Suggestions for charities to donate to

[Showem 868]

I always like to donate to charity at Christmas. Sometimes I forget and other times I don't feel rich enough, (even though at my poorest times I was rich compared to others), but I really do honestly try to do it regularly. I thought others might want to do the same and have some ideas of where to give, so I'm suggesting that we pool our resources to list some different charities. Some of these organisations may have a slant that you don't like. Fine, I can understand that. But rather than tearing down my suggestions, why not suggest some of your own?

 

I'll start with a near local one, SOS Kinderdorf.

"In view of the misery of countless war orphans and homeless children after the Second World War, the Austrian Hermann Gmeiner initiated the construction of the world's first SOS Children's Village in the small Tyrolean town of Imst in 1949. SOS Children's Villages revolve around the effort to give children who have lost their parents or who are no longer able to live with them a permanent home and a stable environment. The SOS Children's Village family-like structure is formed by four basic principles: mother, brothers and sisters, house and village."

 

Direct to the donations page (in English)

 

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One I always associate with Britain, due to their charity shops: Oxfam

"Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organizations working together with over 3,000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice. Oxfam International seeks increased worldwide public understanding that economic and social justice are crucial to sustainable development. We strive to be a global campaigning force promoting the awareness and motivation that comes with global citizenship whilst seeking to shift public opinion in order to make equity the same priority as economic growth."

 

Pick the country via which you want to donate

 

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Another big international organisation: Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières

"Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries. Each year, MSF volunteer doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts, administrators, and other medical and non-medical professionals depart on more than 3,800 aid missions. They work alongside more than 22,500 locally hired staff to provide medical care."

 

Direct to the donations page

 

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One not for people, but for the planet: World Wildlife Fund

"Mission Statement

To stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

 

- conserving the world's biological diversity

- ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable

- promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption."

 

Direct to the donations page

 

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One of two United Nations organisations: World Food Programme (WFP)

"What is WFP's Mission?

 

As the food aid arm of the UN, WFP uses its food to:

-meet emergency needs

-support economic & social development

 

The Agency also provides the logistics support necessary to get food aid to the right people at the right time and in the right place. WFP works to put hunger at the centre of the international agenda, promoting policies, strategies and operations that directly benefit the poor and hungry."

 

Online donation form

 

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The one I've contributed to since I was 11 and walked around at Halloween with an orange box: UNICEF

Their mission statement is long, so here's their slogan instead.

"For every child; Health, Education, Equality, Protection. Advance Humanity"

 

Pick the country via which you want to donate

[Carm 72]

I donate to a charity linked to our office. Its (forget the name) for women/girls brought here to Germany (usually from Ukraine, East Asia, Russia) on the pretense to work as cleaning ladies or Nannies, and end up in the Sex trade in Brothels. We sell toothbrushes and such thru the office, and all the profit goes to this charity. Apparently its a big problem here! :angry:

[gemini 2,073]

@Showem: Great to put the agencies up there with the links. I know that many NFP are hurting because of all the catastrophies this year.

 

Dig deep if ya can.

[kathie 1,006]

I donated to "Aktion Deutschland hilft" yesterday. I saw a report on ZDF that reminded me I hadn't donated this year,and they had a web address containing loads of details of charities to donote to.

ZDF list of charities

[NOFXmike 18]

I don't understand how most people just throw their money at charities when there are poor people that need your help right here... (literally *cough*). Anyways...as liberal as I am...I just don't understand.

[Persius 1]

I understand that donating to a registered charity is also tax deductible. I don't have the details, but I did see something about it when trying to fill in my Steuererklaerung. I assume it only applies to charities registered here in Germany.

[knusper_muesli 2]

Don't forget Unicef!

 

Also, someone posted (somewhere else) a link to this charity - Heifer.org - great idea and would make a good gift for someone (with at least a small sense of humor)

 

A big thing about charities is checking out how much of the money you donate actually goes to the people in need. I remember reading that Unicef has very low admin costs, but I almost can't imagine that considering how much mail they send me. :-(

[Natalia 51]

Translators4Kids is relatively new project. There a few ways to participate, but simple donation by PayPal is also possible.

