All About Foolish Giving
Giving and Charities
December 24, 1997

The average child in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area (that's where Fool HQ is located) will get $985 worth of toys this year.

What?!

When I heard that statistic on the radio last week I was flabbergasted. Could it really be possible that each kid in our area gets that many toys each year? And then I realized that, no, this was only the average. What it really meant was that there were a few kids in Potomac who were getting Nintendo systems out the wazoo and many, many more kids in southeast DC who were going to be lucky to get a GI Joe.

While it's one of the main goals here at the Fool to make as much money as possible for all of us so that we can get our kids anything their little hearts desire, today we're going to talk about something a little different. Today, we're going to talk about those kids who will only get presents because someone like you opened your heart and your wallet for them.

Charity in 1997 is at an all-time high. Perhaps because the economy has been so good for so long. Perhaps because the market has done nothing but go up, up, up like Santa's sleigh for months on end. Or maybe it's just that we've all gotten so much stuff that we have no more room and so in order to spend money we have to give stuff to someone else. For whatever reason, the giving bug has bitten us lately.

Has it bitten you?

If you're just getting used to the idea that your grandma tried to teach you 20 years ago -- that it's better to give then to receive -- then we've got some helpful tips on how to get started.

There are three ways that you can give to someone less fortunate than yourself. You can give your money, your resources or your time.

Your Money
This is the easiest way to help the people and the causes that you believe in. All you have to do is write a check. Well, there's a little more to it than that. You should investigate the charity that you're giving to. Check out our 10 Foolish Giving Tips for more on what to look for in a good charity and the questions you should be asking them.

So you don't have very much money to give? How about raising some instead? Get donations from your co-workers or offer to help with a garage sale or a cake bake. Check with the cause that you'd like to help. They may already have something going on that you could help with or an existing fundraising program that you could head up.

Does your work offer direct deductions from your paychecks? The United Way is the guiding force behind many direct deduction plans. You can choose to give all or part of your contribution to any of hundreds of different organizations in your community. If your employer doesn't participate ask your Human Resources person to look into it for you. Then bug her until she does it.

If you don't feel you can write a big check or you don't think that giving each week is something that you can afford right now, how about doing one nice thing for someone today. Go to the Angel Tree in the mall you're shopping at and buy presents for a child listed there. Take a gift to your local fire department, which is probably participating in the Toys for Tots program. Drop a $20 bill in the bucket of the guy with the bell. Are you getting a turkey gift certificate from your work? Give it to a local church and ask them to pass it on to someone who needs it.

Your Resources
Remember when you were poor, back in college, and went to the Salvation Army store for that cool leather jacket that you could never had afforded if it had been new? Well, now you're probably in a position to give something back that someone else might be able to use.

Organizations like the Salvation Army would love to get stuff that you once loved but have grown tired of. They'll take clothes (sweaters and coats are especially needed this time of year), appliances, jewelry and furniture.

How about bringing books to day care centers or old-folks' homes? Or warm clothes to homeless shelters? Canned goods to food banks are also appreciated.

Are you getting a new car? How about giving your old one to a local charity to refurbish? You'll get a receipt for the Blue Book value to take off your taxes. (C'mon, is it really worth the Blue Book value?) Sometimes the parts are sold to raise money and sometimes school uses the car in a tech class to teach auto repair. Either way, you'll get the tax write-off and your old baby will continue to live on someplace besides a used car lot.

If you're giving stuff, don't forget to get a receipt for anything over $250. The IRS may call you on it. Be prepared.

Your Time
Possibly, your time will be appreciated more than anything you can give. And it may give back more to you than simply writing a check.

How can you give your time? The ways are limited only by the number of good organizations needing it. Teach an adult to read. Take a class to the zoo. Inventory objects for a museum. Lead a group of tourists through a local historical home that's been preserved. Bring a plate of cookies to a Head-Start class. Take your cat to visit a retirement home. What is it that touches your heart? Find it and make a commitment to it.

If you don't have much time to give, or only have it at off the wall hours, how about volunteering on your computer. The world is full of organizations that need help with their message boards or chat rooms or answering reader questions. For a list of groups who are looking for help, check out Impact Online. Its slogan is, "Turning good intentions into actions."

If you'd like more information on finding an organization that needs your support, don't forget to check out our article on The National Charities Information Board. This group provides a list of several hundred charities that have passed their nine-point "good guy" criteria. And don't miss our 10 Tips on Giving to find more help on choosing the right group for you.

No matter what you do, anything that you do for someone else will make the world a better and more Foolish place. It will probably even give you the Foolish warm fuzzies, too.

--Trudy Hoyden
(TMF Hoyden)

(c) Copyright 1997, The Motley Fool. All rights reserved. This material is for personal use only. Republication and redissemination, including posting to news groups, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of The Motley Fool.