Guide to Effective Compassion: Questions

The GTEC is a listing of charities that attempts to satisfy the needs of those seeking assistance in difficult times. Each of the charities listed in the GTEC seek to provide effective charity (see Effective Compassion: Seven Principles). This entails that the charities reach out to those in need by providing for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the individual while requiring personal accountability of each and every program participant. The charities listed in this book assist individuals who are unemployed, addicted to harmful substances, undergoing family problems, or experiencing a moral or spiritual crisis.

For the reader, the GTEC is a tool to be used by both individuals and charities. For the individual, the directory provides a way to locate vital and effective charities in their locality. The GTEC provides information that is essential to individuals who desire to assist local charities but do not have the means necessary to check the integrity or success rate of the charity. The directory allows individuals to identify similar charities and compare effective methods and models in order to prove success. A charitable organization is necessarily preoccupied with the functions of its own organization. This leaves little time for investigation into the different methods being used in their particular area of assistance. The GTEC allows charities to identify similar charities and discover innovative and effective methods that are currently being utilized.

The GTEC is set up to allow the reader to find charities by name, location, or social service area. These indexes can be found in the back pages of this guide.

The charities listed in the GTEC were drawn from among the entries in the Samaritan Awards competition over a three-year period (1995-1997). The Samaritan Awards is an annual program that identifies and recognizes successful charities that help individuals break the cycle of dependency. Charities listed in the directory have been recognized in the Samaritan Awards program. To receive recognition, a charity is required to submit an essay to the Samaritan Awards. Essays include the objectives of the program, evidence of success, replicable program components, and proof of financial accountability. Entries are read and reviewed by a select panel. The panel reviews the entry with criteria that closely follow the model of effective compassion outlined by Marvin Olasky (see Effective Compassion: Seven Principles). After numerous readings, the entries are narrowed down to a select number of Runner-up programs and Top Model programs. From this number, the Top Model programs are asked to submit a second essay to be judged by a prominent panel of independent judges. This panel identifies the top program and awards it a $10,000 prize.

Yes. As the Samaritan Awards program continues annually, the GTEC will be updated to include the new programs that submit quality program entries. While it has been determined that the directory will be updated, it has not been determined at what frequency revisions will occur. For further information regarding directory revisions, contact the Samaritan Awards.

5. How can I get involved in the charities listed in the Guide to Effective Compassion?

The GTEC's role in helping you get involved in a local charity is simple. The directory lists the addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers for each charity. A contact person for each charity is also provided in the event that additional information may be required.

6. Do the charities listed in the Guide to Effective Compassion receive any government assistance?

Most of the charities in the GTEC operate independently of government funding. However, a few programs listed in the directory receive minimal government aid. In these rare cases, the funding usually comes from local sources or is collected in the form of fees for services rendered in the form of government contracts and is not ongoing.

7. How can I be assured of the financial integrity of the charities listed in the Guide to Effective Compassion?

Each charity has sustained a multiple review process. Proof of financial accountability figured prominently in the minds of reviewers, with most programs submitting external financial audits. Some of the smaller organizations that could not afford an external audit submitted internal budgets for review. Even though the programs were reviewed, it is always advisable to investigate and familiarize yourself with any charity you wish to support.

9. Are all the charities listed in the Guide to Effective Compassion Faith-based?

A majority of charities listed in the directory have historical or ongoing religious ties. Many programs contain religious mentoring or discipleship components. Many programs are also supported or maintained by local churches. However, some of the programs in the directory maintain no religious ties. Those programs that do not have religious ties do not discourage religious activity but choose not to identify with one specific denomination or religious organization in order to appeal to a broad audience.

10. What separates the charities listed in the Guide to Effective Compassion from other charities in my area?

Not all effective charities are listed in the directory. The charities that are listed have withstood a screening process that judged their ability to provide effective and discerning service to their clientele. There may be many charities in your area that fit the model of effective charity used in the screening process that are not listed in this directory (see effective Compassion: Seven Principles). We encourage you to make them aware of the directory and to apply for entry into the directory through their Samaritan Awards submission.