Do you give to charity? If so, what causes do you support?

When I was employed, I gave a chunk of my check to the United Way, specified for my local Boys and Girls Club. My son uses the club and I appreciate the low cost and the services they provide. Also, my brother grew up going to the exact same one. He became a bad ass basketball and ping pong player thanks to them.

 

The other half takes care of the charitable contributions. I know she gives to a couple cancer related charities, the olympics and a couple catholic charities.
I always drop a few bucks into the jars kids use to beg money for sports or some such at stores/supermarkets, if that counts as charity.

 

I give here and there. Used to be heavily involved in "Toys for Tots" when I lived in the US. Now that I'm south of the border I support a couple kids school costs per year. Plus I find myself giving to organizations that provided water to rural areas and build housing for the less fortunate. Sometimes I give cash (though not so much lately) and often I volunteer my time either wiring or plumbing.

 

We give what I can - retirement isn't nearly as profitable as the liquor business was. We have always supported the Salvation Army - and, have always refused to give to anything even remotely associated with the Red Cross - this because of dealings I had with, and saw of them when in the military and later during a career in law enforcement. We live in an age where you can never be certain of where money goes and there is very little accountability in many things that call themselves "charities".

 

I always give to three different local charities. I give first to the synagogue I go to, a local volunteer ambulance company that does not take any public funding, and to an organization that helps support and feed unemployed or people who can not afford food and basic things for their family. I feel it is important to first start in your local community and hoepfully one day their issues will be solved and I can work on supporting other organizations.

 

The grocery store I used to frequent in Ohio had these ticket-y things you could add to your grocery bill for a month before Christmas... I think it was something like one dollar, five dollars, and ten dollars, and it went to the local homeless shelter. I always gave at least a dollar, more often five, and ten when I could. I don't remember seeing anything like that in NC, but we were stretched last Christmas, so maybe I just didn't notice.

I don't give on a regular basis (I wish I could), but when I have a little extra cash, I like to donate to environmental charities or non-profit organizations; the ASPCA; the local animal shelter; and Toys for Tots (or something similar that's locally based.)

 

When we was active in a church we gave to them. We sponsor a child at an orphanage in Kenya (started by friends of us) and we occasionally give to the Salvation Army. It's the only places where we feel our money is used for a good case, not expensive administration.

 

My charitable causes involve interactions. I give little else, but reckon that's much more valuable.

 

I raise money for the National MS Society every year, but I benefit from that because they put on great programs. I'll also volunteer at various events and feel like donating my time is just as beneficial if not more. I've done the Relay for Life thing too.

I'm a sucker for the right animal charities. I donated a pocket full of change on Saturday to the local humane society, because I noticed a jar on the counter at the pet store.

 

I am a big Habitat for Humanity fan. I like that you can give money, but also spend time working with and for the person who is benefiting. If you qualify for the house, you have to help work on other people's houses before you can start your own. People who work on building a neighborhood have more invested in it.

 

I prefer donating to trustworthy individuals who will use the money for a specific, well-defined goal. Charities generally allow for only so much transparency regarding the use of funds, and if I disagree with their priorities, nothing can be done to redirect the money elsewhere. Also, if the beneficiaries are human beings, I would likely find some of them to be unworthy of the assistance, whatever its form, and selectively excluding them from among thousands or millions of others is clearly impractical.

 

I support a couple of foster kids in the third world. Mostly I support local charities... homeless shelters, soup kitchen, food bank, women's shelter. Sadly, I have become one of the soup kitchen's largest individual supporters here... and without giving them huge donations. As well, anyone who makes the effort to go door to door will usually get a few bucks from me because they made that effort.

I do not support the United Way... I have some fundamental issues with the concept of "Get Big, Get Organised, Get EFFICIENT!!!" The efficiency is good, but the restrictions on fundraising imposed on the member agencies upsets me. And, there are charities of which I don't approve, and I don't want ANY of my donation going to them. One time, a canvasser told me I was wasting my donation by not giving to the UW because other approaches were inefficient. If I want to give money to a charity that spends 80% of its donations on fundraising, and still feel good about, then I damn well will. And I WON'T give money to someone who tells me how I should be giving my money away.

On the other hand, the UW volunteers are almost universally well-intentioned, nice people out trying to help the world. And I wish them well in their efforts.

 

The university I work at offers automatic deductions out of paychecks that can go to various charities. I currently give to the American Cancer Society and a scholarship fund in the name of a coworkers son who was killed in a car accident years ago. I also donate old clothes and toys to Big Brothers/Big Sisters - my kids like to do that, they like that their stuff can go to others who need it. Every year my office participates in the Daffodil Days by the American Cancer Society as well. I buy the bear and daffodils in honor of my father who is fighting lung cancer with all that he has.

 

Everyone in my family dies of cancer, I've already beat it once. Supporting the American Cancer Society seems a bit self serving; but it works for me.

 

I tend to give labour more than money.

Eg, here is an album I organized for the Haiti disaster ... I do the the spoken introduction, all of the jazz piece 'Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child', and the lyrics and singing for the James Brownesque funky 'Hunger'

http://haiti.bandcamp.com/album/haiti

Please consider it closed for donations, otherwize this becomes IMO spam rather than a just contribution here to our straight sharing of what we do. Actually, I make it clear in the intro that it serves a dual purpose; it is collecting point for donations for those who want to give, but also a tribute/appreciation/thankyou album for people who are already doing their bit, and y'all're already doing your bit. 'Nuff said

More recently I have been doing solo concerts and sending the proceeds to Partners in Health, who have vigorous projects in Haiti, and a very low proportion of funds allocated to admin.

In my neighbourhood, I'll give £1 to homeless people, or more often let them know I'm off to the supermarket and can I get them something. It's my ticket to have a sit-down and a chat with them for half an hour ... they lighten my burdens as much as I lighten theirs. It doesn't feel like charity so much as a distant partnership.

 

I have givin to breast cancer research because my mom had and won the fight she 4 years out now

and I also give money to a program that Canadian Tire has called "Jump Start" its to help kids get into sports but parents can't afford it.