With the economy in a down turn, many are struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table. I was just wondering how this has effected your charitable giving? Are you giving more/less/about the same???

Personally, I would say I am giving less. Not due to the economy,but, due to my time constraints. I do, however, always buy some food item to donate when I do my grocery shopping. I figure as long as I'm doing something, it's helping, right?

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I'm giving about the same. I love the charities and would have to be in much worse condition economically than I am now to reduce or eliminate my donations to them.

Just curious, what do time constraints have to do with it? Did you previously donate a lot of your time? I have to admit, I mostly do "checkbook" donations. The company I work for is pretty cool in that they give us one day a year to donate to a charity. That is, I get my regular pay, but instead of going to work, I work for a charity that day.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

We're giving less, but that's because I'll have to spend between 6-10 thousand on dental work this year for myself.
Judy

I used to do a lot more couponing than I do now. I would buy things that were cheap or FREE that we don't use, or more than we would use, to donate. I have not been able to dedicate the amount of time that takes. I do still donate quite a bit, just not as much as I used to.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I think this is a wonderful option for a company to have. I think, too, it would be great if the employee matched it and also worked one of their days off for the charity!

Is this through the United Way where executives are "loaned"? Can you expand on your employer's policy? Does the employer or the employee select the charity? And how do you know the employee isn't just taking the day off? I am interested in this for my company.

dl

I'm giving about the same but then most of my giving is things I get for free or pennies by couponing along with some items for the womens shelter for back to school and Christmas which I get year round on super clearance

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Jesus SAVES by shopping smartly and using double coupons!

No, it isn't through United Way. The employee selects the charity and the day on which s/he wants to work there. It has to be tax-exempt or an educational organization/school. Employees fill out a form, which is approved by HR. The company doesn't check up on the employee. I guess they figure that if you're going to be a scumball, they'll catch up with you sooner or later. Oh, and if they did find out you were cheating, they'd fire you. They don't tolerate lying.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

I give a little more ($$, not sure about % of income) every year.

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I've been granting some individual wishes for people who post on Wish Upon a Hero. This is in addition to regular giving. It's good to feel you can make a difference in someone's life.

Alot of my donations I do when I go to chinese auctions. Around here we have A Lot of them it seems.They go over well here anyways. Every month there will be one somewhere for something. Many of them have been for someone terminally ill and without insurance or with lots of children and so they have the chinese auctions to raise money to help. I enjoy going to them and I only put my tickets in for things I can use or give away as a gift. I normally spend $50 to $60 at each one. Yes Money is tight here but I look at it three ways...One Its helping them...two its giving me a little fun,which we all need now and then and three as a way to get things for our home or gifts for christmas etc. with using less funds.

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~*~Live life to the fullest*~*

While we don't have a whole lot of cash to spare right now, I will give a dollar or two to buy a little sign to put up, will round up my change at the grocery store register to support various causes, and I donate one day a month (and I say donate, as I lose a day of pay as a substitute teacher) to a great organization called Flashes of Hope. It's a day that the Cancer kids, and their families come to the hospital to have their pics taken by a professional photographer. There is a make-up artist, and we have the best photographers in the area volunteer their time-the pictures are stunning!! It costs the families NOTHING and they receive the most gorgeous portfolio.