1 "In my opinion, the act of giving is a virtue onto itself, enriching both the giver and the recipient."


------------

Absolutely.

2 The government gives on my behalf, relieving me of both the burden and most of my disposable income.

3 So where do you give and what got you started on your own philanthropic road?

----------


I give to my church weekly, and to Moody Bible Institute and Voice of the Martyrs monthly.  What got me started was God's blessings in my life, and a desire to extend those blessings to others. 

Giving cheerfully is a great blessing in and of itself.

4

To me, this is a topic that is highly personal, and I don't  tend to talk about it.

 

So I will say this in  a general way:  my donations go toward things that have an impact on people in my immediate vicinity.  It's the only way that would make any sense to me.  Donating to people in Africa, for example, no matter how noble that might be, does not make sense... and I don't think it warrans explaining here why it does not.

 

The only other comment would make here is that I have donated to organizations that do not necessarily meet the "conservative" criteria for being considered worthy.  And again, that's because it is very personal to me, so I will be generous when the situation  has  called  for it. 

5 We give because Progressives won't.

6 @Y-not,

Would you like me to fix those links?

7 Holy hyperlinks, Batman.

8 We give to Toys For Tots, the USO, and our local church food pantry.

9 I'm with Mama. I give because the Lord has called us to tithe (out of gratitude and obedience) and because I have been blessed -- and there were times when I needed help, and God sent someone to help. I give to my church, to Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the food bank, and a couple of animal shelters. I also give yearly to a local symphony orchestra and a couple of musicians I know.

10 I'd be interested to see how Communist countries rank in the list of philanthropy. When I came to this country I did notice the generosity of strangers and found it refreshing and quite different to the thinking in my own country. Getting to know Americans over these past 30 years has led me to the conclusion that Americans are generous because they are Americans. That is, they are American in spirit. The early pioneers could not have survived very well without there being a sharing of time, talent and treasure when hard times hit. On the other hand, when the citizens of a country are brought up to believe that the Government will take care of every need, the instinct to help those who are in need is now gone with the Government being the default provider. I have been fortunate in life since I came here and my favorite way of giving back is to support anything to do with sporting activities for the less advantaged and, of course, to my church. It wouldn't have occurred to me 30 years ago, but I like the generous spirit that is America.

11 we give to two religious summer camps for kids, an Episcopal  one for at risk kids, and a Jewish one for kids with disabilities.  Through a Jewish charity, we give to a women's shelter in NJ, which, ironically, provides services to abused Islamic women.   We give to Fisher House and Wounded Warriors.  My husband gives to a scholarship program at a university.  Our boy with Aspergers packages food for distribution at food bank every Wednesday with his school.  Our oldest boy has worked for years with a theater company that gives severely disabled kids a chance to put on a play.

12 Church
DAV
Boy Scout food drive (May ditch that one)

Various center-fire ammunition manufacturers (For the chirren)

13

>>I think this may be one reason I have so much concern about hostility many seem to feel towards their alma maters in specific and higher education in general.

 

Mine has a $7 billion endowment. I don't feel that they need my little contributions so I'd rather give to groups that do need it.

 

I've been giving at church, and giving of my time recently to make stuff to sell and to work at fundraisers.

14

What is this 'giving you speak of'?

15 I stopped giving to my alma mater a few years ago when they started doing increasingly screechingly liberal things, even more liberal than when I was there in the late '80s. I still give directly to the athletics team that I was a member of for 4 years, because it had as much influence on me as anything I learned in a classroom.

16 I'd be interested to see how Communist countries rank in the list of philanthropy.


When was the last time you ever heard of Russia or China on a humanitarian mission?  Do you remember either of their navies going into tsunami hit countries to render aid?

17 Toys for Tots, because I have been one of those Marines who pick up toys or show up at events and always liked supporting them.

I give to the Salvation Army because they help people with real problems.

18 The local YMCA (where I help teach judo - the kids are a trip, especially)

Local Red Cross (Indianapolis seems to have a better than average organization)

Salvation Army (good bang for the buck, I think)

Blood Donation (they loves them some double red cell apheresis with that sweet, sweet O negative... and, cookies!)

19
Hey, back off, cowgirl.

20 This post, all 1397 words, receives the Ace Vacation Award. AVA. Not controversial and good. Nice post. I give to the Boy Scouts, the last true conservative youth organization. I am the largest donor in my district. My church, Episcopal, wanted to know why suddenly they were not getting any of my funds. It had nothing to do with the lesbian priest at my church living with another woman, really. Right.

21 We give to St. Judes, faithfully.  We also give to the troops, in a big (for us) way.  What started 7 years ago as a little family project of sending packages to an Air Force unit stationed in Kirkuk has blossomed to a group of us sending packages to our troops all over the place.  That first year we sent a dozen boxes.  This year we'll send over 500. 

22

i setup a college scholarship at the little Baptist university i attended.  i could never have afforded to go there without all the scholarships i received, so i consider it to be "paying it forward".  the school doesnt have a multi-zillion dollar endowment.

my oldest daughter goes to SMU.  they wont be getting any more of my money after she graduates

 

23 I donate to the scouts.

I gift the democrats because they will kill me if I don't or send me to jail...

24 Used to be quite generous with charities--around CFC time, I used to give to Guide Dogs, Facial Reconstruction, Wounded Warriors, & Salivating Army to name a few. Stopped donating to charities almost completely circa 2008, so my appellation has become self-fulfilling.

25 @19: Whoops! Forgot that one. Red Cross, because they also love A Positive in their platelet collection machines.

26

I think it is very important to check out who I'm giving to. When I lived in FL I found only 20% of donations were required to go to the actual implementation of that charity. The rest could go to administration costs ie: salaries. I worked with the Jay Cee's and did many charity events to raise funds and we helped people who lived in our community directly. One outstanding outfit is Food For The Poor. 95% of donations go to feeding the needy.

27

14 -

 

My undergrad degree is from a Jesuit university that seems to never run out of money to buy land, put up fancy buildings and fountains.  Until recently the guy who ran the place was "Catholic" in name only.  Rotten leftist, he was and is. 

 

Lots of good learning still manages  to happen there, almost in spite of the leftists.  Not enough to earn my continued contributions. 

28 21 nip sip,

nicely done...

we ALL donate to Occutard Wall Street through taxes.

29 I don't give a dime anymore with the exception of animal causes anymore. 2 reasons: 1. The "poor" are Obama voters 2. "Poor" in America today means you have the iphone 4 instead of the iphone 5.

30
I give and I give and I give. And you people DO NOT appreciate my contribution. Of time, effort and my superior intellect. All for you.

31 I like dog rescue organisations. http://goo.gl/VMd2KH

32

we also give to our temple and have sponsored several programs for people with disabilities there

 

My husband is just a good man and it is his natural impulse to give.  I am more calculated.  We are doing everything in our power to make sure our kids are self sufficient after we are gone.  But I worry for the boy with Aspergers.  I give because I would hope someone would help out my family after we are gone should the need arise.

