“The happiest people in the world are those who do the most for others” _Booker T. Washington
“God loves a cheerful giver” _2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)
"Charity can be a lifestyle, not merely a gift.
Read charitably. Give the author your most favorable interpretation.
Listen charitably. Donate your undivided attention.
Work charitably. Be generous with your expertise.
In this way, you make charity a daily habit."
James Clear
Beware of Charity Scams
The end of the year often inspires people to give to charity and help those in need. Sadly, fraudsters use this generosity for their benefit. They pretend to operate or work for a charity hoping to steal donations.
Research any charity before donating, especially those without a well-known reputation. Even if a person claims to work for a reputable organization:
Look up the charity online
Call the primary number
Confirm the legitimacy of the charity before you donate
Before making a donation, people can check the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool on IRS.gov to make sure the organization is eligible for tax-deductible donations.
Checkout this TED talk: 4 steps to ending extreme poverty (Shameran Abed | TED2020 ) https://www.ted.com/talks/shameran_abed_4_steps_to_ending_extreme_poverty?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tedspread
Undue Medical Debt. This group has been buying up medical debt owed by individuals and families. They’re a four-star charity on Charity Navigator. Communities, counties and states are joining the movement. Contributions to this charity help erase billions of dollars of medical debt for individuals and families.
#IRSTaxTip: Seniors can reduce their tax burden by donating to charity through their IRA. http://ow.ly/BTju50LwGaw
TIP: Want give money anonymously to a family member, neighbor, friend etc. ? Go to a lawyer's firm and ask them to send the money anonymously for a fee!!
What’s the Best Way To Donate to Charity?
Daffy, the Donor-Advised Fund For You: Daffy makes giving a habit. Daffy is a modern financial platform for giving—set money aside, watch it grow tax-free & donate to 1.5 million charities. Choose how much you want to give this year, select whether you want to put money aside weekly or monthly—and we automate the rest.
Find the Best Charity for You In 4 Easy Steps
To end extreme poverty, give cash — not advice (YouTube)
Simple Ways To Balance Frugality and Generosity
Little Free Pantry wooden box on a post containing food, personal care, and paper items accessible to everyone all the time, no questions asked.
A street librarian's quest to bring books to everyone TedTalk (she shares how you can become a radical street librarian, too)
Where Can You Donate Old Eyeglasses?
Qualified charitable contributions Answers to Common Questions About QCDs | AAII
New to volunteering? A How-To-Guide to find the right fit
The 100 Largest U.S. Charities
If you’re age 70½ or older, you can make a once-in-a-lifetime tax-free rollover of up to $50,000 from your traditional IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity (CGA) That $50,000 rollover doesn’t count as taxable income—but it will count toward your required minimum distribution, a must-do for those age 73 and older. You’ll receive fixed monthly, quarterly or annual payments for life based on your age.
RIP Medical Debt : They imagined a new way to relieve medical debt: by using donations to buy large bundles of debt that is erased with no tax consequences to donors or recipients.
Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF): Through the support of thousands of volunteers, Mobile Loaves & Fishes food trucks hit the streets of Austin 7 nights a week, 365 days a year to provide food, clothing and other life-sustaining items to homeless men and women who are struggling to survive. With more than 6 million meals served, MLF has grown to become the largest prepared feeding program to the homeless in Central Texas and has spawned similar food truck programs in other cities across the country.
Community First! Village: Community First! Village is a master planned neighborhood that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community—forged family—for men and women coming out of homelessness
Are Donor-Advised Funds a Good Idea for Charitable Donations?
Pros and Cons of Donor-Advised Funds
3 Tax-Friendly Charitable-Giving Strategies for Retirees
Watch Wealth Inequality in America (Youtube)
Charitable giving and community service: How to teach your kids well
How to Create and Implement a Charitable Giving Plan
How to Start a Private Foundation https://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Private-Foundation
5 Things to Know About Donor-Advised Funds: https://www.consumerreports.org/charitable-donations/donor-advised-funds-things-to-know/
Ways To Help Friends Having Money Troubles
52 acts of kindness: how to spread joy in every week of 2023
5 Free Apps That Turn Your Walking Steps Into Charitable Donations
Find tips like how to identify sneaky scams at ftc.gov.
