Author Topic: Good ways you’ve found to give?  (Read 5216 times)

4tify

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Good ways you’ve found to give?
« on: October 26, 2020, 06:32:22 PM »
I have been thinking a lot lately about giving back, but haven’t landed on just how or where. I know there are great malaria NGOs and the like, and I already do give to several non-profits that are rated highly or just align with issues I care about (like Audubon and NRDC).

I’d like to be able to feel I’ve had some kind of direct impact and have been thinking about putting a kid through college—or maybe a couple if I were to venture outside the USA. I just don’t know where to start a project like that. I’ve been donating to Kiva for years because I like that it’s not just a hand out but a leg up for those able and willing.

I’m curious how those of you who donate money outside of the regular religious tithings and such do so. Are there any particularly great ways you’ve found outside of the more obvious routes?


Sailor Sam

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2020, 06:53:20 PM »
The sand dollar approach!

That old parable about the guy finding a beach full of sand dollars left dry by the tide, and choosing one to toss back. The friend says “you only saved one,” and the hero protagonist says, “yeah, but I saved one.”

It doesn’t have to be the most efficient. I chose things that matters to me—cancer, suicidal kids, animals, the dignity of women—and I donate. St Jude’s is pretty efficient with the money, the local SPCA is inefficient, but I’ve saved a few dogs.

It’s peaceful, and its good. Which is what I consider the foundation of charity.

nessness

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2020, 09:46:37 PM »
Givewell is a neat organization that extensively researches charities and determines a small number that improve the most human lives per dollar. You can either give to one of the charities they recommend, or give to them and they'll allocate it between them.

www.givewell.org

ETA: understandably, their charities all operate mostly in developing countries where money goes further. So you don't get the good feeling of knowing anything about the recipients, or helping people in your own community. But knowing you put your money to the most efficient use, and maybe even saved lives, is a good feeling too.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 09:49:10 PM by nessness »

Omy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2020, 10:11:20 PM »
I buy extra groceries each week and donate them to the local food bank. I use their list to make sure I'm donating food and supplies that are needed. I make the purchase myself instead of writing a check so I know my contribution is actually being distributed.

MudPuppy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2020, 03:27:37 AM »
I give both money and other resources, like my home or skills.

I foster dogs, typically, but I haven’t been doing that since Covid hit because I don’t want to expose people to hospital germs. In 2019 I think I fostered 6 or 7 last year, but only 2 this year. I typically pay for all their care while they are in my home, but that’s my own choice. It’s great for the dogs because living in shelters is stressful for them and doesn’t set them up for success in their new homes.

I also participate (and this is admittedly through my church) in outreach for the unhoused. There’s a fair population living in the woods by an RV park here and I go once a month or so and we do a bit of sick call. It’s usually just first aid type stuff but if the doc or I think there’s something that needs further treatment we help them find resources to get more. If you could find a similar outreach group (the group does other things, including food and school supply pantry) you could skill share or simply give money.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 03:32:21 AM by MudPuppy »

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2020, 03:30:20 AM »
I have been thinking a lot lately about giving back, but haven’t landed on just how or where. I know there are great malaria NGOs and the like, and I already do give to several non-profits that are rated highly or just align with issues I care about (like Audubon and NRDC).

I’d like to be able to feel I’ve had some kind of direct impact and have been thinking about putting a kid through college—or maybe a couple if I were to venture outside the USA. I just don’t know where to start a project like that. I’ve been donating to Kiva for years because I like that it’s not just a hand out but a leg up for those able and willing.

I’m curious how those of you who donate money outside of the regular religious tithings and such do so. Are there any particularly great ways you’ve found outside of the more obvious routes?

A friend of mine started a school in rural Uganda 10ish years ago I give a ton to.  I can’t remember exactly how much everything costs, but I think I pay about a 1/5 of a teachers salary each year with my $100 a month steady payment.   The school started smaller but now has close to 1000 students.  If you want to reach out to find out how she did it her charity is known by the US 501c3 “educating Africa’s children” And has a FB page.

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2020, 03:57:41 AM »
One of the most critical things all Mustachians can do requires no money at all, only time. For most, the decision to FIRE requires a certain amount of discipline, perspective, and maturity. A sense that connection and life experience satisfy the soul more than mere stuff and money. While proselytizing is rarely successful, modeling a better way of life often leads to a question from another that tells you someone is really ready to listen. If you prime your ears for those questions, you'll be ready to help others to a more fulfilling way of life.

DadJokes

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2020, 06:45:45 AM »
PTF

This will be the first year that we give a substantial amount to a charity that isn't a church. I've still been researching, but my plan at the moment is to give to a local children's hospital.

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2020, 11:41:06 AM »
@Zoot asked me to recap some of the various ways I've found to help people out directly.   Some cost me a bit, some actually saved me money, but each was targetted to help someone out that I knew.

Some are very cheap (especially when they save me money), others cost more.  But the general example holds. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/journals/sword-guy's-journal/msg2713546/#msg2713546

Zoot also included this example of how they were able to help someone they know:

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/journals/sword-guy's-journal/msg2721916/#msg2721916

It's a mindset.  Instead of:

"How can I get what I want?",  try

"How can I get what I want while helping someone else?" or

"What can I do for this person that will help them and won't hurt me?"

