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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
09-09-2013, 03:20 AM
I try to pay it forward, not back!
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09-09-2013, 03:48 AM
Maybe approach an old age home or home for disabled people and ask if there is anyone at risk of being evicted for not paying the monthly/annual fees, and then offer to sponsor. It's sad to see mental retarded adults stuck in an institution after their parents die, and then be in danger of eviction because the trust fund runs out.
Alternatively ask them for their wishlist and see where you can help out. You can do random visits to them to make sure that the stuff you got them is still actually in the home and wasn't 'borrowed' by staff members.
Sometimes it's also not about giving money. There's other ways of giving. It's amazing how lonely some people are in the worse-off old age homes. Some of these people were unfortunate enough to outlive all their family members, and they have literally no one. Just visiting people for an hour a week or so would mean the world to them.
Myself, I give random discounts at my medical practice to people who are struggling.
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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
09-09-2013, 12:13 PM
Quote: (09-09-2013 03:48 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:
Alternatively ask them for their wishlist and see where you can help out. You can do random visits to them to make sure that the stuff you got them is still actually in the home and wasn't 'borrowed' by staff members.
This is a problem. I used to bring in small deliveries of homemade bread, pies, and pastries to grandparents in the nursing home but had to quit after a fashion because those fuckers in the kitchen were eating them.
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09-11-2013, 01:17 PM
My cousin and her late husband used to spend Thanksgiving working in a soup kitchen. He had grown up in the foster system, and was homeless for a little while after that. He did it because he was thankful that soup kitchens had helped him keep going when he was on the skids.
What I don't like about a lot of charities is that you really don't have any idea what they do with the money you give them, besides the fact that they skim a big percentage off every donation. I donate used objects to Goodwill and shop there. I like Goodwill because they help people improve their condition by giving them jobs and providing low-cost (and tax free!) shopping. You're better off using that $500 to buy a whole bunch of mens' clothing for donation. Goodwill will also give you a receipt so you can deduct it from your taxes. I also give to the BSA, although I question its direction over the last few years. I spent ten years in the Scouts, and those days are some of my happiest memories.
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09-11-2013, 01:58 PM
I'd heard for years that regular giving is supposed to make you a better person, and somehow that things work out your way because of it. I give 10% of each paycheck away. I don't get much of a feeling out of it, if anything, but somehow things work out for me. I gave when I was on unemployment, and over the past summer when I lost 20% of my pay for 6 weeks in the middle of a divorce.
I believe since I give, somehow it comes back to me. Maybe not dollar for dollar. When my paycheck was due to drop 20%, I was freaking out. Somehow it worked out each paycheck that I had just enough to cover my obligations, and an emergency or two. Then people started paying me to help them with yard work and projects, so even though my paycheck was down, I always had cash in my pocket for beer and eating out.
But I get no feeling. I do it more for pragmatic reasons; because I believe it's the right thing to do.
I agree with Grizzly. Most charities are crap. They either have too much overhead, invest in things that aren't even relevant to the giver (like Komen gives a lot of money to Planned Parenthood, which has NOTHING to do with breast cancer). Some charities are dubious, and you have no idea how your money will actually help anybody. I had someone ask if I wanted to donate to Children's Hospital. I started asking about the business structure. He couldn't answer. If Children's Hospital is a for profit, why do they need my donation?
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09-11-2013, 06:02 PM
Great thread.
I believe that becoming a giver is the highest level a man, or any human being for that matter can achieve. Personally, I am far from this ideal. Have been selfish all my life. Something in my nature I would like to change.
I really have no excuses anymore. How did you guys get started on becoming a more giving person? Or were you just born that way?
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09-11-2013, 06:38 PM
Donate anonymously.
You can do this online, link up to bogus email accounts. Done and done. You just save the receipt come tax time
The truth is the only real donation that matters is your time helping someone change their life. But that takes actual work so most people say "fuck it".
