How do you teach your child about charity?

[s_gosney]

I try really hard to not fall into the trap of "if dd is like this now, what will she be like at 15?" line of thinking (which dh starts in on every time she acts up :rolleyes:) but I do definitely see dd starting down the path of feeling entitled to things, wanting things to be all about her, etc. Obviously much of this is developmental and is magnified by having a new sibling, but I really want her to grow up to be empathetic, compassionate, and grateful, so it's something I'd like to be more purposeful about.

TBH, I often shy away from telling her many of the realities of the world because, well the realities of life for many people are really sad and hard to comprehend. And her incessant questioning sometimes backs me into a corner that I don't know how to get out of. For example, at church on sunday we chose an ornament from the tree that had a description of a child in the community that needs clothes for Christmas. I thought that something like that would be a good way for her to start thinking of others, etc. But she wanted to know the kid's name. Well, of course they don't put the name on there, so I told her that. Mommy, why don't they put the name on there. To protect their privacy. Why is it private...what do you say to that? And she's also given to worrying and wondering about all the what-ifs, so I don't want to tell her too much. It's definitely a case of her cognitive and verbal skills being ahead of her emotional skills.

Anyway, I'm rambling again, but I'd love to hear what you all do both specifically around the holidays as well as throughout the year to cultivate gratitude and generosity in your dc.

Thanks!

[mom2chloe]

The main thing I do around the holidays is select an "angel" from the Salvation Army Angel Tree at work...the day they come out... I try to pick one AS CLOSE to my daughter's age/size/interest as I can... Then I take her with me to buy everything for the angel, and we talk repeatedly about people who don't have as much as we do and the like... That conversation carries throughout the year..

DD's father recently started requiring her to state two things (intangible) she is thankful for before starting any sentence like, "I want.." or "Can I have..." That has definitely slowed down the asking... and made her do a little thinking about all the things she does have.

[hez]

I've told DS that not everyone has enough food or clothing or toys or electricity or whatever, and that I think it's important that we share what we can. To be honest, the first time we had the discussion, he came to the sharing conclusion on his own-- "If people don't have enough, why don't we just give them some of ours?" I think many kids pick up on the idea of giving a lot faster than we realize.

That said, I still think we (as a family) need to do a better job of talking about these situations as they come up. Today, for instance, we had a 'what if' conversation about things DS could do for a friend if that friend was sad at school. I think all those character traits you're talking about can be worked on in all sorts of ways-- being a good friend or giving to people you've never even met, or volunteering somewhere, or whatever it may be.

Oh, and specific things-- and DS takes a quarter to Junior Church (held during the regular service) every week. Now that he's old enough to start earning an allowance, we'll have him count out one quarter from the ten he'll get so he 'sees' how it works to give from what you receive. He helps me pick out the Angel Tree gift (similar to yours) at Christmas, he helps us pick out food to give when there's a food drive at church or school, and so forth. I think beyond talking it out, there's something to be said for just *doing* things so your children see it as a normal part of life. IMO, they don't have to be big-- they just should happen.

[Davids-Coco]

Although early around here (since DS is 2), we have many things that we do throughout the year that makes charity/mitzvah a normal part of life. I think being that it is an important part of Judaism helps us... even though it extends beyond charity to general kindness.

This time of year, we participate in a number of activities: Toys for Tots through my dad's company and family giving (last year was a total of $10,000 in toys!!!), the giving trees at our local malls, thanksgiving meal gifts through our supermarket, and more. We just look for opportunities. We love doing it and DS always is a part of it, even if he doesn't understand fully just yet. We want it to just be a part of life.

As he gets older, we will incorporate him into our Tzedaka. And, give him the opportunity to make his own giving choices, including adding bits of his allowance or what not to our little tzedaka box (which is basically like a little penny bank).

Honestly, I think that if you graciously and willingly give and show how it makes your life better too, then your DC will see it and follow in suit. But that means being dedicated to it yourself... even when money is tight and you aren't in the mood.

[kijip]

I think kids inherently understand giving and helping if they observe it in their parents. It just makes sense. The only kids I see who don't understand it seem to be those with parents that don't value it at all themselves.

I manage a charitable organization so T is just immersed in that as part of daily life. We also do things for other charities and he so far has really enjoyed it.

