Philanthropic Fun in 2010

Last December I wrote here on YPNation that I would try to tithe--to give away 10 percent of my income to charity. Well, I failed in 2009. I was only able to “five” last year (that is, I got to 5 percent).
 
Deciding to give at the very last minute, two weeks before Christmas (after being horrified by a remake of A Christmas Carol), may have been where I got tripped up. It was hard to mobilize that money and get it out the door in such a short time. I also lacked a real sense of where I wanted to give.
 
This week, a friend wrote me about that column. She was also in a position to give and excited by the idea of tithing. Had I made it? Had I reached my goal, she asked? And how had I handed it all out?
 
My first donation (about half of my total philanthropy) was to a fund for families in Massachusetts who have cancer. I saw on Facebook, a few days after my post, that my aunt was participating in a cycle-a-thon for this group. She attested that the money went straight to the few families who were attending the event. And that made me feel good. But I mostly gave to that charity to support my aunt, whom I love.
 
The rest of my donations were done according to one incarnation of tithing I had heard expressed on NPR's Marketplace: giving to organizations that had given me a boost along the way. A sort of paying back. In this philosophy, people often give back to their church, but one might consider giving to his or her college or university. Or, for example, I've worked for a few non-profits that accept donations, so I'm maintaining these relationships (and, in my mind, paying off some kind of a karmic debt) by giving.
 
This week’s column is an accountability check for me, but also a reminder to myself and to any of you out there that it’s best to start now to work giving into your accounting for 2010. It should be a healthy habit and not an explosion of extra funds at the end of the tax year. Also, with a little planning, giving can be more targeted, more creative, and have more impact.
 
On Monday, The New York Times published an article about The Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy. They are a group of friends who disperse money in creative ways and have regular dinner parties where they account for it, increasing the likelihood the money is given and linking giving to friends and to fun. Who says it has to be a private or somber or holy activity?
 
So note to myself, and to anyone else who wants to organize their philanthropy portfolio in 2010: Now is the time, not only to do it, but to find a buddy, and to make it fun. 
 
If you liked this piece and you are still looking for ways you can give back, take a look at this post on lending a hand in Haiti.
 
(Photo from Flickr by Eric__I_E; C.C. 2.0)