Charity, how much do you give?

[Fragony]

A few young dutch guys who had a great succes with a navigation-system gave half of their capital to charity, dutch newspaper says 'philantropes seek publishment'. Bill Gates gives a whopping of money I don't know how much, newspapers talk of a nerd not knowing where to spend his money. The original founders of mcDonalds didn't get any attention at all, millions and millions of dollars that was rightfully theirs by anyones standards, they sold their company way before it became the hegomony it is now. Why?

I am kinda interested mostly in the actual spending of our most passionate human-rights supporters. I give about 180 a month, 12x180, I could buy a calculator+slave for that to see how much it is really, and that + the money the state spends on filling their friends pockets without us knowing where it went, how much, qui bono. It includes a human rights organisation that hires lawyers for naughty iranian girls getting a necklace(50euro a month), the cliniclowns(10euro), I quit warchild(25 euro) since I learned they invest my money in cluster-bombs, and there is the Aids funds(20 euro) and a few other small ones that actually cost a lot when added. I don't mind, doing pretty good, I can miss it without feeling too much heat, but it kinda stings because I have to feel bad nonetheless.

Why? Standard leftist reaction 'that is outragious, the government should act'. Hello? Aren't those hands you got attached to your arms? Why not leave the government to solve stuff like roads and all that? Do we really need them for anything else? It's an addiction, addiction to government who you trust to do what you think is decent, or is it just lazyness? No decency just your rep in the socialist sallons? Not your responsibility? We have the government to take care of it after all. Idealists sell their house and do something, perfectionists ask others to do it for them, I am neither. So, how much of your money doesn't reach your mouth?

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I give ten a month to Amnesty, ten a month to a charity which helps keep poor Brazilian kids out of gangs through football (can't remember the name, someone from them accosted me on the street and I thought it sounded cool) and ten to Medicins Sans Frontiers.

Not a huge amount, but I'm only a student.

[Mikeus Caesar]

I give my loose change to charity collectors on the street. I would give more, but i can't afford. My paperboy's wage of £13.50 a week just isn't enough, especially when you're busy saving it up for your own life.

And before anyone accuses me of being greedy, i don't care. You have to draw a line between your own personal happiness and doing the right thing.

[Ice]

$500 to the Red Cross after Katrina

$50 to the victims' families of the VT Massacre

Oh yeah, and about 10% of my paycheck every two weeks.

[Boyar Son]

a buck at church

i'd like to help those on the street but pops wont like that much

[ICantSpellDawg]

nothin'. I give good tips for work. I give good tips in poor countries when i visit.

[Beirut]

I give $20 to each of my kids for the Terry Fox run for cancer research. Usually a couple of bucks to panhandlers when I'm in the city, and maybe $50 through the year for various charities that pop up.

Also, I buy a big box of groceries every Christmas for a guy I know who lives not far from me, has pretty much no friends and is on welfare. (He's unable to work.) I don't know if it's more for him or for my conscience, but I cannot bear the thought of him eating spaghetti with margarine on it Christmas morning, so I load him up with steak and eggs and sausages and beer and my woman makes some cookies, those kinds of things, because by the 25th of the month he's as broke as a refugee and there sure as shoot ain't no food in his fridge. I stop by and say hello on the night of the 24th and wish him well and leave a big box on his counter. Been doing this for about ten years now. I think we benefit equally.

[Husar]

More or less nothing, sometimes when I feel like it and have enough.

[Ice]

Also, I buy a big box of groceries every Christmas for a guy I know who lives not far from me, has pretty much no friends and is on welfare. (He's unable to work.) I don't know if it's more for him or for my conscience, but I cannot bear the thought of him eating spaghetti with margarine on it Christmas morning, so I load him up with steak and eggs and sausages and beer and my woman makes some cookies, those kinds of things, because by the 25th of the month he's as broke as a refugee and there sure as shoot ain't no food in his fridge. I stop by and say hello on the night of the 24th and wish him well and leave a big box on his counter. Been doing this for about ten years now. I think we benefit equally.

Very nice of you, Beirut. I'm sure he greatly appreciates it.

[Kralizec]

5 euro a month to a foundation that funds research on cancer (KWF Kankerbestrijding). The only charity money I hand out on the street is to the guy who's been collecting for the Salvation Army in my city since the days that I was a little kid. I think I might start donating to them monthly as well. If I can afford to keep smoking I should be able to do that, too...

[CountArach]

I don't work, so nothing really. I plan on giving a decent cut of my money when I get a job.

