What charities and/or non-profits do you support?

GameHat

Title is explanatory

I'd consider donations of time, money or goods to all fall under the term "support"

Myself? I give donate a small sum each year to Chicago Public Radio because public radio is the shit and my 1 hour commuting every day would be intolerable without it.

This American Life is brilliant. Marketplace is usually very good, as is All Things Considered.

Aside - am I the only one with the audio "I'm (insert Melissa Block, Michele Norris, or Robert Siegel) and I'm (one of the other 2)" burned into my subconscious?

Anyways, what do you support?

saggio

Do Political Parties count?

Otherwise, I give blood. Too poor to give money.

GameHat

saggio wrote: »

Do Political Parties count?

Otherwise, I give blood. Too poor to give money.

Oh, sure. Why not.

Also giving blood is a noble endeavor. You remind me that I haven't donated blood in about 2 years; I need to get out and do it again.

deadonthestreet

The Jimmy Fund is the only charity that I know a decent bit about and actually trust, so they are the only one I give to.

cyphr

I like to support Child's Play, Kiva, and Doctors Without Borders when I can.

Just a little note though, Doctors Without Borders is relentless. I donated for the first time after the tsunami, and ever since, whenever I come home from school there's at least one, usually more envelopes from them asking for more donations. A bit irritating, but they do good work.

YodaTuna

cyphr wrote: »

I like to support Child's Play, Kiva, and Doctors Without Borders when I can.

Just a little note though, Doctors Without Borders is relentless. I donated for the first time after the tsunami, and ever since, whenever I come home from school there's at least one, usually more envelopes from them asking for more donations. A bit irritating, but they do good work.

Just think they probably spent more money sending you shit than you even donating. Good times. I remember one time, someone linked me to one of those "click here and we donate a dollar" sites. It was for the Christopher Reeve foundation. Anyway, I did it and it and filled out the full questionnaire. A couple weeks later, they sent me a whole envelope full of shit. Like a pin and a bunch of cards and like a fancy engraved thank you card. And the shipping was like 60 cents.

Good to know that my dollar went to the wonderful cause of sending me a bunch of shit.

Oboro

I donate to local collections of canned food since it's cheap, and encourage people to donate to local collections of hygiene products for shelters of all varieties because that one is a bit more out of my price range.

Whenever someone panhandles me directly, if they're not some outright despicable white-supremacist movement or something, I'll toss some pocket change their way -- ditto charity functions where it's just a coffee-can-collection. I drop in what I have without paying much heed as long as it's not something that I know, just by virtue of its name, is working against my ethos.

I don't discriminate much then, but I also don't give a lot to any one organization.

moniker

I did some Habitat for Humanity work when I was in college and plan to get back into it once I settle in the city and life becomes a bit less transient. Also, 12 hours at the USGBC convention, but that was mostly because I wanted to get to see Bill Clinton speak for free and had never attended a convention before so I wouldn't really consider it to be charitable. Otherwise I will donate to OxFam, Doctors Without Borders, and WTTW (PBS) on top of the Habitat work and probably do some stuff at a soup kitchen, again, when I'm settled in and sort of have my things in a form which slightly represents order much to my shame and MrMr's chagrin.

Fatty McBeardo

I do not donate to the United Way under any circumstances, because they use pressure tactics in workplaces. Managers practically threaten people for not donating to the United Way. I experienced this myself at a previous job and I've heard the same story from others in the same and other companies where the United Way does its annual drives.

I support Child's Play, St. Jude's, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Incenjucar

I tip really well, does that count?

Aside from that, the only charities I really have an interest in right now are things like no-kill shelters. The amount of corruption in your average charity these days just horrifies me, and where there isn't corruption, there's preaching, which may be worse in the long run.

electricitylikesme

None, because thanks to my privileged life none of my money is really mine in any sort of legally taxable capacity.

Church

I work in the post exchange here on the installation and donate most of my pay to these guys.

Though that's not nearly as charitable as I make it sound, given that I don't actually have any financial responsibilities.