33 For my husband and I, we give because we were given to.  I am not sure if that makes sense, but it is how we live.  Our fourth child was born 10 weeks prematurely and without the military families on the base we lived on I am doubtful we could have made it through.

The lesson learned was easy, to pay back those that were ever so gracious is impossible, to give to those in need now, is not impossible.  Money is not always the way we give as many times people need contact, hope, and compassion far more.

On our farm blog we give away bibles for anyone, anywhere~because we can.

34 I use to give to the YMCA, but they have turned totally PC. Use to they arrested the gehy's in the showers, now they simply tell them to go home. Your dues are decided by your income? WTF? Talk about socialism. Did I mention they give "scholarships, aka memberships" to the needy. Read thugs in the weight room.

35 27 @19: Whoops! Forgot that one. Red Cross, because they also love A Positive in their platelet collection machines.
Posted by: NR Pax at October 22, 2013 11:43 AM (ODsL5)

Yeah, well I get extra cookies for the whole 'Universal Donor' thing.

36 Giving your time is free! Some people just need to be listened to and encouraged.

37 I support children's charities and my local animal shelters.  I check out charitywatch.org who list the best and worst charities to give to based on how much actually goes to benefit those in need versus "administrative costs".

38 I refuse to give to the United Way. Posted by: The Obsidian Owl at October 22, 2013 11:44 AM (tWmgi) NO conservative should EVAH give to the United Way. It is a corporate scam.

39

17 -

 

The leader of  Russia donates much of his time and effort to helping  prop  up  a certain developmentally disabled President of a well-known superpower nation. 

40 BSA, money and time (I am a leader)
various pet charities.

41 Talk about socialism. Did I mention they give "scholarships, aka memberships" to the needy. Read thugs in the weight room. Posted by: Nip Sip at October 22, 2013 11:45 AM (0FSuD) ____________ There's a community center called the Kroc Center in my hood. Kroc, as in Kroc family of McDonald's fortunes. Kind of like a YMCA, with an overt religious tone (the password for their WiFi is Jesus1 to give you an idea). Anyway, they do the same thing...if you're an evil rich person, cost is $75/month for a family. If you're a poor helpless gang member thug, it's free.

42

It is very sad many people play off of charity giving. As a matter of fact the WHOLE lib ideology would collapse without the Christian principle of giving. The laft (pun intended) wants to take Jesus out of our society completely. The Prince of Peace and Teacher of The Sermon on The Mount.

 

43 TfT, shelters, and since I'm an astronomy buff, Astronomers Without Borders, which besides s ton of outreach donates equipment, lit, and solar viewers to schools in the Third World. Uses local contacts and vetting to make sure the telescopes and other educational resources are actually received by the students. There's a total eclipse coming Nov 3 that they are looking for donations for, link is here: http://tinyurl.com/l92bqhe

44 46 It is very sad many people play off of charity giving. As a matter of fact the WHOLE lib ideology would collapse without the Christian principle of giving. The laft (pun intended)wants to take Jesus out of our society completely. The Prince of Peace and Teacher of The Sermon on The Mount. Posted by: Regular Guy at October 22, 2013 11:48 AM (N3Al ________ The govt steals close to 50% of my income when all federal, state and local income/sales/property/consumption taxes are added up. I think I "give" enough.

45 Anything my son is involved in, we support financially. BSA, JROTC, orchestra, four sports, and all three schools he has attended. Also our Anglican Church. The three of us put in countless hours volunteering as well.

46 Charities and scholarship funds are a GREAT way to launder and hide money.

47 Charity Gay-La

hehe hehehe hehe

48 37 I use to give to the YMCA, but they have turned totally PC. Use to they arrested the gehy's in the showers, now they simply tell them to go home.

Your dues are decided by your income? WTF?

Talk about socialism. Did I mention they give "scholarships, aka memberships" to the needy.

Read thugs in the weight room.
Posted by: Nip Sip at October 22, 2013 11:45 AM (0FSuD)

Sorry you got troubles with your Y - not like that around here, but my branch is fairly new suburban locale - kid city, and the board and management keep things up really well.

Gehy's in the showers? So's you can tell? Ick. I think I've found my face-sized spider equivalent...

49

Started with the collection basket at church (I also thought thelong handles were cool).  Had a fan-friggin-tastic prof in my undergraduate years, so I gave when they set up a scholarship in his honor.   His teaching was one of the reasons I went over to the dark side and eventually did the professor thing myself.   I hope my students will do likewise once I'm done teaching.  I'll give to my undergrad for specific student-oriented  things, but never to their general fund (I don't happen to like the idea of my money going to fund lesbian poetry exhibitions). 

From the time she was old enough to realize it, we had the RightWingDaughter giving 10% of her allowance in the collection basket. It was the start of teaching her that those who God has blessed should give some small part back (not to be confused with "those who the GOVERNMENT have blessed should give some back").  It also helped her understand basic math, by the way.

50 Why We Give? Y-not!?! I like a headline that answers its own question. Srsly u gyz, it's diabolical how on Bizarro Planet, one* would question why one would give, rather than ask why one would not. Old story. "All the foundations of the earth are out of course." Ps82 http://bit.ly/kjvps82 *A bunch of those "ones" add up to "them," as in, "they say...."

51 Even if not of means, a little spare change in the pocket, or a couple of ones to help someone means a lot. I've had down and out folks (been there ) ask for a smoke, and I'll usually take out one or two for myself, give him the pack and say I have more at home. I saw some real small jars of instant coffee at the dollar store for a buck a jar, bought a case for 24 bucks, and dropped it off at the church that passes out bag lunches, with the instructions to give it out to the "outdoorsmen".

52 Y-Not, thank you for a wonderful post. I was taught to give by my parents, who didn't have a lot of money, but tithed of their money and time. I have tried to teach this to my kids, but it sometimes falls on deaf ears. I pray they learn the value of giving to others. As for charities we support, church, specific missionaries, Samaritan's Purse, St. Jude's, Love 126 (which helps children escape from sexual trafficking) To Write Love On Her Arms (which gives help and support to kids with depression and self harm issues), local humane societies and the American Cancer Society. Also, be very careful to check to organizations you give to, to ensure that the majority of your money goes to the people needing care. Far too many "charities" (I'm looking at that Pink shit) spend the majority of their money on "administrative costs." When those costs are 50% or more of the received monies, it's a scam in my book.

53

Excellent post, Y-Not! I have always enjoyed your comments here, even when we disagree on subjects, though most of the time we are in agreement and have similar outlooks.

 

 

 

 

My earliest giving was definitely the church, with several Sunday school penny drives under my belt before I was 10. I did trick-or-treat for UNICEF, didn't realize it was abortion funding (of course when I was little didn't even know what that was, and maybe it wasn't back then?). Also Girl Scouts, band fundraisers, etc.

