Doing good/Charity

I know a lot of people here make money from investing, but they also donate money and undertake other projects to help others. I would be interested to hear what people are doing to make the world a better place.

Plus i figure I've been making excuses too long so I'm thinking of World Vision or Child Fund and just get started, if anyone has any info about either that would be good.
 
Currently I sponsor a young girl from Uganda through Child Fund Australia.

She isn't quite old enough to write back to me yet, but I get sent letters from her parents every couple of months to keep me informed on how she is tracking.
I hope to continue to sponsor her until she turns 18. I hope I can make at least a small positive change in her life over the journey.
 
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From the rental income of my forst 5 IP's, I sponsored a school child in Bali. I do the sponsorships in the names of the tenants, so they have some "skin in the game". It's up to them if they send gifts or letters to the child but they receive a photo and school report each year.
By the time I got to IP's 6 & 7, I decided that it was getting a bit too much admin effort to manage further individual sponsorships, so I'm going make a donation to a new school that is being built. Not much point having kids with sponsorships if they don't have a school to go to, I guess.
It's a win-win deal as these kids get an education they otherwise wouldn't have had and the tenant gets to contribute to that and feel that the relationship I have with them is not just about the money.
 
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It's good to see you're thinking of this. I'm a tax agent and so I see the receipts (or lack of) for people's donations. I get really disappointed when I see people on high salaries who make no donations, or go to the effort to keep their $2 donation receipt so ensure I claim it! I even had one guy the other day say he was going to donate to the bushfire victims but thought they had received enough money already so didn't. I thought this myself but still gave something and the rest to the poor animals instead. Even if you don't agree with a certain charity, there are plenty of others so there's no excuse not to donate something. I'm not saying I'm completely innocent, I could donate more than I do, but after I see how little others donate from my job, it just angers me a little.

In answer to your question j_p, I did World Vision for about 8+ years. She was a 5 year old girl from Swaziland, and it ended when World Vision considered her town set up enough that they could leave. I didn't go onto sponsor another child because I felt I had done my bit, and instead donate to various charities (I feel strongly about animal cruelty so help WWF, RSPCA, WSPA etc.) without the commitment. Once you start with a World Vision child, you won't be able to give it up (I don't mean they hold you to it, I mean you won't be able to bring yourself to). At least I couldn't. I started when I was a student, and even when times got tough, there was no way I could give it up. I felt a bond with my sponsor child, you write letters to each other and get photos and reports etc. and it's really touching. Definately worth it, knowing your little bit each month is changing a childs life. I remember when I initially signed up, World Vision tried to talk me into sponsoring a little boy because more people sponsor girls. I've seen too many documentaries on how those girls are treated in third world countries, so I chose a girl deliberately in the hope that the more that get educated, hopefully slowly they will be considered equal one day.
 
There's a successful investor on this board that sponsors a new child though World Vision every time they buy an IP.
I think the cost is about $30 a month.
 
We love animals and can't stand to see them suffering.

My fiancee makes fortnightly donations to RSPCA from her wage.

I have monthly donations sert up for Animals Asia and IFAW, as well as contributing throughout the year as one off's.

I have a personal goal with my charitable donations, looking forward to achieving it every year as time rolls on.
 
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I volunteer my time, most mornings and afternoons down at the local school crossing to get the kids across the busy road safely.

It feels good to contribute.
 
I contribute about 1% of my gross salary annually to charity, through child sponsorship (a young boy in Nepal via world vision), annual RCH good friday appeal, and ad hoc donations to natural disasters both at home and overseas. 1% is not much, but every bit count and hopefully we'll increase the % amount later as we go.
 
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my partner and i spent 6 months in sumatera doing volunteer work last year. before we left we set up a fund to sponsor a very unfortunate 16 yo sigle mother who had been cast out of her village and was living in the child protection "office" where we were based. we contribute 150/month until she is 18. this should give them both enough to stay alive with a bit extra to use for an education of swome kind.

I would love to do more and cant wait to back. investing for me is about creating the time and opportunity to do more of this... and more of everything else that i love!
 
