Where Do You Give?

As the Lubavitcher Rebbe, obm, taught, “A charity box in a home or office, redefines the entire space. It is no longer just a home, just an office. It is a center of kindness and caring.” Attaching it to a wall in a prominent place, as he taught, further transforms the Jewish home into one with a foundation with such values, as with affixing mezuzos to the doorposts and arches of a home reminds us of our avodah to Hashem, and having Jewish books draws a home into a place of steeped in Torah learning.

After graduating college, I thought giving tzedakah was good for people who had $ $ unspent at the end of a year.  Then Robert Housman suggested that people can give a small amount every month, and that at the end of a year, they have given a significant amount!  That resonated.

I am reading a book right now that has really got me thinking about my giving priorities and how much I should be giving.  I highly recommend this book:  “The Life You Can Save:  Acting Now to End World Poverty.”  It’s by Peter Singer, a Princeton Ethics professor.  He talks about checking out organizations on “Charity Navigator” but says that that only tells you how they allocate their money.  Another organization, GiveWell.org does a much more indepth analysis and actually looks at the effectiveness of their programs.  Are the groups accomplishing their goals?  An important question if you want you money to do the most good.

My grandmother’s kitchen in her Brooklyn, NY apartment held the blue and white tin tzedakah box. It box was from a Jewish organization and never left its spot on top of a pantry cupboard. I knew it held coins to feed the poor. It was part of the culture I grew up in that told me how fortunate I was and that helping the less fortunate was what we did.

I decide where to give by what moves my heart.  For me it is mostly in Africa

My nine-year-old daughter has shared 1/3 of her weekly allowance with the needy since she was seven.  Every couple of months she decides where the funds will go: Horsenet.com, her schools tzedakah collection, and other places.  We set this up and will do so with our son, Benjamin when he turns seven in the Fall of 2012.

I think justice is making the world whole.  If something is broken, whether it be a political system, the climate, or the health of a person, the attempt to make that broken thing whole is justice.

I don’t relate to the label “philanthropist.” To me, giving tzedakah is just one of the things I try to do to spend money in ways that help make a better world. Since I am a relatively affluent person, giving money to others is an important part of that mix for me personally, but I still try to think of it within the context of other ways I can pursue Tikkun Olam.

People talk about tzedakah as pursuing justice, but I think that’s only true if you give tzedakah in a certain way i.e. supporting organizations that work to promote human rights, or orgs that truly let the communities they work with set the agenda.

I make my decisions to give to children and animals because I feel that they are the least likely to be able to help themselves. I try to give only to organizations who forward the maximum amount of the donation into the hands (or paws) of those who really need it.

Each time I give, I recognize that I am supporting my social values with dollars. On some level, it’s akin to voting and other sorts of advocacy. Financial giving—no matter how much we are able to five—can therefore be a place of tremendous power and it is our responsibility to respect that power.

I give to causes that mean a lot to me personally and also to my family. There are so many worthy causes, so doing your research is a must. Where does the money go? Is this the best way to support this cause that I care about? I hope that some day I will have a lot more to give

Financial giving is critical but does not excuse us from also giving of our time and making sure to establish critical human relationships with those with whom we share.

We live in a city with so much need but the needy are so hard to reach.

Growing up, I believed my tzedakah box was a priceless ancient relic. Then I saw the same one in a store on Fairfax Avenue.  It’s not the box that counts, it’s what’s in it!

A teacher of mine had kids raise money through a collective project, then prioritize where to give the Tzedakah.  Helping kids deliberate taught me how to give.

Tzedakah can be a way to redress political inequality and systemic lack of access to justice.

As a Jew, I value the work of Jewish organizations and prioritize my giving to them.

At 22, familiarity and personal connection helps when deciding where to give.

I prioritize impact (rather than need), the portion that goes to programs, potential for leverage, program sustainability, and relationships (it’s a reality!)

I remember bringing money to Hebrew school (whenever I remembered to do so, that is) and dropping it in that little blue JNF box on my Hebrew school teacher’s desk.

I remember a specific moment when I was in pre-school and a family friend was over our house.  When I learned he was struggling financially, I gave him a bag of my pennies.

When I was growing up, I thought tzedakah was a phone-a-thon, because my parents would bring me to our Federation’s annual “Super Sunday” event.