54 I admit I have never given more that a few percent of my income to charity in a give year. But when my so-called fellow Americans re-elected the SCOAMF that went to precisely zero percent. They effectively said to me "Your taxes and voluntary giving are not enough - so we shall rob you instead. Also, spit on all your values and beliefs." So now they can have what they can steal and no more.

55

The leader of Russia donates much of his time and effort to helping prop up a certain developmentally disabled President of a well-known superpower nation.

 

*takes off shirt, bends rebar*

 

Da, the tard is strong in dat one.

56 I've been known to give to the down and out on the street, but I personally walk them in, make sure they order something then pay for the meal. Anything else I may or may not do is between myself, the charity and God.

57 I *wish* I could still donate blood and platelets. After a donation a few years ago, I got a notification that I had an antigen that disqualified me, probably as a result of a blood transfusion I'd received after an accident. So, no more blood from me. And, sadly, no more cookies and juice.

58 For the last 5 years I've also been giving to a wonderful organization that is run by a couple of Catholic nuns. They have set up a small school for female immigrants who are on public assistance. They teach them English, basic computer skills, how to interview for a job and they also offer baby-sitting whilst those classes are run. Many of the women are single mothers, so the goal is to get them into the work-force, thereby ceasing the vicious cycle of dole-addicted progeny who only know how to collect benefits. Their success rate is at about 15-29%, but the good news is that their enrollment has doubled in 4 years. It's a small operation, but I like their philosophy of teaching the man to fish.

59

I give to local, underfunded, politically incorrect charities that do not get money from large corporations, large corporate "charity" clearinghouses or other approved sources.

 

Why anyone would co-mingle their charity with PC, elitist statists is beyond me.  Let the beautiful people ostentatiously support hospitals, universities, botanic gardens, arts programs, etc.  These groups all employ professional fundraisers

Find a pro-life, pro-liberty or pro-military organization which will never get at dime from your political opposition or giant PC corporations. 

 

60 I donate to two tribes in Oklahoma every chance I get...

61 Oops, should be 15-20%.

62 @33: Agreed. United Way can burn in hell as far as I'm concerned.

63 I used to work for a charity that helped an institution overseas, and the charity also had "sister" organizations in Canada and in Europe. The Canadian and European branches had a lot more trouble garnering interest from regular people because a lot of people seemed to have the attitude that if our project was worth doing, some governmental agency should be helping. My husband often says that the only reason most Americans donate to charity is for tax benefits, but I disagree, and he even disproves it himself. As for us, we give to our church, and there is a local org for kids that we've been active with recently. Having worked at a charity myself, I believe that oftentimes one does more good by being involved (monetarily, yes, but also going beyond that) with a limited number of charities, rather than sending $5 or $10 to a bunch of places who are (well, should be) appreciative, but aren't really going to notice that as much.

64 in the 90's i worked in a bank where the officers were all mormons.....very nice people...but there was a heavy push to have $ taken out of each pay check to go to the united way.....i refused.....my check was small enough

65 Gehy's in the showers? So's you can tell? Ick. I think I've found my face-sized spider equivalent... Posted by: Parker at October 22, 2013 11:50 AM (YkW3i) Well, actually it's not to hard to tell a guy is ghey when he has a hard on and the guy next to him is holding it. Maybe he's handicapped and it needed a wash? Or the guy in the steam "massaging" his unit up and down. The fags simply don't care anymore who sees them.

66

Givers are the best people.  I give to my local church, my Alma Mater, local community organizations and many organizations that my friends are involved in like Relay for Life.  With animal charities, we give to our local human shelters. 

 

Please do not give to Humane Society of the United States. They run the most heart-wrenching commercials, but they give less than 1% to rescue neglected dogs and cats. Most of their money is spent campaigning and suing farmers and ranchers. (Much of  which  is  illegal with their non-profit status.)

67 Hey, hey, hey.  Some of the most important workings in cowboy poetry start off humbly as a simple verse on the shithouse wall.  We must not suppress the weathered cowpoke his yearning for self expression.

68 So, no more blood from me. And, sadly, no more cookies and juice.

Posted by: jakeman at October 22, 2013 11:53 AM (vH4YP)

Feeling guilty, sends extra cookies through the USB port...

69

The family (not me alone) donated a field house to a small local college and more recently gave with others on the board to build a new facility for their MBA program.

 

However, this was more political and agenda driven for the MIL than the giving my wife and I like to do.

 

 

70

Besides tithe, I give to my university (one of the very few conservative universities left in the country), my grad school, local animal shelter, the Nature     Conservancy, ARC of Texas, Leukemia Society, and donate clothing and furniture to Salvation Army a   few times per year, and canned goods to local shelter a few times per year.

71 My husband often says that the only reason most Americans donate to charity is for tax benefits, Posted by: Katja at October 22, 2013 11:55 AM (YWt3A) _____________ I always laugh when I hear people say this. So people donate $1000 for the sole purpose of saving $300 in taxes? Yeah that makes a lot of sense. Gazillioniares might do this if they have $100M sitting around that will be taxed at 55%, they figure what the fuck, let's donate the $100M since 1/2 of it is gone anyway in taxes, and this way I get my name on a hospital wing. But for the average Joe, the idea that he donates only because of the tax deduction is ridiculous.

72
or buck given to a hobo (yes, I did this when I was young and foolish)









Using bait while hunting isn't exactly sporting.....

73 De-lurking. The vast majority of my own personal philanthropy goes to my church. (A) Because I recognize my personal responsibility to support those priests and ministers who are giving their lives and forgoing a more substantial livelihood in order to feed my soul, as well as maintaining the building, etc and so on; and (B) Because what goes into the collection plate that doesn't go directly to supporting my church goes into a tangible local ministry where I can see the fruits of the work being done. I am also one of those people that doesn't give much to big organizations and turns down the cashier's request for a dollar for sick kids, or cancer research, or whatnot. But that is mainly because the large organizations that fund raise in that manner are usually the same ones that I take moral and ethical issue with how (and to whom) they dole out their funds. Although I have given often to Mercury One (Beck's charity) whenever there is some need for disaster aid and recovery, and I do so freely because they don't use any of the donation money for overhead. I like that I know my money, every penny of it, goes right to the people in need instead of to paying for some warehouse or some muckity-muck's salary or whatnot. As for church donations declining during the recession, I think it's likely that it's an easier place to cut back when you're hurting financially. I will admit that we give less now, but we also make less since the crash in 2007 and have never really recovered in the crummy economy. However, I have upped my own participation in various ministries to try and compensate for the difference in funds by donating more of my time. So where I was giving more before but only helping out by doing some occasional light office work for the parish DRE, I'm now heavily involved in several groups the music ministry as well as cantoring plus I teach VBS during the summer and am co-teaching a CCD class on Sunday mornings. Before I went to mass on Sunday morning and spent an hour extra (tops) a week at the church. Now I'm there for several practices a wee and spend most of my weekend there helping out in one way or another. So I hope it evens out. I don't know how many other people are trying to compensate in this way, but it's what I'm capable of doing so I do it. And none of that was to toot my own horn, but to maybe give a possible reason why church donations are down and an example of philanthropic activity that is not counted (likely because it's not easily quantified).

