family-topics.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family_topics.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=16200) and whilst World Vision does promote condom distribution in African countries for HIV prevention they have taken official policies, in particular regarding homosexuality and church/state issues, which are troubling (see http://www.worldvision.org.uk/worldviewarchive/worldview60.html). I would be inclined to state that, like the Salvation Army, people who are concerned about money possibly being used to support dominionist causes would wish to avoid this charity. One should be aware that the blatantly dominionist group AERDO actively lists both World Vision and Salvation Army as members. New info has come out that the CEO of World Vision, Ted Engstrom, is in fact a voting member of the board of directors for Focus on the Family (see http://www.family.org/welcome/financials/2005annualreport.pdf from FotF itself, or FotF's form 990 for 2005 (http://204.203.220.33/EINS/953188150/953188150_2004_022B6E46.PDF) for more info); with the revelation that their head is one of the prime directors of the largest dominionist group in the US, I am forced to place World Vision in the "bad guys" section and cannot recommend in good faith that people donate to them.)
Groups not blatantly dominionist, but of concern for various reasons (including support of dominionists):
Seventh Day Adventist charity association (Have heard some reports of coercive religious activity among 7th Day Adventists, have not seen reports of blatant prosyletisation in centers they run, but again, could appreciate correction. Some of the official church statements do tend to be disturbing, though (http://www.churchstate.org/ which promotes the "there is no separation of church and state" canard), for instance)
Notes:
Further commentary (including additions to lists of Good Charities/Bad Charities and additional info on "charities of concern") is greatly appreciated. (I actually want to get a good list together so that people who want to donate but don't want to risk their money being diverted towards dominionist groups can have a resource for "responsible donation". The people of New Orleans are going to need a LOT of help in the coming years, and I want them to be able to be helped without being preyed upon by dominionists.)
As noted above, I am *strongly* requesting feedback regarding listing of AERDO associated groups as definitely dominionist-linked. (AERDO seems pretty hard dominionist as do most of the groups; I ask for the input because if we list all AERDO members as "bad guys", both World Vision and the Salvation Army go from the "iffy, you may not want to donate" to the "avoid like the plague". AERDO's general activity concerns me enough I am considering doing just that, but again, would appreciate feedback from others.)
List of "Good Guys/Bad Guys" will be periodically updated on the main page. I will keep updating this until LJ begins to complain that it won't accept the list anymore (after which point I'll note that further groups of note are in the comments). You all have been *extremely* helpful in your suggestions and providing links to both good guys and bad guys, as well as distributing the list. (Should anyone wish to mirror the contents, feel free.)
http://www.give.org/reports/index.asp has a list from the Better Business Bureau regarding financial accountability of organisations, including a specific list for NOLA relief groups.
This list is now mirrored (in slightly different format) at http://nola-biglist.blogspot.com; the original is always at the link at Dark Christianity above.
If anyone is reading this via a link from someone else's blog or journal, feel free to add a comment with a group (either a "good guy" group, info on a group listed, or a listing of a group to avoid) and I'll add to both listings till the LJ post can't hold any more; at that point, the BlogSpot mirror will become the main resource and I'll link to it from the LJ article.
(Part of the reason I am mirroring this here is for wider exposure, and partly in the event that the list hits the LiveJournal limits of post length.) This will also, hopefully, result in a more readable list.)
...but anyways, here's some notes on whom to donate to and whom not to donate to in regards to NOLA relief and dominionist groups. (Very sadly, dominionist groups will run charity groups taking advantage of people who may genuinely want to help. Most of the time, "help" from these groups occurs with substantial strings.)
