"In your name..."

Comedian Brian Regan recently posed an interesting question:  How does one compose a thank-you note for gifts given to charity (rather than the recipient)?  In other words, if you receive one of those, "In lieu of a gift, we have made a donation in your name to [the human fund]" cards, what is the best way to respond to the giver?

In Regan's case, the contribution in lieu of a gift was a flock of chickens delivered to a needy community in a third-world country.  Regan acknowledged this was all well and good, but feared that the gesture might escalate out of control in subsequent years: "In lieu of a gift, we have released a herd of bison in a major metropolitan area in your honor."

To be clear, I am not criticizing the idea of donating to charities or the act of doing so in lieu of a gift.  There are non-profit organizations that champion a wide range of worthy causes, and most of them make efficient use of the resources at their disposal.  My wife and I sponsor a child in Africa through one.  And certainly, all of us at one time or another have received a gift that we thought was a waste of money that could have been better spent toward...well, anything.  If the cost of a cup of coffee a day can help sponsor a child through some programs, I shudder to think of the good that might have been done for the cost of that ridiculous animitronic singing mounted bass I got for Christmas several years back.

The Bible seems clear that giving to others, especially those in dire need, is a necessary endeavor.  The early church of the New Testament was very concerned with providing for widows in their community.  I struggle sometimes to know how that translates into our day.  Tithing is one thing, but to private entities, how much should I give, and to whom?  The one thing I'm confident about is that it's fair and right to do a little research on any organizations before donating anything.  I want to know that they are legitimate and competent in their stewardship.

This, I think, is Regan's issue.  Third-party gift donations do not permit one to do a background check on the entity receiving the money.  At the very least, I'd like to know whether I'm not unwittingly "contributing" to a bad cause, or, as in the case of George Castanza's "human fund" scheme, a nonexistent one.  If I receive a card next year telling me I've contributed to smuggling a dozen big macs into a closed communist country, or that a horde of clowns has been parachuted in my honor over a community struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake, I'd like to know whether I've simply been duped out of a gift, or whether my name is attached to a horrific attempt at making the world a better place.