It could be as cheap as being a free babysitter once a month, or letting their kids hang out after school with your own to save them afternoon day care costs.   It doesn't have to be expensive.

Ideally, it will help them with a specific short-term problem or set the stage for long term improvements in their situation.



Cranky

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2020, 12:10:12 PM »
If you want to put someone through college, colleges do have scholarship funds!

DonorsChoose is pretty great for targeting specific education needs.

I donate to a number of programs my church runs. We fund a food pantry in a low income school, and we do a book giveaway there every December. There are, sadly, many schools with food pantries these days.

dougules

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2020, 12:19:38 PM »
Givewell is a neat organization that extensively researches charities and determines a small number that improve the most human lives per dollar. You can either give to one of the charities they recommend, or give to them and they'll allocate it between them.

www.givewell.org

ETA: understandably, their charities all operate mostly in developing countries where money goes further. So you don't get the good feeling of knowing anything about the recipients, or helping people in your own community. But knowing you put your money to the most efficient use, and maybe even saved lives, is a good feeling too.

+1 on Givewell.  Out of the charities they have, GiveDirectly is my favorite.  I like the idea of letting people prioritize their own needs instead of me or other foreigners trying to make decisions for them.  As a bonus they apparently hire a lot of their staff locally instead of bringing in people from developed countries to run everything. 

I'm partly just PTF. 

Spiffy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2020, 12:50:28 PM »
This year I am giving to Kenya Drylands Education Fund (kdef.org). I don't have a lot of extra money to donate (and I am a stingy person at heart, I'm afraid) but the small amount of money sent to this program does such a huge amount of good. It cost just $25 per year to supply one girl with a year's worth of hygiene items so she doesn't have to miss a week of school each month. They have several programs going, including scholarships to send students to high school and getting water to the most impoverished areas. But I give to the Menstrual Hygiene Program because it is just heart breaking to me that a girl might be deprived of an education for the lack of basic supplies that I and my daughter take for granted. The website does a better job than I can explaining how they help, so take a look if you are searching for a place to give.

RedmondStash

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2020, 01:35:01 PM »
Great thread. Thanks for starting it.

FireLane

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2020, 09:03:18 AM »
I have a donor-advised fund with Fidelity Charitable. I'm trying to get it up to $100K while I'm working, and after I retire, I'll use it to support my annual charitable giving following the 4% rule.

The nice thing about a DAF is that it takes the pressure off: you can fund it now and get the tax credit immediately, then take as much time as you need to research charities and find one that you believe in and want to support. Charity Navigator is another great resource to tell you how efficiently a charity uses your dollars.

I mostly support civil-rights charities (ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, RAICES), Planned Parenthood, and environmental and conservation groups (Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy). I also give to Kiva and support some small-scale projects through Global Giving.

Dee18

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2020, 09:45:16 AM »
This may sound odd to some, but this year I decided that the most helpful giving is donating money for the Democratic presidential candidates (first in the primaries, now in the general election).  I had only given minimal amounts before, but I just kept reminding myself how after the last presidential election I wished I had given more.  I believe the ACA, environmental regulation, continued federal support for those most in need...all of those will truly help.  And I believe we should set up our government so that those in need do not have to rely on charity.  Just my 2 cents. I have also given to those in need from Covid through a church, where I know none of the donation goes to pay fundraisers or for administrative costs.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 09:28:58 PM by Dee18 »

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2020, 03:01:17 PM »
This year I am giving to Kenya Drylands Education Fund (kdef.org). I don't have a lot of extra money to donate (and I am a stingy person at heart, I'm afraid) but the small amount of money sent to this program does such a huge amount of good. It cost just $25 per year to supply one girl with a year's worth of hygiene items so she doesn't have to miss a week of school each month. They have several programs going, including scholarships to send students to high school and getting water to the most impoverished areas. But I give to the Menstrual Hygiene Program because it is just heart breaking to me that a girl might be deprived of an education for the lack of basic supplies that I and my daughter take for granted. The website does a better job than I can explaining how they help, so take a look if you are searching for a place to give.

This reminds me of the movie Pad Man, which is about a man in India who came up with a way to make cheap, hygiene products in India.  I am from India and had never thought of hygiene products as that expensive, especially in recent times, so it was eye - opening.  The point was both about the social isoluation during menstruaton and the hygiene and loss of life from using inferior products.

slappy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2020, 05:57:33 PM »
I have a donor-advised fund with Fidelity Charitable. I'm trying to get it up to $100K while I'm working, and after I retire, I'll use it to support my annual charitable giving following the 4% rule.

The nice thing about a DAF is that it takes the pressure off: you can fund it now and get the tax credit immediately, then take as much time as you need to research charities and find one that you believe in and want to support. Charity Navigator is another great resource to tell you how efficiently a charity uses your dollars.

I mostly support civil-rights charities (ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, RAICES), Planned Parenthood, and environmental and conservation groups (Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy). I also give to Kiva and support some small-scale projects through Global Giving.

I was going to say this too. At the moment, we don't have any charities we are contributing to. We used to donate to our church and to my son's preschool, but we no longer go to that church or that preschool. So for now, I am contributing to the DAF and letting it accumulate until I find something I want to donate too.

