OT: 'Tis the Season for Giving (AKA The Taxman Cometh)

The Human Fund. 

I worked for and still support the American Red Cross. They are always there for those in need.

We recently gave about half of our pantry to Gleaner's Food Bank and Forgotten Harvest - we clean it out a few times a year and always give the unexpired items away. 

I also give to the United Way through work, and I sometimes volunteer through DTE to help people in Detroit with their taxes in the spring (the MBA has to be good for something, right?)

charity: water

Shaw Cancer Center, Vail Mountain School, Vail Valley Medical Center, Give to Colombia, PBS, Eagle Valley Land Trust, Bravo Music Festival, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Aspen Jazz, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, USSA

I've had diabetes since I was 13 years old so I always advise people to donate money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 

For myself & my wife, when people want to to give us gifts, we let them know that World Vision is a reasonable option.

World Vision has a program where you can give a goat (or a chicken, or rabbits, or a sheep, or cow, or a well.) While the reality is that you give money, they do honor your wishes, and it gives something tangible that kids can get their mind around giving to someone else. (I know my 10 year olds don't fully get their arms around the concept of money.) We used this in our family to give a sheep, a goat, some rabbits, and some chickens this year. We also sponsor a child in Ethiopia annually through World Vision.

An organization I am part of gives away about 100,000 pounds of food every year to needy families in our community and the immediate surrounding area. We are looking to make this more permanent, so we have supported this effort. That way, we are doing something locally, as well as internationally.

Maybe the best thing to do is to give of yourself. I think that mod Seth/Mispogen gives time and energy to help the needy in Detroit. Coach Carr's help with Mott Children's Hospital is laudable and legendary (apart from anything football related.) Craig Roh used break time last year to serve elsewhere in the world, as did Goalie Hunwick. I myself went to help out in teaching health and hygiene and other things in a slum in Paraguay last month.

Of course, there is always mgoblog to support!!

Regardless, my hat is off to the OP for this OT post.

I've been collecting, resotring, and playing vintage drum sets now for over 20 years.  Normally, I find my stuff through ads on CL or from local garage and church sales.  Every now and then I come across some nice drums or cymbals needing a little TLC that I would not personally play for various reasons.  I pick them up for a song, fix them up, and then donate them to the local music department of a local public school.

So many people have old instruments tucked away in a basement or attic collecting dust.  Please consider taking them out and donating them to a local school.  Funding for arts programs is almost always the first thing to go when school districts feel a money pinch; the kids could really use them.  The schools are always happy to have them, and will gladly provide a receipt for tax purposes.

The ASPCA.

Dogs are a huge part of my life

That way some other kid will be able to afford to attend UM, especially out of staters (being an out of state grad, I want to let kids from all over the country have that experience).  We know the tremendous impact that a Michigan education can have.

The International Justice Mission has been featured on Dateline NBC employing a 4 pronged attack against the travesty of child sex slavery.  They effect victim rescue, perpetrator accountability, victim aftercare and reformation of local law enforcement and judicial systems.  Bill and Melinda Gates gave them $5M over five years to see what they could do in the Philippines.  The study called Project Lantern reduced child prostitution 79%.

Years ago I was the only one in my office to refuse to donate to the United Way.  As "partner agencies" with conflicting moral ideals, the United Way was trying to force the Boy Scouts to allow gay scoutmasters.

I don't know about anyone else, but I would never have allowed any of my sons to go camping overnight in a tent with a gay scoutmaster.

Call me old fashioned. /s

I support the Beveled Guilt Foundation.

University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center -- at the cutting edge of cancer research. My wife and I donate there every year.

I really don't believe there is a better charity than this hospital.  The work they do for these kids is incredible.

im runnin the boston marathon this year to raise money for the hole in the wall association of camps. the hole in the wall provides kids with life threatening diseases the opportunity to attend summer camp without the constraints of their illness.

if you'd like to support these amazing kids, visit http://go.gesualdi.info/run

thank you, happy holidays, and go blue!!!!