Queercents

This has to be one of the most difficult financial situations through which to navigate. Important relationships are at stake and it seems to me that the most socially acceptable (and easiest) thing to do is to give if you have it. Money problems are one of our last cultural taboos and so anyone revealing theirs is already feeling vulnerable but it is very difficult to consider giving or lending money without wondering how they got into the bind in the first place.

About a year ago, an email request came from a member of our social group soliciting donations for another member of the group, I’ll call Sue, whose business had failed and who needed money for a certification program which would hopefully launch a new career. It sounded like a good cause and we were doing okay so we sent her a check for $100 which she did in fact use for that purpose and for which she was very appreciative. In a subsequent conversation with Sue she explained how she was very frugal and though she shops at Ann Taylor for her clothes, she was considering holding off on the purchase of a new car since her current 5 year old model wasn’t yet giving her any problems. Now I’m really working on my nonjudgement but considering that I shop at Goodwill and other second hand stores (with the occasional splurge at TJMaxx) and my well maintained 11 year old car suits me just fine, I’m no longer certain that the donation went to a good cause. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s amazing the amount of clutter we collect, and with the change in the economic conditions and the frugality everyone has been dealing with for the past 2 years, however it’s important to always remember that there are always others who often could use the things that we have stored away in the back of cabinets, deep in closets, boxed up in various storage units across this great land of ours.  It’s always amazed me the amount of money people pay to use storage units and often forget what they even have.  This is an excellent time to consider getting rid of those storage units, saving some money, and adding to your tax deductions at the end of the year when you file your 2009 taxes.  Above all else, these items must be donated to a 501(c)3 organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service for the deduction.  No if’s, and’s or but’s are available.

Regarding the donation and household items, they must be in good used shape at a bare minimum.  That means that you could still wear them or use them regardless of whether you think someone less fortunate would find value in them.  However if you are claiming an item to be of at least $500 in value, it must be accompanied with a qualified appraisal for documentation purposes.

When donating cash of any dollar amount, you must have a receipt on behalf of the organization receiving the funds.  If you write a check, then the cancellation copy of that check will suffice, with the date, amount, and the name of the charity associated with the donation.  The same for credit card donations.  However, it’s important to remember that the charity should also acknowledge your donation in writing for your tax filing. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you, but the amount of mail I’ve received lately from various charities has been mind blowing. “Please renew” and “Anything you can give” pepper the correspondence with some coming even immediately after I gave whatever amount was necessary to keep my name on the supporters list. After all, I too have less money and thus have to figure out where it should go.

Historical evidence from the Giving USA Foundation, which has been collecting data on philanthropic giving since 1967, shows that philanthropy has traditionally been affected by economic conditions, but that donations do not tend to decline by as much as market contractions. Overall charitable giving has not decreased in real terms during previous recessions over the last four decades, but after adjusting for inflation giving does decline, and the longer and deeper the recession, the greater the fall in donations. So with no end in sight to the current economic climate, how do we alter our giving habits?

After doing some research, it seems the best adjustment we can make is to give to places that are supporting elements of the economy hardest hit by the ongoing recession/depression. According to The Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania, the economic downturn has heightened the need for giving in the housing, health and nutrition sectors. High rates of foreclosures and unemployment have caused people to lose out on the most basic human needs. Case in point: as people lose their jobs, they lose their health insurance. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something about shelter that reels me in and grounds me. I love our home. I’ve loved most of the homes I lived in. I love the concept of home. I love houses in general. And of course, I have money invested in a healthy portion of real estate.

Shelter may mean different things to different people, but at its core, shelter is a basic need for everyone. That’s why if I started a giving circle, I’d make sure it had something to do with housing.

The NPR segment that tipped me off about the concept of giving circles highlighted an organization called Pathways to Housing. In the segment, when the representative made her pitch to the giving circle, I learned that it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a difference:

She explains that Pathways works with the chronically homeless and mentally ill, first by getting them into housing. She says $2,000 might not seem like a lot of money, but it can set up two people in apartments, with furniture and supplies. She appears to win the group over with poignant stories of people whose lives have been turned around.

“I can’t tell who’s going to make it and who is not, but I think we have an obligation as a country to offer people the possibility of the dignity of housing,” she tells the group gathered in Malepati’s living room. There’s a silence, and then everyone breaks into applause.

I was impressed at what two thousand dollars could do. So I did a little more research on Pathways to Housing: Read the rest of this entry »

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

A couple of weeks ago on NPR, I learned about the concept of giving circles:

Charitable donations have been declining, along with the economy. But one type of giving appears to be on the rise: giving circles. Many people are forming these groups where they pool their funds so they can have a greater impact on a charitable cause. Their growth comes at a time when donors say they want more control over how their charitable dollars are spent.

