$200,000 income and we usually give 2-3k per year. But only to animal and environmental charities. People suck.

Anonymous wrote:Does giving to churches really count as charity?

It does if the money is used for things that help the needy and less fortunate, but to me it doesn’t count otherwise.

To me, it’s the equivalent of an Elks or country club membership. Primarily social, with the occasional incidental benefits from side charity projects the organizations undertake. “Nonprofit” doesn’t equal charity.

Anonymous wrote:0 we pay over 250k in taxes

+1

I pay more than you in taxes. I vote. I trust the government to help the poor and provide basic infrastructure and schools. (Yeah, they could do better....especially if others voted in their interests rather than making my balance sheet bigger). I donate to charity only when it is a social expectation (and I secretly hate it, every gala makes me cringe so much it looks like I'm smiling).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HHI is about $80k, I'm a single mom, and I give about $2000 to charity a year.

Your poor child...

So your stealing from your children to give to strangers. Put that in a 529 or 401k instead

HHI around $250k per year. Give $2000 in $500 chunks to various organizations throughout year.

0!

We've always given 10% of post-tax income.

What I like to do is pick a few themes of things I think are important, and then pick a charity that does that thing that is well-rated. When we started doing this, we had three main charities, but we keep expanding every year, so now we do this, in this order of magnitude:

-- Local hunger (we give a bunch to the Greater DC food bank)
-- International poverty (we give a bunch to an international aid group that funds development, micro-loans, clean water, disaster relief, immunizations, etc.)
-- Environment (a group that buys up forest and wetlands to place in trust--I'm always a little uncertain what the best way to give for environmental purposes is)
-- Legal services (local legal services for low-income)
-- Women's shelter (one in DC)
-- arts program for disabled adults
And then assorted small amounts for things that friends are raising money for.

There are so many great organizations dong so much great work across the country. Government can't do it all. We do like to be thoughtful about what we support and how.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HHI is about $80k, I'm a single mom, and I give about $2000 to charity a year.

Your poor child...

Lol, wut?

Anonymous wrote:300k income and we don't give anything, life's too expensive.

This is us too.

HHI around $175K, around $5000 stuff I can deduct on taxes (church, local food bank) probably another $1,000 to GoFundMes for people who need it.

HHI last year was around 900k. We are like OP. Very generous in the “real world” with things like tipping (always over 20% and occasionally will just drop a $100 bill), picking up checks with friends and family, hosting with very good food and wine. I’ve given up to $1k for different Go Fund Me campaigns. We also max contribute to various politicians, but that’s more social and/or professional obligation.

But in terms of donations to true, organized 501(c)(3)s? Pretty much $0. I know there’s some small stuff over the course of a year like donations to goodwill, kid fundraisers, getting hit up for various charities by friends or colleagues, contributions through work (partnership). But it’s so little we don’t even track it for tax purposes.

Anonymous wrote:Does giving to churches really count as charity?

It does if the money is used for things that help the needy and less fortunate, but to me it doesn’t count otherwise.

It doesn’t.

Does giving to churches really count as charity?

It does if the money is used for things that help the needy and less fortunate, but to me it doesn’t count otherwise.

300k income and we don't give anything, life's too expensive.

Anonymous wrote:My HHI is about $80k, I'm a single mom, and I give about $2000 to charity a year.

Your poor child...