Laptop and charity

[triskellian]

On the subject of my latest toy, this, too, is being typed from the comfort of my bed. Oh! The joy of wireless networking! It's taking me a while to get used to the keyboard, which is a strange one even apart from the fact that I'm used to a natural keyboard, but, on the whole, I declare the laptop a thing of beauty and a joy forever, as someone who may have been Rhiannon, referred to it earlier.

On charity, I've recently decided that I should be giving some money to good causes. The difficult question now is which charity. There are so many causes I believe in, and think deserve my money, and only so much money. It's hard to narrow it down even to a reasonable shortlist. The National Asthma Campaign is the only one I'm reasonably sure about, for obvious reasons, but I'd like to choose one or two more. So my question to you is, do you give to charity, and if so, which ones, and how did you decide?

Comments

Charities

[ealuscerwen.livejournal.com]

I give through my firm's charity giving scheme, which has tax relief and a matched element. I like the charities, Marie Curie and Childline - they do specific good in this country and need more money to operate. I suspect that I will continue to give through the scheme as long as the charities are acceptable to me - the amounts I give are increased by half.

Also, I give smaller amounts on a monthly basis to a national teenager resettlement charity whose representative convinced me that they were a very worthwhile cause and to cancer research, and am a member of the National Trust and the Princes Trust.

I think that my priorities are based in this country and in medical research rather than abroad, partially because I am aware that more of my money will go to the cause in some direct way if it is based here. I have an interest in helping young people in trouble, which is reflected in my charity choices. I don't find Christian charities acceptable, since most have stated or unstated conversion aims and often operate specifically in non-Christian countries.

Probably the most significant thing I do is new, and involves giving time to help business mentor students in the Tower Hamlets area. I wouldn't have ended up doing this if my firm didn't offer the opportunity.

Re: Charities

[triskellian]

I think I'm more interested in local (this country, that is, not this city) causes, too, although I'm not really sure why. Some sort of currently-inexplicable emotional selfishness. I need to examine that some more to see if it holds up to closer scrutiny.

I'm impressed that you do so much, though.

Re: Charities

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

I think that my priorities are based in this country and in medical research

Heh, that's close to a complete opposite from me - my priorities are primarily other countries and medical care. Which reminds me, I must dig out my "Medecins sans Frontieres" leaflets.