By: Kim Severson
When casting about for ways to spend on others at this time of year, people whose hearts are as big as their appetites turn to food-related charities. But figuring out where to direct help can be complex, especially in an era when tens of thousands of such programs exist.
Charitable groups dedicated to saving farms from bankruptcy or delivering vegetables to poor urban neighborhoods have popped up in recent years. So have groups that build organic gardens in struggling school districts or protect endangered indigenous foods like the O’odham pink bean.
Then there is the question whether to go local and support the food pantry in your neighborhood or get global and become, say, a microlender with kiva.org, where your money might provide a low-interest loan to a yam seller in Ghana.
Sifting the options can be daunting. So philanthropy experts suggest starting with some introspection.