Ask Lemmy

I used to donate a check to several charities that were close to my heart. But over time I have just relied more on "rounding up" at the register or giving a few extra bucks by tapping a prompt on the pay pad. I work in a public school and I will bring in canned goods and box tops for all of their drives to help out as well.

If you can, donate to your LOCAL non-profits or the local branches of larger non-profits. Get to know the people in those organizations (volunteer, visit organization open houses/orientations, go to a hosted event) and you’ll feel a lot better about where your dollars are going.

I used to be on the board of a local domestic abuse shelter and now I’m on the board of a local food pantry. Both are amazing organizations, both have incredibly passionate people working for them, and the board is filled with mostly normal working people who have or want to have good community connections.

My partner has a little with big brothers big sisters and that turned into a board position for him because he was super enthusiastic and active. That’s a bigger organization but his contributions are at the local level and we’ve gotten to know the local “ceo” as well.

Also, 501(c)(3) orgs must publicly list their tax returns and you can find out the salaries of the executives on those tax returns. So even tho in my experience, the executives of the orgs at the local levels earn every damn penny (and it’s def not enuf) you can also find that info out for yourself. But please remember that if a non profit doesn’t have an excellent, passionate and well paid staff, they will NOT be able to get the donations and funding they need to fulfill their actual purpose. I’m talking specifically about local orgs tho, some of those giant orgs with executives making millions definitely should take a closer look at their priorities.

And finally…if you can’t donate money of course there is always volunteering but there is ALSO serving on a board. Every non-profit ive been involved with has had problems filling their board seats with active, enthusiastic individuals. Sometimes there are monetary asks of board members but no one is going to kick you out if you truly only have time and no money. And if u experience that, find a better board, they are out there and they are working really really hard to make things better.

Wikipedia, ACLU, EFF and my company matches.

• Planned Parenthood - Gave my wife quality routine medical care when were broke.
• Pfblocker - fuck ads
• Physics Girl - I gave hospice care to my Dad for a couple months. That was literally the hardest most painful experience of my life. I can't imagine surviving giving full time care to someone for years like her husband has. Me chipping in a couple bucks every month might help reduce money stress in a small way.
• Harris campaign - I would like Democracy to continue and the opposition seems directly against that happening.

I used to and still do, but I see it as an investment. In the past, I used to donate to various environmental organizations. Lack of money and disillusionment with the progress in environmental protection stopped this. Nowadays, I have a small monthly direct deposit to the armed forces of Ukraine. Living in Europe, I see this as investing into a peaceful retirement.

I donate regularly to a group which focuses on lobbying for progressive reform in the state, largely focused on improving healthcare access and outcomes. I donate occasionally to a local group which fights homelessness.

I donate because it's important to me, the first group has a good track record, and I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it.

I used to but I’m really over spam.

For example I considered donating to a political campaign this year but those are the worst for not leaving you alone. When they wanted my phone, email, and employer, I was out

I once was a monthly donor for a Luciferian Initiatory school (esoteric sect) which I used to be a member/part of their fellowship.

I donate small amounts to open source projects and content creators that .make stuff for everyone because I really believe it's a great way of fighting capitalism and many of the problems it's caused.

A token amount, a few euro a month.

BUT. One day it will all be donated. Every last cent of it.

Money is security. It's peace of mind. So I will keep hold of mine for now, thank you very much.

Yes, mostly to research charities.

I used to but I don't anymore. I can't afford to give money away when I can't even pay for my own bills.

I don't, but I should.
I don't because my fear of donating to a fraudulent/ineffective organization aligns with my laziness regarding figuring out the best causes and procrastinating in making a budget.

Fear and executive dysfunction, together forming the perfect storm of neurodivergent inaction.

No, I'm broke...

I started donating to the local animal rescue. None of them get any public funding whatsoever, so all the money is going to the animals' care.

They're pretty open with what it costs to take care of the various animals, and I feel it's a critical job they do.

Haven't gotten any spam so far either, so that is respectful.

I have a few times but I'd rather donate my time.

I've been known to cook at community events and sort electronic donations at charities.

I started donating last year, 2 years into my first job. I was unsure then because my impression of charities was that the money probably doesnt go where they are saying, or just a small portion does.

