give more to charity

I feel that I have so much to give, yet I rarely get around to doing so. I always give money to the homeless but I think it’s time to step it up a notch and give to greater causes! Starting A.S.A.P! You can’t save everyone, but you can help to pave the way.

The first major donation I made to charity was this Christmas, $150 to Heifer, which my boyfriend matched as his gift to me. I found out too late that, if I had done it in my Dad’s name, his company would have matched it too. Now I have my heart set on giving CARE the money I would have spent on a new dress for prom (about $200). I mean, I already have a nice dress. It seems ridiculous to buy a new one when there is so much suffering in the world. I put this plan in my facebook status to try to lift the absurd stigma attached to reusing a dress.

I’ve decided to call this goal completed since I’ve made a shift in the way I view giving to charity. It is now something that always comes off the top of every paycheck, I adjusted the amount to 15$ / week for now, and I’m comfortable with that.

I’m going to keep the list of charities I listed with this goal to contribute to when the funds have been built back up to the level I wanted to give.

I’ve given annual donations to Wikipedia for two years now, but I have a decent financial surplus each month and want to make even more of a difference. I have a list of charities and worthwhile causes I want to support, but I need to sit down and organize a schedule for how much to give and when. I want to give this time soon, but right now I’m focused on other things.

Decided to up the amount to 15$ / week. It’s really amazing how quickly funds collect in the fund. Plus when little things pop up, I know that I have the money to fund them as well.

This is one thing that is non negoticiable in my budget. I feel bad because I’m not at 10%, but you know what, better that I make giving a priority and that I give what I can, with an open hand and heart.

This is my favorite charity:

www.islamic-relief.com

I think they are one of the best charities in USA. They got a four star rating five years in a row from charity navigator.Here is a quote:

“Only 3% of the charities we’ve rated have received at least 5 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Islamic Relief outperforms most charities in America in it’s efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible”
-Charity Navigator, April 2008

I have yet to give a huge amount of my money away this month. Am looking at minimum $100.

This month was :
1 – to an orphanage
2 – Food for a group of customers which my department organized a training (it wasn’t much but was thinking – hey, they gave the company business which pays my paycheck so I should at least at my own personal capacity give something back)
3 – Roughly $10 into the office’s Palestine fund (loose change from breakfast)

Next month is gonna be really tight as the repayment of the personal loan that I took will be deducted from my salary – on top of all the other mumbo jumbo that’s also deducted.

I have faith.
Everything is for Him.
I believe and I will seek for none other than His guidance.

Heck, it’s not my money anyway. We’ll see what Allah has in store for me next month…

so far this year (Jan – Aug) €361

(things are really tight with our budget this year, but i dont want to forget about other people either)

I was at the hospital today and saw a plaque for AMI Quebec. Was inspired to add them to the list, since mental health issues are important to me.

Here’s the link, but I’ll probably end up calling them up since they don’t have an online donation option.

http://www.amiquebec.org/Documents/DonationForm.pdf

4 hours after I found out that my bank account has been cashed in, I did this :

This is to inform you that you have transferred RM50.00
to your Maybank account for Aman palestine on 01/20/09 12:05:45 via Maybank2u.com. Please check your account balance.

I wish I could give more but… aauughhh..
My prayers for our brothers & sisters.. Amin