I agree, Reba, the poll is too limited.
What I watch for is if a child needs help, see what part of town his or her family lives in and what the parents do for a living. Many of the "causes" are just fundraisers, when in reality the parents insurance can cover it. So, in that case, based on the parents income, I don't contribute to them.
I donate to the Red Kettle (Salvation Army) when I can, because they helped me out a few years ago. Plus, they're pretty legitimate, whereas many of the other ones are not, especially some of the Christian ministries that are on television, always fundraising for "those poor people." Maybe it's real, but when I hear reports of various televangelists driving cars that have six figure price tags, my wallet is closed.