I don't show him problems so vast they have no solution, but ones that he can see clearly how they can be made better and help make them better. I don't want him to be stressed out by the world around him, but I consider understanding that some people need help to get food and clothes or housing or shoes to be part of my obligation as a parent.

[WatchingThemGrow]

We pack up boxes to send away to other countries and are giving a gift to a family in our community this weekend. Unfortunately, we'll be out of town at the big party where the family will get the gifts, but DD will understand more about these hopefully as we do them in the future.

I feel like we could be much better at this, but having small children takes a lot of opportunities away - like being able to serve at night, sharing skills with others, tutoring, etc. Giving of your time, not just money feels a little more valuable to me personally . Hopefully, as they grow, we'll be able to include them more in serving meals at a shelter, picking up needed items for less-fortunate families in the neighborhood next door, etc.

When I think about this, my eyes tear up because in my kindergarten class a few years ago, we were collecting donations for a local shelter for women and children. One sweet new little girl said, "Hey wait! That's where me and my mama and my brother live! That's nice of you guys to send us stuff."

[kedss]

DS's preschool does a lot of charity programs, like at Thanksgiving we dis a Food Drive, and for the Holidays we have a Mitten Tree and a program to colect preschool supplies for the Salvation Army.

I hope he also learns about volunteering simply by being at a co-op where the parents are deeply involved.

[hillview]

My mom took DS shopping for food for "kids who don't have food" and he picked out all sorts of things that kids would like (spiderman mac&cheese etc). They took it to my mom's church. He talked about it for a couple of days. We will look to do more things like this. Once he is 5 or 6 I will take him to a soup kitchen to work for an hour or so.

Also would add that I have no tolerance for the gimmes. DS has been escorted out of 3 toy stores in the last 2 months....
/hillary

[ThreeofUs]

We give to charities, and I used to be an Executive Director of a couple non-profits.

We talk a lot about people who are in need, and why we need to help them. I try not to get into "big, awful problems" discussions, but sometimes we have to take the discussion one very small step at a time.

For a kid who has always had plenty, for example, it's hard for him to understand what it might be like to be hungry. That discussion had to be very, very gentle and focus on helping.

[icunurse]

Now that DS is getting a bit older, I am trying to get him to realize that he is very fortunate to have everything that he does and that not everyone is as lucky. I don't scare him, but I do let him know that not every kid has as many toys as he does or can get a Happy Meal like he does. He is really lucky to have what he does and I don't want him to ever take that for granted.

We have a small bank from Mr Rogers that teaches about giving to others and we encourage him to add a bit here and there so we can give it to someone (we'll pick out a charity together). He always puts a little something into Salvation Army buckets or even the collection containers for the Ronald McDonald House. In order for Santa to bring new gifts, he has to give others away to kids who can play with them (and they have to be in good condition, not broken, etc) and we donate them to the local charity resale shop. We will be giving some toys to Toys for Tots (basically gifts the kids never even opened) and we are also going to make a special trip to get some nonperishables and donate them to the local food bank. In total, it really isn't a lot, but especially in these times, our family recognizes how fortunate we are and we are trying to give back as much as we can this year. Hopefully DS will learn something from it.

[Ceepa]

Don't forget animals in need. We take DC to the local shelter to drop off items just as when we drop off items to Goodwill and talk about looking out for others who need compassion and kindness.

[brittone2]

We do the same thing as most PPs. I just explain that not everyone has enough XYZ, and that we are quite comfortable so it is nice for us to share some of what we have. We regularly cull toys and donate, and DS usually is pretty good about helping weed things out. He understands that not every child has as many toys as he does.

I am striving to incorporate more service each year in our Advent calendar so that as my kids get older, we move toward it being a lot of service. With a not-quite-2-year-old, our family is not yet in a position where it would be easy to volunteer in a soup kitchen, etc. but I'm hoping to do things like that with my kids as they get older (DS is almost 5 and could probably handle it, but I'd like to do it as a family). With our Advent calendar we do things like shop for good and take it to the food pantry, shop for Toys for Tots and drop off our donation, etc. I hope to keep increasing the amount of service.

We also do things with our own family and I try to emphasize how nice it is to make/create things for family vs. buy them, mostly to downplay commercialism. We still buy for family, but I really try to work with DS to make things for people. To me, that anti-consumerism is tied into charity and choosing to spend our money for gifts at small stores, buying handmade items, etc.