Mrs. D.

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2020, 07:31:08 AM »
Actually that does raise the question of what counts as "giving to charity."   

It is tempting to just use the rule that if the IRS says its tax-deductible, then it's charitable giving.   I used to think that way.   But there are some problems with that line of thought.

I used to be religious, and considered money I gave to my church to be charitable giving.   But really (and I came to feel this way even while I still considered myself religious) I came to realize that while some of that money was going for clearly charitable purposes, a lot of it was really just paying for the expenses of a social club that I liked belonging to.   Paying the expenses of running the church seemed to me to be paying for something for me and my family, not charitable giving to help others.

While I'm no longer religious, I do contribute to other organizations that, while they do good in the community, really seem more for my enjoyment than good for others.   The money I donate to the local symphony orchestra, or to the arthouse theatre downtown is money I happily give.   But is it more charitable than the money I pay to go to a rock concert or to a movie at the Cineplex?  I'm not so sure.

But on the other hand, money contributed to the ACLU is not tax-deductible (because they do political advocacy, which disqualifies them.). But I certainly consider that to be charitable giving.  I don't see why the same could not apply to political donations.

If I pay extra for fair trade chocolate or coffee, that's not tax deductible either.   But I'm paying that extra money for a charitable reason I think.   If I contribute money to an animal welfare charity that's tax-deductible, but if I pay extra for meat, dairy and eggs raised in a more humane manner, that isn't.

Or what if I buy solar panels for my roof?

I don't think there are any clear answers.  And a lot of things are not 100% either way.   So ... in the end ... there's no clear answers.   But do there really have to be?   If you have the funds available and believe it is a worthy use of your funds to contribute them to whatever cause in whatever way, you're doing a good thing.

I really like this. I've had some of these scattered thoughts before, but hadn't put them together as concisely as you did, ockhamist. There are a lot of ways to use your dollars to influence the values of broader society. Buying humanely treated meat and dairy is a great example. I don't usually pop for those more expensive items because they are line-itemed in my mind as "grocery budget." If I thought more about, "how are my dollars affecting the world?" I would probably change my habits. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Another example - there's no tax deduction for buying an electric vehicle, although it may be a way to align spending with values. But the federal (and in some cases state) government will give you a tax credit, which is a similar incentive to a tax deduction.

For our giving, we research one charity every year and make donations in lieu of birthday/holiday gifts. Each donation is small ($18, it's a Jewish thing), but over many gift-giving occasions it adds up to a nice sum going to one charity. And we're not adding more plastic stuff from China to peoples' households. We've also started buying $5-10 worth of pantry staples each week to donate to our local food bank. We have preschool-aged children and think that they need to see and participate in tangible acts of charity. Sometimes when we drop off our donation, other families are coming to pick up food. This makes it very concrete for my kids. As they get older, we may adjust our strategy but this is our current strategy for instilling the values that matter to us.

DadJokes

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2020, 09:00:53 AM »
I looked into doing a donor-advised fund. Vanguard's has a substantial $25k minimum donation for a new account, but Fidelity has no minimum. However, they both have 0.6% administrative fees before you even get to the investment fee. That seems like a lot when the account shouldn't really be any different than an IRA, where fees end up under 0.1%.

I know that's letting perfect be the enemy of the good, but it just feels unnecessary to me.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2020, 09:03:27 AM by DadJokes »

jeninco

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2020, 10:01:54 AM »
Actually that does raise the question of what counts as "giving to charity."   

It is tempting to just use the rule that if the IRS says its tax-deductible, then it's charitable giving.   I used to think that way.   But there are some problems with that line of thought.

I used to be religious, and considered money I gave to my church to be charitable giving.   But really (and I came to feel this way even while I still considered myself religious) I came to realize that while some of that money was going for clearly charitable purposes, a lot of it was really just paying for the expenses of a social club that I liked belonging to.   Paying the expenses of running the church seemed to me to be paying for something for me and my family, not charitable giving to help others.

While I'm no longer religious, I do contribute to other organizations that, while they do good in the community, really seem more for my enjoyment than good for others.   The money I donate to the local symphony orchestra, or to the arthouse theatre downtown is money I happily give.   But is it more charitable than the money I pay to go to a rock concert or to a movie at the Cineplex?  I'm not so sure.

But on the other hand, money contributed to the ACLU is not tax-deductible (because they do political advocacy, which disqualifies them.). But I certainly consider that to be charitable giving.  I don't see why the same could not apply to political donations.

If I pay extra for fair trade chocolate or coffee, that's not tax deductible either.   But I'm paying that extra money for a charitable reason I think.   If I contribute money to an animal welfare charity that's tax-deductible, but if I pay extra for meat, dairy and eggs raised in a more humane manner, that isn't.

Or what if I buy solar panels for my roof?

I don't think there are any clear answers.  And a lot of things are not 100% either way.   So ... in the end ... there's no clear answers.   But do there really have to be?   If you have the funds available and believe it is a worthy use of your funds to contribute them to whatever cause in whatever way, you're doing a good thing.

