Mostly to the Episcopal Church because it is an important part of our life and they are providing important services to the neighborhood.

My church

Our alma maters

House of Ruth

Rationale I think is self explanatory on the first two. I think House of Ruth does great work.

My rationale: To whom much is given, much will be required. What goes around comes around. I am part of the community.

We give time, talent and treasure.

Treasure: We divide it up and try to give to local, national and international charities. We also give to our Congregation and Universities. We try to blacne the rest between social justice/direct service. organizations and environmental organizations.

Time and talent: Divided between activities that need volunteer support (Sunday School, scouts....) to continue and direct service/environmental organizations (food pantries/ communitiy clean up days....)

Fisher house
Goodwill

My church
My private high school
My college
My grad school
Probably at least 10 organizations for which friends and families were raising money running races
Goodwill
VVA
Purple Heart
Salvation Army
Pennies for Sudan
My local library
5 Gofundme funds for Boston victims
A charity directly related to health conditions affecting my family
NCH
JHU
Mt Vernon

Animal shelters because there are many orphaned animals that need a loving and forever home. They are voiceless due to no fault of their own. Just look in those eyes though, and one can only agree they deserve to live just as much as anyone else.

If more people donated to county animal shelters, perhaps less and less healthy and well-behaved animals would lose their lives.

Please consider this.

Our synagogue, locally run charity for families that need direct help, friends running races for charity, Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, disaster relief, etc.

Last year we gave to:

Our alma mater (not much...)

My law school (even less...)

Mid-Atlantic Make-a-Wish

Heifer International

Local Salvation Army chapter

Local animal shelter

Local Senior services center

Our church

Small donations to whatever our friends were walking/running for at any given time.

Our total cash donations last year were $6580, to be precise, so we aren't giving huge sums, but it's what we feel we can do right now and we try to increase that by a bit every year.

International conservation. International development. Most people give locally yet the needs are so great overseas.

Alma mater.

Just do not give or pledge to anyone who mails you, or calls you. Those are fundraisers that take a huge share of your contribution. Write a check directly to the charity and mail it to their headquarters offices. I worked for direct mail and fundraisers for years until I quit in disgust.

Local, local, local. Animals, health and kids. My university can have money just as soon as I pay off those student loans.

Leukemia and Lymphoma society. My mom died from it.

I give my money to my university, but I dictate where the money goes...So I give $1000 a year and it goes to Women's sports. That is all I have right now to give, but if I had more I would.

Animal shelters, because they care for the animals that no one else will take.

Disaster relief organizations that provide actual direct relief on the ground.

Local organizations that provide direct services to women and children in need.

I won't donate to any organization that has a national brand or appears on my yogurt container.

Who do you give your money to? What's your rationale?