While I believe that Singer’s notion of trying to balance the good and the evil in the world does hold some weight, I don’t believe that we should have a moral obligation to donate to relief funds. To what extent does this help we must provide stop? Does it stop when everyone is on a level playing field? There is always going to be another natural disaster, another famine, another country that needs monetary help. If everyone were to donate to these funds, while it would take a significant amount of time, what happens when all of everyone’s resources are exhausted? The reason people are able to donate to these funds is because they have funds of their own beyond their means. For people who are struggling to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads, a small donation might mean a month without electricity or water. However, those people would still be better off than those who are on the receiving end of the relief and according to Singer, still be morally obligated to donate to the relief fund.

                Another reason I don’t feel like donating to a relief fund is a moral obligation is due to the fact that it is hard to know where all the money being donated is going. This opens up a completely different ethical debate about non-profit organizations. For example, the ALS Research Foundation has been getting a lot of attention lately with the “Ice Bucket Challenge”. While the challenge has done amazing things for the foundation and raised a lot of money, the CEO of this non-profit organization has made over $500,000 this year. If I’m donating money to a fund, I would want to know for sure that my money is going to what I had intended not furnishing someone’s bank account. In an ideal world, everyone who had ample funds and resources would do all they could in their power to help those in need, but unfortunately that is not the world we live in today. Until everyone can be on the same page about the morality behind helping others, there won’t be any significant difference in the way society works and views moral obligations to those unseen and suffering.