Each year I think we have a thread for this. It’s a couple days from the end of the year and we still have money we want to donate. I’m looking for suggestions.
We’ve already given significant amounts to:
Our local public television
Favorite non-profit radio station
Local food bank
Local shelter helping people get back on their feet
Local EMS
Local volunteer fire dept
Local refugee assistance group
International assistance groups, one microfinance - Hope International, one helping kids/families - Compassion
MSF (Doctor’s Without Borders)
Decent tips to Take Out places
College funds came earlier
We’ve cut some from previous lists over politics we don’t want to support, plus we’re donating this year’s travel money we didn’t use so gifts we’ve given are higher than our usual. I have a couple K left.
What other suggestions are out there? Aside from MSF, we’re not into giving to the large groups (Red Cross, United Way, etc). No judgment on those who donate to them, but we prefer smaller and more direct. Animal causes also aren’t really our “thing” and I’m super wary of anything Go Fund types. No judgment there either. Different strokes for different folks.
I have started giving to World Central Kitchen; actually started a recurring monthly donation. World Central Kitchen
This year I also told my kids/their spouses that, in recognition of our good fortune - all still employed part of their Christmas gift was a gift in their honor to a charity of their choice. One daughter directed the others to look at Charity Navigator (https://www.charitynavigator.org/).The site rates non-profits and provides impact scores based on the organization’s transparency and how they spend their money. It’s a great tool.
Any local community theater groups in your area? The arts have been hit hard, as they’re unable to have their regular season. We love our local community theater and will make adoration. Thanks for the reminder.
We’ve also donated to our local food bank and buy local takeout and tip. We also donate to COPD charities because that’s a cause near and dear to me. We’ve donated to other causes as well.
I just got an email from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation (NASCAR driver, his charity supports education) but I didn’t want to enter my credit card information on their website and went back to my email. A little farther down I had an email from Paypal asking for donations through their Paypal giving fund, so I designated the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and used Paypal. They say they charge no fees for this.
Anyway, to your question:
We give to our local soup kitchen, regional meals on wheels (program greatly scaled back due to Covid) and a local free health clinic. I expect we will soon have another $1200 (between the 2 of us) to donate very soon.
They buy and preserve historic battlefield land (largely from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War. Their mission combines my love of the outdoors and history.
I love the idea of Habitat for Humanity and seeing if I can find a local free health clinic. Maybe theater too, but we haven’t gone to one in quite some time - mostly have gone to school productions for the past few years.
Kids Food Basket-local branch, a YFCA camp I attended as a kid and all my kids did too, our local community foundation, school nurses fund through local hospital, school theater program, several professional foundations that support free/reduced cost dental clinics.
For those considering a donation on 12/31, save your receipts. Making it happen in 2020 may be an advantage taxwise if you take standard deduction - $300 charity write-off allowed: https://www.irs.gov/…/how-the-cares-act-changes…
I like shoestring groups, not where there’s high overhead, large marketing budgets, or some with large salaries.
This season, we sent a family contribution to the local group we adopted our dog from and got grocery gift cards for the local Boys and Girls Club. (I know that’s a larger organization, but the cards go directly to the families.)
Having long time volunteered for a local soup kitchen, I know how tight their budget is, how little in reserve.
And, there’s a particular church here that is so very dedicated to the needy around them.
I try to give to PACE Center for Girls in Florida every year. They are a small high school for girls at risk of dropping out of school due to abuse, drug use, and other issues beyond their control. PACE has 19 small high schools around the state of FL, serving only 40 girls each. They provide a therapeutic team that helps them create and meet personal goals, along with academic goals.
I make donations every year on behalf of my parents, and I want to donate to organizations that I feel good about too. Each year for Mother’s Day, I donate to Save the Children. For Father’s Day, I try to donate to a charity that my dad might care about. He donates to his church and not much else. I’ve donated to various cancer charities in his honor.
I donate to the local food bank and lots of other small local causes through the year, the kind where you put money in their bucket as you leave the grocery store. I also donate to both of my kids’ colleges.
Many places of child care are in a terrible survival spot right now with the pandemic and trying to stay open and pay staff with higher caregiver/child ratios due to Covid. Federal relief has not been sufficient and many places have had to shutter doors and this parents have lost child care.
All that to say look for nonprofit child care centers in your community who would appreciate any donation.
Us too. We make an exception for Doctors Without Borders because it’s really, really difficult for any small group to do what they do and they operate in some of the worst hit places in the world.
Our health plan (non-profit) has a fund we can donate to in order to fund someone who temporarily can’t afford theirs. They’ve just been added to our list. And I think we’re going to donate more to our local food bank.
I’m also planning on going back in my mom’s old checkbook to see if she had organizations close to her heart.
We weren’t planning on getting any deductions from this (it’s not why we donate), but I guess I should check on the link above to the IRS. Each of ours is at least $300. Or I’ll just let H figure it out when he does taxes. He uses TaxAct, so it should enter in if it’s something.
I donate to several charities that are close to my heart.
I donate to The Boys and Girls Club, a place where I spent a lot of time as a child while my single mother worked two jobs.
I donate my time and money to Greenhouse Scholars, a nonprofit that selects and supports high-performing, under-resourced college students with stipends and mentoring.
I also donate to the local Lawyers’ Committee, a local food bank, the symphony, and to both of my children’s colleges.
I will also add that as the director of a non-profit program that is 100% grant or donor funded , thank you to all for taking the step to put your passion and $ into your community by donating. No amount too small.
We donate to several varied groups, including our church, Habitat and animal shelters, but two of my favorites are our local food bank and a local community home improvement nonprofit that does great work fixing up houses for those who can’t afford it - mostly seniors.