According to a new study, donors in giving circles give more, give more strategically, and are more engaged in their communities. Since giving circles include social, educational, and engagement components, they connect participants to their communities by increasing one’s understanding of philanthropy in an interactive, hands-on way.

Think of a giving circle as a cross between a book club, neighborly potluck or investment group, but with philanthropic purpose. These types of meetups expand charitable giving from an individual activity into a social, community-oriented one. Read the rest of this entry »

As we entered our local grocery store last weekend, volunteers handed us a flier for a food drive to help children and families in Orange County. In September, 780 families came to the South County Outreach food pantry for assistance, the highest month ever.

According to a homeless assessment, there were approximately 34,000 homeless people in Orange County in 2005. The numbers have certainly increased in the last couple of years… this number likely doesn’t account for the hidden homeless here (the 1,000 families estimated to be living in motels in Orange County) as reported by The New York Times earlier this year.

The flier listed items needed (e.g. peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit and vegetables, cereal, tomato sauce and pasta, and canned meats and beans) and a bag with the hope that we would purchase food and add it to the shopping carts outside the store.

Once inside the store, we bought several items and donated them on our way out. I liked this approach by the volunteers for a couple of reasons: Read the rest of this entry »

One of the best tax deductions is a donation to charity.

There is a saying that heating with wood warms you twice:  once when you chop the wood, and once when you burn it.  Similarly, a donation to charity makes you feel good for supporting a worthwhile cause, and it puts a little lettuce back in your wallet.

Unfortunately, charitable donations are only deductible if you itemize.  If you don’t itemize, I’d still encourage you to contribute, because organizations need your help today more than ever.  I believe that the primary consideration in whether to spend money should be whether it makes your life more meaningful — not just what minimizes your taxes.

Nevertheless, if you can take the tax deduction, then let’s discuss how to maximize it.

Let’s say you want to give $500 to support NPR (one of my personal favorites).  Let’s look at some options. Read the rest of this entry »

Being a gay homemaker has given me the time and opportunity to peer into a lot of different worlds. A few years ago a friend asked if I would help her with a charity benefit for a non-profit children’s educational organization. I had the time, so I said, “Why not?”  Besides, I’ve been very fortunate. Wasn’t it time that I gave back?

The first committee meeting was in the loft of one of the charity’s co-chairs. The epitome of Manhattan’s socially progressive and community-minded, the hostess made me feel welcome, being the only man (and a gay one at that) among the dozen or so well-heeled thirty- and forty-something women. Most of the women in the room had children in the private schools associated with the charity, which was foreign and a little intimidating. I didn’t go to a private grade school. I didn’t even have a child. But here I was in the very thick of it.

I assumed that most of the women were there because they knew each other socially and this was just something to occupy their time, an expected activity that was just part of the price of entry into their social strata. That’s partially true. But as they spoke I was impressed by their intelligence and eloquence. More importantly, they had a genuine interest in the issue and a sincere desire to give back and contribute in a tangible way. With subsequent committee meetings and chats over coffee, my respect for them was coupled with genuine liking. What a remarkable group of women. I had gained entrée into their world in a way few men have.

What I didn’t expect was that I could relate to them on many levels. While in the most obvious way I certainly wasn’t one of them; in another way I was. Much of my life mirrored theirs. They, too, no longer worked. Many had strong professional backgrounds they had left behind but continued to carry with them. They had similar relationships with their spouses. Read the rest of this entry »

“What percentage of my donation goes to the cause?” Isn’t that what we’re all trained to ask when a charitable organization comes calling for money?

Dan Pallotta’s new book, Uncharitable argues that this paradigm needs a shift and he’s speaking out about how a for-profit entrepreneurial approach should finally be embraced by the nonprofit sector.

This isn’t the first time Pallotta’s name has been attached to controversial ideas in the nonprofit world. Most gays and lesbians will recognize his name (or that of his Pallotta TeamWorks) as the organization behind the very first California AIDSRide… you know the one… that grueling week-long bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was a first in fundraising when he created this multi-day charitable event that required participants to raise mandatory minimums of two thousand dollars.

Pallotta changed the game for citizen activism. But as the years wore on he was criticized for his business model, his salary and the way Pallotta TeamWorks went to market with its events. I remember reading about the controversy back in 2002 and wondering what all the fuss was about. Read the rest of this entry »

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Jamie Welsh is the Founder of 10% Solution, an organization creating positive global change through certified giving programs for businesses. I like to think of it as the giving & green equivalent to ISO 9000.

They provide business certification for companies meeting rigid standards for corporate Giving programs in these key giving areas: volunteering, philanthropy and a commitment to green sustainability.

They also offer an individual component: What does it mean to live a 10% life?

It is a commitment to live a life where you actively give: Read the rest of this entry »