Do you donate to charity?

[Clio]

If not, why not?

If you do, how much?

Which charity and why that particular charity?

Do you feel if someone is working, whether it's fulltime or part-time, they should feel obliged to donate a sum of money to a charity of their choice no matter how small?

[flygirl]

We do. We try to keep it local. (you know...think globally, act locally) There's a charity here that takes low income kids school clothes shopping so they don't look like they've been dressed from a charity box that's a big beneficiary. United way gets some, so does Lincoln action. Tha rest vary. I imagine our donations probably amount to around $5,000 bucks all together over 12 months. I don't think anyone should feel obligated to donate to charity, but it's good if they do. I pick my charities on how much actually goes to benefit people, and how much to administrators and professional fund raisers.

[jitobear]

Yep. I donate to Big Brothers, domestic abuse shelters and gay rights groups. I gave my old car to the Make a Wish foundation. I give clothes to local charity thrift stores. I donate jewelry I make to raffles. I have volunteered my time to benefits, walks, homeless shelters and the Science Museum of Minnesota.

[Clio]

We donate to Limerick Animal Welfare, Trocaire, Irish Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish, St. Vincent De Paul and the Simon community.

All old clothes go in the charity bags that come through the letter box. Cans get put into the Guide Dogs bin at the local recycling area.

I do feel very strongly that anyone earning a wage should be donating something to charity no matter how small.

[Demona]

I have a direct debit set up to Shelter, a UK Housing charity. I always meant to set up a direct debit to an international organisation as well, but I didn't get round to it. Any suggestions?

I donate old clothes to charity and I did a charity run for Cancer Research UK earlier this year to raise money, which included a donation from myself.

I think paying taxes is equivalent to being forced to give to charity, and I am in favour of it. The state now provides some of what used to be the sphere only of charity. What an individual choses to give on top of that is up to them, but I might find someone hypocritical who preached good work and didn't do anything on top of the minimum themselves.

[Matthew S]

Yes

I donate food and money to our food bank. I support light the night http://www.lightthenight.org/. I support St johns home http://www.stjohnshome.org/ I support MCCNY homeless gay youth shelter http://www.sylviasplace.org/ with clothes, misc needs and money. I am a member of our hospitals volunteer auxilery.

I don't think that some one should be forced give but you can pretty much judge thier character if they don't give. BTW I haven't seen a reply from our more conservative posters on this. JP belives charieties and not the government should be taking care of the less fortunate. I would be very intrested to see if and what he gives or volunteers for, if anything.

[flygirl]

I always meant to set up a direct debit to an international organisation as well, but I didn't get round to it. Any suggestions?


United Way International has the best people/administration record for their donation dollars. Also, it lets the LOCAL beneficiaries handle the actual decisions on how to use the cash. They help with everything from food, clothes, and medicine, to disaster relief and building schools and it's completely apolitical and not affiliated with any religion. I'd recommend you look into them.

[justGina]

Not now, but I will one day when I'm more financially solvent.

I will probably give to a group that helps babies and/or mothers.

[Diva]

If not, why not?

If you do, how much?

Which charity and why that particular charity?

Do you feel if someone is working, whether it's fulltime or part-time, they should feel obliged to donate a sum of money to a charity of their choice no matter how small?

1. Yes we do, money, time and clothes etc.

2. It varies hugely, anywhere from $10 to $100 in any given month. I don't keep track, it's mostly cash donations unless there's a particular cause du jour like the Katrina collections or the annual Fight for Life (youth suicide prevention benefit), then we'll make a larger donation.

3. Varies, I have a monthly direct debit going to Greenpeace but aside from that, it's mostly just whomever's collecting.

4. That's kind of hard to judge. I know for the past few months, our outgoings have exceeded our income, and not for frivolous spending. Yes I kept my Greenpeace dd going and as usual we continued to give cash donations to collectors but we should have stopped it, the money just wasn't there. There are plenty of people scraping by who are going backwards trying to make ends meet on minimum wage.The responsible thing is to make sure your bills are paid and your family is fed before you give spare cash away. Which is not to say that you can't donate time, but then again, if you're a single parent barely scraping by, you may not be able to afford to pay for additional child care so you can do volunteer work.
Sure, if people can afford time or money then they should do what they can, but I really can't judge in any but the most obvious cases who can and who can't.

[Pops In]

The answer is yes. To say any more is breach of confidence and gross arrogance.

[abcNKH]

I donate thru my church, or directy to charities. I don't donate to things like United Way - I want 100% of my money to go to the charity, not to overhead and salaries...

[Demona]

I donate thru my church, or directy to charities. I don't donate to things like United Way - I want 100% of my money to go to the charity, not to overhead and salaries...

I'd be surprised if you found many charities which don't have some running costs, and those that do likely only act on a local level. I don't like charities to be gratuitous with their spending, but large charities need paid staff and marketing, and though some of your money is diverted to that, large charities can effect change of the sort that smaller ones would find impossible. Lobbying for legislative change, funding research (in the case of medical charities), organising high-profile fundraising events, and effectively running money-making businesses in which the profit is used for charitable goals is the work of large charities.

Equally the benefits of small local charities are helping and supporting individuals and changing the character of a small area. Both serve a valuable function.

[abcNKH]

but large charities need paid staff and marketing, and though some of your money is diverted to that, large charities can effect change of the sort that smaller ones would find impossible. I used to give to United Way, many years ago. Then I found that the head of UW in my little county alone was making almost twice my fairly healthy salary. I researched 'earmarking' my money to go to a specific charity, and found that didn't really increase the amount of money my chosen charity would receive from UW. If my charity was budgeted to receive $10,000 from UW, and I earmarked $1,000, then the UW donation would be reduced to $9,000 and my $1,000 would be added to that. By donating directy to my charity, they get $11,000.

I know UW needs a staff and marketing and such. But for me, personally, I prefer to give directly to the charity of my choice.

[kingclick]

Do I donate to Charity? Not Charity....but I do donate to Candy, she is a better stripper than Charity! :howling:

;)

Actually yes I donate to charities. But to who and how much is my own business.

Do you feel if someone is working, whether it's fulltime or part-time, they should feel obliged to donate a sum of money to a charity of their choice no matter how small?

Definitely not. Charity is charity and no one making low amounts money should feel obligated to give.

Anyone making over a million a year should though.

[Jory]

If not, why not?

If you do, how much?

Which charity and why that particular charity?

Do you feel if someone is working, whether it's fulltime or part-time, they should feel obliged to donate a sum of money to a charity of their choice no matter how small?

Yes

What I can afford and not always every year to the same charities but they include:

Planned parenthood because they help women get services they need who might other wise not be able to afford.

The local animal shelter because people don't think of them.

Fine arts fund because dd is involved in dance.

We also donate time doing a pet drive for local senior citizens who are on limited income (it is an organization through the local shelter).

Charity should be given from the heart like all gifts. No one should be obligated to give, though I think it is a mark of noble character.

[FaeryGem]

I donate to a couple of charities. A children's one and an animal one.

[Raven]

yes.