Modest Needs Foundation

A review of their financials shocks me. Only 61% of their 2018 receipts were distributed to their clients, and the percent distributed dropped to 54% in 2019. The salary of their founder is a bit over 10% of their total receipts. They received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator several years ago, and that rating was dropped (yet they still included that rating on an email that I send soliciting donations last year). I used to donate to them, but they are way too inefficient of an operation for me to support them at this point.

This foundation has turned me down time and time again, my first application came after my tax return was delayed due to covid because it was a paper return, I fell behind because my childs father was unexpectedly out of the picture and I was left with bills that were normally paid on two incomes. I had to pay for internet service to be able to keep my job and work from home when not allowed in office, that which had been terminated for nonpayment so I had an past due balance. I was denied help because I work full time. My recent application was denied because I have not lost my income, but when asked if I was an essential worked I answered yes. I explained in my application that my expenses have increased being home with two small children, the electricity bill went sky high and I needed help catching up and I was still denied. This foundation only helps who they want. Very disappointing.

Modest Needs inspires me to give what I can. They don't demand I give buckets of money every time I open my mail (or email), and they don't guilt me into contributions. This charity was founded on the idea that people with a little spare cash can help others who normally can handle their expenses, then are hit by unexpected and uncontrollable expenses.

I appreciate that Modest Needs does due diligence to make sure that my few extra dollars which I can contribute don't end up in the pocket of some grifter. The real people whose applications appear on the Modest Needs web site have real, urgent needs which the staff at Modest Needs have verified are legit. I've read quite a bit about how crowdfunding sites are prone to abuse by grifters, and I like knowing that my little donations are actually helping someone who really needed the help.

I don't have a lot of spare change (often none at all), but the little I can donate can be put to use helping people like me who've had a bit of bad luck. I really appreciate that Modest Needs is run very efficiently, so that most of the tens of dollars I can afford to donate actually go toward helping people rather than being spent on administrative expenses or perks for staff.

If you have been a low income worker & have been hungry, had to juggle bills and figure out what to pay and what can wait or had an unexpected car repair of medical bill, then you can relate to those requesting help on Modest Needs. Many live paycheck to paycheck and don't make enough to have an emergency fund or they don't qualify for assistance because they are just above the poverty line. With a little help these families can stay independent and self sufficient. I give Modest Needs FIVE STARS for their work and truth be told we need more organizations like them.

This Modest Needs is a designated 501(c)(3) (tax-exempt) organization but, I am disappointed, this organization is supposed to help in case of emergency and they are charging me $ 1,950 before giving me $ 1,500 aid for my temporary emergency. I was asking for the help of 10,000. I did not ask to get into more debts. I have almost two months waiting for help, and they never answer the phone. I will report them to BBB and to that state's attorney general.

I followed everything and within 24 hours, I was rejected stating that my income utilized on my TAX return was not harmonious with what I said I received monthly. I retired in March 2019 and my new income was now a small pension. I USED MY BANK STATEMENT FOR OCTOBER 2019. THE TWO DEPOSITS WERE FOR 953 AND 1047.00. I only asked for 800.00 because my Dad passed away and his estate was going to be auctioned off. I paid to prevent this from happening. As a result I have fallen just a bit behind.

Horrible, kept reading for documentation everything in on Friday and received email stating I didn’t qualify because they didn’t have my paperwork. That’s such a scam!!! Don’t bother!!!

A great nonprofit foundation helping anyone with various needs to gain back what they lost but now is found!

Modest Needs is the charity we need in this world. They prove that a little help can go a long way to bettering the lives of others.

Wonderful cause! Pleasure working with them and see how they make significant improvements in so many lives

I love Modest Needs organization and service they provide for those in need. They empower me and others to keep on going and they show us that there is always a helping hand that for us all!

One of the most unique and beautiful charities! Thank you for existing!

I love reading all the stories of how Modest Needs is able to help people & especially veterans that need help. I love how many people that have been helped by Modest Needs pay it forward by donating!!!! They are making a difference!!!

Following and supporting this awesome organization for a while now!! It's wonderful to see how many lives are changed daily!! Love Modest Needs work! x

Modest Needs does GREAT work, helping those who have hit a rough patch. Responsive & Caring People!!

When Modest Needs was first started, I was one of the people they helped.
My car needed fixing and they provided the funds to get it repaired. Without their help, I would have been stranded.
I really appreciate them.
Wonderful organization!!

Modest Needs is such an amazing organization!! With small amounts of money they help people in critical situations when they have nowhere else to turn. They deserve a 10-star rating :)

I've been donation for Modest Needs for few years now and I am very touched with how many people they are helping daily. It is unique to be able to see where exactly are your funds going and read the testemonials. I am glad that organizations like this exist.

