"I think we should understand that different people have different philanthropic interests." Yes, but they're wrong. Imagine seeing a hungry dog on the street.

"I think we should understand that different people have different philanthropic interests." Yes, but they're wrong. Imagine seeing a hungry dog on the street. Going over to feed it is a virtuous thing to be sure. But, to step over and ignore someone choking to death on your way to the dog is not. "give in the way they find most meaningful, even if it does not have the greatest 'objective' impact?" It's easy to be fooled in our first world fantasy lives, but we are really living a world of men, women and children dying for want of sometimes as few as US$1000. Good is hardly good enough. Something will surely fill every economic niche. If there are people who want to "donate" to the opera or dogs or cats or toys for tots, then some organization will find a way to serve that niche. But, I think it is useful to oppose these goofball "charities" and educate people about lives they can save. The stakes are very high. It is a matter of life and death.