I really like this. I've had some of these scattered thoughts before, but hadn't put them together as concisely as you did, ockhamist. There are a lot of ways to use your dollars to influence the values of broader society. Buying humanely treated meat and dairy is a great example. I don't usually pop for those more expensive items because they are line-itemed in my mind as "grocery budget." If I thought more about, "how are my dollars affecting the world?" I would probably change my habits. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Another example - there's no tax deduction for buying an electric vehicle, although it may be a way to align spending with values. But the federal (and in some cases state) government will give you a tax credit, which is a similar incentive to a tax deduction.

For our giving, we research one charity every year and make donations in lieu of birthday/holiday gifts. Each donation is small ($18, it's a Jewish thing), but over many gift-giving occasions it adds up to a nice sum going to one charity. And we're not adding more plastic stuff from China to peoples' households. We've also started buying $5-10 worth of pantry staples each week to donate to our local food bank. We have preschool-aged children and think that they need to see and participate in tangible acts of charity. Sometimes when we drop off our donation, other families are coming to pick up food. This makes it very concrete for my kids. As they get older, we may adjust our strategy but this is our current strategy for instilling the values that matter to us.

That's a good point, on whether the additional costs belong in "grocery" or "charitable" or some combination of the two. We only buy fair trade coffee and chocolate, for instance, on the grounds that both of those things are luxuries, and if we can afford them we can afford to pay enough that other people's children shouldn't have to be working instead of in school.

We've included our kids in decisions about charitable giving most years, if they're interested. We do have a DAF (if we put money in it every other year we can get the tax credit/deduction/whatever), and we tend to sit down in November or so and talk through what our major donations will be for the year. (Minor donations happen as they come up during the year, and can be stuff like donating to the school PTO -- which, I agree, is a bit of a "serves us" donation, although that money mostly goes to teacher grants, or ... I dunno, sometimes we come across situations that could be at least temporarily "solved" for a couple of hundred dollars, and sometimes we take that moment to "solve" them.)

We're getting to the point where part of our decision making about most things is "who do we want to be, and how do we live our values?" so the (used) plug-in hybrid we just bought is just a "car", although it allows us to make trips of <25 miles without emissions from us, and longer trips we'll still get 50+mpg. (Actually, we've been calling it "the dishwasher", because it's more of an appliance then a car: the driving "experience" is pretty anodyne.)

And, just to stir the pot a little, I don't think religious donations should count as "charitable giving" except for the part that actually, genuinely helps other people. And not the "bringing them to God" kind of helping, actual helping, like food or shelter, or quality (non-religious) education. I hate that whenever surveys are done about "charitable giving", church-heavy states score "higher" because people are donating to buy luxuries to overpaid sex-abusers. (Yeah, I know lots of priests are underpaid and good people, but still.... not sure that should count as "charitable" anyhow.)

SwordGuy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #20 on: October 30, 2020, 10:35:22 AM »
Interesting as it is, the discussion of "what is charitable?" probably belongs in a totally different thread.   It will derail this one as a one-stop list of ideas.

PoutineLover

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #21 on: October 30, 2020, 11:50:17 AM »
I like to give small amounts to many different charities, and volunteer in person as well. Every time a friend does a charity run or something like that, I'll donate. I also participate in an annual event to raise money for the children's hospital. Otherwise I have donated to various causes that matter to me. Recently that has been homelessness, black lives matter, and indigenous education, as well as the bursary fund of my alma mater. I also deliver groceries every week to at risk elderly folks, free to them and funded by a charity.
I've heard its more optimal to set up recurring monthly donations but I like being able to support many different causes and choose the amount that works for me. Doing something is better than nothing,so I don't get hung up in the details.

SwordGuy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #22 on: October 30, 2020, 12:32:29 PM »
Interesting as it is, the discussion of "what is charitable?" probably belongs in a totally different thread.   It will derail this one as a one-stop list of ideas.

Don't agree that it's off topic, but, if you want things framed more directly, fair enough:

A couple good ways to give: 

Spend extra on things where the extra cost goes to making the world a better place and/or a better life for those who produce the product.  The lower price you could have paid for a similar product produced under worse circumstances is how much you consider the thing to have cost, the rest is charitable.

Give to organizations that work to make the world a better place according to your values, irrespective of whether or not they qualify as 501c(3) charitable organizations under the US tax code.

Poor ways to give:   Things that count as charitable contributions according to the IRS but which primarily benefit you.  (Not necessarily a bad way to spend money, but not really charitable giving.)

Good advice!

4tify

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #23 on: October 31, 2020, 07:35:37 AM »
How about effective scholarship programs? I've looked into a couple recommended here in Africa and the like.

Anyone helping to get underprivileged educated at all? I'm going to check into my alma matter as well.

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #24 on: October 31, 2020, 09:16:35 AM »
I give in several different ways. Almost all of them are focused on animal welfare and liberation (generally), especially for farmed animals. I do this because I care about animals and secondly because there are tens of billions of them suffering and dying on the planet, and relatively few people donating resources to helping farmed animals, so my contributions can have a major impact.

