Well, I tend to support health charities that are connected with diseases that have impacted hugely on my own family - in our case leukaemia and motor neurone disease.

My reasoning being that I can't support all charities - and if we all did that - a lot of charities would be supported.

I give a regular donation to a Uniting church organization that supports the homeless and disadvantaged.

At the moment I'm considering giving to an overseas donation - probably Medecins Sans Frontieres.

I give one off donations to special appeals - like earthquake victims, floods, bushfires.

Sometimes I give when asked in the street, sometimes not.......

How do I refuse?

I tell them the truth - I have charities that I support, and I'm sorry, but I can't support everyone.

It sounds like you have a system for giving Pilgrim.  Do you also plan for an approximate total by the month or year? 

One of my friends this morning mentioned the discomfort she felt when asked for money for a 'disaster situation' and she had to say "Sorry, I can't" because she had already sent off a cheque with her total available donation money for that month.

 Annual plan for major donations, ie, church, united way...set and then given based on par.

General donation for anyone doing anything in a walk.  If you are willing to walk, it is rare that I won't sponsor you.   Extra for if you are walking for a social service type organization, such as our local shelter.

General donation for certain door to door charities.  Again, based on the logic that you are putting in your time and energy personally.

Annual review & special allotment for appeals for special initiatives or top ups.

It generally works out at year end to the same spread, which we are comfortable with.

No. Apart from the church contacting me four times a year to support the homeless - I give when I think of it.  It varies from year to year.

My biggest donation was to my late husband's specialist - for leukaemia research. I made a point of it being my first cheque from my "new" chequebook in my name only.

I had a lot to do with her over my husband's illness - and I wanted to show my support and gratitiude in a practical way.

My husband had been a big supporter of charities, he considered himself fortunate to get an excellent education that afforded him well-paid positions as an engineer. But I found that I just couldn't afford to support them in the way he did - as I now have less income.

I tend to give to charities that have had a personal impact on my life or on the lives of those around me. I work for a charitable organization, and get paid for that work by another one so I support both of those charities because I know intimately the work they are doing in the community. I support the United Church and the work it does both locally and in the world, and I support a few health organizations. When special appeals come up, I give what I can. I'd like to do more, but I simply can't afford it. I am careful about who I give to - I only give to charities that I am familiar with (I can avoid scams that way). I am also careful about giving to canvassers - a lot of those people are paid to canvass - and I would rather have my money going to the people who really need it instead of to the canvassers.

Lots of good thinking here.  Sometimes I get the impression that most people barely give - or do it thoughtlessly (the squeaky wheel gets the grease syndrome).

I prefer to give a cheque for $50 or more so I can use the tax credits that add up over the year.  I struggle about supporting small local groups that are mainly social - like the Seniors Club.  I don't support church fundraisers unless they specify the use of the raised funds.  So Yes to support an earthquake relief No if I think it is to pay the church's power bill.

pp

Basically we follow your approach.  We determine that we can contibute x% of our income, and once we have reached that point, are honest and say that is all we can give.

As Jesus said, you will alwasy have the poor among you.  So you can't flog yourself for limiting your charity.

Peace

IT

Russ

Russ,

It does bring up the question in my mind how much should one allow oneself for luxuries?

For instance - I love travelling - but it does eat up a lot of disposable income.

I justify it by saying that, as I'm on my own now, it doesn't hurt to spoil myself once a year, but..............?

To be honest, I often feel I live with a certain amount of hypocrisy. (which is why I describe myself as just a low level Christian).

I recognise that feeling Pilgrim.  My early tastes of Christian teaching left me feeling unworthy, sinful, and incredibly self centred and selfish.  I thought I should not give myself any pleasures that cost money - so only basic cheap clothing, no holidays, crafts supplies, entertainment etc......and I still get twinges of guilt if i treat myself to some little thing that it seems everyone else takes for granted.

The question 'How much for luxuries' brings thoughts around 'what is a luxury'.  I already have a luxurious life compared the the average over the world..comfortable house, running hot and cold water, electricity, a car, reliable food sources, changesof clothing, medical care, education for my young and so on....and yet I look at those around me who go to church and they holiday expensively twice a year, wear expensive clothes, buy ready made meals and etc.....

My answer is - I just don't know.

I'm on a pretty tight budget so I don't give much money.  I have joined a group put on by the Lung Association, learn to run for smokers, and I do three or four walks a year with them that I raise money for, ususally for lung and heart diseases.  I drop money in pots when I have cash in my pocket and give food to the food bank.  I also give blood regularily.

I contribute what I can towards the support of my church, probably more in volunteering and helping out than in actually cash, and I also give what I can to the M & S fund, often making a small extra donation as a memorial when a UCC member that I know has died. 

I give to those neighbours who collect for heart, cancer, kidney.  

If I know the children I give to those who are collecting (or selling small items I don't need) to support the local school, the cubs or brownies, or children's sports  (I don't give to everyone)

But mainly, during this past year, I've been doing whatever I can to ease the financial burden for my daughter who has reduced income and increased expenses in her fight against breast cancer.  I guess charity does begin at home.

