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this is a good financial thread from eigen, but I want to riff off of it on the topic of charity, about which I have very strong opinions https://twitter.com/eigenrobot/status/1338574092274823168
My dad was the most charitable person I've ever known
About a quarter of my childhood was spent with another family in our house b/c dad would squeeze our family of 8 into half the house so we could help people who needed help
About a quarter of my childhood was spent with another family in our house b/c dad would squeeze our family of 8 into half the house so we could help people who needed help
I've always tithed (the practice of setting aside 10% of your income for charity) but my definition of charity is not at all the gov'ts definition
If every dollar you use for charity is tax deductible, you're doing it wrong
If every dollar you use for charity is tax deductible, you're doing it wrong
I keep a fund set aside for when the shit goes down
Shit goes down regularly enough, every 5-10 years
9-11, financial crisis, COVID, shit just goes down and no one can predict it and people suddenly need help
That's what this fund is for
Shit goes down regularly enough, every 5-10 years
9-11, financial crisis, COVID, shit just goes down and no one can predict it and people suddenly need help
That's what this fund is for
The "shit goes down" fund can grow pretty big b/c when the shit goes down a lot of people will need help
Several thousand dollars is not out of the question. The kind of money I would use to buy a car is what I put aside my "shit goes down" fund.
Several thousand dollars is not out of the question. The kind of money I would use to buy a car is what I put aside my "shit goes down" fund.
When the shit actually does go down, the money needs to be liquid and be able to reach the people who need it
This means either you need to be active in an organization (like a church) or you need to know people who are connected who can get the money to the people who need it
This means either you need to be active in an organization (like a church) or you need to know people who are connected who can get the money to the people who need it
I'm gonna embarrass @sonyasupposedly by praising her as I say that she was a contact point for fund distribution. She's a generous & outgoing person who wants to help.
I also spread money through my church and through local friends who knew people who needed things.
I also spread money through my church and through local friends who knew people who needed things.
The stuff people really need aren't always things that are tax deductible. Some need food or rent. Some need to move to be closer to family. Some need therapy or rehab.
Non-profits often have rules b/c you have to have rules.
But sometimes the rules don't fit the situation.
Non-profits often have rules b/c you have to have rules.
But sometimes the rules don't fit the situation.
Being a Christian has helped me in this b/c I don't see my giving fund as belonging to me. In my mind, it belongs to God so I can't take out of it without stealing from God.
That's why it grows. That's why it is there when people need it.
That's why it grows. That's why it is there when people need it.
My "shit goes down" fund has been a huge blessing to me b/c it means I can help people even when I'm uncertain about my own future
It takes discipline and work, but I highly recommend it. It's a thing that pays dividends in life.
It takes discipline and work, but I highly recommend it. It's a thing that pays dividends in life.
