Kossacks: Helping The Least Among Us

There has recently been a lot of discussion here about charity, helping people, and how we should go about doing it. I've had an idea kicking around in my head for a while that a formal, incorporated Kossack founded, community-based organization that could help all of us, and provide real assistance on a number of fronts might be the best way to go about doing this, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter, especially regarding your particular field of expertise. I will update as you suggest.

The basic idea is simple: together, we can do more as a community than we can individually, especially when we all work together and in concert. Insurance, unions, mutual funds, charity work, all work because of these principles--working together, and collective bargaining with a large pool of dedicated people. We are already everywhere, and we have already helped people and changed lives for the better--the goal here is to focus that, organize it, and direct it.

We have people who need advice, and people who have wisdom to dispense. We have people who need jobs, and people who need employees. We have people who need financial help, and people who have money to invest. We have people who need health insurance, and people who want better health insurance to be available for everyone. I'm convinced that we can meet these wants and needs--we just need to match them all up.

In the long run, I believe we could potentially provide:
Specialized Advice
Job Placement Assistance
Community Outreach
Microcredit Loans
Food, Clothing, Books, etc.
Financial Assistance
Real Health Insurance
Investment Funds
Bonds (self-funding)
[Your Idea Here]

Funding these efforts could come from a number of places. Some of these initiatives would require only time, or donations of goods, not money. Bonds, providing investment funds, or providing health insurance could potentially generate money, or working capital. Microcredit loans would cost money at least in the short term. Any general financial assistance would also cost money.

So that's the raw concept. Let me know if you have any other ideas or areas that you'd be interested in, or if you're unclear on any of the items I mentioned, or want me to flesh them out. I have a lot of ideas, but I think that this could be best developed as a community, and in co-operation with people who know more than I do about each individual subject, and what might be involved.