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09-12-2013, 12:55 AM
Yeah I gave $20 to one charity a few years ago, and they've spent at least that much sending me a mailing every month asking for more $$. Never donating to them again -- check into places to see how much is spent on admin and fundraising.
To me, I'd say focus on direct impact. For example, food banks take donations of money or food. Some use all your $$ to buy food (labor is volunteers). Or just go to your local grocery store, stock up, then drop it off at the food bank. You're making a big and direct impact, and 100% is going to those who need it.
Also just ask around for people in your extended circle to see if anyone needs help. Go buy clothes or toys for a kid, etc.
Once you get to the higher level of donations to certain charities, they'll no longer solicit you with mailings all the time. I donate a good amount to one nonprofit and they have a person who I communicate with directly and meet with, and that's the only time donations will be brought up. No phone calls during dinner, etc.
Remember small things can make a difference too. Tip well, for example.
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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
09-15-2013, 07:59 AM
I donated $5 to Return Of Kings.
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09-18-2013, 08:30 PM
ok so more luck is getting worse
in past 4 days vancouver turned out to be nothing but dense fog, bus ride from vancouver to seattle ended up being 7 hours. Missed flight back from seattle and spent whole day flying around U.S to get home and today I almost got fired at work. This is not counting me totaling my car, getting locked out of house, etc past 2 weeks. I am closing that bank account tomorrow.
I need some serious good karma suggestions. Looking to use $500 that will bring the most good
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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
09-20-2013, 05:57 AM
Quote: (09-18-2013 08:30 PM)chyamor Wrote:
ok so more luck is getting worse
in past 4 days vancouver turned out to be nothing but dense fog, bus ride from vancouver to seattle ended up being 7 hours. Missed flight back from seattle and spent whole day flying around U.S to get home and today I almost got fired at work. This is not counting me totaling my car, getting locked out of house, etc past 2 weeks. I am closing that bank account tomorrow.
I need some serious good karma suggestions. Looking to use $500 that will bring the most good
My good Karma suggestion is to stop cursing yourself and change your outlook. People who say things like "well it'll be just my luck that something will go wrong" etc. tend to be the people that it all goes wrong for.
Try this parable.
Quote:Quote:
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "May be," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "May be," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "May be," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "May be," said the farmer.
Then donate to a Buddhist monastery that is local to you, as thanks that they come up with great stories like the above and get a blessing in return to really stamp out your bad luck/karma.
Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? Psalm 2:1 KJV
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09-20-2013, 07:04 AM
I don't donate my money. I donate my time. I help a lot at my church and that makes me happy.
I've actually wanted to join a mentoring thing and mentor inner city youth. A lot of those big brother, big sister programs lack a lot of good dudes. I'll have to do some research into it.
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09-20-2013, 07:48 AM
I'd rather donate my time than my money - then I know that my good will is going where it was intended
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09-25-2013, 12:22 PM
I decided to go with kiva, Thanks youngmobileglobal
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09-26-2013, 11:52 AM
Keep these facts in mind when "donating". As you open your pockets for yet another natural disaster, keep the following facts in mind; we have listed them from the highest (worse paid offender) to the lowest (least paid offender).
The worst offender was yet again for the 11th year in a row is, UNICEF - CEO, receives $1,200,000 per year, (plus use of a Royal Royce for his exclusive use where ever he goes, and an expense account that is rumoured to be well over $150,000.) Only pennies from the actual donations goes to the UNICEF cause (less than $0.14 per dollar of income).
Dated 2010 so not sure if that is still true
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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
05-06-2017, 06:17 AM
Any Red Pill donations?
I've donated to ROK more than once and Voiceformen years ago! Getting my tax return back next month so I wouldn't mind donating to a Red Pill cause!
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Donating to charity/feeling good about yourself
05-06-2017, 07:50 PM
To quote Tony Robbins loosely, donating your money creates a mindset of abundance so it will change your outlook on material possessions. If you're telling yourself that you have spare money to give, this will help to prioritize things in your life.