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So I'm working through my tax stuff in anticipation of meeting my new accountants(!)(!)! Yes, I'm finally taking this shit to some accountants.
SO: Basically, every year when I do my taxes it forces me to think about my charitable / political donations and make some decisions about how I want to increase or decrease for the year to come.
For instance, in 2010, I had monthly gifts to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU, and our local public radio station. I also gave some money to Wikipedia in a one-time gift (in the hopes of making Jimmy Wales stop personally appealing to me).
In 2010, it turns out my total charitable/political giving was about 2% of my total income. This seems low to me. For 2011, I'm going to try taking that up to 5% and seeing how it feels. This may mean some belt-tightening, but I think I can handle that.
What I'm curious about is: what do you consider an appropriate level of giving, in your own life? Do you even track / plan for what you give? I never used to, but I'm thinking a lot more about it lately. Maybe it has something to do with turning thirty... I start feeling this pressure to act like a grown-up.
Anyway, I'm thinking of upping my donation to MSF, maybe adding a monthly Wikipedia donation, and picking up a local soup kitchen/homeless outreach charity and something animal-y, like the humane society. Any suggestions for the latter two categories?
SO: Basically, every year when I do my taxes it forces me to think about my charitable / political donations and make some decisions about how I want to increase or decrease for the year to come.
For instance, in 2010, I had monthly gifts to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU, and our local public radio station. I also gave some money to Wikipedia in a one-time gift (in the hopes of making Jimmy Wales stop personally appealing to me).
In 2010, it turns out my total charitable/political giving was about 2% of my total income. This seems low to me. For 2011, I'm going to try taking that up to 5% and seeing how it feels. This may mean some belt-tightening, but I think I can handle that.
What I'm curious about is: what do you consider an appropriate level of giving, in your own life? Do you even track / plan for what you give? I never used to, but I'm thinking a lot more about it lately. Maybe it has something to do with turning thirty... I start feeling this pressure to act like a grown-up.
Anyway, I'm thinking of upping my donation to MSF, maybe adding a monthly Wikipedia donation, and picking up a local soup kitchen/homeless outreach charity and something animal-y, like the humane society. Any suggestions for the latter two categories?
