Comments on: Give it Away Now http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/20/give-it-away-now/ Because Mother Earth Is A Woman Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:01:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Starre http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/20/give-it-away-now/#comment-543797 Starre Fri, 09 May 2008 14:06:53 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/20/give-it-away-now/#comment-543797 Good point, Danielle. I actually prefer not to give money at all (or to give for very specific things in my local community) and feel better about using my time and energy to help organizations I support. BUT having worked for two nonprofit groups in my time, I have to say that they need the money too! Office space, computers, salaries for people who work for them, health insurance- all that stuff costs money, and even though it's not very glamourous to help buy (recycled!) printer paper, someone has to do it, otherwise the very real work of nonprofits, large and small, won't get done. There 's the old fashioned idea (from tithing at church) that one should give away 10% of one's income, no matter how much you make. For some people's incomes, that could break them. But it's worth thinking about. And I think if most of us spent 10% of our free time working for groups we thought important, the world would be a completely different place! Good point, Danielle. I actually prefer not to give money at all (or to give for very specific things in my local community) and feel better about using my time and energy to help organizations I support. BUT having worked for two nonprofit groups in my time, I have to say that they need the money too! Office space, computers, salaries for people who work for them, health insurance- all that stuff costs money, and even though it’s not very glamourous to help buy (recycled!) printer paper, someone has to do it, otherwise the very real work of nonprofits, large and small, won’t get done.

There ’s the old fashioned idea (from tithing at church) that one should give away 10% of one’s income, no matter how much you make. For some people’s incomes, that could break them. But it’s worth thinking about. And I think if most of us spent 10% of our free time working for groups we thought important, the world would be a completely different place!

]]> By: Danielle http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/20/give-it-away-now/#comment-543711 Danielle Tue, 06 May 2008 12:45:29 +0000 http://eco-chick.com/2008/04/20/give-it-away-now/#comment-543711 Just because you sell it as a charitable contribution doesn't mean that its laudable. Selfishness comes in many forms, one of these is writing checks for tax write-offs and that "feeling good" that comes with comes from nothing more than a signature on a check. Money does not solve all the worlds problems. Instead of donating money to a charity thousands of miles away (we are supposed to be buying locally, caring, and responding to local issues) why don't you just walk to your local Red Cross, food pantry, pre-school, or park and ask to donate your time. Voluntarism is partly about feeling good about sharing your skills with your neighbors, but mostly about building stronger local communities, economies, and higher standards of living for all. Writing a check to an NGO in Nigeria may feel good, and has its own merits, but if you really want to get involved check out your local community. I'm sure you won't have to go far to find someone in need. Just because you sell it as a charitable contribution doesn’t mean that its laudable. Selfishness comes in many forms, one of these is writing checks for tax write-offs and that “feeling good” that comes with comes from nothing more than a signature on a check. Money does not solve all the worlds problems.

Instead of donating money to a charity thousands of miles away (we are supposed to be buying locally, caring, and responding to local issues) why don’t you just walk to your local Red Cross, food pantry, pre-school, or park and ask to donate your time. Voluntarism is partly about feeling good about sharing your skills with your neighbors, but mostly about building stronger local communities, economies, and higher standards of living for all. Writing a check to an NGO in Nigeria may feel good, and has its own merits, but if you really want to get involved check out your local community. I’m sure you won’t have to go far to find someone in need.

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