charity

In a Time of Enmity, the Charitable Deduction May Be Too Good to Give Up

Posted on 03/15/2012 by | Philanthropy & Fundraising | Comments

VolunteeringThe Federal Government is looking for money.  I know, big surprise.  Next target: remove the charitable gift deduction. In a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jack Shakely shares that in this time of deficits, the deduction may be too costly to keep. And he has a point. An individual giving a million dollar gift to a building project or a new national program – doesn’t need the tax deduction. Seventy percent of Americans don’t itemize and don’t get the …

How Much Does Your Candidate Give To Charity?

Posted on 03/6/2012 by | Giving & Volunteering | Comments

Money & Savings | PoliticsIt’s Super Tuesday and voters in 11 states are waking up to the opportunity to help determine who will be the republican candidate for president of the United States. From job creation to the deficit to the future of Social Security and Medicare, we put the candidates under our own microscopes in order to help us figure out which lever to pull. But what about their character? With all the mudslinging and canned debate rhetoric, how do you tap into …

5 Tips for Being a Charitable Cheapskate

Posted on 12/27/2011 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsAnybody who knows me personally or has read what I write realizes that while I make a sport out of pinching pennies, I don’t condone being a cheapskate when it comes to giving to charity or helping those in need.  And there are a lot of “charitable cheapskates” out there like me: When I surveyed 300+ proud, self-proclaimed cheapskates for my last book, I found that on average they donated more than twice as much to charity as the typical …

What can you do for your country?

Posted on 12/22/2011 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

VolunteeringIn the endless spatter of political news and propaganda it is easy to miss important decisions that our leaders might be making. One is a potential cut in social programs to help pay for tax relief. If it’s not already clear how I feel about this, here’s the summary:

How To Beat the Winter Blahs and Start Exercising

Posted on 11/21/2011 by | General News | Comments

Personal HealthThe following is a guest post by Annie Lynsen, on loan to AARP from Small Act. If you’re anything like me, it’s nearly impossible to get motivated to exercise in the winter. In the morning, the mental fight between getting up early to engage in strenuous activity versus getting an additional half hour of sleep is often a losing battle. In the evening, it’s dark and everything in your soul is telling you to curl up with a blanket, a …

One Give A Day

Posted on 02/25/2011 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

VolunteeringHere’s an inspiring and fascinating twist on charitable giving: A man who doesn’t have a lot decided to give a little bit to a different charity every day for a year, and he set up a Web site to encourage others to give to his featured charities. Who is he? Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, a Chicago-based actor who decided to launch his mission – Living Philanthropic – after ruminating on what it would take to give to charity every day. He …

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