74

Charitable giving has always been part of my yearly outlay. While in college I donated to the college, and ran the senior class gift fundraising drive. I gave to my University up until they hired a President that eliminated several really useful programs and sold the Law School, plus she was a raving liberal and the latest President is as well. So, while I had always planned to continue giving to my alma mater, I have no desire to do so anymore, I do not agree with the direction of the University and think what goes on there is contributing greatly to the downfall of our country.

75

One thing I like to do is donate books, especially at Christmastime,   usually to local   organizations.       When   I have the opportunity, I try to buy copies of books that I loved as a child and give them to organizations that I know will provide them to children who might not otherwise have books of their own, or who might     just   read    the BS politically correct   and/or   boring   crap that passes for children's literature today.      Sorry, but there is no    comparison between    classics like   "The Rainbow Goblins"    or     "Frog and Toad are Friends"    and     banal crap like    "Captain Underpants."      If I had my way, every little girl in the world would have a full collection of "Nancy Drew" and every boy "The Hardy Boys."   Sure they're cheesy and dated, but you don't know that when you're a kid reading them for the first time.   As a kid you just love the STORY; the details around it don't really matter.   It's no wonder children don't read anymore.   Why would   they   when every book that comes down the pipe seems to be the same generic feel good pablum?  

 

And I cannot TELL you how many boxes of books my family has taken at one time or another to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.  Giving away books is like giving up a part of my family, but I take comfort in the knowledge that someone will see that book and buy it, and hopefully get as much enjoyment out of it as I did,  if not more.  

76 Again, I have not dug deeply into these numbers therefore the reasons religious organizations are lagging others are not clear (to me, at least). It may be a reflection of an increasingly secular society or it could be that the government is assuming roles previously filled by churches or perhaps itÂ’s owing to something else altogether. I think you've got it right with the former; we have declining church attendance and an increasing number of people who declare no religion whatsoever. One of the proposed explanations from Pew is that you have a segment of people who would have been "passively religious" in the past and gone to church and called themselves Christians because that was the cultural norm. It's now so ordinary to not have any religion whatsoever, so those people wouldn't feel the need to identify with a religion because of the rest of the culture. See Pew's report on the rise of the "nones." It's really fascinating. http://preview.tinyurl.com/llu8pa5

77 "The word philanthropy means “love of humanity” Okay, but let's say you don't. Can you give anyway?

78 This is always a bit of struggle for the Mrs. & I. We are not so affluent that 'giving' does not impose a real and measurable burden on us. There just isn't enough to donate as widely and deeply as we would like too. It may be that our methodology is not so good, but we simply try to select three charities that we have confidence in, and support those. I should add that this is *aside* from the tithe that we make to the church. The two consistent recipients are The Salvation Army, and a local umbrella organization of churches which runs shelters, medical clinic, emergency relief, food, and veterans aid. The the third donation is a little more flexible, and we re-evaluate each year. Last year it was Wounded Warriors. We have debated breaking down the donations, and sending lessor amounts, but to more organizations. Tough call.

79 Sorry, but there is no comparison between classics like "The Rainbow Goblins" or "Frog and Toad are Friends" and banal crap like "Captain Underpants."


YES!!!  Frog and Toad!!!  I love them!

I remember reading the one where Frog or Toad notices the other never gets any mail, so he decides to be nice and write a letter to his friend and asks Snail to deliver it.  Except it's a snail and it takes him the whole book to finally get the letter delivered.  LOL!!!

80 'Too' , 'lessor'? Moar coffee...

81 I used to give to my alma mater but they almost certainly misused it, so I stopped. We make donations to the Mennonites and a local Korean Presbyterian church here because they do good work on a lean budget, meaning a lot of it goes to the people who need it. I give a lot less than I used to because of simple austerity at Casa joncelli, and I suspect that's true for a lot of people.

82 there's a homeless guy who shows up under a freeway near work every year...his name is John....he likes books sits and reads all day...i bring him books .....& food....i used to give him money but he would walk down to the mini market and buy beer... he arrived yesterday and will stay until spring then move on to his spring summer camp

83 I give when I can.... but its to individuals, not organizations...

84 I absolutely never give money to the homeless, at any cashier asking for whatever organization, any Komen charity, any cancer charity or the United Way. Never.

85 ... Mostly Ruger and Remington. A fair bit to Miller. A tad to Adams Golf. A wee bit to Fender.

86 I remember reading the one where Frog or Toad notices the other never gets any mail, so he decides to be nice and write a letter to his friend and asks Snail to deliver it. Except it's a snail and it takes him the whole book to finally get the letter delivered. LOL!!!

Posted by: EC at October 22, 2013 12:02 PM (GQ8sn)

 

YES.   Where Toad is sitting on the stoop waiting for the mail to come, but he never gets any letters so he's always disappointed,  and    Frog decides to write him a letter about how he's a good friend.    I love that one!   And the one about the cookies, too.

 

I read those books SO MUCH as a kid.  

87

Put sword in case...

 

Open door...

 

Walk down stairs...

88 Clearly you people do understand the virtue of 'Delegated Compassion' and taxes.

89

87 "I give when I can.... but its to individuals..."

 

That's the best way to give.  You can really change someone's life with the right help at the right time.

 

 

90 "My husband often says that the only reason most Americans donate to charity is for tax benefits, Posted by: Katja at October 22, 2013 11:55 AM (YWt3A) _____________ I always laugh when I hear people say this. So people donate $1000 for the sole purpose of saving $300 in taxes? Yeah that makes a lot of sense. Gazillioniares might do this if they have $100M sitting around that will be taxed at 55%, they figure what the fuck, let's donate the $100M since 1/2 of it is gone anyway in taxes, and this way I get my name on a hospital wing. But for the average Joe, the idea that he donates only because of the tax deduction is ridiculous." Kind of like my lib friends who constantly complain about business owners "writing that off on the taxes". They assume EVERYTHING a business owners does, including eating out at a restaurant, buying a vehicle, etc. costs them nothing because "they write it off". They also assume they write off all their personal expenses also because they just flip it onto their business taxes...I kid you not. Try to explain to them that the business owner has to first lay out the cash to purchase said car, etc. for the business and if it qualifies, they can write off a portion against the large tax bill they owe on profits and the next comment is, "you know they cheat". It's like talking business with an eight year old.

91 Been trying to give it away for years ...

92 I read those books SO MUCH as a kid.

Posted by: MWR, Proud Tea(rrorist) Party Assault Hobbit Chelsea at October 22, 2013 12:04 PM (4df7R)

When my son was just learning how to talk and listen to stories, he would ask me, "Talk about it" while pointing at books, or "Make the words come out."  Reading to your kid is awesome and they will learn so much.

