Charitable Donations to Mercy Corps
December 28, 2008
Mercy Corps has always been one of my favorite charities and is where we’ll be sending our year end charity donation. I like contributing to Mercy Corps because I feel I’m a global citizen and they work in about 40 countries around the world where people are in dire need of assistance.
Their mission is to [...]
What Can You Do to Address Global Poverty?
October 18, 2008
I have been somewhat disconnected from the financial blogosphere lately and I missed an important event, Poverty Awareness via Blog Action Day.
As the income gap continues to grow, wealth distribution in this country and around the world follows the idea of the 80/20 rule; a small percentage of the world has the majority of the [...]
How to Choose a Charity
January 14, 2008
Choosing a charity should be easy. You find a cause you support, and you send you in your check. However it is a little more complicated than simply picking a group for your donation.
Unfortunately, like everything else in this world, unscrupulous people are out there taking advantage of kind hearted individuals. For [...]
A Kiva Loan can Change a Life
January 10, 2008
“Loans that change lives” is Kiva’s tagline. Based upon the testimonials I have read, I believe they are keeping their word. So, how can they make such a claim?
Kiva is a peer to peer lender with a charitable mission. Unlike their counterparts who pay interest to the lenders, Kiva matches small business [...]
What is the Most Effective Way to Donate Money?
April 26, 2007
Do you ever wonder how much of the money you donate actually goes to the people that need it?
Overhead Costs
Companies that solicit contributions on behalf of charities get some type of payment for their services. A co-worker once told me that some of these organizations get a percentage of all the money they bring [...]
Take Nothing for Granted
March 27, 2007
We think we have it bad with credit card debt, crappy health insurance, and high gas prices but in reality we’re living a life others only dream about.
A Different World
My parents make bi-annual visits to Central America to provide health care for some of the poorest people in the Americas. They recently returned from [...]
Are Girl Scout Cookies Tax-Deductible? It Depends.
March 17, 2007
I’ve had a lot of people asking if the purchase of girl scout cookies is a valid tax deduction. I consulted my tax friend and he pointed me the answer on the Girl Scouts website.
Basically, if you take posession of the cookies then you can’t write off the purchase because you received something in [...]
Profiting from a Non-Profit. Ethical or Rotten?
February 18, 2007
Is it wrong to make a profit off of the Girl Scouts? I don’t think so. Read on before you disagree with me.
We Are Suckers
My wife and I don’t eat Girl Scout cookies but we buy them from the neighbor girls when they come knocking on our door. I think I inherited [...]
Increase Your Tax Deductions, Don’t Give Cash at Church
January 15, 2007
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 gives the IRS the authority to disallow deductions of undocumented cash gifts to charities, including church offerings. If you put cash into the collection plate you can no longer write it off on your taxes.
Document Your Donations
Instead of putting dollars or coins into the offering plate, write a [...]
Act Now and Double Your Charity Donations for Half Price
December 22, 2006
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could donate $100 to your favorite charity and have them get a check for $200?
Matching Gift Program
Some corporations have a matching gift program where they will match their employee’s charitable donation dollar for dollar. You can search MatchingGifts.com to see if your employer has such a program.
Free Money!
Once [...]