Amazing charity!!! Glad that beautiful organizations like you exist !!

This foundation is great! I love how you can see exactly where the donations are going and can read the thank you notes of applicants. It is very sweet and highlights the generosity of everyday people.

Wonderful charity that helps people get out of the cycle of poverty!! I love that they share their stories and photos on website so we can see where are the donations going to!! Keep up the wonderful work!

These folks helped put a friend, who had an injury after a fall, and was facing eviction due to not being able to work. They did all the vetting, and promptly put her in a situation, so she could retain her apartment. This allowed her to recover and resume her employment.

LONG STORY SHORT, I WAS FUNDED SEPT 11TH BY DONORS. I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE A THANK YOU FOR THE HELP MESSAGE TO THE DONORS THAT DONATED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS (IN A FEW WEEKS ACCORDING TO THE MODEST NEEDS FOUNDATION).

HERE IT IS A MONTH AND A HALF LATER, AND I CAN'T GET A CALL BACK, AN EMAIL BACK, OR AN ANSWER AS TO WHERE THE FUNDS ARE. I'VE BEEN SEEING SO MANY BAD REVIEWS AND ALL I COULD DO WAS PRAY THAT WHAT I WAS READING WASN'T TRUE. BUT IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE NEGATIVE STUFF I'M SEENG IS 100% REAL. I CANT IMAGINE THAT THE DONORS THAT ARE FUNDING PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF HAVE ANY IDEA THAT MODEST NEEDS IS KEEPING THEIR MONEY AND IT'S NOT GETTING TO THE PEOPLE THE DONORS INTEND FOR THEIR DONATIONS TO GO TO.

DURING THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR THE HELP, MARY WAS MORE THAN HELPFUL AND ALWAYS RESPONSIVE.

SINCE BEING FUNDED, I CAN'T GET ANYONE ON THE PHONE OR ANY EMAIL RESPONSE. IT'S DISHEARTENING THAT A COMPANY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED IS TAKING ADVANTAGE LIKE THIS.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this organization. My boyfriend left me during my cancer treatment with his daughter and my daughter while I have been on disability... for drugs. I came down to either paying for my rent or paying for my car payment and I decided I couldn’t take our home away so I chose to pay rent. I still needed my car for taking the girls to school, my treatments, and going to court to get custody of his daughter. I started fighting for her because I didn’t want the system to take her. I tried to get help locally but no one would help me. I was online researching and modest needs came up. I put in my application.. got accepted but the first round I didn’t get the help I needed but I understood because they relied on people to read the applicants stories and the donors chose who got the money. A few people did donate but it didn’t go through. Surprisingly after the first 90 days the second time around it got funded within a week. The same day I got an email that stated that they were going to repossess my car. It usually takes the up to a week or two to send you a check but I wrote them and told them my situation and they contacted my loan bank right away. The bank was being jerks and gave them a hard time to help pay my loan but they didn’t give up and waited til I could actually get a hold of someone who could help me at the bank. They asked me to email a letter giving permission with my signature on it. Modest Needs was closed when I finally got things situated where they could send my bank the payment but the president of modest needs, Keith, made sure that my bank got the payment even after hours because they were going to come and get my car on Monday.
I am so grateful and just speechless on how Annmarie and Keith went above and beyond for me, a stranger, with no judgement, just love and kindness stuffed in a huge heart. I’m still in tears.
Thank you guys. My daughters are still in tears too. We’ve been through so much darkness, your kindness was the light we needed to keep faith and hope in our hearts.

I had a very positive experience with modest needs. This organization isn't like most out there because they help people who are above poverty level(which can never get any help) and take a one time bad event and help you out so that Youcan get back on track. So many times I couldn't get help because I made more then they said I could to get help. This was so great to have and have put me back to wherei need to be. Its wonderful

I support Modest Needs with a monthly donation. I really believe in their helping people keep their financial footing with assistance that keeps them in their homes, pays their utilities, repair their cars and so on. So often, our fellow Americans are just a few dollars away from losing their way and Modest Needs steps in to make up the difference.

I've been both a contributor and recipient of the benevolence of Modest Needs and recommend it both to those in need of assistance and looking to make a difference - can't say enough good things about this organization!

I have been a supporter of Modest Needs Foundation from its very beginning. Everyone who requests help is totally vetted and Modest Needs has complete transparency. They are highly rated. They know what they are doing and how to do it. The stories will break your heart, and with a few clicks you can give one-on-one to lovely people in temporary need. You can always feel secure in knowing that your money really goes where you thought it was going.