Make the most of new rules for charitable giving
5 Ways You Can Donate Even When You're Broke
How Your Family Can Make a Difference on $10 or Less
Charitable Contribution Deductions
How To Choose and Vet Charities for Your Donations
5 Ways Charitable Giving Can Star in Your Financial Strategy
How to revitalize a neighborhood — without gentrification (TED TALK)
Where Can You Donate Old Eyeglasses?
How to Inspire Your Grandkids to Invest in Charitable Giving
Make charity donations count (youtube)
The Emotional Benefits of Volunteering When You're Unemployed
The ABCs of Balancing Frugality and Generosity
7 Cost-Free Charitable Giving Ideas That Will Make You a Health Hero
VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins : VolunteerMatch matches inspired people with inspiring causes. It's how volunteers and nonprofits connect to achieve remarkable outcomes.
Volunteer Your Way to Some Free Fun
Important charitable giving reminders for taxpayers. https://go.usa.gov/xeE3R
im Haynes: A man who invited the world over for dinner - BBC News
Planning to make charitable gifts this holiday season? Ask 3 questions
How To Choose the Best Charity In 4 Easy Steps
Every Dollar Counts: How to Evaluate a Nonprofit
QCDs: A Great Way to Give Yourself (and the Charities You Love) a Gift This Year
Another do-gooder post about charity and giving
7 Ways Volunteering Can Save You Money
Make the Most of Your Charitable Donations
Helping Others: Consider a donor advise fund
How Your Family Can Make a Difference on $5 or Less
The Best Veterans and Military Charities
How Should I Donate a Non-Working Vehicle?
20 Ways To Donate Old Cell Phones
Better Than a Charity? 10 Things You Can Do by Starting Your Own Foundation
28 Best Places to Donate Your Used Stuff (Charities & Thrift Stores)
How to Get Rid of 6 Hard-to-Sell Things
Change the World by How You Shop (changetheworldbyhowyoushop.com)
7 Ways Volunteering Can Save You Money |
Public Service and Volunteer Opportunities
When you have enough, it’s time to help others
Cannot get rid of your old time-share you bought in Florida? Some charities accept donations of time-share properties so go to www.timesharetrap.com and click on “Charities Accepting Timeshares”
How people can give back by becoming an IRS-certified volunteer : The IRS and its community partners are looking for people around the country to become IRS-certified volunteers for the upcoming tax season.
How Community Fridges Help Feed America | Freedges
The Best Veterans and Military Charities
Retirees' Guide to Giving for the Greatest Impact
The Best Veterans and Military Charities
Charitable Giving Do's and Don'ts
Spot and stop dishonest charity fundraisers
Make sure the organizations you are supporting are legitimate and give the bulk of their money to their mission instead of going towards administrative fees. Check them out at Charity Navigator; Charity Watch; and Give.org. If you get a phone call ask them to send you some literature so you can check them online.
Donate miles to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They need over two billion miles a year to help grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Start your journey with Destination Joy t www.wish.org
12 Ways You Can Help Others Without Spending Money
How Your Family Can Make a Difference on $5 or Less
Pedals for Progress (www.p4p.org )gives old bikes to charities in countries like Uganda and Guatemala, which in turn distributes them to those in need.
Operation Homefront (www.operationhomefront.net ) provides military families with used digital cameras so they can stay in touch with a service member
5 Things to Know About Donor-Advised Funds - Consumer Reports Open a charitable account ....like a donor advised fund and put there money that will appreciate over the years ... it is tax free and you don't have to pay long term capital gains.
