Tag Archives: donations

Money 101: Do Good With Charitable Donations – And Get Deductions, Too!

Rainbow KirbyJanuary 28, 2011 //

The onslaught of tax return documents starting arriving in my mailbox a few weeks ago — from banks and places of employment (I had a few last year) — and I began to feel the familiar and perennial angst; tax day is coming! I stuck most of them in a pile to be looked at later, you know, like in March. But when I spotted a letter from my church the curiosity got to me. What I didn’t expect was to be so disappointed in myself. It listed my total donation from the past year and it was paltry! Who the heck was I donating more to – my local bartender and hair colorist?

Going forward, I resolve to donate more, but I also want to find more charitable organizations that appeal to my passions and interests. Plus, I feel incredibly guilty for using those free address labels from Smile Train and not sending a check back. For some tips on how to align charitable giving with personal financial goals and be prepared for tax time, The Frisky reached out to finance expert and author Manisha Thakor. Keep reading »

Damn The Man, Save The Howard Brown Health Center!

SimchaNovember 10, 2010 //

Help! The Howard Brown Health Center, which has been serving the LGBT community since the ‘80s, needs donations, baaaaad. Two top officials were dismissed earlier this year for financial mismanagement of grant funds, and now the new CEO, Jamal Edwards, has regretfully announced that the center needs to raise $500K by Jan. 1, or it will have to close its doors. Noooooo! The clinic has been a cornerstone of AIDS research and gay outreach in Chicago. In fact, Howard Brown is currently conducting a decades-long research program, the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, and it would be a cryin’ shame for humanity if it had to give up on the work now. Keep reading »

Giving Designer Fakes A Good Home

Bianca PosterliMay 21, 2010 //

Here’s one use for fake goods we can get behind. More than $3.6 million worth of counterfeit goods in the form of 109,300 pairs of shoes, 10,000 pants, and 2,592 sweaters were seized in the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaports, but instead of simply trashing the fakes, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection decided to donate the items to those in need. Now, a variety of organizations including World Vision International, Soles4Souls, Samaritan’s Feet, and Shelter Partnership are set to receive a major infusion of clothing contributions, which will provide for hundreds in need. It truly warms our hearts to think that, finally, someone has realizedf all the excess in the world can be used for good. It calls to mind the H&M and Urban Outfitters drama from earlier this year. Interestingly, all of the designers who were knocked off with these counterfeit items agreed to the donation, meaning fashion’s feeling especially altruistic lately. [The Epoch Times] Keep reading »

Women Writing More Checks For Presidential Candidates

Catherine StrawnApril 7, 2008 //

This election is special, and not just because a woman and a black man are serious contenders. Us girls are donating more than we have in past elections! So far, women have given nearly half of the $100 million that Hillary Clinton has raised from individuals who have given large-dollar contributions, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Barack Obama has gotten $43 million from women giving more than $200. In the past, women’s contributions have been less than 30 percent of most candidate’s campaign accounts — both Democratic candidates have received more than 40 percent from women. On the Republican side, John McCain has received only $13 million from large-dollar female donors, maybe because that race hasn’t been as cutthroat. Speaking of women and elections, we already vote in higher numbers than men, and we’re also more active campaign volunteers. Now, if we could only get politicians to listen to us. [Women's ENews]
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Good Deed, Bad Girl

SimchaMarch 5, 2008 //

When I recently purged my closet and wanted to donate some of my things to charity, I went to the closest drop-off center, a Salvation Army (also one of world’s largest Christian organizations). The thing is, it’s hard to tell black trash bags apart and I accidentally donated some personal items…including my collection of handmade pasties. Oopsies! When I realized my mistake, I went back to reclaim the bag before a sweet old church lady exposed my tassel twirling sins. Lucky for me, a nice grandpa-like fellow volunteered to take me to look for my stuff and I thought I could manage to keep him from my sequined secrets. After a desperate dumpster dive, I found the bag, but it was strangely empty. “Ooooooh, that bag,” the man said, as if he never expected me to be the tart with the talented rack. “Yeah, some of the ladies found it yesterday and we threw the stuff out because, well…we wouldn’t put out that kind of item. After all, this is a place of God.” Blushing, I tried to recover by joking, “Oh, not even for women who want to entertain their husbands?” Apparently, that wasn’t his kind of entertainment….although he did recognize that they were pasties. So anyway, if you ever are donating clothing to your local S.A., just make sure the items are bigger than one-inch in diameter. [Salvation Army] Keep reading »

Drew Barrymore Brings Big Check, New Boyfriend To Oprah

Amelia McDonell-ParryMarch 4, 2008 //

Yesterday Drew Barrymore appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to announce that she was donating $1 million dollars of her own money to the United Nations’ World Food Program, which is aiming to feed 10 million more children in Africa by Thanksgiving Day. While she was there, she also dished about her new boyfriend, Justin “I’m A Mac” Long, who was in the audience. She said, “This relationship is great. It’s healthy, it’s productive, and it’s supportive. It’s full of humor and a lot of fun.” He said Drew is more than a pretty face, adding, “She’s the most compassionate person I’ve ever met.” Dang, they’re cute. [Oprah.com and WFP] Keep reading »