Charities this year: Oxfam (for the tsunami victims)
Nonprofit Organizations: American Civil Liberties Union.
I used to donate to several charities when my cash flow was better. Now I just have two that I give a meager sum every month.
Special Olympics
All Children’s Hospital
ACLU
Doctors without Borders
Red Cross
Goodwill
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
World Food Program
Amnesty International
Oh, and I do some free design work for the Northtown Arts Center
Now, I mostly donate to the local shelter, but also always donate to Toys-For-Tots. I also donated to the tsunami disaster recovery.
I used to donate to both the Red Cross and the Salvation Army each month, but when I actually read the receipts, I noticed that they were asking me to donate approximately 10 times what I they were getting every month and they were putting a time limit on it like it was a bill “May we suggest that you donate 10 times your current amount by Feb 5th.” It pissed me off so I started giving to the local shelter.
Comic Books need legal defending?
Amnesty International
RESCU Foundation (Renaissance Entertainers, Services & Crafters United)
Red Cross
AMFAR
I give material goods to the Salvation Army and AMVETS, and volunteer for Girl Scouts.
i donate to Toys for Tots, plus food whenever our church is scheduled to collect for ACTS (local distribution point of food to needy).
formal contributions through Combined Federal Campaign are targeted to as many local Riding for Handicapped programs as i can fit on the form. (i was told once by someone who ran one that they only receive funds out of the “non-designated” slush pile if someone has listed them as a “designated” receiver first. now, she may have been completely talking out of her ass on that, but what the hay … i think the riding programs are worthwhile, and it won’t kill me to make the effort to look up their numbers in the brocure.)
Caritas (the Catholic overseas aid organisation)
St Vincent de Paul Society
Jesuit Missions
Red Cross
Salvation Army
Royal Blind Society
I regularly donate money to the ACLU (I did a one time donation to the Red Cross for the tsunami effort).
I donate time to LiteracyAustin and my non-profit rowing club.
The main one I donate to is the Electrionic Frontier Foundation.
I’m also going to be sending in a donation to Lutheran World Relief as soon as I get my checkbook back (ran out of checks, waiting for another batch to be delivered in the next day or so). I plan on earmarking half for tsunami relief, and half for the ‘area of greatest need’ (there’s other disasters out there too, ya know?)
American Cancer Society (Cancer killed Mom, and has tried twice to kill my wife.)
American Heart Assn. (Both parents had strokes, Dad died of a heart attack.)
Am. Lung Assn. (I have asthma.)
Alternatives, Inc. (a local shelter for family violence victims)
Ball State Univ. (where my wife earned 2 degrees)
Univ. of Evansville (where I went to school, but did not graduate)
Red Cross (who helped over 100,000 Hoosiers during the ice storm/power failure last week)
American Civil Liberties Union (because defending the Bill of Rights is an eternal struggle)
The National Organization for Women (because people without balls should enjoy the same rights as the rest of us)
My church
AIDS charities (Damien center, AIDS walk)
PBS (NPR)
If I ever get in a better position financially, these are the two groups I will continue to donate to. I’d give everything I have to the AIDS charity. I never feel like it’s enough.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
I also buy coats at the local thrift store and donate them to New York City’s Annual Coat Drive.
I regularly donate time and money to my local animal shelter and Rottweiler rescue. I have also donated money and blood to the Red Cross on occasion.
Population Connection (formerly Zero Population Growth)
They promote governmental policies (both in the U.S. and abroad) to incent people to have children at or below the replacement level. One of their primary vehicles to achieve this goal is promoting education for women, especially in developing nations. Better educated women tend to have smaller families, generally speaking, particularly if they are given access to adequate birth control.
This year’s list includes:
Red Cross
Goodwill
University of North Carolina
Appalachian State University
Urban Ministries (local charity for the homeless)
Jammer
Amnesty International
Wesleyan University (Alma Mater)
My church
I give to the Air Force Aid Society and a couple of other related charities.