What charities do people give to?

[Hamlet]

I've never given much to charity, since I've always figured I better make sure I don't need it first

I've reached a point where I think I will want to start giving some money to charity, and I was wondering what causes this group likes to support.

One interesting cause that has caught my eye:

http://www.oneacrefund.org/

 

[OKLibrarian]

Well, if I mention some of the more, erm...activist charities we support I may start a flame war, so let me throw a nice nonpartisan one out there that not many people have heard of.

Heifer International--http://www.heifer.org/

We also tithe to our church, and make donations to our alma mater and the nonprofit I'm on the board of. We're looking at sending some money toward the local symphony as well.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

We give monthly to the local Humane Society since we're both animal lovers. I'm a firm believer in helping the furry critters in the world

Other than that, we tend to drop a few bucks here and there to the Cancer society.

 

[FinanceDude]

I give a fair amount to the church (kind of expected of Catholics).

I used to give money to the American Cancer and Lung Societies, not any more

I give money each year to my college's business school scholarship fund

DW and I will be giving almost ALL of our future dollars to my sister's Memorial Fund, I am sure to the chagrin of the charities I used to support...............

 

[d]

Salvation Army (local)
Catholic Charities (local)
Am. Red Cross (local)
2 universities

some faith that the first three actually use the $ to assist those in need

 

[Fireup2020]

the RC beast

VFW

Humane Society

Just discovered Earthwatch on this site...they just got some of my '07 $$$

 

[gindie]

2 universities
Church
St. Judes Childrens Hospital
American Heart Assn.
American Diabetes Assn.

 

[Goonie]

I give to a local facility for the mentally and physically handicapped.....I have many friends that either work there or are clients/residents. (This is my absolute favorite charity!!!)

Occasional cash gifts to the local Salvation Army.

Occasional cash gifts to the local chapter of the American Red Cross.

We donate items to a couple of local 'thrift' stores. The proceeds from one benefits the local community hospital, and the proceeds from the other benefits the local homeless shelter. The latter one also gives clothing and other articles away FREE to those who are in need....homeless or not...no questions asked.

 

[wabmester]

Our kid's private school, poor misguided animal shelters, alma mater, and Uncle Sam.

 

[John Tuttle]

Well, if I mention some of the more, erm...activist charities we support I may start a flame war, so let me throw a nice nonpartisan one out there that not many people have heard of.

Heifer International--http://www.heifer.org/

Small world department. Our family farm was adjacent to Dan West's farm, who was the founder of the Heifer project. His wife was a grade school teacher in the local school.

My wife and I have set up a donor directed charitable fund by transferring mutual fund shares to a charity. This will allow us to avoid capital gains, get an immediate tax write off this year, but dole it out in subsequent years.

 

[free4now]

Oxfam
San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness
Electronic Frontier Foundation

 

[wabmester]

My wife and I have set up a donor directed charitable fund by transferring mutual fund shares to a charity. This will allow us to avoid capital gains, get an immediate tax write off this year, but dole it out in subsequent years.

Have you looked into Charitable Remainder Trusts? Similar idea, but it's a split trust, so you can chose to take some income and leave charities with the remainder. Cap gains are deferred, but the charitable deduction is immediate. Can be useful for both giving and tax planning during high-income years.

 

[igsoy]

My main one is a local music school which makes instruments and lessons available to disadvantaged kids.

DH's new job has matching contributions. Never had that before so we may make larger contributions for as long as that lasts.

 

[Gumby]

Church
Our 2 colleges and 2 graduate schools
Local opera company
Local historical society
Submarine Force Museum and Library
Cornell Feline Health Center

Operation Migration - a group that is working to reestablish a migrating flock of Whooping Cranes in the eastern United States by leading captive born cranes on migration from Wisconsin to Florida behind ultralight aircraft (the cranes migrate back to Wisconsin on their own).

Thinking about adding "Room to Read" this year. Any feedback on them would be appreciated.

 

[happy2bretired]

While working I always signed up for the United Way, assigning the donations to our local food bank. The only thing I am doing right now is donating quite a few items to Goodwill.

 

[Outtahere]

In order of dollars given
Local Humane (MSPCA)
Local Boys and Girls Club
local college I atteneded
various small donations to cancer fund raisers

 

[audreyh1]

Well, for the last two years it's been going to parent's medical bills!

Nature Conservancy
Audubon Society

When we got rid of most of our stuff, most of the household items went to Salvation Army (and I'm not religious, but I really admire their disaster relief work).

Audrey

 

[MasterBlaster]

What's the consensus on United Way as a broad based charity ??

They get some of my money.

 

[linkerbink]

Church
local humane society
Feed the Children International
International Fellowship of Christians & Jews
local classical music organizations (my passion!) and art museum
I also sponsor a Navajo boy through Children, Inc.

Does not include the odd buck or so to Salvation Army's Christmas pots, poppies for veterans' groups, etc.

 

[Gumby]

What's the consensus on United Way as a broad based charity ??

They get some of my money.

I have always thought of United Way as just another level of administrative expenses. To my understanding, they do not directly provide any services. Rather, they simply collect the funds and dole them out to participating charities according to a certain formula. In my opinion, it is more efficient to simply give money directly to the charities you want to support. Additionally, it is my understanding that by giving to United Way, you are giving to ALL the participating charities, even the ones you don't want to support. Even, if you "designate" your funds, that designated amount just gets counted against the amount already allocated to that charity.

 

[saluki9]

Heck, I'm Jewish and I give my charity $$$ to the salvation army

I have not found another organization that puts it to such good use, with as low overhead as they do.

 

[d]

What's the consensus on United Way as a broad based charity ??

i make united way contributions, but direct them to specific charities -- if i couldn't direct the $, i'd not contribute to united way.

 

[devo]

We won a goat!!

I love Heifer.org. This a great sustainable model, and it's such a fun gift.


At the school where I'm teaching. we do a food drive every year. A couple of years ago we entered the kids work on the food drive in a competition with Heifer. We won and were able to donate a goat to a Peruvian family in the name of the school. It was a great experience for the kids.

Every year, for the holidays, I give gifts of bees or flocks of chickens in the names of my friends. I'm sure they hate me for it, but they've all got money. If they want an ipod they can get it them d*** selves!

devo O0

 

[Gumby]

d:

I think the "direction" is a myth. My understanding of how it works is as follows (numbers just for example):

United Way has 50 participating charities. It collects $5 million in all. If the distribution formula is pro rata, each of the charities gets $100k. Suppose you give $5k and direct it to Charity #7. Charity #7 does not then get $105k. No, it still gets $100k -- your "directed" contribution simply displaces $5k of the "undirected" contributions that were allocated to Charity #7, which $5k is then reallocated to the other 49 charities.

So you are supporting ALL the United Way charities. The option to "direct" your contribution is only there to make you feel better, but it doesn't change this basic fact.

I respectfully submit that you should just give directly to the charities you like.

 

[John Tuttle]

Over the years most of our gifts of money have been to the Salvation Army. In general we try to have firsthand experience with the organization before we give to it. Not long ago the Seattle PI ran a piece on a particularly bad charity.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/310601_charities06.html

You really do need to do your homework. The article has a link to an organization that rates charities. However, they do not rate religious based charities such as the Salvation Army.