Donate professional clothes to an unemployed mom at www.thewomensalliance.org or www.dressforsuccess.org were you can find locations to drop them off in your area
Post Hope provides users the tools to create user-friendly, ad free, customizable websites to receive donations, post status updates, photos, and any other relevant information, while also allowing them to share updates through email, Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social platforms. This forum saves users time and energy and effort, while keeping loved ones informed. In turn, friends and family can send encouraging messages and prayers directly to the website, where the user can receive much needed encouragement and hope…and is able to access them all in one convenient location.
Don't have money to donate? Then do volunteer work!! Check VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins provides volunteer information and listings in your local community. Find local volunteering opportunities now!
How Your Family Can Make a Difference on $5 or Less
How Your Family Can Make a Difference on $10 or Less
Make the World Better With These 17 Free Ways to Give Back
You can donate frequent flyer miles to groups that fly sick kids and adults to out of state hospitals. Check out www.miledonor.com
Spend your free time doing a “volunteer vacation”. You will sweat like locals, eat like locals and will try to do something meaningful too. Check three of the most established volunteer groups: Cross Cultural Solutions which works in 12 nations (1-800-380-4777) www.crossculturalsolutions.org; Global Volunteers that has programs in the United States and 18 other countries (were they may end you to teach English)(1-800-487-1074) www.globalvolunteers.org and Habitat for Humanity that sends teams around the world through its Global Village Program (1-800-422-4828), www.habitat.org . Patrol beaches to collect and relocate eggs of endangered sea turtles and help hatchlings reach the sea. Contact Tropical Adventures *800-832-9419, www.mytropicaladventure.com . GAP Adventures (800-708-7761, www.gapadventures.com , Earthwatch Institute (800-776-0188, www.earthwatch.org) and i-to-I 800-985-4864 www.i-to-i.com. Aid researchers with wildlife surveys and help them collect biomedical samples from South Africa to South America. Contact Earthwatch Institute or i-to-i. Volunteer to feed and groom dogs, cats, horses and other abuse or unwanted animals near Kanab, Utah. You can feed and groom the animals, take them for long walks and train those that need new homes. Contact Best Friends Animal Society 435-644-201 X119 or www.bestfriends.org . Another place you can look is Volunteers for Peace 802-259-2759 www.vfp.org.
Need ideas on how to give back? Watch....Returning the Favor at facebook.com/ReturningTheFavor .......Returning the Favor is an American reality web television series that premiered on August 28, 2017 on Facebook Watch. It followed Mike Rowe as he travels across the United States in search of people who are giving back to their communities.
Creating a Memorial Through a Scholarship
The Path to Making a Charitable Impact
Donating Is Part Of Personal Finance
How to Include Charity in Your Budget, and Other Ways to GIVE!
Boston Community Fridge aims to help food insecure
BOOK: HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time
QUOTES:
Affordable Charitable Giving: An affordable to donate to others is with "buy one, get one free" offers. Keep one for your family and donate one item. Or if your family doesn't use that particular item, buy it anyway and then donate it to your local shelter or Salvation Army. There are many people in need. Because it costs a little at a time, I feel this is a good way to donate. C.W. from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Help Others While Helping Yourself: Does your town have any festivals? If they do, you should volunteer! Whether it's an art festival, BBQ cook-off or early American festival, if you volunteer, you'll probably get free admission, free food, and an event t-shirt. The work is usually easy and fun. I've served drinks, taken tickets, and handed out fliers. Sometimes, I even get to talk with performers that others can't. Tanya from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Host a Charity Potluck: It is said that charity begins at home. Because my family is on such a tight budget, giving money to a worthy cause is sometimes impossible, as much as we would love to help. Recently, we felt the urge to give to a worthy cause at our church, but could only afford to give $10 to $20. We came up with the idea of a "Potluck with a Purpose."Assuming that many of our friends were experiencing the same woes, we invited eight couples to come to a potluck and bring a sealed envelope with the amount of money they would have spent taking their family out to eat. It could be the equivalent of a nice restaurant or, in our case, fast food. No one knew what the others were giving, and it was all in cash. At the end of the evening, we had collected $347 for our church project. Sweet! We all had a great evening together and served an even greater purpose.
L. from Dollar Stretcher Tips