1. I donate my skills and art. Outside my day job, I'm a photographer (https://www.janetholmesphoto.com/) and I focus on making portraits of rescued animals. So I donate my photography services to animal rescue organizations, shelters, farm sanctuaries, and individual rescuers. I make images and let people use them on social media to raise their group's profile, help animals get adopted etc. Some of the images are saleable as fine art prints. I sell some of them and donate the profits to organizations and individuals, and I give prints etc to people to use for fundraising auctions and similar activities. I also use my photography to raise awareness through my own social media posts, through exhibitions of my art, and through the publication of books (like my most recent book Nest: Rescued Chickens at Home). I also donate my art to charities other than animal rescue groups for fundraising auctions etc.

2.  I divide my charitable $$ giving into roughly three funds. I allocate about a quarter of my annual charitable giving budget to a few organizations that I believe have a high impact on animal welfare and spend the money raised effectively. These include the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Good Food Institute, and Animal Justice Canada. These tend to be a few large donations (e.g. $500 or more). I allocate about half the fund to organizations and individuals with whom I've volunteered and who have demonstrated a need/good use for the money and also have demonstrated responsibility in terms of how they handle funds. These tend to be medium-sized donations (e.g. $100-250) and are focused on animal welfare as well. And I allocate the final quarter to small gifts made to a variety of organizations and people, as the need arises. These aren't limited to animal welfare and include the "I'm walking to raise money for X charity", crisis-related funding, etc. These gifts are almost always limited to $25 or less.

jeninco

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #25 on: October 31, 2020, 11:20:07 AM »
How about effective scholarship programs? I've looked into a couple recommended here in Africa and the like.

Anyone helping to get underprivileged educated at all? I'm going to check into my alma matter as well.

Yes. Part of our allocated charitable giving is international groups focusing on women's empowerment and girls education, as these things tend to lead to good outcomes. I also make an annual donation to my alma matter, because they do need-blind admissions and will support accepted students as they need, without loans. The class that started in 2019 was about 50% low-income and first-generation students, which I know because I was talking with the dean of admissions, not because they broadcast it all about.

In my day-to-day life, I am a volunteer tutor for at-risk, generally underprivileged, students. It took me a few years, but at this point I'm pals with the teacher at the high school who runs the credit recovery/study hall program, so he knows who to point in my direction, and that I'm a good math tutor.

texxan1

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #26 on: November 01, 2020, 07:52:59 AM »
i saw how wrongly some donations goes in years past.... Being hit by a catastrophe in 2008, we were able to see through many charities and whatnot... So in the end, we decided to keep our money in donations going to families closeby instead of generalizing..

So what i basically do now, is investigate and donate to local benefits and churches .... For example just yesterday there was a big benefit for a long time local fishing guide who passed away from covid.   So i bought stuff at his silent auction, as well as donating cash to his spouse and kids...... Feels great and you keep it local

Tex

FireLane

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #27 on: November 01, 2020, 07:44:59 PM »
Actually that does raise the question of what counts as "giving to charity."   

It is tempting to just use the rule that if the IRS says its tax-deductible, then it's charitable giving.   I used to think that way.   But there are some problems with that line of thought.

I used to be religious, and considered money I gave to my church to be charitable giving.   But really (and I came to feel this way even while I still considered myself religious) I came to realize that while some of that money was going for clearly charitable purposes, a lot of it was really just paying for the expenses of a social club that I liked belonging to.   Paying the expenses of running the church seemed to me to be paying for something for me and my family, not charitable giving to help others.

While I'm no longer religious, I do contribute to other organizations that, while they do good in the community, really seem more for my enjoyment than good for others.   The money I donate to the local symphony orchestra, or to the arthouse theatre downtown is money I happily give.   But is it more charitable than the money I pay to go to a rock concert or to a movie at the Cineplex?  I'm not so sure.

But on the other hand, money contributed to the ACLU is not tax-deductible (because they do political advocacy, which disqualifies them.). But I certainly consider that to be charitable giving.  I don't see why the same could not apply to political donations.

If I pay extra for fair trade chocolate or coffee, that's not tax deductible either.   But I'm paying that extra money for a charitable reason I think.   If I contribute money to an animal welfare charity that's tax-deductible, but if I pay extra for meat, dairy and eggs raised in a more humane manner, that isn't.

Or what if I buy solar panels for my roof?

I don't think there are any clear answers.  And a lot of things are not 100% either way.   So ... in the end ... there's no clear answers.   But do there really have to be?   If you have the funds available and believe it is a worthy use of your funds to contribute them to whatever cause in whatever way, you're doing a good thing.

I really like this. I've had some of these scattered thoughts before, but hadn't put them together as concisely as you did, ockhamist. There are a lot of ways to use your dollars to influence the values of broader society. Buying humanely treated meat and dairy is a great example. I don't usually pop for those more expensive items because they are line-itemed in my mind as "grocery budget." If I thought more about, "how are my dollars affecting the world?" I would probably change my habits. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

This is a good point. I've got to keep this in mind when I recoil at spending $6 or $7 for grass-fed milk or cage-free eggs or fair-trade chocolate or tea. It hurts a little to spend that much when the conventionally produced alternatives are half the price.