93

I wonder if some of the decrease in church giving is a reflection of the Episcopal Church hemorrhaging members due to their increasingly "no need to mention God, and the Bible is waaaay overrated and out of date" stances? I would be one example of that. Used to give bucket loads when I was a member of the Episcopal church. Now, all my charitable dollars go elsewhere.

 

 

I give to my son's school, to various arts organizations, always contribute to food drives and toy drives, etc. Also set up a memorial fund for my dad at the library he volunteered at for 20 years. My biggest donation was to FareStart here in the Seattle area because I completely agree with their program--they train formerly homeless people to work in the restaurant industry. It is a 16 week program and they also teach them life skills (like showing up on time etc.) get them the medical care they need, and help them with job placement after. They have a 70% success rate and their ongoing success rate (graduates of the program still employed later) is pretty close to that.

94 I agree with Liberty Lover re not donating to the Humane Society of the United States. We took them off our list when we discovered they advocate the killing of all pet birds.

95 If you read to your kids, your lives will be better.

96

Kind of like my lib friends who constantly complain about business owners "writing that off on the taxes".

 

Exactly!  It's a write off for them.

97

Posted by: Hal at October 22, 2013 12:00 PM (MftY/)

 

Interesting idea... but it is also true that the Main Christian churches... like United Methodists... have changed in my lifetime.

 

I don't know how to describe the wimpification of that church... but now no Fight is justified, even when facing Evil.... and I can't abide that....

98

I always feel bad about it,   but I never give money directly to homeless people or people standing on the corner with cardboard signs asking for donations.     This is due to one particular beggar who used to stand at the driveway entrance to one of our local supermarkets with a sign asking for cash because he had no job and needed to support his family.

 

Fast forward a month and I end up behind this guy in line,   still scruffy and unwashed and unshaven,    at that same supermarket.    What's he buying   with his hard earned donations?    A    thirty pack of Natural Light and a carton of cigarettes.

 

I'm sure many of those who put aside their pride and ask for help     are genuinely down on their luck, but this one instance is burned into my memory with such clarity that it's put me off    making those donations.

99

Posted by: Guy still trying to navigate Healthcare . Gov at October 22, 2013 12:10 PM (lZBBB)

 

LOL.... sockfail....

100

If it hasn't been mentioned already, I highly recommend reading Who Really Cares? by James Brooks.  He uses hard data to show that conservatives donate more and volunteer more than liberals.  Good to know when you run into a liberal screeching that Republicans don't care.

I contribute mostly to my church, and to my alma mater and a few local charities when I can afford it.  I also volunteer at a local theater, but that's somewhat self-serving as it means I get to see the show for free, and I volunteer once or twice a year at a food pantry, women's shelter or something similar.

101 Fast forward a month and I end up behind this guy in line, still scruffy and unwashed and unshaven, at that same supermarket.What's he buying with his hard earned donations? A thirty pack of Natural Light and a carton of cigarettes.


Be sure to send this information to ace.  He will appreciate it!

*wink*

102 Government charity is license to asshole.

Posted by: Warthog

 

*********

There is nothing that drives me nuttier about my Christian relatives that vote for liberals.  They are too cheap to give of themselves,  but want the credit for doing good.  I think too many people are liberals because they want to 'feel good' about being charitable, without really having it cost them. 

103

Charity is when you give voluntarily, try to underplay your role, and hopefully    observe the beneficial effect,   which   means that the    more local the charity, the better.  Paying taxes is not charity, and it fails on     all levels.

 

Years ago, when private charity was all there was, local churches and organizations would take contributions at the local level, and would use the   money to bring in the down and out, feed them, preach to them, and teach them a skill.  If the recipient would not change their behavior, they were shown the door. 

 

Now, the feds try to drive the private charity out of business, encourage the behavior that got the underclass where they are, and refuse to consider any moral component of being down and out.   As long as they can buy the votes    of the poor    with my money, their interest is best served if the underclass stays that way.

104 A  liberal is someone who wants to give "charity" with someone else's money

105 If you read to your kids, your lives will be better.

Posted by: Parker at October 22, 2013 12:09 PM (YkW3i)

 

I   often wish I could volunteer somewhere to read to children, because    it   was so important to me as a kid.   I got so fed up with waiting for my parents to be available to read to me that I forced myself to learn    to read faster so I wouldn't HAVE to wait.  lol!  

 

My only hesitation is that I'm almost positive than any place I would volunteer at would instruct me on what books    I'm allowed to read.   F that.   If I want to read "Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain" to the kids instead of "Suzy's Two Mommies," then that's what I"m going to do.  

106

I am on my church Vestry, and I can tell you that except for some of the mega-churches in the South, religious giving is down across the board.  Just this year my church lost 9 members that had given a total of $25,000 a year.  That was a big damn hole in our budget.  I know that even individual church giving to our diocese is down.

Even fairly devout church-goers often consider church giving optional.  It's a mystery to me.  We can raise a crap-ton of money on bake sales, rummage sales, barbecues, concerts and plays, etc. etc. but we have a hard time getting people to commit to even a small check every week.  Two years ago we easily raised $35,000 for a mission trip.  But our annual budget has been cut to the bone.  I'm supposed to chair a capital campaign this year and I am not really optimistic, though people tell me that it is amazing how people will give a big chunk for physical improvements to a church but are misers when it comes to regular money to keep the lights on and pay the pastor.

 

Other than church, most of my giving goes to my university.  The state in its infinite wisdom has not increased appropriations to the school in 10 years and it needs the money.  I give to the program and not to the general fund though.  I have a graduate degree from Harvard but have not given it a dime in 15 years. 

107 Nood.

108 One time, I got so fed up with reading the same book to my son, over and over again ad infinitum, I just started saying out loud the plot to Star Wars.  He was very small and had no idea.  Years later when he finally watched the movie for the first time, I could see the gears turn in his head.

"Hey....wait a minute...I know this!!!"

109 One time, I got so fed up with reading the same book to my son, over and over again ad infinitum, I just started saying out loud the plot to Star Wars. He was very small and had no idea. Years later when he finally watched the movie for the first time, I could see the gears turn in his head.

"Hey....wait a minute...I know this!!!"

Posted by: EC at October 22, 2013 12:15 PM (GQ8sn)

 

lol!

110

I like to give to aviation museums, historical societies, etc.

 

Nothing celebrates the achievements of our country like aviation history, and I like to think of kids looking at those planes and wondering if maybe they could design and/or fly one when they grow up, while their teacher fresh out of Indoctrinate U. is wondering how to reinforce the bad consequences of taking pride in your country once she gets them back into the classroom.

 

And while she drones on about American unexceptionalism, little Johnny or Sally is daydreaming "Wow, that SR-71 looked like it could go like stink!"

