I consciously avoid giving money to 401(c)3 organizations (If they can afford to file the paperwork to get that status, they don't need your money.)
I do give money to social entrepreneurs who I know personally. I do give blood to the Red Cross.
To work one example through, I just got a mail from Heifer international which has been giving livestock to people in the third world since 1948.
Livestock is an "appropriate technology" that can be locally produced anywhere and it just makes a lot more sense to put resources into closing the cycle so people can afford their own (profitable) livestock as opposed to just doing the same thing over and over again for 60 years.
The law for 401(c)3's often prevents them from addressing the root of issues.