From the time he was really young, I always talked to him about doing what feels good in your heart. When we donate stuff, etc. I always ask him how it makes his heart feel, and he usually will say it makes him feel good.

He has asked some difficult questions, but I just try to be short and give the minimal info. I don't want to overburden him with how difficult things are in this world for some people just yet, so I usually just phrase it as some people having too much, and some people having not enough.

[Fairy]

For Hanukkah, instead of getting eight gifts, DS is getting four gifts, and then the other four days he will be doing a mitzvah for someone else. We'll be alternating days. The mitzvahs are meant to teach DS that the holidays are about giving and sharing, and goodness and making everyone around you happy. He's at a good age where empathy for others is key; he's a sensitive child, so I'm looking forward to this. Our mitzvah's are simple, but very clear:

* Letting him take a $20 and putting it into the Salvation Army can in front of the dingalinger so that s/he can say thank you to DS, and he knows he's donated.

* Going to BN and having him choose three books by himself that he wants to give to other kids as part of their annual Books for Foster Kids program. He's choosing the books himself, and he'll choose the age and gender of the child, too.

* Choosing some of his toys and clothes to bring to Goodwill so that other kids who don't have enough money for their own will have something to wear and something to play with.

* I'm having a hard time coming up with a 4th age-appropriate so he understands mitzvah. Ideas welcome! We did this last year, too, but after the first two on the list, we got the flu and couldn't function, so we only got thru two of them.

[brittone2]

For Hanukkah, instead of getting eight gifts, DS is getting four gifts, and then the other four days he will be doing a mitzvah for someone else. We'll be alternating days. The mitzvahs are meant to teach DS that the holidays are about giving and sharing, and goodness and making everyone around you happy. He's at a good age where empathy for others is key; he's a sensitive child, so I'm looking forward to this. Our mitzvah's are simple, but very clear:

* Letting him take a $20 and putting it into the Salvation Army can in front of the dingalinger so that s/he can say thank you to DS, and he knows he's donated.

* Going to BN and having him choose three books by himself that he wants to give to other kids as part of their annual Books for Foster Kids program. He's choosing the books himself, and he'll choose the age and gender of the child, too.

* Choosing some of his toys and clothes to bring to Goodwill so that other kids who don't have enough money for their own will have something to wear and something to play with.

* I'm having a hard time coming up with a 4th age-appropriate so he understands mitzvah. Ideas welcome! We did this last year, too, but after the first two on the list, we got the flu and couldn't function, so we only got thru two of them.

Can you do something food related for the fourth, like shopping for fixings for a Christmas dinner (nonperishable) and dropping them off at a food pantry? Maybe he can help generate the list of what a family might like to eat for Christmas (depending on his age/understanding...he may be too young for that...I forget!)

[ha98ed14]

DD's father recently started requiring her to state two things (intangible) she is thankful for before starting any sentence like, "I want.." or "Can I have..." That has definitely slowed down the asking... and made her do a little thinking about all the things she does have.

Ooooo. I think this is a good idea! Mine will be an only, so I am worried she will grow up to be selfish (still not enough motivation to make me have another, lol) so I will be keeping this for future reference!

[ha98ed14]

Can you do something food related for the fourth, like shopping for fixings for a Christmas dinner (nonperishable) and dropping them off at a food pantry? Maybe he can help generate the list of what a family might like to eat for Christmas (depending on his age/understanding...he may be too young for that...I forget!)

Said very gently: They're Jewish. Mitzvah roughtly translates to "good deed." Maybe they can collect or shop for food for a local food pantry, but making it overtly "Christmas Dinner" might be a bit hard to explain to her DS. Maybe the JCC or Jewish Family Services has a food drive or other holiday charity they can participate in. I grew up in an inter-faith family (Jewish & R.C.), so I know how confusing this can be for kids.

[Fairy]

Said very gently: They're Jewish. Mitzvah roughtly translates to "good deed." Maybe they can collect or shop for food for a local food pantry, but making it overtly "Christmas Dinner" might be a bit hard to explain to her DS. Maybe the JCC or Jewish Family Services has a food drive or other holiday charity they can participate in. I grew up in an inter-faith family (Jewish & R.C.), so I know how confusing this can be for kids.

