Do you only donate to major illnesses?

[In a hurry]

Was up last night with the baby and was thinking about where my donations have gone in the last year...

Children's Miracle Network
Juvenile Diabetes (both have affected my life personally)
Red Cross

Other than those, though, my cash has gone for local and grassroot efforts:

Humane Society Walk a thon
Ice Cream Socials throughout the county for Fire Depts.
Policeman's picnic for local needy children donated a bicycle
Donations for fire victims
Donation to help my husbands AA pay for an uncle's funeral
Fish Fries at the Catholic School...no, not Catholic
Donation to help a family we know go to a "Fragile X" conference
Donation to help a local family struck by disaster to go to WDW.
Purchasing shoes/clothing for kids at the school in need, that are not
eligible for state help
Wienie roast for a politician friend
Helped purchase decent furniture for our domestic violence shelter
Pie auction to help some friends go on a mission trip to rebuild houses in Honduras after the hurricane
Girl Scout cookies/Band pizzas/boy scout mulch...none of which I necessarily needed.

Any and all drunk driving programs in the schools.


I guess that I see lots of good causes, but they don't have to be major/national/deadly for me to want to help when there is a need.

So...do you only give to the big stuff? That seemed to be what was bothering so many people in the other thread. That this was a non-deadly, personal issue. I see that most of the things I support are personal, and don't involve the threat of death.

 

[BuckNaked]

No, I don't give only to deadly illnesses, but I do limit my contributions to causes where I feel there is a real need or where there has been a tragedy of some type.

And I personally don't feel that an adoption fits into either category.

 

[barkley]

if it's a good cause i give, but i like to use charities where there is little or no administrative costs (i would much rather give the locals schools the whole amount vs the little amount they get from gift wrap sales and the like).

this past year was unique for me-i was the winning bidder at a local charity auction for an abalone dinner for 6 caught and "prepared in your home" by local fire fighters. instead of keeping it i donated it to a family who is raising funds to cover their son's lukemia treatments so that they could raffle or auction it off to raise more money.

 

[In a hurry]

Fair enough. I see needs differently, I guess. I think that I take the whole emotional need into consideration, too. Or, there is a personal gain in it...i.e. ice cream socials!

barkley, I agree about the wrapping paper...what a rip! I won't sell it even for our school! But I'll work my butt off for the PTO Carnival.

 

[kdibattista]

DH and I mostly donate locally. This past year we have given money/organized fundraisers for:

*DH's volunteer fire company (new equipment, etc)
*Other local volunteer fire companies
*Secret Santa Christmas toy drive for 4 local families. There is no greater joy then dropping off a sack of toys for a needy child on Christmas Eve and seeing there face while hiding in the bushes
*Breast Cancer Walk (friends were walkers)
*Muscular Dystrophy Walk (friends were walkers)
*Along the lines of our adoption... we have gathered several items to be donated to the orphanage and have donated money to help build a new playground for one of the many orphanages in Kazakhstan (our agency builds one per year)
* Girl Scout cookies
* Cub Scout popcorn
* Friend's daughter with an incurable neurological condition

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

No I do not donate to only *BIG* stuff.

However, I also don't donate to personal causes such as the other thread and won't risk upsetting anyone with explaining myself again.

Was going to type the list--but I'd rather keep it private (just a personal preference).

We have donated to causes/groups/organizations that have touched us in some way and the only one that involved a specific person involved saving her life.


[I too agree about the wrapping paper/school fundraisers--those drive me crazy and if our co-op does them, I refuse and I usually do not buy the items from anyone but a close friends child and only if it is something I really need or can use and it doesn't appear to be overpriced]

 

[DVC-Don]

Donate to:
My church
Red Cross
Juvenile Diabetes
American Cancer
USO

 

[olena]

Both, I guess. My personal efforts tend towards causes like Hemophilia of Georgia, North Metro Miracle League, Camp Wannaklot, MDA Lock-ups, Promise Place (family violence center), Macular Degeneration International, Children's Restoration Network, Operation Christmas Child and VA nursing home visits. I also like to participate with my Sorority sisters in our many projects, we've just allocated funds to aid a child in foster care, we'll be providing sack lunches for guests at a homeless shelter, sent shoes to Afghan children, sent care packages to soldiers in Iraq, Dream Power Therapy, Bosom Buddies, Walk America, etc. Last year, we raised and donated $40,000 to Pancreatic Cancer research and Children's Neuroblastoma research and support. And we awarded over $9000 in scholarships to disabled college students. I really love the variety of our projects and all of these causes have personal significance for at least one of us, so it really makes an impact across a wide spectrum.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I evaluate all and make an informed decision based on my research.

 

[SC Minnie]

We donate to whatever cause we feel moved to whether it be big or small.

 

[In a hurry]

OK, there are more like me! I began to wonder. People are just different in their priorities.

Seems like people who are so caring could be a bit more caring in the way they actually treat people.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

No, I donate to causes and people when I feel in my heart that it is the right thing to do.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Seems like people who are so caring could be a bit more caring in the way they actually treat people.

So that was the reason for the thread?

 

[mickeyfan2]

So that was the reason for the thread?

My money is on the adoption fund raiser thread.

 

[tiggersmom2]

So that was the reason for the thread?

 

[Crankyshank]

I give my time and my money to charities I feel the need to donate to. Some of them involve a life threatening illness. Most are the "grass roots" type causes I and others were accused of not supporting because we disagreed with the premise presented in the other thread.

And I also take the emotional need into consideration.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I am not trying to do that.

I feel offended at the suggestion that some of us were not caring when we have settled with the OP of the other thread quite nicely.

 

[luvwinnie]

I tend to give to illnesses that have touched my life: Kidney Foundation, Heart, Arthritis, Melanoma and the ASPCA/Humane Society...and I support my friend when she does the Avon Breast Cancer Walk.

 

[kdibattista]

My money is on the adoption fund raiser thread.

Awww... come on. Leave me out of this one

 

[tiggersmom2]

I am not trying to do that.

I feel offended at the suggestion that some of us were not caring when we have settled with the OP of the other thread quite nicely.

You totally misunderstood my smilie. I meant the *OP* is doing a bit of pot stirring in addition to the "adoption fundraiser" thread. I too was offended that she says "some were not caring" b/c they would not give charity towards an adoption.