 

P.S. I'm in, if it matters at all

[Showem 868]

 

Don't forget Unicef!

I didn't. It's the last link I posted.

[knusper_muesli 2]

...sorry...of course you did. As I mentioned before, I really need to work on my reading skills...

[zee 108]

... if anyone wants to donate to the homeless of Munich: you can donate to the monastery of st. bonifaz (obdachlosenhilfe st. bonifaz)- website in German.

www.st-bonifaz.de (it's a monastery, located in Karlstr. near Königsplatz)-

they are providing free food, clothes, medical treatment, possibility to wash and shower, legal assistance/help with authorities ...

 

btw. the profit of Kloster Andechs also goes to st bonifaz as the monks belong to the same fraternity---> by drinking lots of beer in andechs you will also help the homeless guys!

[mere 76]

nofx. why not help others? instead of always being negative twds others w/ opinions and cutting remarks just help them- whether it be money or even a simple hi and helping hand?

i dont understand how people can NOT help others-especially if they are lucky/fortunate enough not to need help themselves (even if they are not super well off).

 

people should help all the time no matter what or the season/holiday and if you want to be selfish about it think of it in terms of have i ever needed help and have others been there for me or would i hope someone would help me if they could???!?!??!

[YorkshireLad6 7,148]

 

I understand that donating to a registered charity is also tax deductible.

You can deduct up to 5% of your taxable income as donations to charities, so long as you name them, and provide evidence of the donation payment. For sums up to €50 a bank transfer form (Überweising) copy suffices, but over this amount you need a receipt from the organisation you give the money to. In practice, for individual amounts less than €50 totalling up to €120 the Finanzamt won't ask for receipts (but they are entitled to!).

 

The result of this is that the donation actually costs you less. If your highest tax margin is 30%, then every €50 you donate actually costs you only around €35

 

If you are in business, or self-employed, you can also donate your services and get a tax break. If, for example, you are a web-designer and spend 2 days designing a web-page for a local charity, but don't charge them, then you can request they supply you with a "Diesntleistungsbescheinigung" as evidence of the work you've done and the time it took. You can then offset the commercial value of that time in your tax return (so, say you normally charge €300 a day for your efforts - you can reduce your gross income by €600 for the 2 days "donated effort" before applying it for taxation).

 

YL6

[bluedave 2,499]

Or, you can just donate cos you feel it's the right thing to do ...

[Ravski 0]

I tend to donate in person rather than on the internet as I still do not get a true account of where money goes. Reports clearly show thaat a lot of the money does not go into the welfare of those who need it.

 

I prefer to give material things if possible.

 

Well done Showem for posted such a topic.

[roots 59]

Feed the Children deserves a mention.

Thats the one I give to anyway.

[eurobabs 643]

Does anyone know of a place to give you time if you have no money around xmas time? My German is very basic, but am sure there has to be somewhere to help - soup kitchen, orphanage etc...

 

Thanks

[hams 1,387]

Sorry eurobabs, I can't help with your question.

 

However, I always buy my Christmas/Season's Greetings cards from Unicef.

[MysteryMan 16]

Here is the german website for MSF. There may be an issue with tax relief and donating to a non german-registered charity.

http://www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de/Spenden.php?id_cho=94

 

There you can also set up a monthly donation.

 

Oxfam have a german section as well:

http://www.oxfam.de/a_start.asp

[andrea 18]

I think the NSPCC is always a good charity to donate to, don't know what the German equvalent would be. I donate regularly so don't really give a lump sum at xmas, I already give £8 a month to breast cancer research and £8 a month to the NSPCC. But I do make the children at this time of year sort out through their things and give away what they don't need or use anymore and we give it to Barnados, it actually makes them feel quite good about themselves.