I regularly donate an amount to my religious affiliation, but I also have other sporadic donations. Many people now ask for donations to charities in lieu of flowers for funerals and several people I know ask for donations to run or walk in charity-a-thons. I also donate clothes, household items or books to the local thrift stores that are run by charity organizations.
The main thing is keeping track of all these donations. Receipts, statements and checks all go into a folder for my charity/tithe information for that year. When taxes roll around, I’m ready to put in all the information as tax deductions. I know this might be more paperwork than some people want to do, but it works for me.
One new thing I have done this year is to follow on Twitter and on Facebook a charity I want to share with others. It doesn’t cost me anything and it sends information to people I know who may not know the organization exists. It’s The Bob Woodruff Foundation called ReMIND.org. Their slogan is “Helping to heal the physical and psychological wounds of war”.
Hope this isn’t too long.

And, whether it’s international relief or cancer research or supporting music programs in public schools, there are ways to help other than donating. Many charities, like Save the Children and Oxfam for example, supplement their requests for money with requests that we make sure our politicians have the same priorities as us. Writing a letter to your political leaders – and turning the pressure on – can sometimes do more good than cutting a check.