Scott 2 wrote:In before "charity is dumb" and "when I'm dead" and "taxes".
Haha, I was worried about that too, but I think the thread's been less cynical than I feared.
jacob wrote:About $400/year to 12 patreons
Any creators you'd recommend?
Seppia wrote:The thing we want to add for next year is some data driven donations where the impact/money ratio is highest.
I find it so hard to find good data-driven analyses on the kinds of charities I want to donate to. I think the effective altruism movement is great, but is still kind of behind on the environmental front. Any thoughts on what sort of donations you might add?
2Birds1Stone wrote:and we will donate some possessions when move
Good luck with the move!
GandK wrote:About 12%. 10% to faith-based/charitable organizations (tithe), and another 2% to individuals we know personally who are Doing Good Things.
Having grown up around a very religious community, though not religious myself, I'm really glad it got hammered into me early to give. I feel like it's done a lot of good for me in my life.
Nomad wrote:We even have food banks in the UK now - fifth richest country in the world...
Food security is such a huge issue here in the US too. At least here, it often hurts children the most. I like donating to our local food rescue org, which takes a lot of produce that would otherwise go to waste, and cooks it into ready-made meals (or gives raw) to families in need. Definitely an improvement over the loads of low-nutrition past-expiration canned goods that usually gets sent to food pantries.
ertyu wrote:I give $100-200 per yr to a non-profit whose mission I believe in and whose existence I personally happen to benefit from.
It's always feels amazing to give back to a program you benefitted from!
OTCW wrote:About $1,000 this year. Plus volunteer time.
Where do you volunteer?
Sclass wrote:Basically he said, if you can wait, wait and I’ll give you a lot more later.
I apply a pretty large discount factor to charitable giving: your impact now has compounding ripple effects outward. I think because I was a charity case myself as a kid that had a limited time window when interventions in my life were/would have been effective, so I've never been a "wait until later to give it all away" kind of person. Do you plan to give away money when you pass? Have you figured out where you'd donate your money to when you finally do?
Peanut wrote:I've noticed that charitable giving is a very American thing. It's somewhat of a foreign concept to my friends who grew up in Europe or Asia.
I feel like my Asian relatives give a lot, but in a very different way than we do. They mostly give to erect religious buildings or one-off directly to needy individuals in their social circle (whether they be workers, local shopkeepers, or acquaintances). Also, they are more likely to lend money amongst one another in times of need. But there's no real culture of institutional giving like we do.
Toska2 wrote:0% (money) There has been too little research to determine what actions a charity should take to be most effective.
Is the concern that your donations wouldn't be the most effective or that they wouldn't be beneficial at all? Are there local initiatives whose effect you can see and verify for yourself that may be compelling?
7Wannabe5 wrote:Donating money is linear... Actually helping is complex and not easily described with such metrics.
I think this is a very wise point that inputs and impact are different. I would counter that I think there are clear no-regrets programs that one could donate to without intimate knowledge and ties to the individuals that are supported, e.g. food rescue, no-cost hot meal, and backpack lunch programs for kids. Though, obviously, it seems like you're making a huge impact on these kids with the work your already doing.
Ego wrote:But I hate the fact that I just told everyone that I gave it.
I feel that. I guess I try to look at it more based on its effects in the world. If I tell others about my giving, am I more likely to give more or less in the future? If I tell others about my giving, are they more likely to give more or less in the future? On net, is being perceived as showy worth the potential impact of others' marginal contributions?
For example, at our wedding, my husband and I had our guests donate money to charity instead of giving us gifts. At first I was like, "ugh, everyone is going to think we're
those kind of people." Holier than thou rich folks. But, on the other hand, we also raised $2750 for causes we really care about. So, whatever. Helping others is more important than my humility, real or feigned.
ajcoleman22 wrote:Anything we make over $150K inflation adjusted.
Oh wow, that can definitely add up if you have a high income! How long has that been your system and your income increased since?