It depends on the   charity. There is no way I can afford to donate to everything. try to donate to charities i want to help. and I also have volunteered for charities such as meals on wheels. some charites once they have one donation from you will send pleas for more money almost every month. come on, I try and help the best we can afford but they need to back off some, especially when they send you "gift" address labels note pads, etc. now you feel guilty if you do not send money, sorry but sometimes i just have to feel guilty since I cannot afford to send money all of the time.  also beware of those telephone calls that solicate donations, they never give up calling or trying ask for donations. I want to donate but do not appreciate being called first thing in the morning or at all hours hoping i will pick up and donate.

Depends on the charity. I have a few select organizations to which I donate money and/or time.

The others are on their own.

I have learned that when it comes to donating to charities, discretion is the better part of valor. I used to donate a lot until I would read stories like the guy who was soliciting downtown every day claiming he was homeless died the week before and left a mansion in the 'burbs. Other organizations spend way too much on overhead and administrative costs - such as more assistants to the director...etc. Other organizations discriminate based upon religion. For the most part, I only donate to animal welfare groups and only if I feel or have solid reason to believe that they are ethical and doing what they should be doing with the money. Or as they say, charity begins in the home. I volunteer for several groups and know they are on the up and up so when I have a few extra dollars I do not mind. But if someone just calls me up on the phone or solicits me in the email, I do not take the bait. There are way too many schemers and scammers out here. And the other thing - why do people give to organizations such as the Christian Children's Fund to send $20 or more overseas when there are plenty of needy folk right here in America? I never did understand that. Maybe someone should have a long talk with Sally Struthers about this!

Depends on the charity.

You know what, I was one of those people who would try to help as much as I could, and in the end a lot of people were laughing at me because I was scamed without even knowing about it. It's sad that some organizations feed on your compassion and generosity.

Only if its one you know and trust...

There couldn't be a more classic 3-star 'perhaps' than this listing. . .depends on the charity, depends on the cause. . .Katrina victims? Sure. American Cancer Society? Most likely. Kennedy alcohol fund? Probably not. Science lessons for 'intelligent design' zealots? Waste of resources. . .

I try to donate to research in any realm of the medical spectrum. I am wary of those charities that I have never heard of, it would help to research and know where your money is going. As for the homeless we see on street corners, a part of me wants to donate but then again I wonder if they'll use it for food/shelter or if it'll be used for booze etc. I can't generalize too much about that... I would rather buy them the food and hand it over.

I have donated to charities,but I check them out first to make sure they're legit.

if its legit and i have it to give.

Which charity?

With so many scams out there, I want to know for certain that the money I give actually goes to help those who are in need. I don't give to charities that I don't know about, and I don't give to people who are walking on the side of the road with buckets asking for donations. I've heard way too many stories of people who do these kinds of things when they don't need to.

However, I'll very willingly give to 1) The Red Cross, 2) the local fire station, and 3) the local SPCA.

I will donate in 3 situations: 1) when I attend Mass, 2) when a friend or acquaintance asks to be sponsored in a walk for cancer or another disease, 3) when a kid is trying to raise money for youth sports. Any other charitable giving will come when I'm in a better position to do so.

You can put yourself into poverty if you gave to every group that asked for a donation. I give to certain charities and sometimes have to say no to others.