BobCesca

I have a strange relationship with charity as I tend not to give to charity anymore and insead send christmas presents to a couple of kids in Rwanda and spend a lot of money there when I go over once a year. I kinda think of my charity as putting money into the local economy in Rwanda, and at least then I know who and what the money's going to.

Does this make me a Scrooge? I just feel I'd rather know exactly where my money's going rather than donate to some charity where I might end up paying admin costs.

real_pochacco

Well, I'm a broke-ass college student, but when I get a job etc., I'm going to donate to MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. They are working on lots of different studies and things are really shaking for them these days, because the federal government is finally starting to realize that a lot of drugs they banned could have important therapeutic uses. Also, they work on helping studies all over the world, like using MDMA to treat PTSD in Israel and that sort of thing. Pretty snazzy stuff.

GameHat

BobCesca wrote: »

I have a strange relationship with charity as I tend not to give to charity anymore and insead send christmas presents to a couple of kids in Rwanda and spend a lot of money there when I go over once a year. I kinda think of my charity as putting money into the local economy in Rwanda, and at least then I know who and what the money's going to.

Does this make me a Scrooge? I just feel I'd rather know exactly where my money's going rather than donate to some charity where I might end up paying admin costs.

I hardly think it's scroogelike to give presents to Rwandan children

Nova_C

I give to cancer research foundations for some reason. Just, one day I had a letter in my hands asking for money and I'm like "Why not?" I also support a child through ..... I think it's called the Christian Children's Fund? Anyway, I donate per month and it allows a child who lives in poverty to go to school.

One thing I learned though, is they kinda punish you for giving after years of just tossing out the mailings. Ever since I first started giving to charity about a year ago the amount of requests for money I get from all sorts of charities has gone up three or four fold. I get a pile of junk mail every week now. It's kinda frustrating.

Incenjucar

Junk mail is why my giving is pretty much always going to be anonymous. I hate begging.

electricitylikesme

I've decided when I have my own money I'm going to donate solely to research funds trying to find a vaccine for HIV. I think this would be the single largest good that could be done to the world, that isn't dependent on other people not being douches (to some degree).

oldsak

I have a Guggenheim membership, if that counts.

I've also been conned into supporting the ACLU, but I'll be putting a stop to that soon.

Shinto

The Democratic Party.

Quid

Normally Child's Play but due to me lacking the monies not this year. However, this thread has reminded me that I'm O+ and the Red Cross probably wants that.

Malkor

I support Habitat for Humanity, NPR, and the church my parents go to. I've seen first hand the good HH and that particular church can do. I've helped build houses in New Haven and woke up ass early on Thanksgiving and other days to help cook food for people who can't affort it. Also whenever the firemen or police call me up I pay them because I'm afraid if I don't I'll be put on a list....

Kalkino

The fireman and police call you up asking for money??

I donate to organisations like Amnesty/Liberty curently. In the past I've been involved with World Vision and a cancer research trust and I'll usually give someone money if they make a good case for it.

I'm trying to sort out some volunteering work for Christmas but you'd be surprised at how many shelters or the like are already full on volunteers. I didn't think this was the kind of thing I would have needed to organise well in advance!

Malkor

I think it's the Fireman and Police league or something.

Organichu

I get plenty of calls from the Fraternal Order of Police.

I donate a lot of my time each summer to various activities in the Territories in the Levant.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

My econ professor from freshman year is the guy who set up this organization: http://www.umbele.org/ they are pretty good. I gave them some moneys. Save poor people.

I give my friend money when she does the biking for cancer thing, pan mass challenge or whatever.

Rhan9

I don't regularly donate money to charities, on account of being poor. I have taken part twice in the Terry Fox Run though. Donating blood never occurred to me, strangely enough. I suppose I could try that.

Malkor

Rhan9 wrote: »

I don't regularly donate money to charities, on account of being poor. I have taken part twice in the Terry Fox Run though. Donating blood never occurred to me, strangely enough. I suppose I could try that.

