Do you give?

[classicman]

I give locally - VERY locally. no deductions available for me on this. Some of those organizations take up to 75% for expenses. Eff that.
I go direct.

[glatt]

I give. Freud would say it's so I can get laid. But I give because I feel like it's the right thing. Not just money. I'll volunteer at times, and give blood, and do things like learn CPR so I can save a life if the moment arises. It's about being a good neighbor. I don't have a lot of money, so the money isn't always the focus.

Shawnee, if you don't have kids or a house, there isn't much for you to deduct. I'd take the standard deduction if I were you. It can't hurt to skim the tax form and just estimate what the itemized deductions would be, but you are almost certainly doing better taking the standard deduction.

[Stormieweather]

I give locally, with no strings, including tax deduction. I'm very involved in domestic violence issues, so much of what I give is to DV shelters. I also help a local homeless shelter for families with food and clothing as I have funds. I co-own and help operate an abuse support website which I fund as needed also.

I sometimes take in troubled teenagers who are having trouble with their parents. I then work with them and their parents, to either reconcile or help them to become self sufficient. This is nothing formal, just happens as a result of word of mouth. I've had 5 so far. The longest any of them lived with me was a year.

I've also taken in entire homeless families for very short term, fed them and helped them find a more permanent place to stay and apply for jobs. I've not done this for quite a while however, as we now live in a much smaller home than formerly (and because of the economy).

I do NOT give to organized charities as too much of those funds go to admin expenses and God knows what. I don't care about the tax deduction, I just want what I give to be used to help someone.