Charity Choosy

Hey look, the world still exists, and hundreds of thousands of people who actually thought something bad would happen are facing the revelation that they're completely gullible instead of dead!

I was going to write a different post, related to some Youtube drama, but I realized it would be long, so maybe next time.  I haven't watched the last three Katers videos, either, so there might be something to talk about in those as well.

I mostly wanted to touch on something I mentioned last time, which I received a comment about.  That would be Project for Awesome.  I don't want to imply that it's a bad thing, because it's a charity, and charities usually help somebody somehow.  Helping people is good.  But the question is, who do you want to help, and how do you want to help them?

To me, P4A just comes across as a gimmick, particularly in being a way for Youtubers to self-promote by getting to the top of the charity video list.  I honestly don't think some of the participants even care about their charities, they just want the extra views/likes/publicity that come with doing it.  Think about it; they not only make money from the views on the video itself, but bring in potential new viewers in the process.  Why would an established or even aspiring Youtuber NOT be part of it?

Something else important to keep in mind is that while P4A gives 100% of your money to the charities (minus the cost to make the promotional items you might buy), that doesn't mean the charities themselves use 100% of your money to help anyone.  Being a non-profit agency does not mean it's run purely by volunteers.  Most of these people make money, particularly the management.  Always look into a charity before you toss them money, because there just might be a better one.

This is particularly a problem given that some 'tubers start selecting weird lesser-known charities just to avoid having the same one as someone else.  What if one Youtuber wants to promote the American Cancer Society, but makes a less good video than someone else, someone with potentially with a bigger subscriber base as well, who promotes Jim & Bob's Hair Loss Prevention?  What if the top five videos, which get the split of all the money donated, are all charities which you aren't totally satisfied with?

Last year, for example, one of the charities was to get prom dresses to girls who can't afford them.  And sure, that's a fine thing.  But is it more important than a cancer patient, or Alzheimer's?  And this year, another charity is the One Laptop Per Child thing.  And don't even get me started on that, because I could do an entire article on why that's a waste of money.  But come on, at the end of the day, these are first-world problems.  Cancer and debilitating conditions aside, plenty of kids need winter jackets or clothes without holes in'em, too.  Adopt an angel from the Angel Tree and I guarantee you'll make some kid happy, right in your own home town.

Point is, charity is still charity, and if you want to donate to P4A, then more power to you.  I just have my own issues with it, and I would prefer to give my money to causes I personally care about.  I don't need popular Youtubers to decide that for me, especially if their intentions are potentially of the less charitable nature.  So that's why I just skip most of the P4A videos altogether, that way nobody gets my "vote."