Do you have a favorite charity?

[tawnya]

I've been paying mother in law's bills since about August of last year (due to Alzheimer's). She apparently has many favorite charities!

It got me wondering, though, that if I had extra money, what charity would I give it to?

I'm thinking that if I ever had the chance, it would be somewhere local, but who knows?

What are your thoughts? Just curious.

 

[donna723]

I'm really careful about which charities I give to (when I can afford it). When I was working, I used to give regularly to St. Judes in Memphis. I have given to our local Humane Society but more in the form of donations of pet food and equipment, and to various Boston Terrier rescue organizations.

 

[HaoZi]

http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/
My favorite non-human organization to donate to.

 

[Hound dog]

I'd rather not give cash. Just me. But that doesn't stop me from giving to charities. I do Toys for Tots, the food pantry, both the homeless shelter and DV shelters, Goodwill, and freecycle. I also will take old towels/blankets and such out to the animal shelter.

Oh.........I do give cash to my vet who keeps a bucket on his desk to pay to care for the sick animals at the same animal shelter. Otherwise he'd go deep into dept attempting to treat all their sick animals.

 

[donna723]

You can probably tell that I'm very in to animal charities! Another one way up on my list is the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN, not too far from where I live. They take old, injured or abused elephants from carnivals, etc., and let them live out their lives roaming free on hundreds of acres of land. It's not open to the public and is strictly for the benefit of the elephants, and relies on donations from the public. Our vet volunteers his services to give medical care to the elephants there. This is an absolutely awesome place!

http://elephants.com/

 

[HaoZi]

Donna, have you seen the one I mentioned? They do that (as well as other exotic rescues), mostly big cats, but also wolves, bears, smaller exotics, etc.

 

[KTMom91]

Valley Animal Center, our local no-kill shelter, for monetary donations; and Goodwill for thrift store donations. We also buy extra dog/cat food and litter when we get some, and drop it off at the shelter here in town.

We've also done Coats for Kids, and we always buy a paper on Kid's Day. I save the Box Tops for the elementary school Miss KT went to.

I firmly believe in keeping it local.

 

[Fran]

These are my favorites because their work has touched our family personally.
American Red cross
Great Pyr Rescue
Autism causes.
NPR
Meals On Wheels
United Way
Does girl scout cookies count?
Anything else I check to see how much of what is given goes to overhead.
If they call to solicit, I automatically say "No"
If they send me return address stickers, that I didn't order, I don't contribute.
The saying that "charity begins at home" is something I believe in, too.

 

[DammitJanet]

For the last year I have done $20 a month to St Jude's through my local Country radio station. They have a big radiothon which should start again soon. I also pass on coats to kids. I buy some school supplies for he Fill the Bus at the start of school every year. Also one of our local grocery stores has one of those slide cards that instead of taking money off your purchases or such, so much of your total is sent to charities you pick out online. You can set it to be a local school, a local charity such as a church or girl scout troop or even something like NAMI or American Heart Association. Mine is NAMI, a fibro organization and the arthritis foundation.

 

[HaoZi]

I do add Red Cross to my list, I used to volunteer when I lived in FL and after Katrina they were the first ones there and a LOT more help than the gov't outside of the military units that finally got there. And my daughter's school (does that count?). She used to be in scouts but quit earlier this school year.

 

[Lothlorien]

We have given to St. Judes for many years. That is our favorite charity. We give locally for about everything else. When there is a fundraiser for a young family whose child is suffering from cancer, a family who have lost their home in a fire, our local food pantry, our fire departments/emergency services, etc. We think it is important to help our local fundraisers and charities.

 

[AnnieO]

Usually... Aside from Goodwill and the Salvation Army... At Christmas I will send Toys for Tots $50 in my Grandpa's name (WWII Marine), and then I also support the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life...

 

[DDD]

In recent years I can't give cash. I do volunteer work and have consistently done so since the l960's
with most of my time donated to human rights and children's issues. For the last few years I have been involved in Trails support. All the used clothes go to Salvation Army, any used household goods go to Habitat for Humanity and books go the Friends of the Library oranization. DDD

 

[Shari]

I give to United Way thru work every year. This year, I donated thru the Children's Miracle Network to the University Children's Hospital. Even tho Wee wasn't injured in our accident, and I am not a child, it was the cutting edge technology there that saved my foot (despite the inability for anyone in that building to know what anyone else in that building is doing!!!) I have also had several children in my extended family use their critical services.
I also give to and solicit funds for the early intervention preschool that Wee attended. That facility is beyond amazing. Part of my dad's memorial funds went there, in addition to part of exMIL's inheritance from her mother when she passed. Just back in December, I had helped raise funds for them to purchase a "therapy horse" (not a real horse, but a simulator that was originally designed to rehab injured jockies, so the motion of the horse is veyr realistic). We also helped them win a Pepsi Challenge.

 

[tawnya]

What great ideas!

Fran, when I asked husband what he thought about this, he said the Boy Scouts! So, yes, I think Girl Scout Cookies count.

I tend to lean toward the animal things, too. Humane Society, etc. That's pretty cool about saving the elephants, Donna.

I understand the importance of the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. I donate clothes and household items to them.

I just wish I had some extra money to help some of these other organizations...sigh

But I can't believe I've been so stupid that I didn't think of volunteering! That counts, too, doesn't it? I just don't have much extra time taking care of ill family members, but I could make time. Thanks, DDD! I really feel like slapping myself on the head. I've never heard of the Friends of the Library. I love to read like crazy, and so I have many, many paperbacks.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts. It's really made me think.

 

[KTMom91]

tawnya, for your paperbacks, you could always donate to a senior center or apartment complex. We have a senior complex down the street, and they have the most amazing rec room I've ever seen, with a huge library for the residents. I'm sure they would be thrilled to get some new reading material.

Just another thought.

 

[DammitJanet]

Im also a sucker for when the fireman have the boot drives. I dont know if they do them anywhere else but here both fireman and ambulance folks will get at stoplights or at Walmart's and have boots and people can put money in the boots to raise money for the volunteer departments.

 

[Star*]

Maybe this will help anyone wishing to become a philanthropist.

http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html

 

[donna723]

Janet, the Shriners do that too when they're collecting money for their childrens hospitals. Always glad to give to them.