To ask what charities you regularly donate to, and why?

[GinnyJumperoo]

What it says on the tin really.

My husband and I are finally earning enough to enable us to donate to a couple of charities each month. We have been discussing causes which are important to us and although we haven't fully decided yet, we think we want to focus on charities which help sick children. GOSH being one of them. Maybe Ronald McDonald or the children's hospices such as Rachel House (we had close friends who used it and can't speak highly enough of it). Perhaps something like the children's hospital at the new big hospital in Glasgow.

I guess the reason is that we have two young children ourselves and we are lucky enough that they are healthy. Some of our friends haven't been so fortunate.

Cancer research and the local hospice. I don't do direct debits, as I don't want them knowing my details, but I give them a lump sum a few times a year, donate to their charity shops, as well as looking round the shops.

I have a monthly DD set up to Sands - annually it adds up to the amount I would have spent on birthday and Christmas presents for my nephew who was stillborn. I also have a quarterly DD set up for a local children’s hospice.

Liberty, National Deaf Children's Association, National Autistic Society. I give time to FiLiA and my local night shelter.

I don’t donate often but when I do it always goes to a mental health charity as they always get overlooked and there’s still a massive stigma around it.

People are so ignorant on mental health that these charities need all the help they can get.

I don't do a monthly standing order, but I always sponsor friends for the following charities

local air ambulance
local childrens hospice
local hospice
local hospital cancer/chemo unit

Local small charities. Always. They are the ones who struggle to get funding unlike the bigger well known charities.

I sponsor a child through Plan, I have been doing it for years. I do a few other bits when I can, homeless charities at Christmas etc. I did telephone counselling for a charity for a couple of years but had to give it up as I just couldn't devote enough time to it.

My chosen charity is the Brain Tumour Charity. I was lucky enough to get a ballot spot in the London Marathon in 2015. I wasn't going to raise money for charity as I am a runner anyway so this was just a new challenge for me running wise. But people get excited about the marathon and quite a few people asked me who I was running for.

At the time a close friend's son was going through treatment for a brain tumour and so it just felt like a good charity to choose.

I remain involved in their FB campaigns which run virtual running challenges so I like to do them to raise awareness and give me some running goals.

I also donate my time by helping out at the local foodbank/resource centre for 3 hours a week. I started doing this at a time when I felt strongly that I wanted to give back something to voluntary services, as I had been on the receiving end of them (different ones) for a while.

For me it is rnli, cancer research and the local air ambulance. I also volunteer for the national trust and our village hall.

Whoever you choose - Direct debit or direct bank transfer is the way to do it - you dont get your details and the costs are minimised. Never justgiving or similar.

Should be ' they ' don't get your details. Also never chuggers!

CAP (Christians against Poverty). They are a debt help charity.
I personally know someone who received their help and it changed (probably saved) her life.
She's a different person now.

The local air ambulance. I cannot believe it is entirely voluntarily funded. It's completely non discriminatory and it saves lives, many, many lives.

I donate to medicine sans frontiers for the work they do in Syria and other refugee camps. And donate to other related initiatives that help refugees. And donate several hours per week to volunteering on a crisis line.

I donate monthly to ASN www.asn.org.uk who help women in the UK but outside the mainland to get the abortions they are legally entitled to. Because I wanted to die during a wanted pregnancy and I can't imagine having to endure that through an unwanted pregnancy.

GOSH and Asthma UK. Both got personal reasons.

Monthly Oxfam and Amnesty. Ad hoc MSF, Crisis, DEC. Annual IDDT, Dignity in Dying. Rotate unwanted items around all the local charity shops in turn.

We donate to a range of charities, but if you want to focus on helping sick children, you could look at the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative. It helps children who are infected with worms in subsaharan Africa, and it's rated by Givewell as one of the most effective charities that you can donate to, because it's possible to treat worms so cheaply and it has such a big impact.

www.givewell.org/charities/Schistosomiasis-Control-Initiative

World Child Cancer
www.worldchildcancer.org

Not a "cure finding" charity; but rather one which facilitates treatment and palliative care for children with cancer in developing countries where otherwise they might remain undiagnosed, be unable to access treatment or left to die with nothing but paracetamol for the pain. It works in part by the sharing of knowledge by some wonderful paediatric oncologists and specialist nurses from top hospitals, in part by funding drugs and in part by supporting families which would otherwise be unable to combine supporting a child in hospital and feeding and looking after the remainder of the family.

I like this charity because I think it far less likely to attract funds than charities from which we all benefit (like the big research charities).

My other favourite is Freedom From Torture, which helps refugees who have experienced torture, in particular by providing psychiatric and therapeutic help. Again, not a terribly popular cause

We donate to jdrf who are actively seeking a cure for type 1 diabetes.

I sponsor a Guide Dog pup and also occasionally buy things on our local animal rescue centres amazon wish list.

We donate something to the local food bank when we shop, because its disgusting that people go hungry.

We also donate to Action for Young Carers. they support children who are caring for disabled parents or other family members.

Also, Refuge, who help women and children leave domestic violence.

These should be basic services provided by the State.

I end up acquiring charities after realising how fortunate I am to have access to a particular thing in my life, and want to enable someone else to access the same. Examples are:
Sponsoring through plan, grateful to have grown up in the UK with its relative safety and opportunities.
Wateraid, plumbing is a wonder and completely taken for granted by those who have it. Everyone should have it.
MSF, I'm just so grateful for my access to the NHS, especially during pregnancy and childbirth, which without health care would have left my husband a childless widower.
St mungos, like a previous poster says, because homelessness must just suck.
AMAR international foundation - I was trying to find a charity to directly help those in Syria - they help rebuild infrastructure, provide education etc.
I realise how truly lucky I am in life and I have the means so it really is an obligation to try to share a bit of it. I also feel guilt that I have and others don't, if that makes sense?

Brain tumour support- my DM died of a brain tumour

MSF - similar to a PP they do good work in tough places and their advocacy seems focused on getting stuff done / factual

Oh and when I get paid I do a shop for my local town Food Bank and also West End of Newcastle one.

I also give my local pet rescue the pet food my fussy bastard cats don't like!

RNLI, Amnesty International, WaterAid, WWF, a local animal sanctuary, SafeHands for Mothers, Churches Conservation Trust, RSPB and the hospital which saved my baby's life!