Do you donate regularly to charities?

Question

I believe that charity begins at home.

However, there are bad situations out there that need attention, and the beuracracy can't do enough.

I donate to many religious causes, and they keep asking for more.

I also donate to police and firefighters.

My question is what are the really legitimate ones, and how can you spot those that seem fishy?

Most are tax deductable, so I figure they had to pass some kind of inspection.

Lately I find I give more to those that hit closer to home, like a co-worker in bad straights.

Kindly answer with some good explanations, and I'll get you 10 points.

Answer 1

you're right, it can be hard to tell if a charity is going to spend your money wisely or even if it's a valid charity at all.

try
http://www.charitywatch.org/ or
http://www.charitynavigator.org/

both give ratings on how well charities spend their $$, resources and the impacts they have.

choose a cause that you really want to see championed and/or succeed. then see if there's a local chapter in your town to which you can donate your time or money. i feel good donating locally because if we can get things done in my home town, then maybe others will follow. it's also good for local politicians to see what causes the people in their communities are interested in.

again, if you are unsure of a charity's financial business, you can always go and volunteer there to see where the $$ goes.

Answer 2

The best way to make sure you money is going for something good is to do research. Find out what the charity does with the money. If the fire department is coming to your door and asking for money, it's probably fairly obvious where the money is going, but don't be afraid to ask. Usually they'll tell you up front anyway. There are some website out there that give information on nonprofit organizations, such as http://www.guidestar.org/.

I myself like to donate to animal causes. I also like to donate my time, which can be just as important to a cause as money. It's important that a person's involvement go beyond their check book in many cases.

Answer 3

Do bars and Las Vegas count?

Answer 4

nope, dont donate muuch