I am posting this list for folks to not only know of good groups to donate to in regards to NOLA relief, but also so that you can notify workplaces of both the "good guys" and groups to avoid (due to dominionist links). (There are far worthier charities than dominionist groups, and I'd MUCH rather my money go to them than to support "stealth evangelism" and the like)
Good Guys:
American Red Cross (if one is not so worried about scandals in fundraising; some folks don't donate to the Red Cross for that reason)
(I have been notified that people have other objections, including controversies regarding recognition of Adom Mogen David (the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross/Red Cresent societies) and regarding blood donation. Regarding the first--*ALL* blood donation groups, sadly, reject gay/les/bi/trans folks unless for self donation--that is from FDA regulations (and it is an area the FDA needs to change, I completely agree). Secondly, the Adom Mogen David controversy is one with the International Red Cross/Red Cresent Society, not necessarily the American branch thereof (and there are groups in *other* countries that have raised similar objections, including in India and Nepal where Hindu and Buddhist symbols have been proposed as a substitute for the Red Cross/Red Cresent.)
(I have noted the Red Cross *is* controversial and people may wish to donate to other organisations because of controversies with the Red Cross/Red Cresent. I am trying to focus on groups that are either specifically nonsectarian or are affiliated with a church (but do have policies against prosyletisation during disaster ops), and groups to specifically *avoid* due to known links with dominionist groups (i.e. there is a real risk that donations to the group *even for well intended purposes* may be used in support of dominionism). If you have evidence that the Red Cross *is* specifically supporting dominionism, please let me know.)
(For those who have serious objections regarding the ICRC's rejection of official recognition of Magen David Adom (which is ICRC only, the American Red Cross has actually *lobbied* for recognition as noted in a comment below), Magen David Adom *does* have an American branch.)
(For those objecting to the blocking of blood donations by gay/les/bi/trans individuals, I have no good solution. Magen David Adom, the Red Cross, private blood banks/plasma banks, and in fact *all* groups operating blood banks are required to reject gay men due to an FDA directive (again, as noted in a comment below). The only way of fixing that is going to be either donation in a country without such ornerous rules (in which case the blood might not be allowed into the US) or working to get the present administration changed. I do *not* look to see the FDA changing this anytime soon, partly because it failed when Clinton was in office, partly because we had an active dominionist as head of the FDA approvals committee till July, and partly because the FDA is *still* attempting to stonewall emergency contraception availability thanks to dominionist pressure--much less allowing gay men (one of the most demonised populations among dominionists, if not *the* most demonised, anymore) to donate blood.)
Second Harvest (the famous food bank. Originally started as Kentucky Harvest, nonsectarian, good folks all around. They also do not partner with any known blatantly dominionist groups. Some have expressed concern regarding Second Harvest's accounting practices in areas. Those with concerns may wish to give to another food bank service such as Dare To Care, below.)
Dare to Care (a group that is a national food bank but also local (they started out in Louisville, KY). Many national grocery chains, such as Krogers/Albertson's/Giant work with Dare To Care and even allow you to buy prepackaged bags of essential food for needy families (and they give you a tax deduction form for it too--so if you buy a $10 or $20 bag of food, you can take it off on your taxes). You can donate directly, or see if your local supermarket chain works with Dare To Care in your area.)
United Way (the umbrella group for a *lot* of major charities. Nonsectarian, to the point many dominionists don't like them (many dominionist groups also don't like them because they support Planned Parenthood and/or March of Dimes, both of which they've accused of supporting abortion (and the accusation against the March of Dimes is especially bizarre, but also a *very* popular urban legend in the dominionist community)). In some areas there have been questions re financial accountability but they *have* been working on this longterm.)