Thank you both!! These are both great ideas, as actually we're Cashews over here; also interfaith. I'm Jewish, DH is Catholic, DS goes to a Jewish daycare/pre-school, we do all the holidays full on. Yikes! I think this concept of going to get holiday foods for the food pantry is perfect, and we can blend it so that there's Xmas food and Hanukkah food (of course, DS will immediately say that they all need Hanukkah Gelt, which are chocolate coins, cuz that's what they'll be hungry for ... and while we're at it, may I have one, too? Hee! Thanks, guys :-)

[Clarity]

Much as Beth suggested, my dh and I were talking about how to engage our dd in charitable giving at her young age (2 1/2). We've decided to take her to the grocery store with a list of "items needed" from our local foodbank. She's going to help us shop for a couple bags of groceries and then we'll deliver them to the foodbank.

[brittone2]

Said very gently: They're Jewish. Mitzvah roughtly translates to "good deed." Maybe they can collect or shop for food for a local food pantry, but making it overtly "Christmas Dinner" might be a bit hard to explain to her DS. Maybe the JCC or Jewish Family Services has a food drive or other holiday charity they can participate in. I grew up in an inter-faith family (Jewish & R.C.), so I know how confusing this can be for kids.

Ack!!!! Smacking my forehead. I totally knew that and inserted what *we* do. I really, really need to not post when my kids are jumping around. My apologies if that came across as insensitive Fairy! I just responded with one of the things we do without thinking!! Doh!!!!!

So sorry. The funny thing is that while I am not Jewish, my kids have a nice selection of Hanukkah books so I can expose them to other beliefs, etc. We're quite familiar with Hannukah and I know what a Mitzvah is, but I just responded quickly without thinking. Mea culpa.

In any case, you could definitely shop for food. Period. Not for Christmas dinner, but just for charity in general. :banghead: :dizzy:

eta: Fairy, I see now that you are an interfaith family, which I should also have remembered because I always giggle at your Christmasukkah or whatever you jokingly refer to it as here on the boards. In any case, I hope you know I didn't intend to offend...I'm an idiot and just was posting on auto pilot with what we do, inserting it as a "service" activity for you. But maybe in your case it will work, or you can just make it about donating food, period :) Anyway, carry on LOL ;)

[Fairy]

eta: Fairy, I see now that you are an interfaith family, which I should also have remembered because I always giggle at your Christmasukkah or whatever you jokingly refer to it as here on the boards. In any case, I hope you know I didn't intend to offend...I'm an idiot and just was posting on auto pilot with what we do, inserting it as a "service" activity for you. But maybe in your case it will work, or you can just make it about donating food, period :) Anyway, carry on LOL ;)

Are you kidding? Stop! No offense taken! There are alot of people here, and to remember everyone is a feat and not expected, no matter how long we've been here or not. It's ok! I do love me my Christmukkah! But I have to tell you, DS and I were in the storage closet getting the holiday decorations, and I was shocked when we were done after only three trips up the stairs. Why? Cuz we just got done with Halloween, and that was -- I kid you not -- six boxes. That we have maybe a third of that in decorations (not including the Tree and ornaments for the tree and Menorahs) was shocking to me. Clearly, I'm deficient in my Christmukkah decor. Must. Find. Pottery. Barn. Coupon. Codes!

In all seriousness, thank you for the thoughtfulness :-)

[jhrabosk]

Much as Beth suggested, my dh and I were talking about how to engage our dd in charitable giving at her young age (2 1/2). We've decided to take her to the grocery store with a list of "items needed" from our local foodbank. She's going to help us shop for a couple bags of groceries and then we'll deliver them to the foodbank.

I've done similar things with my DD, last year when she was just 2 and this year, just 3.

We have a local home for infants who are healthy enough to leave the hospital, but can't go home for one reason or another. Last year, I took DD to Target and we bought diapers, formula, small toys, etc. for the babies. She and I delivered them together. I hope to do it again this year. Oh, I think we also picked out cat toys together last year at our pet store to put in their donation box.

Also this year, her daycare had a food drive before Thanksgiving for the local homeless shelter. DH had DD picked out canned items at the grocery store and then DD and I put them in the donation box together. We talked (very generally) about people who don't have as much as us and how it's important to help in any way we're able.

When she's old enough for an allowance, I want to follow the model of having her split it into save/spend/donate. I also plan to involve her in picking out some of her toys to donate...I don't believe she'd quite grasp it yet though. Maybe next year.