[macsen rufus]

Hmmmmm, regular: approx 10Eu to Deaf Children's charity; on the street I ONLY give to RNLI (Lifeboats, to those outside the UK, I'm appalled this has to be done by charity - usually I avoid street collectors, but if the RNLI are out I'll cross the street and make sure I give, usually the biggest note in my pocket at the time. Those guys are heroes). Panhandlers get nothing, but if I see a Big Issue seller, I always buy one cos you know it's someone trying to turn themselves around and building self-respect and a future.

Cancer charities NO - mostly pointless vivisection-mongers and the work is mostly done by big pharma who reap incredible financial rewards. I've done practical work for orthomolecular oncology charities though, as I feel it's a much better model of intervention. Also religious groups NO.

Occasionally something attracts my attention and I'll give a big sum (few hundred maybe) - last one was the Darfur appeal - but no hard and fast rules, here, whatever strikes me as necessary when it occurs.

[Ronin]

I live in a country were the main charities get government support...

I pay taxes....that´s it.

[Productivity]

ten a month to a charity which helps keep poor Brazilian kids out of gangs through football (can't remember the name, someone from them accosted me on the street and I thought it sounded cool)

If it's not too much problem would you mind digging out that name - I'm interested.

[Ja'chyra]

£5 a month to WSPA and a kids charity, NSPCC I think.

I don't agree with the government doling out money to foreign country so until that stops all my money stays in the UK. I also give to certain charities when I see them, Battle of Britain vets, RNLI etc but only the ones I want to I'm never pressured into giving to charities that I don't want to.

[spmetla]

I can't say I really give money to charity. During the holiday season I'll give some money to the salvation army guys on the street corners. I'll also give the less annoying hobos change from time to time but that really isn't charity.

[drone]

I voted Democrat in the last election, does that count?

I give some to the Humane Society (animal shelters), and my company does a program where we get gifts for kids for Christmas. I gave to AmeriCares for the tsunami relief, not really sure how much of that actually helped out. I tend to avoid big groups like United Way, but the Salvation Army gets change every Christmas.

I don't give money to street beggars. I'll get them food though, because they need it and it pisses them off.

[Tribesman]

I don't know if his Gary Glitter childrens charity collection is on you tube , but watch Laurence at work .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIFQA9QKn60
BTW he and his wife both do lots of real charity work .

[Devastatin Dave]

I pay taxes...

[Goofball]

I give $10 every paycheque to the United Way, and every time I buy groceries I donate between $2 and $10 to our local foodbank. They make it easy because they have little pads of slips with bar codes on them right at the till and you just tear one off and put it with your groceries. I'm basically a "lazy donor." If you make it easy for me I'll do it, but if it requires any effort or thought, I'll probably not bother.

I feel shame.



Having said that, living in Canada, I cough up about 40-50% of my total income in taxes every year.

Frag and Ice: I'm very impressed...

[Husar]

I pay taxes...

Nanny state.

[Devastatin Dave]

Having said that, living in Canada, I cough up about 40-50% of my total income in taxes every year.

Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick!!!! That's insane....

[KukriKhan]

Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick!!!! That's insane....

Heh, so do you Dave, if you count all taxes, fees, and assignments against your paycheck. The Canuckians are just more up-front about it.

I give to Special Operations Warrior Foundation, run by an old army pal of mine, through this thing federal employees have called the "Combined Federal Campaign" - you get a booklet listing thousands of charities, a brief synopsis of what they do, and the percentage of their money that goes to non-issue, 'overhead' costs. That helps in deciding who ought to get my few discretionary charity bucks.

edit: Sorry. The topic question was: "How much?". About 1 week's take-home pay. By contrast, taxes, fees etc, take about 20 weeks take-home pay.

[Fragony]

Well this went exactly as I thought it would, all that rightiousness of our carechairmen is just masturbation.

[Ronin]

Well this went exactly as I thought it would, all that rightiousness of our carechairmen is just masturbation.

I like to rant about what I think is right....I never said I was righteous

[Radier]

Charity is solidarity. Charity through taxes is just wrong...

Donates to "Rädda barnen", which means "Save the children."

[atheotes]

I believe child support and education should be given the utmost priority... i give US $100 a month to UNICEF. Apart from that i do donate watever i think is good for the likes of the tsunami, katrina etc..

Oh.. and about 30% of my salary goes as taxes...

[Samurai Waki]

Enough.

About 2k to UNICEF each year, and about 2k to the International AIDs Relief Fund.