Presbyterian Disaster Response (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
United Methodist Committee on Relief (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Tzu Chi (a Buddhist charity group that is operating a relief fund)
Lutheran disaster fund (for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Mennonite disaster service (Anabaptist religious order (they're "plain folk" like Amish, also pacifist, but do believe in use of modern tools and the like; they do a lot of good charity work))
Mennonite Central Committee (the larger of the Mennonite charities, Canadians may wish to consider this as an option as well)
Catholic Charities USA (generally good folk; do be advised there is controversy on Catholic Charities attempting to deny benefits to same-sex partners, so if this concerns you you may wish to give to a charity associated with denominations more welcoming to gay/les/bi/trans folks or possibly Rainbow Fund or Montrose Counseling Center, below)
United Jewish Committee (also good folk)
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (in the event they may need to call doctors to treat people or run morgues in NOLA; water borne diseases are expected, among other things)
American Radio Relay League (aka ham radio. Seriously. (Right now the *only* method of communication to many areas is through ham radio relay nets.) Hams do a lot of general disaster work as well. As the FCC is considering dropping the morse code requirement for all ham licenses, getting a license will soon be easier than ever.)
Friends Disaster Service (much like the Mennonites, the Society of Friends also does a lot of disaster work)
Hurricane Watch Net(*THE* major net for disaster reports and communication for areas cut off by hurricanes.)
Volunteers of America (an ostenably Christian group but not terribly sectarian and probably a good alternative to the Salvation Army for those who are a bit concerned at the direction the Salvation Army has taken as of late)
REACT International (another group (this one largely working with CB radio operators and ham operators) for communication in areas that have been subjected to disasters)
Habitat for Humanity (ostenably Christian, but again, not one that overtly prosyletises. Jimmy Carter has done much work for them in past; mentioned because Habitat housing is probably going to be *badly* needed if/when New Orleans is rebuilt.)
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (again, good folks all around.)
Humane Society of the US disaster fund (HSUS operates rescue and housing for pets during hurricane evacuations and after storms have hit.)
Noah's Wish (despite the name, they aren't dominionist, they are an animal rescue charity that specialises in disaster rescue and care of animals. Again, good folks all around, and they are actively helping out in the Slidell, LA area in particular. Of note, they do assist in rescue of nontraditional pets (like snakes, "pocket pets" like ratties, etc.) which are occasionally not accepted in HSUS shelters.)
Americares (another non-sectarian international charity group. Good folks all around. They are actively contributing to NOLA relief efforts; Writer's Cafe has a website set up where people can donate via Paypal (http://writerscafe.net/donations.html#fark9).)
Episcopal Relief and Disaster group (another choice for those wishing to donate to mainstream Christian groups)
Direct Relief (another medical assistance group in the same vein as Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres; specialises in disaster area medical assistance)
American Friends Service Committee (another assistance group associated with the Society of Friends)
Feed The Children (after research, I have not found complaints of dominionist activity (and even some evidence dominionists aren't terribly happy with them, partly because Feed the Children has pointed out that prosyletising dominionist "charity" groups have made it much harder for legitimate charities to operate in places like the Middle East), so I am recommending them tentatively as one of the "good guys".)
Plan USA (another children's charity that is explicitly nonsectarian and is taking funds for NOLA relief)
Mercy Corps (a Catholic associated group that does worthwile charity work and is actively soliciting funds for NOLA relief. Not to be confused with "Mercy Ships" (in the "bad guys" section, below) which is associated with Youth With A Mission/Campus Crusade for Christ.)
Montrose Counseling Center (per a post (in the original LJ article) has specifically offered sanctuary and assistance for gay/les/bi/trans individuals from the NOLA area and will be providing medications for HIV+ NOLA refugees)
OxFam (I'd like to thank the readers of Dark Christianity in the Commonwealth countries for reminding folks of OxFam, which isn't terribly publicised in the US. OxFam does a LOT of good work, and definitely do count as "good guys" in this list. (I'm actually sort of embarrassed I didn't remember them, seeing as a friend of mine actually has a link on his website to OxFam's tsunami relief pages! >_<)) Church of the Bretheren Disaster Response (The Bretheren are an Anabaptist group like the Mennonites or Amish, but their disaster response is nonsectarian and they are good folks all around.)
