donate more to charity

Just dropped off another load of change to the bank this morning—$55. Now here comes the fun part…deciding where to send the money. Since this amount isn’t figured in to my formal giving, I usually sent it to one of my select organizations on a rotating basis.

But this time I thought it would be interesting to look at some new organizations, maybe see what’s out there locally to support. Or maybe there’s an organization near and dear to some 43Ters hearts that you’d like to promote?

Just chose my first slew of charitable gift cards for the holidays. Almost predictably, I chose to donate to Heifer It’s one of my favorites. In my loved ones’ stockings this year, they will find llamas, water buffalos, rabbits, chicks, and goats—or at least money donated to “purchase” those things for needy families around the world. I’d much rather receive one of those cards in my stocking than another CD (and my parents tell me there’s a good chance I’ll get my wish)!

Of course, I’ve got some more stuff to do. I need to pick out a couple of children from the local Giving Tree, some bags of groceries to buy, and Salvation Army kettles to seed.

I’d be interested in knowing what other 43T-ers are doing for the holidays!

...as a small, simple way to jumpstart charitable giving. I keep two piggy banks. Not only does it keep my coinage organized, but also helps me save some extra money for charity. The piggy banks kind of reminds me of my childhood and I’m always surprised at how quickly even pennies add up. When a piggy is full, I take the coins to my bank and send off a check for that amount rounded to the nearest dollar ) to one of my selected organizations; it works on top of my regular, official donation. It usually turns out to be between $15-$25.

Or sometimes around the holidays, I just throw the change directly into a bin or kettle that has volunteers asking for funds. I don’t know if seeing people give money inspires other folks to do the same, but I like to hope so.

Hurricane Relief….need I say more? Here’s the link: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

Okay, I’ve done some research, been thinking about Niger, etc. and I’m committed to this organization. I’ve talked with my partner and he is, too. So that’s one decision made.

Speaking of Heifer (http://www.heifer.org), I’m trying to decide whether to give gift donations in loved ones names for the holidays. I’m never quite sure how that’s received. I feel comfortable broaching the idea with my family, but what about my de facto in laws? Any suggestions?

I’ve actually written a post on my blog about this. It’s not that I’m focusing on donating more to charity, whether in terms of money, time, or goods; it’s that I want to be more conscientious in my decisions. I tended to make “default decisions” with my charities, donating to causes which happen to have rather organized campaigns and substantial mailing lists. It’s not that I think they’re bad organizations, quite the opposite. But I would like my involvement with charities to reflect me-my values and concerns-as accurately as possible. So, along with my annual budget, I’m looking into the various charities I support and others I might be interested in adding or replacing to my list.