Another thought on charitable donations

Sundae · 11-13-2008, 10:06 AM

I chose "Tacky copout" but that's far harsher than I really feel.
I think it really works in some situations and with some people.

No-one I know really has everything. Apart from my brother, and it's not that he's rich, just that he has simple needs that he happily fulfills. Even if I had unlimited money it would be hard to work out what to buy him, but I like the challenge. I wouldn't make a donation in his name because it just wouldn't feel right - it would feel like I was saying, "Here, I did this because you're too mean to do it yourself!"

On the other hand, when I worked for the NHS the HR department decided to send out an email instead of sending Christmas cards. And the money they saved doing that was used to purchase a goat for a family in Africa. I thought that was a wonderful and elegant way of doing it.

View Poll Results: What do you think of charitable giving in someone else's name as a gift?
Just fine, I do it for a variety of people	6	28.57%
It's fine once in awhile but not consistently	10	47.62%
Done it before but no inclined to do it again	0	0%
Tacky copout	5	23.81%
Voters: 21. You may not vote on this poll

11-13-2008, 10:06 AM	#24
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I chose "Tacky copout" but that's far harsher than I really feel. I think it really works in some situations and with some people. No-one I know really has everything. Apart from my brother, and it's not that he's rich, just that he has simple needs that he happily fulfills. Even if I had unlimited money it would be hard to work out what to buy him, but I like the challenge. I wouldn't make a donation in his name because it just wouldn't feel right - it would feel like I was saying, "Here, I did this because you're too mean to do it yourself!" On the other hand, when I worked for the NHS the HR department decided to send out an email instead of sending Christmas cards. And the money they saved doing that was used to purchase a goat for a family in Africa. I thought that was a wonderful and elegant way of doing it.

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