111 I will mention my charity of choice... Bat World. Yes, bats are very important and the damn greenies are killing them by the thousands. Go look at the website. I have always loved bats, feral cats and broken vicious horses. Thats where my money goes, and far too much of it. but yeah, it makes me feel better. Perhaps it makes up for the crap my taxes are spent on.

112 Kramer, 'Write Off' Video, 50 seconds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEL65gywwHQ

113

in Houston you see the same panhandlers on the same corners all year long.  Their is one corner where they do it in shifts.  Four guys all use the same sign "Everybody needs some help some time" and hand it off to each other as they change "shifts".  I have seen this happen more than once.  There is a guy in a crappy little sedan dropping them off and picking them up.  There is one corner that has four guys, all of whom are missing one leg, one guy per corner

 

It is all coordinated.  That way they aren't fighting for the same corner at the same time.  Its like a job.  Amazing.  Never saw that in NJ.  In fact never saw panhandlers like in Houston. 

114 This is a great post, Y-Not. I like Seton Home, a place here in town that helps young moms improve their and their kids' lives with housing, parenting classes, counseling and education/job training. Also, while it's not quite as efficient as writing a check, the Angel Tree at the malls and grocery stores is a great program for teaching charity to kids while also bringing Christmas to kids, seniors and disabled adults.

115 Those who believe in non-statist education might consider helping truly private institutions. We give at least a small contribution to Hillsdale College and Grove City College every year since they are the only colleges that accept NO government funding/loans/scholarships. We also try to give something (however minimal) to local private schools, that is, the ones that do not have a rich, preppy cash flow.

116

Seeing a lot of giving to universities mentioned.  Universities are generally non-profits, but not charities. 

If you had someone pay your way and believe you were improved by the experience, then by all means do the same for another.  My take is that I overpaid for my college experience in the first place.  

Most universities are simply full employment scams for leftist know-it-alls, and statist indoctrination camps for the young, not charities.  Let the leftists fund them.

117

120 - institutions like Hillsdale and Grove City are notable exceptions (which unfortunately prove the rule) to my university bashing above

118 Holy crap! I didn't realize this got posted already. Plus, I think I broke the blog... *looks around for the barrel*

119 Interesting idea... but it is also true that the Main Christian churches... like United Methodists... have changed in my lifetime. I don't know how to describe the wimpification of that church... but now no Fight is justified, even when facing Evil.... and I can't abide that.... Posted by: Guy still trying to navigate Healthcare . Gov at October 22, 2013 12:10 PM (lZBBB) I'll admit to being pessimistic about the mainline protestant churches these days, but I think the thing to remember is that those groups have not been completely taken over by their progressive-liberal members. There are still devout, evangelical churches in those denominations. For all the grief I might give the UMC, for example, it still voted against solemnizing gay unions in the last general conference. I'm not sure I can speak to the future, but those groups aren't completely lost. They will certainly need changes in leadership if they want to survive, however.

120

#107 Many religious liberals I know have bought into the argument that lots of government spending on the poor "reflects our society's values" and thus they support it whether or not they give themselves.  They think most government money comes from rich people who don't need it and would not otherwise give it away.  They support Obamacare because "the richest country in the world cannot have so many people without access to health care."  Whether any of these programs actually work, does not interest them.  Our "society's values" simply demand that we fund them. 

 

121 The only other comment would make here is that I have donated to organizations that do not necessarily meet the "conservative" criteria for being considered worthy. ----- Yep, me as well. In addition to my tendency to give to universities, I gravitate towards conservation and arts organizations. I have been thinking as I've become more frustrated with the political process that my next significant gift may be pointed to a "conservative" cause. I'm thinking of doing a post on that where we can share the names of tax exempt organizations that we think would help advance conservatism.

122 I confess.........I am very selective about my giving. I guess I am cold hearted, but I am one of those people who can say "no" when the cashier wants you to give a buck to cure cancer or whatever. ---- I hate those point of sale campaigns... I will, on occasion, give to St. Jude's Childrens Hospital, which tends to have a lot of tie-ins to clothing stores. I guess their ads are getting to me. I resist that type of giving because it doesn't feel like philanthropy to me. It doesn't feel purposeful. Plus, I'm irritated that corporations, which are pretty stingy with their philanthropy, are hitting customers up for money that they then tend to take credit for as part of their corporate giving.

123 Seeing a lot of giving to universities mentioned.Universities are generally non-profits, but not charities.
If you had someone pay your way and believe you were improved by the experience, then by all means do the same for another. My take is that I overpaid for my college experience in the first place.
Most universities are simply full employment scams for leftist know-it-alls, and statist indoctrination camps for the young, not charities. Let the leftists fund them.

 

Posted by: casual at October 22, 2013 12:19 PM (fgjhb)

 

True for many universities, which is why you should never give to the general fund.  My university raises money by program.  I graduated from the college of business and give to that school, as well as to the university bands because I was in the marching band and it is always underfunded.   The college of business is selling bonds this year to finance a major building expansion and I will buy some of the bonds.  I want more students learning business and finance.

 

My husband went to an ultra-liberal college in New England and does give to its general fund every year, which annoys me, but it isn't worth fighting over. 

124 Would you like me to fix those links? Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at October 22, 2013 11:34 ---- I don't know what happened. I thought I was only putting this into draft while I worked on the links - I didn't hit publish, only preview - but somehow it appeared.

125 121 ---Most universities are simply full employment scams for leftist know-it-alls, and statist indoctrination camps for the young, not charities. Let the leftists fund them. Posted by: casual at October 22, 2013 12:19 PM (fgjhb) -------------------- Sad but true. If you do give to your alma mater, make sure the money has a designated, non-political purpose. A sports team maybe. A choir. Specific (non-leftist) book purchases for the library. Lab equipment.

126 Posted by: Y-not at October 22, 2013 12:31 PM (5H6zj)

Welcome to 1995.

127 My company also does a huge Special Olympics fund drive every year and I give to that.  I think it is a great organization, and know one family that had a child who participated in a Special Olympics and it changed all of their lives. 

128 Mine has a $7 billion endowment. I don't feel that they need my little contributionsso I'd rather give to groups that do need it. ---- Yeah, of my two alma maters I've only given to my undergrad one. My grad school has tons of money. That said, if my undergrad school wants a major gift, they need to slap an honorific on my father, who was also an alumnus, before he passes away. The school itself has much less meaning to me than it does for my dad. He's really done a lot of volunteer work for them (and some giving). It'd be nice if they'd acknowledge that.

129 I think it is very important to check out who I'm giving to. When I lived in FL I found only 20% of donations were required to go to the actual implementation of that charity. The rest could go to administration costs ie: salaries. --- Great point! I'm thinking it would be helpful to do a post on how to evaluate the advisability of giving to a particular charity.

130 45 By the way, how about we put together a list of charities not to give to? -- Good idea.