One Great Hour of Sharing ( ecumenical group of multiple mainstream Christian denominations' disaster relief organisations (American Baptist Churches USA, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Church of the Brethren, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ and The United Methodist Church) for NOLA relief)
Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort (whom is working with Americares (see link above) in much the same fashion as Writer's Cafe (and fark.com via Writer's Cafe) are working on assisting Americares)
Hurricane Housing (This is an interesting charity (sponsored by moveon.org); specifically, people are pledging room and board for hurricane victims. If you have a spare room or spare property and live within a few hundred miles of the affected area (especially in Texas) this could be immensely helpful. (As an aside, fark.com actually has a similar program going on in one of its threads where people are offering room and board to hurricane victims.))
Planned Parenthood of Houston (has offered a free month of birth control and/or Plan B emergency contraceptive to NOLA refugees. (I would say it's especially important to support them for two reasons: a) there are already reports of NOLA refugees being raped in shelters and b) dominionist groups are already attacking PP Houston for offering contraception/emergency contraception.)
Rainbow World Fund (a gay/les/bi/trans friendly charity that has been recommended in a livejournal comment in a linker's journal.)
Centers for Independent Living (a group that assists people with various disabilities in housing and jobs. As a substantial number of the NOLA refugees (especially those IN New Orleans still, and who are being evacuated to Houston and Baton Rouge) were in fact unable to get out due to poverty and/or disabilities, and will need help getting back on their feet, this is a good group to help out especially.)
Days End Farm Horse Rescue (A group specialising in large animal/livestock rescue, is cooperating with another animal rescue group)
Code 3 Associates (another group specialising in animal rescue (and working with Days End Farm Horse Rescue) in the Mississippi area)
Additions in regards to non-dominionist charities are appreciated. According to some reports, local United Way groups are also conducting NOLA relief fundraising under their umbrella.
Bad Guys:
Operation Blessing (Pat Robertson's charity group. Has used planes (that were marketed as aid planes for Zairian refugees) to transport equipment for his own mining ops: http://www.au.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5489&abbr=cs_ and http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Operation_Blessing_International have further info; promoted by AFA. Funds to this group (based on prior history) will likely not only support dominionism but things like threats to world leaders and the trade in "blood diamonds".)
Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief (as noted multiple times here, the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest dominionist denomination in the US (having hijacked the seminary and church leadership some fifteen years ago). The Southern Baptist Convention's purges in its seminary in Louisville have literally destroyed a world-renowned school of social works.)
Convoy of Hope (group that specialises in "stealth evangelism" in its fundraising and is a "shell organisation" operated by the Assemblies of God, another large dominionist denomination; the group is located in Springfield, MO very near the AoG world headquarters, and is heavily promoted on the AoG's website. Do not give to this group; The Assemblies of God as a denomination is dominionist in its official church policy and also advocates "stealth evangelism" as official policy; the AoG is also directly linked with dominionist parties in both the US and Australia. "Convoy of Hope" is de facto the charity wing of the AoG and an example of the "stealth evangelism" practiced in this group; also keep in mind the AoG as a denomination is a coercive religious group. Trust me, speaking as a walkaway--you don't want ANY of your funds going here.)
We Care America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God; see here and here for more details)
KidCare America (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God)
We Care For Youth (another "front group" charity associated with the Assemblies of God)
Dream Center of Los Angeles (another "front group" operated by the Assemblies of God, per the following Wikipedia article; has been tied to specific complaints of prosyletisation and mistreatment of evacuees (see post on Hurricane FEMA LJ community here; is also promoted by dominionist groups)
Adventures in Missions (a dominionist "mission" group promoted by the dominionist Traditional Values Coalition; ran a "host family" service that required a statement of faith from host families, refugees and ministers; has now abandoned this and now directing "missionary teams" to area to practice "stealth evangelism" to refugees (without actually helping them); requires statement of faith from volunteers; is apparently charity set up for the sole purpose of "stealth evangelism")
Christian Disaster Response (a dominionist charity operated by "One Way Ministries" (a group in the
American Evangelical Christian Church, a pentecostal denomination))
World Harvest (a dominionist group with several international branches. Site is presently down, but Wayback Machine archives available. Is heavily promoted by Focus on the Family; see http://family-topics.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family_topics.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=16200. In Wayback Machine archives, the list of sponsors is potentially even more troubling (see http://web.archive.org/web/20010614150355/www.worldharvest.cc/about.html). "World Harvest" in and of itself (much like "World Prayer Center") is a dominionist buzzword anyways.)