We do a range of charity type things, including:
1) Sponsor a child through world vision
2) Give money to a church youth program (5 figures per year, usually)
3) Act on the board for a not for profit organisation
4) Give random donations for causes as we see fit
5) Give time to help out with various community projects
6) Give presents from the 'world's most useful gift catalogue', where you pay for something in another country that will make a real difference, and send a card detailing this to the recipient. For example, last year for Christmas a friend paid $50 to buy and free a slave in Libya, and sent me the card. You can spend from $5 up to $thousands.

It's really gratifying to be able to make donations of a magnitude that make a real difference.

It's also kinda strange to write about it here, because it's quite personal and not something I normally talk about.
 
I get really disappointed when I see people on high salaries who make no donations,

It could be our tax return you are talking about here. No receipts does not necessarily mean that help has not been given. Donations can take the form of goods, time, as well as monetary.

We choose not to donate money to most large organisations, especially those where only a small portion of each $ is actually used for the cause.

We found there are many other ways to help our fellow mankind and most are not deductible.

Sunshine
 
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I admit that I spend most of our charity money buying tickets to win property from the RSL or Surf Life Saving in order to help them out but also have the opportunity to grow my investment portfolio :) They're not tax deductible, but I don't mind.

I also donated to the Victoria Wildlife Fund because I think animals get forgotten in the mist of tragedy. I also like to support charities that are positive minded like Camp Quality and Make a Wish Foundation etc. They focus upon fun and joy.
I also support my friends and their causes. I have a few friends effected by diabetes so I donate to their 'walk'. I have another friend that travels to poor countries as part of a team member of Habitat for Humanity. She pays her own way and builds houses and absolutely loves it as a different kind of holiday. I love to support that.
 
I donate blood - does that count?

I also donate my time to a few organisations and do morning tea on Saturday for the old folk at the place where mum and dad spent their last few years - oh and Christmas in the Park every couple of years.

I'm not very good with monetary donations, I wonder how much gets to where it should, though always happy to donate my time or goods if I have anything that can help.
 
A good organisation should have an annual report you can view/ask for. The charities I donate to average between 83-90% depending on the year and location.
 
I'm not very good with monetary donations, I wonder how much gets to where it should, though always happy to donate my time or goods if I have anything that can help.

I feel a bit like that too. I'm careful who I give money to. Some charities only a small percentage actually gets to the source.

We sponsor 2 children in Bali and visit twice a year. I give the family and their village assistance. I always bring heavy bags full of stuff for them. I also visit orphanages there and remote towns. A friend lives there as an expat and he always seems to find children in need of dental work etc. I have done volunteer teaching a few times also.

We support Make a Wish and the Cancer Council.

We tend to donate to causes that are close to our heart (same as most people I guess).

I used to donate 3 hours a week at lifeline. I also volunteered 2 days a week at the Child Abuse Protection Service. We didn't have any money but I wasn't working fulltime so that was my way of contributing. I've also done Meals on Wheels.

It was difficult working with neglected kids (I wanted to take them all home) but it was rewarding when you see that you can make a difference.

Giving of your time is just as beneficial (or can be more beneficial in some cases) as giving money. Not having money is not an excuse not to contribute in some way to those less fortunate than yourself.

I like the way lots of seminars that I have attended stress the importance of spreading the wealth. It is sad at times though when these seminars are put on for free and people cannot cough up $5 when asked, for a good cause. Interesting to see people suddenly need to go to the toilet or are busy looking away etc. They pay pretty close attention though when the free gifts are handed out.

As my wage goes up I increase my donations. When I'm not working full time, my monetary contributions may decline but then I'll have more time to donate there. I want to do volunteer teaching in the children's ward at hospitals or in the outback where children can't attend mainstream schools.
 
It amazes me how many people donate for poor kids / sick animals, etc.

My focus is political, with money going to organisations like Wikileaks and Get Up (only for specific campaigns).

Anything that helps promote freedom of speech and curtails government censorship.

I'm looking forward to being able to spend $millions fighting stuff like that.
 
It amazes me how many people donate for poor kids / sick animals, etc.

My focus is political, with money going to organisations like Wikileaks and Get Up (only for specific campaigns).

Anything that helps promote freedom of speech and curtails government censorship.

I'm looking forward to being able to spend $millions fighting stuff like that.

perhaps people are thinking that other have to stay first be alive and well before government censorship is and freedom of speech direcxtly worries them
 
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