I agree that teaching them about giving of their time is very important...unfortunately, it's something I've never been good at. Maybe we can work on it together as a family.

[egoldber]

We do the same thing as most PPs. I just explain that not everyone has enough XYZ, and that we are quite comfortable so it is nice for us to share some of what we have. We regularly cull toys and donate, and DS usually is pretty good about helping weed things out. He understands that not every child has as many toys as he does.

This is what I have done with Sarah. We make various charitable donations and I have talked to her about how since we are so fortunate to have so much, we give what we can to others who are not as fortunate. As she has gotten older and exposed to more things on the news and in books, we have talked more in detail about specifics.

I also talk to her about being kind to the earth and trying to live gently on the earth as best we can. It's funny. Last night she complained of being cold and I told her to put a jacket on because we're keeping the heat low this year. And she said "That's because we love the earth, right?" :love5:

[lovin2shop]

We have a hard time getting out and volunteering this time of year, so we usually do something through DonorsChoose.org. This is where teachers write up a "grant" request for something that they need in the classroom and then you send in the donation to cover the expense of it. We try to involve DS by choosing something that he can relate to and uses at his school. So for example, we've donated a rug for a local Kindergarten room (can I just tell you that reading that the kids had to sit on a hard, cold floor sure made me tear up!), an easel with the big reading books, etc. Then the organization handles the delivery to the school along with a disposable camera for the teacher to take pictures of her class using the item. The teacher then sends you the pictures along with thank you notes from each child which is a really great way to show my DS how giving can make a difference. The notes and letters from the teachers have been truly heartwarming. My only complaint with the organization is that I think that they could do a much better job reducing the administrative costs and time that it takes to complete the project. But, overall it has been a really positive experience for us and I thought it might be a good suggestion for those with school age children. As an alternative, it would probably be more cost effective to find a local school and just donate directly to them. But, I've heard that doing this can be more complicated than you would think and I just haven't had the time to figure out which school, contact them, etc. In the mean time, using Donors Choose has been a good solution for us.

[brittone2]

Are you kidding? Stop! No offense taken! There are alot of people here, and to remember everyone is a feat and not expected, no matter how long we've been here or not. It's ok! I do love me my Christmukkah! But I have to tell you, DS and I were in the storage closet getting the holiday decorations, and I was shocked when we were done after only three trips up the stairs. Why? Cuz we just got done with Halloween, and that was -- I kid you not -- six boxes. That we have maybe a third of that in decorations (not including the Tree and ornaments for the tree and Menorahs) was shocking to me. Clearly, I'm deficient in my Christmukkah decor. Must. Find. Pottery. Barn. Coupon. Codes!

In all seriousness, thank you for the thoughtfulness :-)

Well, I just strive to be a pretty sensitive person (like everyone here!) with respect to religion and culture, etc. and I felt horrible for making such a horrible faux pas!! Obviously accidental and the result of typing without fully engaging my brain in drive. Thanks for your forgiving and kind spirit, Fairy :) , and for understanding the intent of my post behind the jumbled lack of logic LOL. Ironic that my kids have Hanukkah books and I randomly post about shopping for Christmas dinner. I know better, but clearly hadn't thought before typing LOL!!!
:oops:

[elephantmeg]

The main thing I do around the holidays is select an "angel" from the Salvation Army Angel Tree at work...the day they come out... I try to pick one AS CLOSE to my daughter's age/size/interest as I can... Then I take her with me to buy everything for the angel, and we talk repeatedly about people who don't have as much as we do and the like... That conversation carries throughout the year..

DD's father recently started requiring her to state two things (intangible) she is thankful for before starting any sentence like, "I want.." or "Can I have..." That has definitely slowed down the asking... and made her do a little thinking about all the things she does have.

I love that!

[lizajane]

I think kids inherently understand giving and helping if they observe it in their parents. It just makes sense. The only kids I see who don't understand it seem to be those with parents that don't value it at all themselves.

I manage a charitable organization so T is just immersed in that as part of daily life. We also do things for other charities and he so far has really enjoyed it.