I also think that when this is over I will be more apt to give to local appeals, benefits and fund raisers for those who are ill or who have experienced loss (floods, fire).  We have really appreciated those that have been organized for our daughter. 

I don't give anything to that nun (or whatever) in Nigeria who just needs my credit card number to help her get to North America where she has millions waiting for her.

Seeler,

I know what you about mean about charity beginning at home.  I had to cut back on the amount I give weekly to my church after my son and daughter-in-law and their little girl moved in with me (due the high cost of housing here on the West Coast) and the fact that they are not professionals.

I signed up sometime ago for giving to World Vision via an automatic deduction--these are the best because you don't have to remember to do it!

I also give to people on the street--depending on various factors like how much actual cash do I have with me.  

I do not hit the 10% mark, either pre or post tax.  I was trying for 10% before the kids moved in and may get back to it yet.

I also respond to people coming door to door but for reason or other, I get annoyed about people phoning me.  Sometimes it seems like all I hear from are telemarketers, etc.

My main areas of interest for charitable giving are related to poverty and social justice.  I don't give anywhere near as much as I feel like I SHOULD be giving; I, too, am rather attached to a number of luxuries.  I sponsor a child through World Vision and I give extra small amounts to World Vision here and there throughout the year, and I also support Free The Children.  Last year I gave more time than money to them by running a Read-a-thon in my school and we raised over $900. 

Beyond that, I often throw my spare change in to collection jars in stores and fast food places and I sometimes sponsor students or co-workers for walk-a-thons and stuff like that.  I occasionally give to local food banks, too, by making donations right at the grocery stores.  I'm trying to remember to do that more often, especially when I have my daughter with me.  I'm trying to teach her the importance of giving so I get her to pick out a few cans and let her put them in the box.  Ummm...let's see...I also try to do a spring cleaning every year and donate used items to the salvation army (frequently they aren't even used...they are things that just never got back to the store for a refund and now it's too late). 

As for saying no, I don't have any problem with that.  I don't usually feel any need to explain, although sometimes I do ask for more information if the charity sounds like something I'd like to support.  Usually they have a pamphlet or website that I can check. 

Great topic idea, kaythecurler.  I'm curious too to see other people's giving habits - whether they are planned out well in advance or spontaneously offered.

Charity is a hard thing for me.  I'm not wealthy, since I've only recently got married, become employed, and share what I do have with my student husband who has little income himself.  But I believe that where I give my time and what money I do have is important.  I volunteer as many hours as my health will let me with my church.  I give to them occasionally, often throwing a $20 into a "Pay What You Can" basket for dinners and events.  I also support friends and family in their decisions.  For example, supporting my parents as they plan for their Habitat for Humanity build in Vietnam this April - my mother's leading it.  Or giving money to a friend running her marathon for Sick Kids.  I truly believe that it is the relationship we have with someone that makes us willing to give part of ourselves - money or other.

I've learned many things about global aid since I started working in this unit, about giving and what it means.  About not giving and what that means.  About understanding that there are real people on the other end that, like us, benefit from a relationship as much as from a donation.  I love my job.  I get paid to do it, I know, but I feel like the position I'm in helps create those relationships with other people and places and issues.  And if 1/3 of my life is going to go towards something, I'm glad it's this.

      I don't plan anything specific.    Most of my cash charitable giving happens through events I attend and things like raffles that I come across while out and about or at events themselves.   I always just consider the cost of the raffle ticket a straight donation with the small chance to get something from it but the getting of something is not the primary reason for buying them.  I'll get tickets for things I don't care about if I think the org doing the fundraising is something I want to help out.  (Like the time I got 20 dollars worth of tickets for a fish raffle even though I dislike fish :) )     So mostly it ends up as donations to local community groups or local affiliates of larger groups

 I do dump change into bins and boxes and I do give out change to people on the streets though that doesn't happen much here.   When I lived in the city sometimes instead of giving money I'd just buy some sandwiches or some sort of other food depending on what the nearest stores carried and give that out instead.

I don't have tons of cash to spare but I do have time and time that is quite flexible relative to many other people so I try to give that way as well.

I also give donations to fundraisers like silent auctions.  Usually some sort of handcrafted of cooked something or other.   Everything from jewelry, to oven mits to strawberry rhubarb jam.   I donated a months supply (2 dozen eggs a week) once.   I've also donated extra produce or just have given it to people who I've heard are going through a rough time.   So not official charity really but lending a helping hand where it's needed.

 We are on a tight budget and can't give the way  we would really like to.  We do tithe at church unless it would leave us absolutely strapped.  ( I know, it shows a lack of faith in God's provision. We're working on that too.) Other than that, our tithing is pretty random. No set amount to set charity. Sometimes we will do something out of the blue like give a person panhandling a granola bar to eat. If God prompts me to give something to someone I do it unless I'm being thick in the head.    We have received help before and try to pay it forward when we can, often in unstructured ways.