# Heifer International or World Vision?



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

The holidays are closing in and one of the things my family likes to do is donate animals to needy families around the world. In the past we've done it with Heifer; however, I've recently discovered that you can do this with World Vision too. Here's a link:

World Vision Donations: Animals

They seem to be able to buy more animals with less money. For instance, a Heifer goat costs $120, but I can "buy" a World Vision goat for $75. You all are so informed here that I thought I would come and ask which organization would be better to donate through? It _seems_ like I get more bang for my buck through World Vision.

Have you guys heard anything negative about World Vision?

Thanks :gaptooth:


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Last I was familiar with World Vision it was a child sponsorship type charity like "Save the Children" 

I've been all through heifer international's site and they don't just buy the animals and drop them off, they provide ag education to the new families so they know how to properly manage and care for the livestock so it doesn't just end up as a barbecue in 6 months. 
Their program seems good from the ground up and they have a great rating that grades on putting the money received actually into the charitable work. 
I would do Heifer, and I would actually donate to heifer. One of the dairy goat associations in my area donates animals to them regularly.


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## Caitedid (Jun 2, 2004)

I'm an Area Volunteer Coordinator for Heifer. My thought is that for both programs, that cost is symbolic so you're not really buying a goat either way. 

I got the opportunity last year to travel with Heifer to visit projects in Honduras. Heifer does so much beyond direct livestock work, including biogas production, environmental projects, women's leadership programs, business planning, etc.

They do good work, using money as efficiently as possible. Heifer also requires that recipients pass on one generation of offspring, as well as the training that they have received. This allows one donation to help a much larger amount of people.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

If you click on the link, you'll see that they also do animal donations like Heifer now.

I just got off the phone with them and found that they DO provide training and housing and food for the animals that they place. The website for World Vision says that they put 85% of donated money into the actual charity and they operate in more than 100 countries. Does anyone know what the actual percentage is for Heifer?

ETA: Just got off the phone with Heifer and their percentage of donations actually going to charity is 73%.


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## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

World Vision has been around for a long time and do much more than animal work also.

Women and children programs:

World Vision Donations: Girls & Women

They also have programs for clothing, medicine, and clean water. I'm leaning toward switching to World Vision. It's not that Heifer's not good. I'm not saying that at all. It's just that it seems World Vision is better at stretching my money farther.

Unless, of course, someone has heard something negative about World Vision.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

RedTartan said:


> If you click on the link, you'll see that they also do animal donations like Heifer now.
> 
> I just got off the phone with them and found that they DO provide training and housing and food for the animals that they place. The website for World Vision says that they put 85% of donated money into the actual charity and they operate in more than 100 countries. Does anyone know what the actual percentage is for Heifer?
> 
> ETA: Just got off the phone with Heifer and their percentage of donations actually going to charity is 73%.


This is where I always start before donating anything to a non-profit. Check to see what percentage of the money that I am donating actually goes to the programs.


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## Awnry Abe (Mar 21, 2012)

We used to give to World Vision. Now we just give to "local vision" and save the admin fee for chicken feed.


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## iloveafarmer (Feb 23, 2008)

I like to use charitynavigator.org to check on a charity I'm interested in giving to. I had considered sponsoring a child through World Vision at one point until I learned that the chairman or CEO or whatever he's called draws a $300K+ salary from the organization. This was several years ago and I haven't looked at the financials since then, although they are available to look at on the World Vision website. I figured that I really didn't want my donations going to pad his lifestyle. Just seemed to me that someone who is trying to combat hunger and poverty might consider living more simply so that he could help more children and families.


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## mountainlaurel (Mar 5, 2010)

We give through CAM or www.christianaidministries.org. I believe they have a give a goat donation available. When my kids were young, we sponsored a girl for many years thru them also.

My sons help out on the Virginia Rapid Response Team from time to time. Our church packs for relief through their Ephrata center. We have to sign up 2 years in advance, then travel 2-1/2 hours to pack for maybe 2 hours and drive all the way back home after that. But the Amish and Mennonite churches duke it out for a chance to pack. 
We also pack clothing at their Shippensburg center. You can check their financial statement but I believe that all but one percent goes for aid. I think that's a pretty good deal. The one percent is for fund raisers and administrative costs.

Go to the link, our programs, to see the many ones available to donate to. They have one where you can help farm families buy land, equipment, animals, seed, etc. I always feel that my money is used to help the people it was intended to help.


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

I don't do animals for donations but do clothing and necessities to the local shelter for abused women and children. I make things through the year and donate it all in November, in time for the holidays and winter weather. I also go to the dollar store and buy birthday supplies and gifts because when I spoke to the gals in the office, they said the state money they get will not allow them to purchase those supplies.


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## Jokarva (Jan 17, 2010)

We take the money we'd normally spend on cards and postage at Christmas and donate it to charity, bought a hive of bees last year thru HI. Only oldsters with no computers get a card now, everyone else gets an email telling them where their Christmas card money was donated  

I did research them thru Charity Navigator and remember them having a good rating, don't know much about WV but the CEO salary certainly would give me pause.


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

I've sponsored a child through World Vision for many years, and we've made donations through their gift catalog many times. I've always been 100% happy with them. My understanding of the way it works is that they accumulate a certain amount of money through people "buying goats" until they have enough to buy a small heard of goats for a needy community. They provide training and work with the community to make sure that everyone benefits from the animals that have been provided. Depending on where in the world the community is, the actual cost of the goats can vary dramatically. 

Our sponsored child's community received goats two years ago.

I've just looked up the World Vision Financial Reports and the President of World Vision Canada earned $183, 855 in 2011, which is, according to them, 25% below the average earning for someone in his position in a similarly-sized organization. I've looked through the World Vision USA website and downloaded and read their financial statement for 2011 and I can't find the President's salary reported anywhere.


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