Honest legitimate organization. After Sandy they helped us, and did all the vetting
without regard for who I was or how much more help we needed. I support them regularly, you should too.

I donate every month because I wish this had been around when I was a single mother of three. Sometimes people are a $200 car repair away from eviction and that's not right. I know that my money is going to help someone like I was and that's important.

I applied for a hardship grant at the beginning of May 2108 to pay my rent for June. By May 29, 2018 donors contributed the funds and ll the money needed was in. It is June 16, 2018, I nor my leasing company have not received the check for June 2018 rent. The leasing company is filing an eviction of me which includes late fees. I have spoken with a Modest Needs representative several times over the last 3 weeks. It doesn't take this long to send the check. Modest Needs have applicants write and post a testimonial to donors as if we have received the money and everything is fine; but it is not. As of 6/16/18 12PM I have not received an email nor a phone call stating the check has been sent to the leasing company. These people have all my personal information. They now have a voicemail service only and it is a smoke screen and a sand bag. They have added to the hardship I am facing by giving me false hope and incurring more financial hardship. I am now being evicted.

Modest Needs continues to fill in the crack through so many families fall, those hard workers who are just one catastrophe away from hopeless poverty. The onetime boost MN provides allows them to continue contributing to society.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, for both those helped and for the rest of us.

The best charity, small dollar amounts are so important to keep people on their feet when tragedies happen so they don't wind up falling into the trap of on-going need. I have giving money to Modest Needs for many years now and I know that vast majority of money I give goes to human beings in critical need situations!

Modest Needs is a wonderful charity that I am not only happy to donate to, but genuinely excited to donate to every month. They make it easy to donate to truly in need families and individuals within the states. The charity thoroughly vets individuals who need assistance, sets up a fundraiser for that individual, and when the goal is met, pay the appropriate organization (ie. mechanic, hospital, landlord, etc..). There staff is a highly motivated group of people who want to make a positive impact on the world one person at a time, and I love that.

What a relief to have Modest Needs to help me figure out how to help those with short term needs. I have been having my credit card charged monthly for years to send them money. I know that they have low overhead and do a great job making sure the money gets where it needs to be. There are very few places I feel secure donating each month and Modest Needs is one of them. I will mention KIVA also as they do a great job too.

Well i needed a bill paid, the organization help my family with a urgent bill

I have been a regular contributor to Modest Needs for many years now. The reasons that I contribute so regularly include: 1) effectiveness - critical funds go to those in need when they need it most; 2) efficacy -- while all applications are vetted thoroughly, very little is spent on administrative overhead; and finally, 3) straight up compassion -- these are good people who need some temporary but critical help. In short, Modest Needs really changes lives for the better every day.

I have been donation to Modest Needs since 2006. I get great satisfaction knowing that my small monthly donation can help a family avoid spiraling into poverty because of an unexpected bill. This orgaization does a wonderful job with a population that can easily be overlooked.

The mission of Modest Needs is simply to make everyone your neighbor. All of us have from time to time helped a family member, friend or neighbor when they were down on their luck. Many of us have been the beneficiaries of help as well. Modest Needs takes this to the next level by making neighbors of us all and they do it very well.

I have been impressed with this charity since I first read about its origins. I like to know that my contributions are going straight to people who need them. I love the idea of supporting people who are trying, but just need a little help to get over a hump. This is the only charity to which I make a monthly donation.

Our family has been donating through Modest Needs since the beginning. So many people live paycheck to paycheck and any small setback can leave them without hope. We are happy to do what we can to fulfill these modest needs.

Giving to Modest Needs Foundation is a joy and privilege. Knowing the story of the actual recipient of one's donation and feeling like a partner in the direct positive impact on a fellow human being in need.

Ever since I read an article about Dr. Keith Taylor in People Magazine, I have made Modest Needs my primary charity. I am very proud to be a monthly donor.

I remember times when I really needed assistance and I was out of contact with my family. I had to rely on friends to get me through a financial crisis that would have completely set my life back.

Today, I look at Modest Needs Foundation as a banding together of "friends" who are happy to help, because they understand what it feels like to have nowhere to turn. Since I received financial help in my past, I am paying it forward by supporting Modest Needs in my future! I believe those who receive help from their Modest Needs friends, also believe in that philosophy and do the same.

What a wonderful cycle of goodness, set in motion by Dr. Keith Taylor, Foundation staff, and all of the Modest Needs donor friends!

I have been privileged to give to Modest Needs for the past 4 years. They help so many people who would otherwise fall through the cracks in our system. These smaller needs that are met help these families continue on their own and helps them see that other people really do care about them!