Mission of Mercy (a dominionist children's charity associated with Bethseda Christian, a dominionist church in the Colorado Springs area. Associated with what I term the Colorado Springs Complex of dominionist groups)
International Mission Board (another website operated by the Southern Baptist Convention; as noted above, SBC is blatantly dominionist; promoted by both FotF and AFA)
World Relief (another dominionist charity that largely operates in the dominionist "shadow economy" and is promoted largely by dominionist evangelical groups; promoted by both Focus on the Family and American Family Association)
Samaritan's Purse (Billy/Franklin Graham's charity group. Both Billy and Franklin Graham have been known to espouse dominionist statements in past, Franklin especially so. Per a report from someone who has sought employment with them. non-dominionists are not considered for employment and employees are required to have a reference from a pastor as well as a "testimonial of faith" on resumes for employment. Also is working with known dominionist group Traditional Values Coalition in promoting a "refugee adoption" scheme that requires statements of faith from both participating churches and refugees.)
Mercy Ships (appears to be a dominionist "shadow economy" alternative to Doctors Without Borders. The fact that the major groups endorsing them are Focus on the Family and the President (who has links to dominionist groups and is likely a dominionist himself) tends to make one very leery. Practices stealth evangelism; had to do a fair amount of digging on the site to see that they do explicitly market themselves as a Christian group; a further websearch (http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/ywam.htm) shows they are specifically affiliated with Youth With A Mission, a dominionist group that is known for coercive religious tactics that specialises in stealth evangelism to school students. (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/ywamstory.html and http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/youthwithamission.html have further info on Youth With A Mission in general, and also includes mention of the "Mercy Ships"). Per some info (http://www.rickross.com/reference/youth/youth6.html) YWAM may qualify as a front group for the Assemblies of God; the link between YWAM and the AoG is confirmed by the AoG's own website (http://intercultural.ag.org/im_involved_donor.cfm).)
Global Hope Network (another dominionist charity promoted by Focus on the Family; promotes a group, "International Foundation of Hope", which is part of the "Colorado Springs Complex" of dominionist groups)
International Foundation of Hope (the aforementioned dominionist charity in question that is part of the Colorado Springs Complex of dominionist groups)
Christian Emergency Network (a group that is almost entirely funded by dominionist denominations and groups (per http://www.centoday.com/about_cen/partner_list.php)
Churches of Christ Disaster Relief (the Churches of Christ have often been noted for dominionist activity, and this organisation in particular does have disturbing reports regarding it; see http://tinyurl.com/95v58 for info on, among other things, psychological abuse of children by orphanages operated by this group. The Churches of Christ are also known to be a coercive religious group, specifically practicing "shepherding" (a particularly nasty type of religious coercion wherein the church is split up into "cells" with members of the cells watching over each other to make sure they toe the party line): http://web.archive.org/web/20030811181111/www.vcnet.com/measures/TDD.01.html has more info. One of the major founders seems to be Tusculum Church of Christ in Nashville, which apparently does have shepherding groups (http://www.tusculum.org/ministry/homegroup.shtml) so I would be inclined to place it as one of the potentially coercive groups. A brief perusal of the website of another group founding this org, Granny White Church of Christ in Nashville, also seems to back this up: http://www.grannywhitechurch.com/coc.htm))
(This group should not be confused with the United Church of Christ, which is actually an accepting group; there are *multiple* church denominations using "Church of Christ", including the International Churches of Christ (which are known to be coercive).)
