Thursday, December 31, 2009
There's still time to make your charitable contributions
Remember, thanks to the joys of online giving you can still make charitable contributions and get your deductions in to the 2009 tax year. I'm cutting it to the wire, but if you're reading this blog on New Year's Eve you still have time to give and get the deduction.
Now, regular readers know that I pull out the stops for worthy charities from time to time during the year, but I am also a procrastinator of the first order so I usually rush to do a bunch of clean-up contributions in late December. The New Year's Eve push includes the following (click on the links to donate):
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Conservative blog readers know all about FIRE's work fighting restrictions on free speech on college campuses. They do the work that the ACLU used to do before it became entirely captive of the left.
Food for the Poor. I met these guys through my church. They are awesome, and deliver a huge percentage of all contributions to the beneficiaries, the poorest people on earth. These guys do the work that the United Nations only wishes it could do.
Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Food banks are important, and you should support your local operation. If you live near me, you can help by giving to TASK through the link. But there are good food banks all over the country. Find yours on Google, and give them a nice hit tonight. Almost all of them really need the help this year.
If you make a point of giving to charity, you might be helping a museum or educational cause. If you enjoy the Adirondacks (as I do), consider giving to The Wild Center, the natural history museum of the Adirondacks. The TigerHawk uncle was a founder, and it is something of a cause for my extended family, all of whom have a great love of the Adirondacks, the wildest country east of the Rockies.
Finally, a lot of you give to organizations that fight specific diseases, or which support the victims of those diseases. For me, it is the MS Society. Many of you gave generously earlier in the year when I organized a team to ride in one of the MS Society's charitable rides. I'll be back in September again, but in the meantime consider getting out there yourself and going on an MS Bike ride near you. It is a wonderful experience, and a great way to get in shape.
What are your favorite charities? Tell us in the comments!
7 Comments:
By 
Cars4Charities, at
Fri Jan 01, 10:11:00 AM:
You will receive a minimum tax deduction of $500 when you donate a car to charity. You can pick from over 1,000 charities to donate your car to at Cars4Charities. Car donations are quick, free and you can donate car that doesn't run anymore.
By , at
Sat Jan 02, 09:11:00 AM:
St. Jude, for sure. They're outstanding. I like to give to local charities too like the Salvation Army.
By , at
Fri Dec 31, 08:31:00 AM:
I like the military family charities -- Fisher House; Soldiers Angels; United Through Reading. (And Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets)
By , at
Fri Dec 31, 02:10:00 PM:
It's not really a charity, but allow me to propose Kiva, a microlending opportunity. Help folks help themselves, and as your microloans are repayed, just keep relending. The same $500 keeps getting recycled to help new people.
By , at
Fri Dec 31, 05:45:00 PM:
Employment Horizons in Cedar Knolls. They provide training and job placement for people with disabilities.
By , at
Fri Dec 31, 05:45:00 PM:
Employment Horizons in Cedar Knolls. They provide training and job placement for people with disabilities.
By , at
Fri Dec 31, 10:43:00 PM:
It's still (barely) New Year's Eve, so this my still be useful. Since 9/11 I've added a number of charities that support members of the military and their families to my list:
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Fisher House Foundation
Soldier's Angels
Spirit of America