Modest Needs finds people with small, immediate needs and makes sure the money goes to them directly. I've been happy to be a donor time and again.

This is a charitable organization that I can really get behind. They focus on people who have fallen on the wrong side of the fine line that keeps many families from becoming homeless for lack of rent, jobless when faced with sudden, unaffordable car repairs, and in dire straits because of unexpected medical bills - in short, any of the rest of us, but for the grace of God. They vet all the requests for help the same way I would if I had the time and the resources to ensure that the request for assistance is accurate, and they ensure that the payments go straight to the landlords/repairmen/medical facilities so that the contributions are correctly applied. They ensure that the help that donors provide is directed to the needs of real people, with real short-term needs, who would otherwise fall in the gaps of larger social-support efforts.

Modest Needs has my unqualified recommendation for people wanting to make a real difference in the lives of others.

My friends and family don't need any more possessions so I like to give gifts of charity donations. I love Modest Needs because I can help someone in their in their area of the country or give a donation that means something to them (like helping out a veteran if they're a vet or helping someone who has the same job or life challenges they do). On my mother's birthday I helped someone fix her car so she could take care of her mother.

This non-profit helps those who fall through the cracks. Families in danger of losing shelter due to unforeseen medical emergencies, or maybe in danger of losing employment due to car repairs, etc. Sometimes it only takes a little help.

I am not a recipient of this charity, but I am a monthly donor. I don't donate to just anything and I really like the way this one works. They give to the people who need just a bit of help to get through a rough time and the fact that my donations go exactly to the need gives me a great piece of mind.

I love this charity. You can see exactly who you are helping and hear from them if their request is fulfilled. They are transparent in their expenses and refund your contribution in the form of credit if the request you tried to help didn't get filled. In my experience, this has only happened twice.

I have been a donor of Modest Needs Foundation for 13 years. In that time, the organization has kept tens of thousands of families out of the cycle of poverty. Assistance with a high utility bill, unexpected car repair, help keeping a roof over their heads allows people to continue to support themselves. Giving towards a person with a specific need is very gratifying.

I very much appreciate the role that Modest Needs plays in helping those that are living paycheck to paycheck. I hope that I (and others) can give more in the future and we can play a small role in ending the the cycle of poverty.

I think the mission is important, as there are many in the country living paycheck to paycheck without any fallback option. Modest Needs does a great job screening requests and helping to ensure that the funds go directly to helping individuals and getting them back on the path to independence.

I've been donating small amounts to Modest Needs for years. They fill such a vital gap for families who are not financially secure but can't get regular help from other programs; I will continue to give for as long as they will take donations!

It's great to see your money go directly to helping someone in need, on a personal level. Modest Needs has an easy to use site and keeps you informed on what happens with your donation once the project gets fully funded. I would highly recommend!

Each story is incredibly meaningful and it feels wonderful to donate to people who just need a little support to make a big difference. Modest Needs makes it easy to donate and know you are contributing directly to those in need!

I had heard of Modest Needs thru friends that had both benefited and supported the organization. Then came my turn for the need of assistance due to 2 bouts of breast cancer. The Modest Needs organization supported me in my time of need and now I'm blessed to be able to return that and support others going thru life's challenges. I recommend Modest Needs very often, both as an option for support as well as a great organization to contribute to.

I am so impressed with the work Modest Needs does. The concept is revolutionary and they are able to assist so many people, especially veterans, in getting back on their feet. This is the only charity to which I donate on a monthly basis.

I’ve donated to Modest Needs many times and recommended them to friends. They are such a great organization and the cases they feature are always very hard working individuals and families who just need a little help. By creating a way for those of us who aren’t wealthy to combine our resources, they help so many people. It’s so rewarding to be able to be a part something so generous and caring.

I've been donating to Modest Needs for several years and know that my contributions are making a real difference in the lives of people who cannot get assistance from other organizations. Hearing their responses to having their needs fully funded is heartwarming but also assures me that the funds are having immediate results and are life changing in some instances to prevent evictions, homelessness, and a cycle of poverty. Do not most people live paycheck to paycheck? Cannot one emergency or lay-off set off a chain of events leading to desperate conditions? Modest Needs helps prevent that downward spiral, and every application is thoroughly vetted, plus the funds go directly to pay the creditor (examples: the landlord, the service repair shop, the hospital, the utility company), not the applicant, further assuring there are no fake pleas for help. I highly recommend Modest Needs Foundation as a 5-star nonprofit.

Stepped in and helped countless families keep their homes, their jobs, their health, when a financial emergency threatened them.

Modest Needs provides such an amazing service to those in need. I appreciate the fact that I can go onto the site to donate to such an array of families and situations. Keep up the good important work!