This morning NYU journalism instructor Jay Rosen Tweeted a link to a story on a freelancer’s Web site profiling the author of a book on frugal living. In the site’s sidebar, the freelancer, Paige Williams, seeks donations to help cover the cost of producing the story.

Rosen asked on Twitter if donations can work for journalists, financially.

I doubt it.

As I’ve said before, donors and other philanthropic funding sources only have so much money to give to nonprofit causes. There’s just not enough money available to support journalism.

But whether or not it can work financially shouldn’t be the only question journalists ask themselves before seeking philanthropic support.

More importantly, they need to ask if it’s moral.

Again, there’s only so much nonprofit funding available. Donors don’t have enough money to support every worthwhile cause; instead, they choose to fund some charities over others.

When a donor chooses to give to a journalist or news outlet, it means they’re deciding not to give desperately-needed support to other nonprofits that provide direct services. They’re paying for an article instead of a meal for a hungry child, medical care for a needy senior citizen or shelter and safety for a refugee.

As I Tweeted in response to Rosen’s question:

Journalism would only be a worthwhile nonprofit if all the world’s other problems were fixed.

Of course, some would argue that a small donation to a journalist could be worthwhile if his or her story generates publicity that leads to tens of thousands of dollars in funding for the story’s subject. And it’s true, giving $2,000 to Williams might encourage many to buy the book about frugal living.

Maybe. But why give money that you hope might make a difference when you can support a nonprofit that you know makes a difference?

Below, in no particular order, are links to the Web sites for 11 nonprofit organizations that are making a difference today. Consider donating to one of these worthwhile nonprofit causes – or an organization in your community – before you give money to a journalist.

• Oxfam International.
• The United Way.
• The American Red Cross.
• Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).
• Hospice.
• The American Cancer Society.
• The American Heart Association.
• The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS).
• Amnesty International.
• The National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
• The Epilepsy Foundation.

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