Then I stumbled upon the GiveWell( https://givewell.org ) foundation. Their goal is to identify the most efficient charities using a range of criteria. I decided to start with 100€/month distributed 50/50 to fighting poverty and climate change respectively. I also decided that for every raise I get at my job Id raise the amount by 100€ and have done so once by now. I read that its easier to part with future money than with what you already own and it makes a lot of sense.

Yep donate to a lot, but I make sure it's out of my planned donation budget or out of my (set amount) "feel like it" budget categories. I consider patreoning creators / journalists / FOSS seperate from charity, but I try to pay a fair subscription amount I'd give to paywalled stuff. Political donations I do occasionally as well but that too is not charity.

CharityNavigator is important to vet charities, and a good starting place to look for charities in causes you care about.

I try to focus 50/50 on local vs international stuff, which amounts to 10/90% impacts due to wealth discrepancies. I donate typically to organizations doing the work, but also do a smaller amount to UnitedWay (which if you are too tired, stressed, or distracted to do charity research is worth the lost efficiency as they do a lot of charity vetting for you).

I don't donate monetarily to strangers on the street, but I do donate (time and money) to shelters and assistance programs who can bring a lot more aid per dollar than I can.

If you work for a corp, be sure to check if they have a matching program, you can double your impact.

I highly recommend using a email alias provider as you'll get a lot of spam. I block most charity calls/text attempts to my phone number if they get it (I don't understand how that is effective at all, but they all seem to do it).

Lots of wealth hoarders are donating money to avoid taxes. A lot of charities profit from this and aren’t actual charities and it’s all down to syntax of what a charity is.

And supermarkets that ask you to donate is for their own PR(and why should a money monger benefit from anyone else’s good deed when they have plenty to donate or even pay their staff a living wage instead?)

So much of life is a layered lie and a scam.

Just save up your loose change and give it to someone outside the liquor store. At least then you know where the money is going. And it’s possibly the more ethical option.

I don't usually donate to charities because the vast majority of the donation never actually goes to the cause it was donated for in the first place. However, I try to give cash to the homeless as often as Ican. On my drive home I frequently see homeless people and I try to give money and also bottled water that I usually have in my car. I don't know what they'll use it for, but it's something I can do right there and then for them and I know they at least have the opportunity to buy some food / necessities, and I know they have water.

I don't donate money because over half of my paycheck is already deducted from my pay. Germany does already a lot of welfare in my name and I'm proud of this and okay with this.

Also I'm aware of issues donations can cause, like material ones for instance, that can disrupt the economy of a poor country and prevent them from growing their own, so I don't do that either.

I also believe it's not good to keep another country depending on donations, because in the long run it will create more suffering when the donations can't keep up. It's a bit difficult to explain as a lot of processes interconnect here and it sounds heartless without explaining it in detail. Let's say there are a lot of exceptions to the last part, as for instance a country currently at war should get as much donations a possible. However I personally also draw the line on countries who are at war constantly, as they seam to lack interest in stopping blood for blood conflicts and I'd rather not get involved into this, as it's hard to tell who's the good guys.

I thought about donating to local pet shelters and I might do that in the future, because they have a lot of pets suffering and not receive enough money to properly care for them. On the other hand I eat meat and where's the differences between a dog or a cow? It almost feels hypocrite to eat one and trying to save the other. So probably reducing meat consumption is the best I could do. Much better than donations.

I accepted that I'm a human with needs and wants and therefore also egoism, else I'd donate all my money, as there's always someone who's life is worse than mine. But I don't do that.

I am really poor by UK standards, living on disability payments which are among the lowest in Europe. Sometimes I have to use the foodbank in winter. However, in summer I also donate to them and also give to local charities and homeless people. I know a lot of people say do not give directly to the homeless, but I think that is wrong.I have been homeless and found a community of folk just like everywhere else. Some do spend it all on drugs, but many more do not! It is not my place to judge.

I try to donate a few bucks to FSF, GNU and Linux every year. Sometimes other projects as well. I don't work, so I can't do monthly donations.

Absolutely not.

We are members of a few charitable organizations, and we have subscribed to a charity lottery (we have a chance to win something, but we are absolute OK with not winning, too, as we know where the money is going to)

No, because I'm selfish. I plan to retire early so I live frugally and invest all my savings.

I am poor, I live in a country with a fraction of US average salary and high expenses. Although I have a house and car, I also have a family to support. I barely make it as it is, so no, I do not donate money.

4$ a month to wikipedia. It's the most valuable thing the internet has spawned hands down