The charitable impulse is strong in the United States – in fact, Americans donate more than $300 billion a year to various church groups, non-profits and other charitable enterprises. But is this all money well spent? Is much of this money wasted or worse, does some charitable giving actually do more harm than good?

In this segment our panel of experts on charitable giving discuss the challenge of directing funds to the places it’s most needed, how those on the ground tend to know the most about local needs and ways donors from wealthier nations should direct their dollars to achieve the greatest possible results to improve conditions for those in need.

Host: Ana Kasparian

Panelists:
Bob Harris: Author – The International Bank of Bob http://www.bobharris.com http://www.kiva.org
Sonali Kolhatkar: Co-founder – Afghan Women’s Mission http://www.afghanwomensmission.org
Shane Goldsmith: President and CEO – Liberty Hill Foundation http://www.libertyhill.org

Joy Sun: Should you donate differently?

Technology allows us to give cash directly to the poorest people on the planet. Should we do it? In this thought-provoking talk, veteran aid worker Joy Sun explores two ways to help the poor.