Here are some older answers from the regulars.

Open Books, I donate time and sometimes money. Often physical strength. They’re a local not for profit bookstore, but they do so much more than just that. I brought my boyfriend along to volunteer a few times, I really like the ladies who run the place, and it’s been a lot of fun.

There are too many good OB stories to really tell them all, suffice to say we go through books that people donate. You know those embarrassing books you were glad you got out of the house because if one more person saw them you’d die of embarrassment? We see them. And you were right for getting rid of them.

The Cinnamon Trust. For animals that need some additional looking after when their owner is hospitalised or unwell due to a chronic illness.

This is not intended as a smart-aleck or wiseguy answer, so please forgive me for declining to name the charities to which I contribute.

The reason I say that, is that for a gift to be truly a charitable one, only the giver and Gawd should know about it.

Jack, to some extent you’re right. But in other cases I think it’s important to let others know about the charities. Open Books, my crush of a charity, is tiny, tiny, but super fun to work with. I kind of feel like one way of helping them out is by letting others know about them. (Did I mention it was small?)

Though, in fairness, my work there isn’t entirely charitable. Like, it’s nice that I’m working for someone else, but I also have so much fun that I go back again and again probably more for the fun aspect than the “giving to others” aspect.

I need to confess something about my charitable donations.

I give to charities for a very selfish reason.

I give to them because it makes me feel good, and not because it may make them feel good.

In my active fantasy life, if I won a huge lottery, I would donate gobs and gobs to

1. The Nature Conservancy
2. Planned Parenthood
3. World Wildlife Fund

In the meantime, I donate small amounts to them, my time to Habitat for Humanity and my blood to the Red Cross.

@Jack, I will never pass up the opportunity to get the names of my favorite charities out there! I feel good when I can introduce others to the feeling that comes from giving to: Amnesty International, Gilda’s Club, Paralyzed Veterans of America and National Public Radio

@Jack—Isn’t that why most people give to charities?

I can only speak for myself.

I would guess that some people give, only because they are given a break on their federal income taxes.

My favorite charity is the Independent Animal Rescue, of which I am part. We are very active non-profit organization in Durham, NC, and we help all animals in need through our service programs. We promote spay/neuter for all companion animals, provide foster homes for abused/unwanted animals until they are adopted, work with ferals in the area, and take steps to prevent overpopulation of unwanted animals (trap/neuter/return).

The Petfinder Foundation is donating $5,000 each to the two Petfinder animal rescue groups who receive the most votes. Currently, we only have 129 votes, and the organization currently in the lead has 512. If all of you vote, we will surpass them! (We are currently in 8th place out of 11,844 groups! We need to be first or second to win $5,000.)

This only takes 15 seconds. Thanks for helping!

Here’s what to do:
Click here.
Scroll down to “Get involved – Help your favorite shelter.”
Click “Vote here.”
Select NC, then Durham (you must pick Durham to get the correct
group), then Independent Animal Rescue, Inc.

Thanks for helping, and let me know you did, so I can give you lurve! <3

@GoS: Votes were at 161 after mine, just as an update!

@poofandmook: WOOHOO! We’re getting there!

@gos I just went there (yes two weeks later) and they have suspended the voting due to some irregularities. Hanging chads perhaps? Sorry, really wanted to vote.

I avoid giving to any charity that is race-based or gender-biased.

An example might be the UNCF, because it benefits only blacks. (I wouldn’t give to any charity that benefitted only whites or only Native Americans, either.)

In order for a charity to be the recipient of my donations, it must benefit everyone, across the board.

I wouldn’t wish to be falsely accused of favoring one group of people, over another.

Another good animal charity site is theanimalrescuesite.com
You can just go to the site and click and their advertisers donate food for every click. No gimmick, nothing to buy.

Thanks! I’ll go there!

watch out, @JackAdams. I think that charity might limit benefits to any creature not of human origin… a clear bias, favoring animals over people.

I said nothing about contributing.

I only mentioned visiting.

The site is clearly biased for animals, as they should be, as without animals, humans would be nothing.

And humans would have nothing.

@Jack as in “owning” an animal or as in having a companion?

For me, the answer would be having a companion.

My favorite charities are the ones that do not cost me anything. Here are the URL’s to some of them.
http://www.freerice.com/
http://www.thehungersite.com/
http://www.goodsearch.com/

autismsociety.org.,autismspeak.org,simonfoundation.org and americancancersociety.org.
I only donate when I know exactly what is done with the money.