Do you or don't you.

I thought I made that quite clear EEjit - more than 80%.

I've done the Christmas present buying before from Oxfam, etc. Now we sponsor a donkey from a local charity and a child in Haiti and I'll give to local charities or community organisations.

Call me slow on the uptake but who has told you that you * must not*give tangible presents to your DGC yorkshire?
If their parents truly feel they have enough toys/clothes/books etc what is wrong with outings, short break holidays "extras" at school or if charitable giving must be involved, sponsoring a donkey which they can visit at a Sanctuary and on which they get regular updates?
So while not getting at you or anybody on this thread, I don't go along with anybody asking or telling about charitable giving, is that not a personal matter?

Lots of good points raised , agreeing with most of you. Recently I had a really good chat to a male Big Issue seller, we were talking about how difficult it is to engage with people in small towns where the people who are begging are few & far between .I like many others find it very difficult to give or engage with people who sit on the ground I have tried to work out what it is that feels so uncomfortable about it , has any one else felt the. Same?

I think a great deal of feeling uncomfortable about giving to beggars, is that you don't know if they are genuine or not.
also, I never give any money to a person with an open bucket.
If the charity volunteer looks genuine (accredited) and the collecting tin is not an open one, and it's a charity I support, then I give a donation.When neighbours put envelopes through the door for charities such as Save The Children and The RNLI then I also give a donation.Other than that we have two charities that we actively support and that's it.

Just going slightly off tangent....
Have any of you read 'A street cat named Bob' by James Bowen?
It's an entertaining and informative true story about a young man who was struggling in life (drugs/homelessness) until a stray cat appeared one day and changed his life forever.
It includes information about how the Big Issue selling works and is very informative. I'm just about to read the sequel.

I think the money allocated for a child's present for Christmas or birthday is, in a sense, their money. If they are old enough to make a choice, you could ask them if they would like a present or to make a donation, as you might an adult. If they are young, I would normally say buy a present.

I think you can make your own decision about how much of your money you can afford to give, or decide to give, to charity. There is no shortage of good causes. I tend to go with a brain tumour charity run by volunteers and a variety of others. I do not give at my door and prefer not to give in the street but, sometimes, I do.

Does anyone donate the Winter Fuel Allowance, I wonder? I know some need it for the allotted purpose, but some I know like to 'recycle' it to a good cause.

On another tack, when my DM died, we found a great pile of begging letters, pamphlets, etc. from various charities on her doormat. Mum was pretty sensible and didn't give willy nilly. But even so, the sheer number of pieces of mail from charities was staggering. I sent them all back 'Return to Sender', 'Unsolicited Mail'. I do the same if we get any. It works a treat!

The only charity I donate to is the local hospice as I know where the money goes. Most charities you donate to dont get the full amount you donate as it all goes on administration.

I have received book marks and coasters from the Red Cross. i see this as a way of trying to pressure me into donating money. I give them donations on an occasional basis - when there's a massive humanitarian disaster like the Haitian earthquake. Otherwise, I do have a preferred charity to which I make a monthly donation and I have also 'adopted' a snow leopard.

Blinko: Does anyone donate the Winter Fuel Allowance, I wonder? I know some need it for the allotted purpose, but some I know like to 'recycle' it to a good cause.

I do. I won't refuse it, there may come a time when I do need it.
But I always add a letter saying this is a one-off, don't send me begging letters cos it won't work. But I do give my name & address so they can claim Gift Aid too.