I have given to charity when I have extra money. I have used charity navigator and other rating sites to get an idea of how the money goes. I do lean more towards charities people I know have worked for.
Most of my giving is aimed at providing basic necessities for people (my one exception to that rule is semi-regular donations to WGBH, which I listen to & watch pretty frequently). I tried to split what I had by alternating between local charities (usually the greater Boston food bank) and international charities (usually Plan USA or The Heifer Project).
I also occasionally give to other organizations that catch my attention, or are in a crisis. For instance, if I had extra money this week it might have gone to the Lyon Martin health clinic. (http://www.lyon-martin.org/index.php). Or I give to people fund raising for themselves on the internet due to medical conditions, etc. It's not tax-deductible, but it's very satisfying.
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Most of my giving is aimed at providing basic necessities for people (my one exception to that rule is semi-regular donations to WGBH, which I listen to & watch pretty frequently). I tried to split what I had by alternating between local charities (usually the greater Boston food bank) and international charities (usually Plan USA or The Heifer Project).
I also occasionally give to other organizations that catch my attention, or are in a crisis. For instance, if I had extra money this week it might have gone to the Lyon Martin health clinic. (http://www.lyon-martin.org/index.php). Or I give to people fund raising for themselves on the internet due to medical conditions, etc. It's not tax-deductible, but it's very satisfying.
-E