A famine relief organization with one of the best program to administration ratios of all charities.
4. The Red Crescent
I have so many friends in Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and other Islamic countries who sing the praises of this organization and its work for the most needy of the world. In addition to reacting to emergencies, it has many ongoing programs.
5. The Elie Wiesel Foundation
The mission is to combat indifference, intolerance and injustice. As any one acquainted with NGO work can attest, the former is the biggest problem.
7. Convoy of Hope
I like this charity because it doesn't overlook the hungry in our own country. While they feed the world, they also seek out needs in the inner cities and local communities. The Founders once worked for me and one wrote a sequel to The Compassionate Touch.
2. MADD
Mother's Against Drunk Drivers has literally saved hundreds of thousands of lives. When we honored Candy Lightner at the National Charity Awards in the East Room of the White House, no one knew her name or knew her organization. But with Nancy Reagan's push that day everything changed.
3. The Red Cross
It would be number one for me but there are periodic crisis when the vast bureaucracy of this organization make for ineffecient use of funds. it is still better than 95% of the charities out there.
6. Calcutta Mission of Mercy
The subject of the book Compassionate Touch, this is the work of Mark and Huldah Buntain. They built the hospital that Mother Teresa took her dying to. Huldah and her daughter, Bonnie, now carry on this remarkable work to the poorest of the poor.