Ethical Gifts Ease Western Guilt, Not Third World Poverty

But here's a way to fix it

(NEWSER) - A bunch of billionaires have signed up for Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ “ Giving Pledge ,” promising to give away half or more of their money to charity. Sounds great, right? Not to Ron Rosenbaum of Slate . “I think I can speak for the rest of the world when I say: Dudes, the ‘pledge’ is nice and all, but show us the money if you want the credit,” he writes, declaring the promise a “nebulous never-never-land pledge.” More»

Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children all accepting donations

(NEWSER) - Disaster relief agencies are streaming into Haiti, trying to provide safe water, medical supplies, and temporary shelter for victims of the devastating earthquake there. Here are some ways you can donate to the cause, from the Daily News :

• Text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s earthquake relief fund.
• Go to redcross.org and click the Donate link or call (800) REDCROSS. The Red Cross isn’t accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti, however.

Microsoft founder touts philan-therapy for world's rich

(NEWSER) - Bill Gates is touting the feel-good benefits of giving away money, telling a crowd in Oslo that “all billionaires should give away the vast majority of their fortunes.” Leave enough for the kids, he says, but, “I’m a great believer that great wealth should go from the richest to the poorest.” Gates has directed much of his Microsoft earnings to charity work, Reuters notes. More»

Fun intended to hush critics who call film 'poverty porn'

(NEWSER) - To combat accusations that Oscar sensation Slumdog Millionaire is a form of “poverty porn,” the filmmakers have donated about $740,000 toward a health education initiative in Mumbai’s slums, the Times of London reports. The funds are in addition to trusts set up for the movie’s child actors. “Some but not all” who gained from Slumdog’s $90 million profit contributed, the producer says. More»

Fuller and his wife dumped riches to live out Christian values

(AP) - Millard Fuller, the millionaire entrepreneur who gave it all away to help found the Christian house-building charity Habitat for Humanity, has died at 74. His wife Linda says her husband was complaining of chest pains, headache, and difficulty swallowing before his death early today. A global 100-house "blitz build" the couple had planned for their 50th anniversary in August will go on in his honor. More»