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Charitable giving

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:14 am
by Jonathan
I have long been as reluctant to discuss charitable donations as I have wages, viewing transparency about both as the same sort of social gaffe. However, the spirit of the Slate 60 has convinced me that being open about the dollar amounts one donates is a net good. I think Mohtalim ought to have an annual friendly competition for charitable giving. I personally haven't donated anything to anyone in 2008 yet, so I'm starting on an even keel.

Any takers?

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:19 am
by Jonathan
Dang, I just realized that I've already been sending the United Way money each pay period this year. So, okay, I have already started. But there you go, I'm just setting the bar. In 2008 I am giving the United Way $600, of which I have sent them $175 so far.

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:40 pm
by quantus
I give $25/mo to the NFB and I usually give between $10/mo and $30/mo to KQED radio depending on how rich/poor I feel I'll be for the upcoming year. I think this year I'm giving $10/mo because of other significant expenses. That puts me at $35/mo so far this year or $140. Darn Jonathan's beating me at giving away money... Can I count tuition as a charitable donation for the purposes of this competition? :-p

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:42 pm
by quantus
One of things I learned at school is that it's actually not illegal to discuss your wages no matter what your employer says. They can frown upon it, but that's about it. I think it's really only a social gaffe to talk about wages because employers try to make it so.

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:57 pm
by Jonathan
quantus wrote:I think it's really only a social gaffe to talk about wages because employers try to make it so.
That's an interesting take. Do you think universities exert the same pressure on professors?

I have this vague notion that talking about wages must inevitably amount to bragging or complaining, both of which I frown upon for general public discourse. This is not necessarily so, of course.

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:59 pm
by Jonathan
quantus wrote:Can I count tuition as a charitable donation for the purposes of this competition? :-p
Nope, best step it up!

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:54 pm
by skanks
charity:
$10/month for the UN World Food Programme which goes towards helping those in imminent danger of starvation.
$20/year to National Popular Vote Inc. advocating a novel way of obviating the electoral college through an interstate compact.

I also donate a great amount to political campaigns but these are not strictly categorized as charitable giving.

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 11:08 pm
by Dave
This charity thing must be a white thing. Or maybe because I'm part jewish.

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 7:41 pm
by Jonathan
I just sent some to Obama and $50 to the Oregon Food Bank. Apparently Obama could use the money.

One issue I have been wrestling with is that occasionally street folks will solicit me for money so they can sleep in a hostel. I don't give them money, but being able to offer them a hostel bed (or part of one) would be awesome. For example, Amber usually carries unvalidated train tickets around with her. When street folks ask her for seventy five cents so they can get enough to buy a ticket, she just offers them a ticket. Most folks decline, because what they really want is money, but the ones that actually need to go somewhere are thankful. Amber also knows the contact info of the local women's only shelters so she can tell pregnant women where to stay, which again is helpful. Anyway, I don't think prepaid hostel tickets exist. Hostel gift cards?

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:15 pm
by Jonathan
It is way the hell past time for the 2009 Leaderboard!

I'm still sending the United Way $600 this year because I am retarded and couldn't figure out the web interface thingy. Also, I gave the Portland Rescue Mission $100; they're serving almost twice as many folks per day as last year due to the economy.

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:01 am
by quantus
If only buying Girl Scout cookies counted...

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 9:50 pm
by Jonathan
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/24/billio ... hropy.html

10 of 14 $1+ billion donations were from Americans. The rest were like a Swiss guy, a Latino, a Hong Kong guy, and somebody else. Which is another way of saying philanthropic donation to complete strangers is not a widely held virtue, even in cultures that value, say, hospitality.

Re: Charitable giving

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 1:44 am
by Jonathan
New year, new contest!

This year, I'm in @ $600/yr to United Way plus $300/yr to Gifford Pinchot Task Force. I've sent a little to Haiti, and I need to send some more, but I can't quite decide between Mercy Corps and Habitat for Humanity.