But I wouldn't flinch at donating $100 to a charity that fights climate change or deforestation or advocates for farmworkers' rights. I should start mentally accounting for the extra cost of ethically-produced products as a minor charitable donation included in my grocery bill. I like thinking about it this way!

slappy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #28 on: November 02, 2020, 06:20:23 AM »
I looked into doing a donor-advised fund. Vanguard's has a substantial $25k minimum donation for a new account, but Fidelity has no minimum. However, they both have 0.6% administrative fees before you even get to the investment fee. That seems like a lot when the account shouldn't really be any different than an IRA, where fees end up under 0.1%.

I know that's letting perfect be the enemy of the good, but it just feels unnecessary to me.

The benefit lies in the tax savings from a bunching strategy. Also, some employers match the contributions. (Not sure if those accounts are subject to the same fees.)

bbqbonelesswing

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #29 on: November 02, 2020, 06:27:22 AM »
We donate to the local animal shelter and food bank every month. We also support a group promoting abortion access is the deep south, as it's an issue we feel strongly about.

LateStarter

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #30 on: November 02, 2020, 07:15:40 AM »
Peter Singer's "The Most Good You Can Do" is a definitely worth a read if you're considering the OP question.

The "Effective Altruism" movement gets my contribution  -  https://www.effectivealtruism.org/

K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #31 on: November 07, 2020, 10:23:27 AM »
Our primary goal is local giving.  Pre-pandemic we helped feed the hungry (mostly homeless) in our city, and as heartbreaking as it is for any person to experience such destitution, it is particularly hard on families with children, who do come through the food line. As such, our main charity to give to is our family service association. They run our food bank and provide many other services. We give money and we give food, because they ask for both.

We also donate to our city's music association, in that their goal is to provide performances at no cost (other than asking people at performances to give in a freewill offering). They also provide arts education for children. We personally know low income families who take the opportunity to bring their children to the concerts, plays, musicals, dance performances, etc., exposing them to something they couldn't afford otherwise.

For global giving, we prefer Heifer International because their goal is to help raise families from poverty by creating a situation where they can feed themselves and earn income (they also bring a charitable aspect into in that a family who receives an animal donates the first offspring to someone in their community before being able to sell offspring). It's also something tangible that we can at the holidays, as a "gift" to our families. Last year we chose to give a mating pair of llamas, since we were trying to be considerate of a vegan family member and llamas aren't given as food animals. But my kids really wanted to give a heifer, so that's the plan this year.

I don't consider church giving charitable giving in the same sense, in that the majority of money donated goes to pay clergy salaries and keep the buildings and grounds operational. If churches were forced to the same scrutiny as other charitable organizations I'm sure the percentages that actually go to help the poor would be astoundingly low. I'm not saying it's wrong, just that it isn't charitable giving in the same sense. Parishioners know they are giving to keep the priest fed and the lights on. There are certainly intangibles that ripple out and they provide many things to their parishioners and communities.

4tify

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #32 on: November 08, 2020, 04:35:03 PM »
Further to my original question, how do you determine how much to give? Is it by some rule like 10% of salary?

Thanks all for chipping in! Lots of good feedback here.

SwordGuy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #33 on: November 08, 2020, 05:43:35 PM »
Further to my original question, how do you determine how much to give? Is it by some rule like 10% of salary?

Thanks all for chipping in! Lots of good feedback here.
Be generous within your means.   Best rule for this I know.

bbqbonelesswing

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #34 on: November 09, 2020, 11:01:54 AM »
Further to my original question, how do you determine how much to give? Is it by some rule like 10% of salary?

Thanks all for chipping in! Lots of good feedback here.

We're still figuring it out. I decided to start small with an amount that wouldn't have much impact on our daily lives ($100/month). That's since increased a bit. I'm trying to think of more sustainable rules - a % of salary, # of people reached - but giving it some time to figure out where our sweet spot is and how much we can realistically give.

Systems101

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #35 on: November 09, 2020, 05:58:33 PM »
Further to my original question, how do you determine how much to give? Is it by some rule like 10% of salary?

I've never had a hard rule, but just based on my personality, there is a level of "put your mask on before helping others".  I've also found as I have more I have tended to give back more, or as already stated:
 
Be generous within your means.

I pulled up my records over the years to look up my rate and was trying to figure out a way to articulate it without too much complexity or disclosure.  Tried a few ways, but perhaps the most succinct is: At steady state, I'm giving ~10% of my savings rate... so when I was saving 10% of income, I was giving ~1% of income... now that savings rate is higher, so is the giving.

Turnbull

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #36 on: November 09, 2020, 06:55:01 PM »
We have some friends who recently needed a little help. They're immigrants here in the U.S. and they make good decisions with what they have but there's no way they would allow us to give them any money. I went to our local water department and they let me put a $200 credit on our friends' account. They'll never know it was us and that's the way we want to keep it.

Sailor Sam

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #37 on: November 09, 2020, 08:46:08 PM »
Further to my original question, how do you determine how much to give? Is it by some rule like 10% of salary?

There’s all kinds of rules, and they’re all essentially bullshit. Take a number, test it out. If it feels good, then good. If it feels like you should give more, then give more. Vigorously avoid any kind of martyrdom; if you’re giving until it hurts, and the hurt doesn’t feel good, then give less.

