Charitable Giving - Giving Back

[Earlybird]

I watched the Prince's Trust event on telly this past weekend. The various newsclips about young people who've benefited were quite moving. It got me thinking that I really am fortunate in many ways, and should do something to help others.

If I had money/time to spare, think I'd prefer giving where I knew my contribution would make a noticeable difference instead of just a drop in the bucket of some huge organisation like Unicef, Cancer Research etc.

If you won the lottery, what sort of charitable giving would you do? Or would you start your own charity/give independently to individuals? Do you volunteer your time to a charity?

would depend on how much I won! I suppose I'd want to help out family and friends first - particularly with mortgages if we could afford it. Then would share it out to different charities - maybe though a scholarship or specific project.

Oooooo. My work colleague told me I was a philanthropist w/o the money!

I'd LOVE to do more to help the working poor, particulary when it comes to property and fees for further education - for people who are still stony skint and whose lives are an uphill battle, but are deemed to earn too much to get help except loans and are just a redundancy away from insolvency.

I'd also like to pay for private medical treatment for people like this, particularly for children, dring lesons, therapies for their kids if they have special needs, equipment, etc. Just to give people like this, like me, a little break. I know how much it would mean to them.

Also would love to sponsor a mobile unit to offer free spaying and neutering and basic veterinary care to household pets in deprived areas. This is done in the US and it's truly a great success when it comes to limited the number of unwanted pets which have to be destroyed.

Ever since I had DS1 (now 12) I have done voluntary work. I'm fortunate enough that I do not have to work to put food on the table and therefore feel that I would like to do something which benefits others. Extra money would come in very useful (not least to pay off my credit cards), but I feel my time is better spent doing something which can have a sometimes profound positive effect on someone who is not as fortunate as I. That sounds terribly sanctimonious and pious, and I'm not that at all - honest!

I should add that I do also give to a charity and support other charitable events with actual money.

If I won the lottery and won sufficient to make it worthwhile, I would probably set up my own charity to help worthwhile causes - just so that I could see the money was going where I'd like it to.

Some great ideas here. Anyone else?