End of the tax year. To which nonprofits did you donate?

[sfer]

Well?

Title change for the rabid masses.

[ThaSaltCracka]

none /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

edit: I don't make very much money, which is sad, otherwise I would have.

[pudley4]

United Way.
Boys and Girls Club of Minneapolis.
Salvation Army bell ringer (she was cute too /images/graemlins/wink.gif )
Clothes to some Veterans organization my grandma volunteers for.

And a couple of really bad fish at the 5/10 table the other day who hit their 2 outers on the river but I capped anyway /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Shajen]

Cancer research fund--$500

I also think I dropped about $20 on the fire fighters fund near my house in dollar bills during their boot drives for charity.

I also paid ~$40k in taxes, so I include that, since (cynical) most if my taxes go to lazy crack smoking bastards who depend on charity instead of getting off their asses and getting a job.*

*it's sarcasm and me being a heartless bastard. No need to debate. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[KowCiller]

St. Judes Children's Research Hospital.

I highly recommend this charity. It's for cancer research and treatment of kids who have cancer or leukemia. They really do wonders at this place. They pay for children and parents to fly to the hospital, pay for all their meals, housing (often for months on end) and their treatments (whatever insurance doesn't cover). They never turn any child away for treatment regardless of any circumstances.

If you have any extra poker winnings that you would like to donate, I encourage you to send money to them.

I know this from experience -- They saved my life. I'm forever in debt to that organization.

KoW

[IndieMatty]

United Way, various Cancer foundations, Red Cross, and Imus's Ranch.

[turnipmonster]

doctors without borders.

[sfer]

Just so I can get lost in the shuffle. My alma mater and the ACLU.

[IndieMatty]

School count's as a charity? I will never give a red cent to Fordham.

[Ray Zee]

only to things that have all volunteer people. its a crime to have charities with top poeple making hundreds of thousands a year. like united way and such. give locally to completely volunteer organizations that use all the money for benefits.
once i heard that care gets only a penny on a dollar to the kids. and most other charities use your donations for limos and big expenses for their top dogs. check them all out first and open your eyes. then give locally.

[sfer]

It is for tax purposes. Also, I think Texas views our last game performance as charitable.

[Wayfare]

I sat first class on a plane next to a regional director of the United Way. Suffice it to say I was surprised to hear he worked in "charity."

And about me sitting in first class, my parents had frequent flier miles to burn.

[IndieMatty]

I never understood giving money for Tax purposes. And I took many of an accounting class and do my own taxes. It's tax deductible sure...but net/net it's still costing you money.. no?

Edit: Unless in the rare case that donation busts you down a tax brackets, and net net is less taxes? I cashed in some sick days at work last year that ended up costing me money....so I just answered my own question.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Just so I can get lost in the shuffle. My alma mater and the ACLU.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think either of those are "charities". If you wanted the thread to be "where did you donate money so you can get a tax write-off" that's a different story.

Most of my donating this year has been in house here at work, for some co-workers who have been fighting cancer or have spouses who have been.

[sfer]

Meh.

[BradleyT]

$.94 into the salvation army bucket last week.

[Rick Diesel]

I donate annually to the Make A Wish Foundation, mostly because my brother had cancer when he was younger and I got to see first hand the difference that they can make in a young cancer patient's life.

[FatMan]

Do all the pickle cards I played at the American Legion club count? If so about $500 last year.

[Rick Diesel]

I forgot about this one. I also donated to St. Jude's. My wife was listening to the radio when the station was running a donation drive and asked me to send some money in to them, so I threw a Benjy their way.

[KowCiller]

That's awesome man. Very generous. St Jude's works miracles. They are saving lives everyday. I would love to be able to win a major event and donate a ton of money to them.

KoW

[KowCiller]

This is a very good charity as well. A very high % of the money gets right to the kids. They work closely with St. Jude's hospital, where there is also very little money diverted from their focus of curing cancer and treating children.

KoW

[zokbarjazz]

[ QUOTE ]
its a crime to have charities with top poeple making hundreds of thousands a year. like united way and such. give locally to completely volunteer organizations that use all the money for benefits.
once i heard that care gets only a penny on a dollar to the kids. and most other charities use your donations for limos and big expenses for their top dogs. check them all out first and open your eyes. then give locally.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a great point. www.CharityNavigator.org (http://www.CharityNavigator.org) is a great site for finding which charities put the highest percentage of their funds towards the actual cause. You can search by type of charity and/or location, and find the best charities for the cause you wish to support.

I gave to the Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, and Red Cross for tsunami relief.

[lapoker17]

I can't believe Rick Diesel is married.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

My Alma Mater - Boston University
New England Shelter for Homeless Veterens

[youtalkfunny]

Two years ago, I lived in an apartment building that burned down. No injuries, but 16 families lost everything they owned.

The Red Cross was there the next morning. Nobody asked for anything. The Red Cross volunteers did all the asking:

"Do you have a place to stay?"
"Did you lose any prescription meds?"
"How many people live with you, so we can give you enough money to buy new clothes and groceries?"

I cried like a baby. I'm crying now, thinking of it. That so many people wanted to help my family and me, without being asked, was overwhelming.

A neighbor called the Salvation Army and GoodWill, telling them about the situation, and asking them if they could help.

They both told the neighbor to go fly a kite.

I have no idea to whom or where the money or clothing donated to GoodWill or Salvation Army goes. Do you?

All I can think of is "Thrift stores", which suddenly take on a not-very-non-profit look in my eyes.

(I had never given much to any charity before that fire, but I'm good for about $500 a year now.)

[jcx]

Intl Fellowship of Christians & Jews - Helps persecuted Jews relocate to Israel.

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation - Selfish reasons I have Ulcerative Colitis.

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]

And about me sitting in first class, my parents had frequent flier miles to burn.

[/ QUOTE ]

So instead of being rich you are just spoiled. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

*ahem* I have given nothing away this year.

[Ulysses]

Two that I know very little about: American Diabetes Association (I think that's the name) and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (again not sure of the name). A lot of friends have done marathons and triathlons where they get sponsors for charity. These two have been the charities for a number of these people.

The rest of these are places where I've volunteered both time and money (though, unfortunately, very little time this year compared to previous years):

Habitat for Humanity

Project Open Hand - delivers meals to people w/ HIV/AIDs, the elderly, and other people w/ illnesses that keep them homebound

Hands on San Francisco/Bay Area - they set up programs and organize groups to volunteer at many different local organizations that need help

SF Food Bank

SF Aids Foundation

I sometimes cut a check to Rice University, my alma mater. For no particular reason, I didn't this year.

Assorted other small donations

[Ulysses]

One place you can look for some information: Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/)