Just one of those things you, fortunately/unfortunately have to figure out on your own.

Tass

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #38 on: November 09, 2020, 10:27:59 PM »
It's better to give something useful than to fret about giving the best you can while doing nothing. Monthly giving is great both because set-and-forget makes it more likely you'll follow through and because it's easier for organizations to plan their expenditures when they have guaranteed income.

I do 10% of my income because that's what I was taught growing up. I don't feel obligated to that number but it felt overly convenient to lower it, so I stuck with it. I would love to increase it one day.

Right now my donations are split between these priorities/organizations:
25% - most good for least money, Against Malaria Foundation. When I picked it, it was the top-rated org by GiveWell; it remains in the top two.
25% - refugee aid, UNHCR. Lots of other good organizations that do this too.
20% - women's empowerment, Fistula Foundation
20% - climate change, Cool Earth - although I have been meaning to reevaluate this one for a while
10% - flexible. This is what I draw from for timely donations in response to disaster or to help out a friend

Because this is all built into my budget and mostly spent automatically, I honestly don't even notice it or "feel" it most of the time; it's my baseline. I think that's good, because it encourages me to always consider doing more.

norajean

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #39 on: November 10, 2020, 04:05:33 AM »
Alway give locally to a small organization that you are close enough to to understand exactly where the money goes and how it benefits your community.

cupcakery

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #40 on: November 10, 2020, 05:51:03 AM »
Pre-COVID, I donated my time to some local groups.  I'm not doing that now, but will start up again in the future.  There is a local group that helps low-income women with budgets, I'm interested in checking that out someday.

Globally, I like Heifer International and donate at least once a year.  I like that it is a hand-up, not a hand-out.

Mostly, we donate locally, in small amounts.  I sometimes feel like I'm not doing a lot, but I probably am once I add it all up.

We have a local charity that helps former homeless people furnish new homes.  They have an Amazon Wish List, so it is easy to just throw stuff in my cart and have it shipped directly to them.  I've also helped sort donations in their warehouse a bunch of times.  We make periodic donations to the food pantry.  We're also "Members" of the library which is  just a fancy way of saying we give them money.  We support a local land conservation group that we are passionate about.  We give money directly, and also attend some of their events for fun and to support them.  My husband's company sponsors a family for Christmas every year, so we help buy presents for them.  We donate to GoFundMe accounts throughout the year for people in our community that are going through tough times, buy kids' popcorn, candy, etc, shop local when possible, buy fair trade, hire people we know (neighbor is an electrician, etc.). 

chaskavitch

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #41 on: November 10, 2020, 07:09:10 AM »
I have been looking for more info about things like this as well. 

Currently I give to CAMFED (education and protection of girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa), the Center for Reproductive Justice, Givewell, and to one personal friend who does outreach with refugees in Great Britain.  I also gave one time donations to Mi Familia Vota and another voting rights org recommended by a cousin who does a lot of work in that sphere.   We do still give money to support our church, but nowhere near 10% of our salary.

My problem right now is that I've got analysis paralysis about WHERE to give my money.  Local places that help with homelessness?  Voting rights?  Environmental causes?  Women's reproductive rights?  Education?  Science?  Kiva?  There are SO many areas that I do genuinely care about, and I can't decide what does the most good.  I know that actually doing something does infinitely more good than sitting on my hands forever, but still, I have trouble.

ETA:
We do have a local place that I've donated clothes/maternity items to that I know does a lot of good in the community.  I think this year for Christmas I'm going to have my 4 year old help me decide what to get them from their Winter Wish List (plus some money) and drop them off with me.  We're also going to chose a few "gifts" for our extended family from Heifer International or somewhere similar. 

I like the idea of starting nice and early teaching him about helping other people and being compassionate, not just saving money so Mama and Daddy don't have to work forever and can play more often.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2020, 07:18:45 AM by chaskavitch »

SwordGuy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #42 on: November 10, 2020, 07:53:55 AM »
I ran across this story on FB and thought it appropriate for this list.   Charity doesn't have to be big to be truly meaningful.

“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.
Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.

The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.

The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.

The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."

The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.

He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.

Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

That day I learnt the value to Give.

The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.
The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”

~ Katharine Hepburn

jeninco

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #43 on: November 10, 2020, 10:43:36 AM »
I have been looking for more info about things like this as well. 

Currently I give to CAMFED (education and protection of girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa), the Center for Reproductive Justice, Givewell, and to one personal friend who does outreach with refugees in Great Britain.  I also gave one time donations to Mi Familia Vota and another voting rights org recommended by a cousin who does a lot of work in that sphere.   We do still give money to support our church, but nowhere near 10% of our salary.

My problem right now is that I've got analysis paralysis about WHERE to give my money.  Local places that help with homelessness?  Voting rights?  Environmental causes?  Women's reproductive rights?  Education?  Science?  Kiva?  There are SO many areas that I do genuinely care about, and I can't decide what does the most good.  I know that actually doing something does infinitely more good than sitting on my hands forever, but still, I have trouble.

ETA:
We do have a local place that I've donated clothes/maternity items to that I know does a lot of good in the community.  I think this year for Christmas I'm going to have my 4 year old help me decide what to get them from their Winter Wish List (plus some money) and drop them off with me.  We're also going to chose a few "gifts" for our extended family from Heifer International or somewhere similar. 

