1 February 2008 125 views One Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

I grew up surrounded by family who contribute to worthy causes of a wide variety. I even had two separate piggy banks: one that would be donated to a charity whenever it was full and another that would be deposited in my savings account. These days, though, my donations have gone way down. I have to admit that when I’m planning out a budget for the month, I rarely remember to add philanthropic contributions to the list.

I live pretty frugally, but I don’t think that my forgetfulness is due to my small income. I have heard story after story about people with far less than I have still managing to contribute to charities. I do think, though, that there is something to the claim that Generation Y and Millennials — or whatever you want to call anyone born after 1976 or so — make much lower contributions to charities than Gen X or Baby Boomers. This seems to be at odds with claims that the same generations are become much more socially conscious than predecessors, but I think it is reconcilable.

It’s very true that I don’t contribute a lot of money to any organization, but I don’t feel like a miser. I’ve taken on pro bono work this year, as well as volunteered my time for causes I believe in. From past experiences, I know that a lot of organizations value a spare pair of hands over a small donation. I don’t feel I’m less philanthropic than my grandparents, who aren’t able to volunteer much but can afford to write a check. Instead, I feel like I’m doing the right thing when I offer to help out.

I also try to put my money where my mouth is when I’m making purchases. For instance, a lot of websites produce content that I enjoy and rely on, but those sites rely mainly on donations for their existence. I rarely, if ever, donate. But I do purchase merchandise and buy subscriptions that support those sites. I have a feeling that most of those sites would prefer donations over purchases, but it’s often something I don’t even think about.

There are some larger donations I eventually want to make, but in the meanwhile, I think donating my time is just better all around.

Am I alone on this one? Do you donate money to worthy causes? Or do you volunteer? Or do you just ignore all of it?