131 We're in the UK - cash wise, we give a little to our church, a national cat charity and a local one. We aren't in a position to give a lot at the moment (although they are all in our wills). Instead we tend to give time - we are fundraising for the local cat charity (I'm selling calendars for them and we're doing a musical recital this weekend) and we both help out there with socialising cats that come in and will be hard to home because they are scared of people, try to get them used to human contact etc so there's a better chance of someone being willing to take them on. My husband manages the church hall (taking payments and bookings, managing complaints, showing it to people, dealing with the keys for people using it for one offs etc) and because he's learning to play the organ, he's at the church a lot to practice and often cleans anything that catches his eye, has the alarm codes to lock up if the vicar can't make it on a particular evening, and is an extra body when school visits are taking place. We also give old furniture, clothes etc to charity shops or occasionally Freecycle (depending on the quality - Freecycle tends to be more the items that need some work or are only good for parts!).

132
Living in a coastal city in SoCal is interesting when it comes to the "homeless". Most of ours are best described as indolent migrants that travel up and down the coast as the seasons change. The local city council Soviet coddles them, so we're inundated. A lot of them live in cheap, rattrap old RVs, which has caused problems with beach parking for years.

Even further away from the beaches, it's a problem. On my little side street about a mile or so from the beach, we used to have these assholes come and park their RVs on the street, so that the permanent residents had no street parking whatsoever. The city wouldn't do shit to get rid of them, until they started dumping their chem toilets in the gutters at night. Had to point out that the gutters drain to the sea to get them to put up "no RV parking" signs.

A bunch of them also live on sailboats anchored offshore. I've told this story here before, but I once saw a bum paddle in from his shitty-assed sailboat in a cheap rubber dingy, deflate it and bury the thing in the sand rather than take it in to the dingy dock at the marina (costs about $5 to tie up for the day, if I remember correctly).

133 OK, after skimming the comments (half-way) it looks like we all agree that the United Way should DIAF. How can we kill this beast?! Also, looks like I'm not the only one susceptible to St. Jude's adverts! :-)

134

The only other comment would make here is that I have donated to organizations that do not necessarily meet the "conservative" criteria for being considered worthy.

-----

Yep, me as well. In addition to my tendency to give to universities, I gravitate towards conservation and arts organizations.

 

But    you see, in my opinion there is nothign wrong with donating to those causes.     The very important difference is that    you are donating your own money, not having it extorted from you through taxes.  You are making your   own decisions about what is important to you    and what causes you support.   That is EXACTLY how these things should work.  

 

There's a difference between    an individual    giving   money    to    their    local community theater and    the National Endowment for the Arts giving   taxpayer    money to some jackhole in San Francisco who specializes in mixed media sculptures made of feces and cottage cheese.  

135 But you see, in my opinion there is nothign wrong with donating to those causes. The very important difference is that you are donating your own money, not having it extorted from you through taxes. -------- Absolutely.

136 This is a good topic.  I guess I was raised giving donations to church but I've also given donations to some religious charities.  I give these donations like clockwork, they can count on me and that donation.  Often, to give the donation I have to give up something else but I make sure I do it anyway.  I also give to two organizations that provide meals on Thanksgiving.  I've given gifts in the name of others to these organizations and I found out the other day that people I gave the gifts for have continued with the donations.

I make it a point to check out how much goes to the charity and how much goes elsewhere.  I was pretty happy when I found out the places I've been giving to for many years are getting the bulk of the money.

They have taken to noting each week in the bulletins the last weeks' contributions.  Contributions have gone steadily down over the last ten years or so.  Attendance is down also.

Wall Street used to be big givers, they'd have a lot of fund raisers, not so much anymore.  I remember when Barack Obama announced that he thought charitable giving shouldn't be tax except.  At that very moment I knew WS giving would go down.  They like the idea of doing the right thing and getting the tax deduction.  Oddly enough I think the deduction is still in effect so they'll be hit with the AMT and have fewer deductions, it will be interesting to hear the complaints at tax time.

137 Also, looks like I'm not the only one susceptible to St. Jude's adverts! :-)

Posted by: Y-not at October 22, 2013 12:43 PM (5H6zj)

No, I always give to St. Jude.  Those drawings and little cards just get me.

138 In jr high and part of high school volunteering at the VA hospital. Mostly playing basketball, volleyball and ping pong with the patients in the gym. Crisis Pregnancy Centers get the bulk of my financial giving. A little (I've never had much) to St Jude's Children's Hospital.

139 I didn't start giving seriously other than to the United Way and my church until after I retired. Once retired I added two (my largest two by far) to the mix 1) I became a substitute high school teacher in the science dept - I then started a scholarship fund at this school for a deserving senior pursuing a career in either science or engineering. I don't pick the recipient(s) the science dept does. 2) I do volunteer work at a no kill dog shelter. In addition to the volunteer work I also help them pay their heating bill.

140 145 I didn't start giving seriously other than to the United Way and my church until after I retired. --- How did giving to the United Way make you feel? Was it a positive experience for you? I ask because so many people (self-included) have a negative reaction to the United Way, particularly to the way they conduct fundraising through employers. Just curious to know if it actually was a positive for you.

141 I am all for supporting charities that manage to get the ladies to come out dressed in hosiery more than twice a year. 

Wait... this isn't the ONT?   My Bad....

142 Posted by: Y-not at October 22, 2013 01:23 PM (5H6zj)

I worked at a major contributor to United Way for a long time. I hated being strong-armed into giving, especially because there was an undercurrent of "If you don't give you aren't really promotion material."

But....the system allows directed giving, so I just sent in my checks along with a form to give to the folks I wanted!

143 How did I get started? My family was not religious, and my Stepfather, if he gave money to anyone,* never made a point of talking about it. It was much later in my life, when I realized that, yes bad luck can hurt good people, and anyone could fall into poverty for a time under the right circumstances, and if circumstances were too dire such as permanent disability, stay there. In a society that says it can be free, and that people can take care of themselves, and take responsibility for themselves, lies the concept, that those who are genuinely struck by a long or short run of bad luck need help, and should get help from their community, not their government. Which means MONEY/MOUTH: some assembly required. And so I started picking pet charities and giving. I tend to focus on my Church, and relief for the third world with education and food for children, and local community missions that rebuild lives using faith are my favs. The difficulty is keeping our of Charities with a political branch.

144 I am a big supporter and member of Kiwanis.  We are dedicated to helping kids (stay of drugs stay healthy get smart etc) and build stronger communities.  We begin every meeting with a prayer and we serve our communities.  If you want to join, chances are we have a club near you.  If you "don't have the time" stop by next time you see us serving pancakes and we'll be happy to serve you while raising money for whatever local cause we are supporting.  Hope to see you there.

145 Re #146 Well since I'm retired I don't give anymore because no boss is standing over my shoulder asking me to fill out the donation card... But in answer to your question many years ago because I didn't want any of my money going to planned parenthood I filled out a card requesting my donation only go to the Boy Scouts and one other organization. I did so under the mistaken belief that somehow this would make a difference. I think the only thing I accomplished was that I would receive a thank you note from the two organization I had designated. After doing this for a couple of years i came to suspect/believe that regardless of what I did the United Way was still going to give planned parenthood their agreed upon cut of the pie; at which point I quit giving to the United Way.