I don't show him problems so vast they have no solution, but ones that he can see clearly how they can be made better and help make them better. I don't want him to be stressed out by the world around him, but I consider understanding that some people need help to get food and clothes or housing or shoes to be part of my obligation as a parent.

katie makes an important point. children learn an incredible amount of what they know by watching others. they watch their parents the most. what you do is what they strive to do. there are studies that indicate that children will be better readers if they observe reading in the home- even more than your reading to them. so specific to this post, YOU do charity work and tell them what you are doing. i use words like, "we are giving this away to people who don't have as much as we do. some boys don't have enough clothes, so we can give them what we don't need." or at thanksgiving, "some people having trouble getting all the food they need, so we are giving them some food so they will have enough." at christmas, "we are filling this shoebox with toys for children who do not have toys to play with like you do. they don't get presents for christmas, so we are giving them their presents."

[s_gosney]

WOW! Thank you all so much for sharing your ideas and suggestions. A big part of our problem right now is that given our current situation (DH and I both in school), we don't have much excess money to give and with school, work, and especially having an infant, we aren't really in the position either to give of our time. Giving is something that we really value in principle, but it's so hard to actually do it sometimes. DH and I have discussed how we don't like the current feeling we have of living so stretched all of the time. Meaning, when people talk about monetarily living beyond your means, that's really where our time balance is right now too. We have very little reserve to pull from to give right now, but we are both planning to not live this way forever. Obviously, some of that will sort itself out as the kids get older, and I hope to be very judicious in choosing a university to work for if I continue in academia because I just will not work 80 hours a week. We shall see if that's just a pipe dream though...

Anyway, thanks again for sharing. We will do our best with little steps that we are able to do for now (shopping for some canned goods, the angel tree, etc) and plan for more in the future.

[EllasMum]

The general manager of the company I used to work for had two young children (ages approx 6 and 8?) and she did an interesting thing each month. They made a donation to the local homeless shelter, but rather than just writing a cheque, she actually took the two children with her to the shelter, and had them hand the check over. She said she felt it was important for the kids to actually see who they were helping.

[brittone2]

The general manager of the company I used to work for had two young children (ages approx 6 and 8?) and she did an interesting thing each month. They made a donation to the local homeless shelter, but rather than just writing a cheque, she actually took the two children with her to the shelter, and had them hand the check over. She said she felt it was important for the kids to actually see who they were helping.

I think this is important too. When we do our Toys for Tots donations, I always tell DH it is important to me that DS be the one who puts the toys in the box. Somehow it seems symbolically important to me...that he is giving away toys to someone else, kwim? This is fresh in my mind because DH was going to drop some stuff off in the donation box the other day when DS wasn't around and it was important to me that DS be there and actually put the gifts in the donation barrel. Maybe I'm weird, but I like that part of it.

[kijip]

WOW! Thank you all so much for sharing your ideas and suggestions. A big part of our problem right now is that given our current situation (DH and I both in school), we don't have much excess money to give and with school, work, and especially having an infant, we aren't really in the position either to give of our time.

Never, ever, be afraid to give even the smallest amount. Even $1 or $10 or 5 cans of peas or a package of diapers at a time is welcome by most charities and if you have your kids bring it in, the staff will make an extra fuss over their generosity. I need my tiny dollar donors---for one, I have a lot of them and it adds up and for two, I know that valuing them regardless of amount of donation can often pay back in more time or money as the donor's situation changes.

For lack of volunteer time, think of things you can do on a 1 time basis as a family, such as sort food at Thanksgiving or sort school supply donations in August. A couple of hours once a year. Or things that can be done regularly that take very little time. My husband picks up free food from 1 Starbucks location on the same day every week and drops it off at the food bank near our house. It takes little time over our regular trip home from school and work.

[mom_hanna]

We don't do enough, but I take dd (4) to buy a present to donate to Toys for Tots, and we take both dd and ds (2) to the grocery store and fill up a couple bags of groceries do donate. We also go through clothes and toys together and take them to the local donation sites together. Hopefully, we can start to do more with our time and not just our money.

[CAM7]

This year again we'll be donating a lump sum in the family's name to Abandoned Baby Center in Kenya. And also a toy for tots donation...

I have my Dh give any money that he would have spent on flowers/candy or whatever to ABC...for like my birthday or Valentines Day. My xmas gift from Dh is also a donation to them...whatever he would spend on me for a gift I just have him hand it over to the charity.

And the PP is right... any amount is good! Even little bits over the year can add up big!

[CAM7]

An excellent source to research charities is: http://charitynavigator.org/