Yep. We give to 3 or 4 different places throughout the year. It is a good thing to do it. We try to give to the ones that have the least overhead administrative costs. We also try to give to individuals as well. Esp people who really need something. We have bought glasses and eye exams for kids at the local school who couldn't afford them. We have paid medical bills for at least 3 adult people this year, including lab fees and specialty exams, follow up doctors visits and medications. We just keep our eye open for the person who needs something at a point in time and try to step in to do it. It is the right thing to do.

Oh, and I give to TheCella...

ORLY?

:lol2:

Boys got a mind like a steel trap. Rusty, that is.
--Foghorn Leghorn

Oh yeah? Well I hate the Red Cross. :p

I hate those stupid children's hospitals and crap. To heck with Danny Thomas, and by extension to heck with Marlo.

You know I'm kidding. I love kids! :p

ASPCA. Because those commercials got to me. They got to me!

You're just hoping the Children's Hospitals run out of money and can't take all the kids, so you can take some home. :LOL:

The sad doggy/kitty commercials AND the kid commercials get to me. I'd take the kitt-uns and puppehs...but I like kids I can give back! :)

We give to the church and causes we believe in. CCFA for Crohn's disease research (for instance). I have a buddy who has severe diabetes (donor organs, missing toe, etc.) so I give to American Diabetes. etc.

We give to the SCPA, its never the animals fault they are there.
We give food, blankets and toys but no actual money, this way we *know* its not getting mis-handled.
We donate our old clothes and household stuff to the Salvation Army, as years ago they *gave* us furniture and clothes when we were down and out.
When the kids were in elementary school, we would donate cereal and bread to the Smart Start Breakfast Program, since they are not there anymore I have stopped.... hmmm maybe I will get back into that.

I just gave 5 bags of clothes to Goodwill. The other two went to friends who had first dibs on any of it. What goes around comes around.
I like your plan jaydaan - if you give tangible things they really can't get mishandled as much as money.

Don't give a lot to charity anymore. Honestly, almost nothing anymore. Used to donate to various ones and the next thing you know I'd be getting all this unsolicited crap in the mail from every bullshit charitable organization around. Guess you can say I got a little ticked over it. One even sent me a Dreamcatcher. "How neat" I thought, even thought about sending them a donation - while trying to take it out of the wrapper it broke... the envelope, its remaining contents and any potential hope went with it.

I have to watch my mother. She has a tendency to go overboard with these places so I keep a record of who she donated to. She has a cap of $20 each time. Old people have a tendency to go a little nuts with the donations. Her sister (who's 88) gave away thousands to the Republican National Committee. She thought she was on some important board becasue of the amount she gave. Poor thing, it was all a legitimate, legal scam from the real Republican National Committee to get people to donate to them. I tried to tell her what it was, but she just wouldn't listen. I told a couple of her kids about it and left it alone after that. As it turned out she blew most of her retirement on this crap.

I give bunches of stuff to Goodwill. I hope some of it is usable.

I give to St. Jude and that World Vision thing, yep, I've got my African kid. ;)

I give to my church.

Last year my daughter took donations for the animal shelter at her birthday party instead of gifts. Whatta great kid!

I give time and money when I can to people that give me a compelling reason to do so. Sometimes I get to deduct it.