146 151 Re #146 Well since I'm retired I don't give anymore because no boss is standing over my shoulder asking me to fill out the donation card... --- Yep, that's the part I hate so much about the United Way's approach. I'm not sure if your designation helped or not. Assuming the UW works within the ethical standards fundraisers impose on themselves, it should have made a difference. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that.

147

I like Fisher House.

 

Thing about donations to churches is the amount that comes out the other end in supporting other charities like food banks, gifts to various other charities, expenses for church activities like cleaning up a park, and so forth.  It's hard to find any churchgoer between say, eighteen and eighty, who isn't doing something, from scouting to youth soccer to visiting shutins, to working at various charities.   Point is, it's incorrect to presume donations to churches disappear entirely within the church.

148 147 I am all for supporting charities that manage to get the ladies to come out dressed in hosiery more than twice a year. ----- LOL!

149 Yeah I really wanted to believe that every time someone like me only gave to a few organizations they had a bean counter add money to the ones picked and subtracted from everyone else. I still don't know for sure but I really do believe the percentages are cast in concrete and no such bean counter actually exists.

150 Charity Navigator gives ratings on charities, though Guidestar.org lets you see the actual tax filings of charities, which is oftentimes more telling than any sort of rating system. I know a lot of people don't like not seeing 100% of their donations go toward the cause, but one has to remember, too, that it costs money to run charities, from rent, papers, pens, software, postage, utilities, etc, to salaries. And yes, people who work for charities ought to get paid, especially when they do so full time. Some people balk at the salaries of the officers of some charities of some organizations (such as St. Jude), but there are other things to consider, such as how large of an organization they are heading, what their salary is as percentage of donations, what area they are working in (finding someone in NYC is more expensive than in Wichita, for example) and also what somebody with their talents and expertise might be making in a for-profit corporation.

151 I give a token amount to my alma mater. I would give more, but it's a huge well-funded school, so I'm actually giving more money to some of the up and coming smaller universities with good programs in underserved areas of Texas. They really appreciate it. I'm on the boards of two statewide land trusts and one charitable foundation, and giving to a wide variety of causes, including cancer, the saner treehugger groups, military, Salvation Army. I confine much of my giving to Texas projects. Gun rights groups get a big portion of my money, but most of that is not 501(c)3, IIRC.

152 To answer your question, Y-not/Moxie, we give far too much to our church - because we fear without it, it would shutter it's doors. Now, regarding your giving habits, Christmas is just around the corner and I wouln't mind a new retina screen iPad 😀 = D

153 Oh, and as always I'm 100% with you on Higher Ed: Conservatives do themselves NO Favors identifying as the Party of Anti-Higher Ed. Just feeds the liberal stereotype of us.

154 I'm not anti-higher ed. I am anti-indoctrination ed, which is what we have for the most part.

With something like 55 million Roman Catholic Americans the fact that huge swaths of them pulled their donations following the exposure of the sex scandal by itself could explain a large part of the religious stagnation.

155 Why in the world would you give money to your alma mater? Did you not pay them tuition?

156 Posted by: Y-not at October 22, 2013 01:23 PM (5H6zj) When I was in the corporate world, the UW would send us a speaker who made everyone cry, and then I would happily hand over some money. I didn't like the way our company pressured our large contingent of part-timers to give though. Most couldn't afford to give.

157 By the way Y-not, I think it's only fair you post a pic of you wearing pantyhose. Top, optional...

158 I mentioned cancer as one of my causes. I'm not giving to the big cancer societies (not saying others shouldn't). I'm giving to the San Antonio Genome project because they're trying something new that has great promise. We need new approaches and accelerated therapies for this shitty disease.

159 93 87 "I give when I can.... but its to individuals..." That's the best way to give. You can really change someone's life with the right help at the right time. Posted by: jwest at October 22, 2013 12:06 PM (u2a4R) Definitely. You have to be careful though. I helped out a former co-worker/friend who was down on his luck, but then he started treating me like an ATM. I think that money was getting snorted up his nose. End of friendship.

160 163 By the way Y-not, I think it's only fair you post a pic of you wearing pantyhose. ---- #Block!

161 @166: 😀

162 You're such a square, CC!

163 We give to our church, a little Evangelical Free church, because I think it's the right thing to do--giving to support those who feed us spiritually.  We also give to Focus on the Family, and we support a little girl in Guatemala through World Vision.  Voice of the Martyrs gets a little, too.

At Christmas time, I like to put whatever cash I have on hand into the red kettles.  When my boys were little, I'd tell them it was Jesus' birthday money, and they loved giving the Salvation Army Jesus' birthday present.

As far as giving to the homeless, I won't give money; that's why I give to the Salvation Army.  However, I'll take a homeless guy into a store or fast-food place and buy him whatever he wants to eat. 

We don't have very much to give; I'd love to give a lot more, but Uncle Sam thinks he's a more important charity than anyone else.

164

We give in-kind donations to animal rescue organizations. Local dog and horse rescue people (not national organizations, who spend cash donations on marketing materials and salaries) are some of the craziest people you will ever meet, but they do it out of love for the furry furbies. We donate feed, hay, blankets, supplies, etc. to ensure it all goes to who needs it. One of my favorite charities is a thoroughbred retraining program which tries to get racehorses into a new, useful career.  We also don't deduct our donations, since my accountant says charitable donations attract too much gman attention. We also donate to low-cost spay and neuter programs.

our one human charity is the salvation army.

165 At Christmas time, I like to put whatever cash I have on hand into the red kettles. When my boys were little, I'd tell them it was Jesus' birthday money, and they loved giving the Salvation Army Jesus' birthday present. --- Ah, yes! I love the Salvation Army kettles, too.

166

Donate to my church, 10% off the top, my alma mater's sports team and my Ph.D professor's studies program. I was his only conservative student and I think he really liked me despite the fact that it was VERY hard to be conservative there. He certainly went a long way out of his way to be helpful to me when I was getting my doctorate.

Donate to my church's missionaries and take a lot of food down to the church myself.

I wouldn't give the UW the time of day. I still remember Bill Aramony and his Puerto Rican teenage girlfriend that he "saved from a life of poverty." Yes, I'm sure she was happier servicing him seven ways from Sunday than trying to get a minimum wage job but that doesn't quite strike me as a proper use for UW's charitable donations.

Sometimes I give individual donations to people that I know need it and will use it properly. I've seen too much money that was well-intended giving wasted though, so I make sure I know where it goes before I cut the check.

Cheapest people I've ever met were all libs. Their idea of charity is for me to reach into my pocket and give at IRS gunpoint to their favorite causes. Screw them and the donkey they rode in on.