MAP International (another group apparently meant as a "Christian alternative" to Doctors Without Borders, admits on its own website they explicitly prosyletise to people and other statements indicate dominionist worldview; it also appears that the only groups certifying them are various evangelical "accountability groups" like the National Association of Evangelicals, which is in itself suspicious)
World Emergency Relief (an explicitly dominionist/"Christian Supremacist" charity group (they literally will not work with non-evangelical charity groups, and follows guidelines of another dominionist charity group, AERDO (see below); per a related entry for Northwest Medical Teams below the group may be the hospital-evangelism extension of the National Association of Evangelicals, a group now run by Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs)
AERDO 2nd link (an umbrella group for multiple dominionist charity groups; almost all the dominionist groups listed above are in their members list (http://www.aerdo.net/Members/Home.lsp) including MAP International and (sadly) World Vision and Salvation Army as well. Many of the links are not even to charities but explicitly dominionist groups (including "Harvest Foundation" a group dedicated to exporting dominionism, as well as groups practicing "creation care" aka dominionist "wise-use". One of the major speakers for AERDO is Chip Ingram, a "Christian counselor" who is blatantly dominionist (see http://mercy4you.tripod.com/links/id15.html for info) and has, among other things, promoted the "women should be subservient to their husband as their husband is to God" sort of deal up to and including telling women they should not pay bills. AERDO affiliates are required to sign a statement of faith that they operate under the statement of faith of the National Association of Evangelicals (presently a dominionist organisation itself, whose president is also the lead pastor of "New Life Ministries", a Colorado Springs megachurch at the heart of much of the dominionist movement in the US); AERDO's statement is at http://www.aerdo.net/AboutAerdo/PrinciplesofPractice.lsp and NAE's statement of faith at http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=nae.statement_of_faith)
Scientology Volunteer Ministers (Whilst not "Avengelical"/dominionist, is part of a group well known for coercive activity and with practices similar to dominionists (yes, Scientology has its own form of dominionism, termed "clearing the planet"). More info on Scientology itself at http://www.xenu.org)
Salvation Army (Sadly, new information (listed below) has forced me to list this group as dominionist; see below. Supportive of dominionist groups like "Operation Blessing" and also having restrictions on funding; has used homeless groups to fight initiatives for Fairness Ordinances and has actually threatened to close soup kitchens and homeless shelters in areas whose Fairness Ordinances require offering benefits to partners of gay/les/bi/trans individuals (http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/052404salArm.htm has info); dominionist groups have supported them in this (see http://www.cwfa.org/articles/7003/CFI/freedom/) and many gay/les/bi/trans groups are boycotting as a result; this has included lobbying of known dominionists in the government by the Salvation Army (see http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?ItemID=12718). Has fired people who are openly pagan from Salvation Army aid centers (http://www.holysmoke.org/wicca/cwr1-03.htm). Some people have reported that the Salvation Army (as church; yes, it is actually a Calvinist church with a pseudo-militia structure) may be a coercive religious group: see http://journals.aol.com/timblair0/TIMBLAIRUSARMYVIETNAMVETERAN/entries/332. Is a member of AERDO, which is an "umbrella group" of dominionist-friendly charities.)
(http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050904143609990007 specifically has an article detailing some of the dominionist theology of the Salvation Army, which includes elements of "deliverance ministry"/"spiritual warfare". Because of this and other reports, sadly, the Salvation Army must squarely be listed as "bad guys" and people strongly recommended NOT to donate to them.)
(I have also found further evidence of the general coercive tactics and support for dominionism: http://www.danmahony.com/wp6.htm)
AFA Adopt-A-Family Program (a program operated by the dominionist/Avengelical group "American Family Association", one of the most vociferously antigay/antiwoman/anti-anything-not-Avengelical groups in the US; per the site's own literature only dominionists will be accepted into the program (references are required from a pastor for being allowed to room with a host family); this same group has also claimed that Hurricane Katrina itself was an act of divine retribution for (among other things) allowing Mardi Gras to continue and tolerating gay/les/bi/trans individuals and practitioners of Voudon (http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/9/22005b.asp) and has tolerated state affiliates stating the same thing (http://www.livejournal.com/~pattiquest/153516.html documents, for starters).)
