The joys of taxation / the joys of donation

[miss_pryss]

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?

Comments

[harriet-spy.livejournal.com]

NYC Animal Care and Control always needs support; they have to take care of the least-loved of all the city's creatures (groups like the Humane Society skim off the "cream" and leave the sad little pitties).

If you want something that helps people and animals at the same time, Puppies Behind Bars is a great program.

I'm at about 2% this year, too, and it's shockingly low to me. Although I do do some giving that doesn't qualify as deductible.

[miss-pryss.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks for the heads up! Good point about the NYC AC&C. I'll add 'em to the list! Also, what is up with that glamorous photo of Sebastian Junger on the puppies website?! Awesomesauce!

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

What I consider an "appropriate level of giving" depends on how much I have in my checking account and/or free space on my credit card when the call to donate comes. Last year, I donated around $500 worth , and that seemed like a lot to me. This year, a friend to whom I donated last year is doing a drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society again and I don't have the extra cash to respond right away.