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I think that all the resources we send to the third-world should be donated to the poor and homeless here instead.
The people in the third world are the poor and homeless.
They also don’t have the resources to help themselves in the first place.
Donating manufactured goods to 3rd world countries can have the unintended side effect of causing their own domestic markets to never lift off.
Prime example of this is africa where lots of countries within africa do not make their own shoes, rather they get them from foreign aid. Why go through the process of making shoes when the aid gives you cheaper end products than if you just made it yourself.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish you feed him for his life, let the man an opportunity to create a fishing buisness and he'll help his entire community feed themselves.
I think giving money to the homeless is a bad idea at this point. Id like to see more job programs where you get temporary housing and you must follow certain guidelines or risk getting kicked out. Then people who are homeless not by choice have a chance to come back and be a productive member of society.
I have offered homeless people work before and they made a million excuses why they cant do it. They would rather live in a tent within walking distance of their dealers hours and stand at stop lights and bum for drug money. Luckily my city does not tolerate them and they are forced to migrate to Cali where they're given a million handouts.
Donating money to anything (including the people and causes in any country) has to be evaluated based on effectiveness.
Before I got married about a decade ago I've personally gave away to individuals (no tax deduction) over $40,000 trying to help or assist them. In all but 2 cases it was a total waste of my money and all it did was make them more dependent.
What I found was that its only effective with people who are willing to improve themselves and just need some assistance to get over an obstacle... For those cases prior to my getting married I spent less than $3000 - and watched them turn that into more than $30,000 per year income gain for themselves.
After I adopted my sorting criteria for financial assistance (other than perhaps $20-$50 for an immediate need) I've had much better results. When you invest $100 into a person and some time with them, and watch them turn that into a $50,000+ annual income after they learn some missing keys.... and then say "thank you" it means a lot and warms the heart and soul). I am willing, and have, invested more into people... but only those really working on improving themselves and their situation.
On a larger scale - you need to evaluate charities. I have done most of my overseas charity work through World Vision (which has minimal administrative expenses) and now that I am past sponsoring a child and their education from age 5 up to 20, I most like to help fund the small business startup program where people get loans or small grants that allow them to start a small business in those countries which allows them to earn a lot more money than if they worked a job.
There are some other worthwhile charities as well... but research them well. Do an internet search on "charity rating" as many charities mainly line the pockets of the people running it.
A few countries have put effort into bettering themselves. Most of our efforts seem to be in vain, however.