Northwest Medical Teams (group that is listed as AERDO member, linked with AoG frontgroup Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (http://chuckcurrie.blogs.com/chuck_currie/2004/04/prayer_breakfas.html); per this post may also be linked with FotF front groups targeting ministers)
World Vision (Again, much like the Salvation Army, new info has forced me to add this to the "bad guys" list. Historically has had a reputation of being a reliable charity but has also had reports, much like the Salvation Army, of support from or supporting dominionist groups; is promoted by Focus on the Family (http://family-topics.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family_topics.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=16200) and whilst World Vision does promote condom distribution in African countries for HIV prevention they have taken official policies, in particular regarding homosexuality and church/state issues, which are troubling (see http://www.worldvision.org.uk/worldviewarchive/worldview60.html). I would be inclined to state that, like the Salvation Army, people who are concerned about money possibly being used to support dominionist causes would wish to avoid this charity. One should be aware that the blatantly dominionist group AERDO actively lists both World Vision and Salvation Army as members. New info has come out that the CEO of World Vision, Ted Engstrom, is in fact a voting member of the board of directors for Focus on the Family (see http://www.family.org/welcome/financials/2005annualreport.pdf from FotF itself, or FotF's form 990 for 2005 (http://204.203.220.33/EINS/953188150/953188150_2004_022B6E46.PDF) for more info); with the revelation that their head is one of the prime directors of the largest dominionist group in the US, I am forced to place World Vision in the "bad guys" section and cannot recommend in good faith that people donate to them.)
Groups not blatantly dominionist, but of concern for various reasons (including support of dominionists):
Seventh Day Adventist charity association (Have heard some reports of coercive religious activity among 7th Day Adventists, have not seen reports of blatant prosyletisation in centers they run, but again, could appreciate correction. Some of the official church statements do tend to be disturbing, though (http://www.churchstate.org/ which promotes the "there is no separation of church and state" canard), for instance)
Notes:
Further commentary (including additions to lists of Good Charities/Bad Charities and additional info on "charities of concern") is greatly appreciated. (I actually want to get a good list together so that people who want to donate but don't want to risk their money being diverted towards dominionist groups can have a resource for "responsible donation". The people of New Orleans are going to need a LOT of help in the coming years, and I want them to be able to be helped without being preyed upon by dominionists.)
As noted above, I am *strongly* requesting feedback regarding listing of AERDO associated groups as definitely dominionist-linked. (AERDO seems pretty hard dominionist as do most of the groups; I ask for the input because if we list all AERDO members as "bad guys", both World Vision and the Salvation Army go from the "iffy, you may not want to donate" to the "avoid like the plague". AERDO's general activity concerns me enough I am considering doing just that, but again, would appreciate feedback from others.)
List of "Good Guys/Bad Guys" will be periodically updated on the main page. I will keep updating this until LJ begins to complain that it won't accept the list anymore (after which point I'll note that further groups of note are in the comments). You all have been *extremely* helpful in your suggestions and providing links to both good guys and bad guys, as well as distributing the list. (Should anyone wish to mirror the contents, feel free.)
http://www.give.org/reports/index.asp has a list from the Better Business Bureau regarding financial accountability of organisations, including a specific list for NOLA relief groups.
This list is now mirrored (in slightly different format) at http://nola-biglist.blogspot.com; the original is always at the link at Dark Christianity above.
If anyone is reading this via a link from someone else's blog or journal, feel free to add a comment with a group (either a "good guy" group, info on a group listed, or a listing of a group to avoid) and I'll add to both listings till the LJ post can't hold any more; at that point, the BlogSpot mirror will become the main resource and I'll link to it from the LJ article.
posted by dogemperor at 9:20 AM
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