Oh I count my time as money when I talk about local charities. Money's great, but I think actually going out to help them do what they do can be better in some cases.

jungleroomx

I donate $30 per paycheck to the VFW and $20 per paycheck to the Medal of Honor Families support fund.

armageddonbound

I support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

http://www.cbldf.org/

It's kinda sickening when you realize that people are being put in jail, in the 21st century, in this country, for creating and selling art. (because everyone knows it somehow stops being art if you combine illustration and writing at the same time!)

MrMister

electricitylikesme wrote: »

None, because thanks to my privileged life none of my money is really mine in any sort of legally taxable capacity.

Pfft, neither is mine.

I give to Oxfam.

Kalkino

Taxation that supports a welfare system does take a lot of the need out of traditional charity in my view, which is one reason why I am at peace with paying taxes (conceeding the obvious point that even if I wasn't happy I'd have trouble avoiding paying them so the result would be the same). However despite that I still think one should regularly do something more personal, if able.

Bionic Monkey

Child's Play is the only one I give regularly to. This year I did also donate to the Perrydale Children's Hospital, which is a local hospital for mentally disturbed kids, and my local animal shelter.

Vulpine

The company I work for sells its product exclusively to charities, so I fear I might be doing this the wrong way around...

I do, however, always buy a poppy come November, and will gladly put change in a donation box.

Duki

armageddonbound wrote: »

I support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

http://www.cbldf.org/

It's kinda sickening when you realize that people are being put in jail, in the 21st century, in this country, for creating and selling art. (because everyone knows it somehow stops being art if you combine illustration and writing at the same time!)

What? Can you explain this?

Scalfin

Nothing lately, because my hebrew high class isn't collecting tsedakah this year, most likely because the grade I'm in is small enough that the weekly dollar doesn't add up and we no longer need to be taught the import of charity.
If I get into an area college, though, I'll probably be putting in quite a few hours at a place that trains monkeys for people with debilitative neuro-muscular disorders.

moniker

Scalfin wrote: »

Nothing lately, because my hebrew high class isn't collecting tsedakah this year, most likely because the grade I'm in is small enough that the weekly dollar doesn't add up and we no longer need to be taught the import of charity.
If I get into an area college, though, I'll probably be putting in quite a few hours at a place that trains monkeys for people with debilitative neuro-muscular disorders.

That's not charity work, that's just plain awesome. You should train one of them to wear a tiny red fez.

Scalfin

moniker wrote: »

Scalfin wrote: »

Nothing lately, because my hebrew high class isn't collecting tsedakah this year, most likely because the grade I'm in is small enough that the weekly dollar doesn't add up and we no longer need to be taught the import of charity.
If I get into an area college, though, I'll probably be putting in quite a few hours at a place that trains monkeys for people with debilitative neuro-muscular disorders.

That's not charity work, that's just plain awesome. You should train one of them to wear a tiny red fez.

Plus, it would be for credit, as my area of interest is ethology (my hoped for job is split between researcher and video game consultant/adviser [so even the animals have good AI]).

Sami

Whenever I have the scratch I donate to Heifer International. They're a fantastically run organization.

I've also been given to Child's Play, Invisible Children, and I'd like to start helping out Habitat for Humanity.

Satan.

United Way. Had to cut down on my contribution this year but I try to make an annual one during the summer (when I usually have extra cash around).

Satan.

Duki wrote: »

armageddonbound wrote: »

I support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

http://www.cbldf.org/

It's kinda sickening when you realize that people are being put in jail, in the 21st century, in this country, for creating and selling art. (because everyone knows it somehow stops being art if you combine illustration and writing at the same time!)

What? Can you explain this?

CBLDF's About Page, which is easily found with just a few clicks wrote:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was officially incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization in January of 1990 from the money left over from donations raised to defend Friendly Frank's arrest for selling "obscene comics" in Lansing, IL in 1986. Since then, the CBLDF has helped over a dozen comic book retailers and professionals fend off the censors, some successfully, some not.

The CBLDF exists to fight censorship and defend the first amendment rights of comic book professionals throughout the United States. In the past five years, the CBLDF has raised over $200,000 to pay expenses related to defending freedom of speech and expression, and the battle continues. As new waves of conservatism flood the publishing industry and the country, the CBLDF continues to raise the money and awareness needed to fight the censors every step of the way.