This shocked me: I don't often give change to people begging, but several times a year I will give someone asking amounts in cash between $20 and $50. The response is always gratifying and I know that for at least a night (perhaps several) that money could have a real impact. I tend to agree that giving money directly to a person and not through an organization is more efficient and possibly more rewarding for all involved.None of the men wasted their money on alcohol, drugs or gambling. On the contrary, most of them were extremely frugal with the money they had received. On average, only 800 pounds had been spent at the end of the first year.
It should be tempered by acknowledging that there's a difference between "windfall money" and "steady-state money." Most people have a pretty good idea how they'd spend a windfall, and most of them would spend it sensibly. Generally their need for a windfall was not the result of irresponsibility, but rather the slow vice of American living. I work a lot of competition reality. Big prizes are usually in play. The #1 proposed use of all winnings? Paying off credit card debt.