How Much To Give?

Everyone likes the idea of giving back but very few know exactly what to give back. No one wants to be stingy when it comes to the money they have to give to a good cause, but people often have to balance that want to be generous with the want to obtain the things that they really want in life. Many times trying to strike that perfect balance is much easier said than done. So how do you properly manage the giving spirit with the needs of others?

The easiest way to do this is to create a budget for your charitable contributions. Of course just setting an amount isn’t easy and does take some figuring out. Plenty of expenses come up in a month so you’ll want to set up the amount you pay on fixed expenses and the money you are spending on your secondary expenses. Once you have those two things set up you can then determine how much money you have left to spend on yourself. Then you have to make a donation that feels right to you. Many people would choose to give 10 percent of their monthly earnings to charity but those numbers can vary by the amount of money you make. As long as the effort is being made there is no need to worry about giving back in any sort of increment.

Of course once the right amount is determined then it’s just about trying to figure out what charity you can give it to. There are plenty of charities to choose from and many charities benefit from plans where they take a set amount every month. This way they continue to count on money and it takes the work out of donating. It’s a great solution for the person who isn’t sure how much to donate. Don’t make the mistake of getting hung up on how much you give. Just make sure that you give. That’s what is most important.

Filed Under: Community Service Tagged With: , , ,

A List of Good Charities

When we think of charities there are a few places to come to mind, but those charities are just the tip of the iceberg for many places. These days charities are a big business and one that is growing in size. Here are some of the charities that are out there now doing really good work that you might not be aware of.

Academy of American Poets

This organization is one of the best and most rewarding when it comes to the arts. There are plenty of poets in the world, but giving your life to the art you love doesn’t always yield an investment from the people. However, this organization cares about one of the oldest forms of written self expression.

Action Against Hunger

There are certain rights that every man and woman are entitled to and one of them is the right to be in a world where they can eat and drink as they please. This organization has made it it’s mission to give the needy and hungry people around the world the food they need to sustain lives and remain productive members of society.

Action Aid

This is a charity who tackles the needy in a new and interesting way. These days the action aid attempts to get rid of the poverty around the world by starting at the top. They are looking at the injustices that occur in all walks of life. They feel by getting to the root of the problem it will trickle down to the people in a beneficial way.

Adopt America Network

This is one of the prouder charity in the United States. This is about adopting children in the area as opposed to going to other areas of the world. This is important as there are so many children who need help and so this organization makes sure they find a good home.

These are some of the wonderful charities that exist to help make the world a better place.

Filed Under: Community Service Tagged With: , , , ,

The Charities And How The Taxes Work

Many people are interested in making tax deductible contributions to local charities. It’s the best of both worlds. They get to give money back and give for a good cause, but they also get the thanking and the backing of the federal government. They are allowed to write off the money. That means that while the money goes to the charities it is now considered money that cannot be taxed by the government. This means that there overall taxable income goes down. This is a brilliant idea by the federal government to encourage Americans to help each other in time of need and know that it is really only a benefit to you.

The way this works is that there is a children’s charity out there that you give money to. That charity is worth your time and you give 500 dollars to them, then later on in the year you give the same amount of $500 dollars. This means that when it’s time for taxes you can claim a $1000 dollars to the charity. You will need forms and proof of that money and there is a some charities you cannot go through to get this. However, you won’t need to worry too much as it’s easy to claim. So if you were making 45,000 a year and the government said it was going to tax you on every penny(which doesn’t often happen but we’ll pretend for arguments sake) then you could now only be taxed on $44,000. This could land you in a very different tax bracket. So if you are interested in giving to the charity know that it could save you a considerable amount of money. However that shouldn’t be the only reason you are doing it and giving back. The truth is that there are plenty of really good charities out there and they help people and that should be your only motive for giving. Otherwise it’s not worth it just for the tax break.

Filed Under: Volunteer Tagged With: , , ,

Making Charity Count

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, but it’s also a very big responsibility. It’s not something that should be entered into lightly. While you might think it’s just a fun weekend activity, the truth is that these volunteering gigs are things that people in need depend on. It’s really important that you are full aware of how serious it is to be a part of this.

While it’s true that volunteering is a big responsibility, that doesn’t mean that it’s something that should be entered into with a heavy heart or a serious manner that wouldn’t allow you to have fun. The truth is that volunteering could be a really good time and a chance to really give back. Here are some things you can do to make volunteering so much better for you and the people you have decided to help.

Be Committed

The best way to get the kind of results and fulfillment you want and the kind of help those people need is to spend a little bit of time picking the kind of charity that you are happy with. You want to make sure you pick the kind of charity that really means something to you. This will be essential to getting what you want out of the work and being able to stay committed to it. So find something that you can really be proud of and brag to your family and friends.

Be Helpful

Charity isn’t about glory or being on the front page of a newspaper. It’s about putting in the work for the benefit of those that really need your help. Don’t be fooled thinking you are going to go in and do the big things. Charities need to people to help in numerous little ways. So going into a charity and willing to do the little things will make it valuable for you beyond words.

Filed Under: Volunteer Tagged With: , , , , ,

Organizing a Food Drive

Organizing a food drive to help poverty stricken families is an excellent way to serve your community. Whether it originates in the classroom, in the workplace or in the chapel, a food drive is an event that allows everyone to get involved and feel like they are making a difference in the life of another person.

If you are looking to start a food drive where you live, here are some ideas on how you can effectively put one together:

1. Contact a local food bank. The food bank can inform you of what items they need in stock at that current point in time. It will help you to specify what items (canned goods, non-perishable items) you want donated and allow you to coordinate a time and place to drop off donations.

2. Organize volunteers. Recruit several people at your school, church or workplace to help you collect food and get the word out to everyone they know about your food drive.

3. Make containers to collect donations. You must locate designated areas for people to drop off their donated goods. Every food donation container should be placed in an area where it is visible and clearly marked.

4. Use word of mouth. Get creative and make some posters that volunteers can put up in different places. Also, provide an email address or Facebook page that volunteers can use to inform family and friends about the food drive.

5. Set a goal. Let people in your community know what goal you want to reach with your food drive and push everyone to reach that goal. Reward volunteers and donors alike for their contributions. Find a way to thank them for their efforts – be it through a free luncheon or something else.

Remember to always have a start and finish in mind for your food drive. Many successful food drives last at least two weeks to give everyone a chance to make a donation.

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: , , , ,
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