Topic: nonprofits

Charitable Giving: Are We Holiday Do-Gooders Just Selfishly Easing Our Guilty Consciences?

Charitable Giving: Are We Holiday Do-Gooders Just Selfishly Easing Our Guilty Consciences?

Last year on the day before Thanksgiving, I spent about 20 minutes researching food banks in New York where my small donation could be put to good use. I settled on one that seemed particularly effective, submitted my Mastercard details, then grabbed my suitcase full of wine and sweaters and caught a cab to the airport. I boarded a flight to Detroit, where one of my best friends picked me up and drove me to Ann Arbor, after which a weekend full of friends, turkey, pies, great wine (and gin and port), and driving tours of Michigan ensued.

Since then, I’ve donated something like $20 in the form of coins and occasional dollar bills to agreeable buskers on subway platforms. (I’m especially partial to accordion players.) I used to find plenty of time to volunteer in my spare time, but haven’t managed even an hour of community service within the last 12 months. More »

Saying “Thanks” Has Its Perks: 3 People for Whom We Need to Show Our Appreciation

Saying "Thanks" Has Its Perks: 3 People for Whom We Need to Show Our Appreciation

A post today on Fast Company‘s website discusses the perks of uttering an oft-underused phrase: Thank you. The author, not-for-profit CEO Nancy Lublin, explains that saying “Thanks!” doesn’t just benefit our manners or our moods — it also makes our companies more profitable. She gives us three people we should remember to thank daily: Our interns, our lawyers, and the silent forces that make our workplaces function (the mail sorter, the UPS worker, and the repair man). We’ve got a three more people we’d like to thank, especially now that Thanksgiving is just around the corner: More »

Veterans’ Day Charity: This Holiday Season, Send a Care Package to the Troops

Veterans' Day Charity: This Holiday Season, Send a Care Package to the Troops

Because it’s Veterans’ Day, we’ve been thinking about ways to show our appreciation and support for U.S. troops at home and abroad. And because the holiday season is almost here, care packages for armed forces members are especially welcome. So we found several organizations that send care packages to deployed soldiers, and how you can help.

1. Give 2 the Troops: There are two ways to give with this nonprofit. You can donate money, which will go toward postage on care packages and special items requested by the troops. Or, you can donate actual items — the most in-demand ones are food and entertainment products like drink mixes, snack bars, and DVDs, or video games. More »

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