What are some of your favorite charities, i am looking to donate more because i believe donation is an ancient/animalistic tradition, i think our ancestors in a time before money, and trading, just gifted eachother. i find i get a better feeling when i donate.

I take any unwanted household items, toys, clothes to the local charity shops for them to resell. I found a local soup kitchen organization that provides for the homeless and poor. We donated a toddler bed and car seat to a young family that are going to have a baby in a few months.

I love animals and cannot have a pet right now so I donate my time and needed items to the local animal shelters.

I try to spread the word that animal shelters can always use old blankets, towels, toys, laundry soap, dish soap, paper towels, trash bags and food.

I donate a given portion of my income each year. I decide at the beginning of the year how much I can part with and divy it up amongst a few different categories of interest to me. My particular causes are pretty wide though ranging from supporting independent media (PRI here in the states), environment (there's a few organizations I like and I sometimes have to decide each year who's appealed the most to me), i support Oxfam because I just like what they do in general, I also support the Tzu Chi Foundation because I'm buddhist and I like their work, and I support a cause that does research on a terminal illness that runs in my family. Occasionally I may give to other causes if someone catches me off guard and I'm in a generous mood, but I prefer to stick with my planned donations because I feel Ive researched them welll and know that my money's going to good use.

Yup. I give old clothes/bags/toys/books etc to charity shops. I always seem to be sponsoring someone for something-or-other. I also make monthly donations to charity - comes straight out the bank.

I give old clothes, toys, home items, food, etc., to a local women's shelter and also to the children's shelter. The women living in the shelters are there due to domestic violence and are often needing to start all over, or leave without taking anything with them including the children's toys and clothes. They really depend upon these donations in a BIG way. The children's shelter are children that have been removed from their homes due to abuse and/or neglect, but have not been placed anywhere else (such as foster care or with another family member). They too need toys and clothes for the children for the same reasons, leaving home without having any of these items with them. I also donate money to both places in order for them to buy much needed office supplies, toiletries, etc. They can get grants from the state and federal govts. but it's not nearly enough to meet all of the needs they have.

At least once a year I will take new items to both places as well, toys, clothes, home items. Who doesn't like to play with a brand new toy, or wear clothes that no one else has worn? It really means a lot to the women and children.

[Edited 6/29/12 10:24am]

Yes, I donate (money usually) regularly to two museums and both of my alma maters. One of the museums is the one closest to where I grew up; it's a small, regional art center so my money goes a lot further there than if I gave money to somewhere like MoMA or the Guggenheim. For example, this year I donated a field trip for an entire grade from my former elementary school to see a special exhibition at that art center. Compared to how expensive things are in New York, it was SO cheap - $5/child! Unfortunately, $5 is too much for many of the families in my hometown.

When I give money to my alma maters I usually restrict it to the art history department and for museums it always goes towards education or the tour program.

Last year I donated about 10 of my art history books that I no longer wanted (I get dozens of exhibition catalogues for free because I give tours at a museum) to my former high school. The art teacher and librarian were thrilled.

I also donate clothes and other household items to the Goodwill as well as "freecycle" and use paperbackswap.com. Sadly, this past year I also made a few donations in memoriam.

Yes, mostly organizations that defend digital civil rights.

I make financial donations to the US fund for UNICEF.

My donations mostly go towards feeding children in places like Somalia and Darfur. You can request that a donation goes towards a particular program. There's a web site that rates the effectiveness of different charities and UNICEF is one of the better ones.