I like the idea of starting nice and early teaching him about helping other people and being compassionate, not just saving money so Mama and Daddy don't have to work forever and can play more often.

We have some of these same concerns, so to avoid analysis paralysis, we designate a couple of buckets:

International Aid: Doctors without Borders, one of the micro loan foundations, someone doing international human/woman's rights
National: Mostly the ACLU (I know that's not deductible, per the ACLU), NARAL and Planned Parenthood for lobbying, sometimes an organization like habitat that does housing). This year, quite a few voting-rights and get-out-the-vote organizations, too.
Local: The Food Bank, the homeless shelter, the local planned parenthood (which helps do tests and provide low-cost birth control), I'm forgetting something here.
Also: Some local (but not necessarily to us) environmental organizations like SUWA.

I'm probably forgetting something, but I can't think of it offhand. I also do in-person volunteering (when that's a thing) doing math tutoring for high school students, and as a medical volunteer/ski patroller, both at the area where I patrol and at the occasional event.  We donate to a fleet of local stuff, but it's like the high school PTO (which almost entirely goes to grants to teachers) , and programs that we benefit from.

In years when they're interested, we include the kids in the decision-making, and sometimes add organization they're interested in. A few years, we've adopted a family and purchased the stuff on their list. We try different things in different years, and are working our way up to 5% of taxable income (we're not quite there yet, unless we include supporting my BIL, which feels too personal to really be "charity".)

So, yeah -- figure out what you care about, and try something. If that feels good, great! You can modify your giving year-to-year: it's not like you have to get everything "perfect" (whatever that means) at once.

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #44 on: November 10, 2020, 01:17:32 PM »
So far my favorite and only is kiva dot org. With kiva you get to loan $25 at a time to vulnerable people who need a loan. They pay it back and you get your money back to take or, as most do, loan to others. You can also donate to kiva as it’s a non-profit. I think the concept is genius and I’m not sure there’s anything more mustachian than helping people help themselves using a perpetual money fountain.

SwordGuy

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #45 on: November 10, 2020, 01:48:10 PM »
So far my favorite and only is kiva dot org. With kiva you get to loan $25 at a time to vulnerable people who need a loan. They pay it back and you get your money back to take or, as most do, loan to others. You can also donate to kiva as it’s a non-profit. I think the concept is genius and I’m not sure there’s anything more mustachian than helping people help themselves using a perpetual money fountain.

Thanks!   We scheduled $1000 a month for charitable giving starting in January.   Son and daughter-in-law have birthdays in Jan and Feb, so one of their birthday presents is being able to choose which charitable purpose the money goes to.   March is my lovely bride's birthday, so it's her choice then.   Now I have an idea for the April money, which is my pick.   Apparently their current repayment rate is about 95%.

That means that $1000, if continuously re-lended at the same default rate, would turn into $1000 + $950 + $903 + ... + 25 (which appears to be the minimum amt) = ~$19,527 before it gets used up.    Not a bad return on a social investment, though I'm not likely to live long enough for the full amount to be used up.   Have to teach my son and daughter-in-law how to do it because I suspect this will be on our giving list more than once.     I like this model.

4tify

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #46 on: January 01, 2021, 02:44:35 PM »
Just as a follow up after quite a bit of searching & contemplating I decided to open a Vanguard Charitable account and Give Like A Billionaire!

https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/02/08/how-to-give-like-a-billionaire/

It's the most I've ever given in one fell swoop, and sure there's some fees incurred, but what I like about it is I can keep adding to it as time goes on and even after death if I so choose. Now I'm creating a short list of the charities I'd like to donate to and will set up annual distributions.

Happy New Year everyone!

retiredat58

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #47 on: January 31, 2021, 07:22:17 PM »
Recently I partnered with a gym to pay for swim lesson for several children who wouldn’t be able to afford it. I contacted a local elementary school who identified the families. The kids are ecstatic and I can’t wait to watch them. I’ll probably do it again next year.

When any of my friends have a pet that passes, I make a donation to our humane society in their  name.

When I pass, half of my estate goes to the local humane society.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Good ways you’ve found to give?
« Reply #48 on: February 01, 2021, 11:13:32 AM »
We have a charitable giving goal that my wife and I decided on together.  The goal is a percentage of the previous year's income, and it turns out to be a pretty big chunk to give away.  It took formalizing the goal and deciding to "just do it" to increase our charitable giving to the level that felt right.  Prior to that we gave to a few orgs regularly and a few others here and there, but it wasn't as purposeful as I wanted to be.

We have a DAF at Vanguard and we do most of our charitable giving through that.  We did it for the tax benefit the year before TCJA raised the standard deduction.  I like it, but I find the minimum grant amount ($500) limiting.  Thinking of transferring to Fidelity because their minimum grant of $50 is much more flexible.

Anyway, all our 501c3 giving goes through the DAF.  We also support a non-tax deductible mutual aid group in our neighborhood and that giving is done directly to the org on a monthly basis.  We consider our goal to be the floor and give freely as things come up as well.  I keep a spreadsheet for tracking and tax purposes.