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100 Words On: Donating to the Company Charity Drive

By Erin Baker

This is a guest post from Erin Baker who has several blogs including The Dog Ate My Wallet and, appropriately, 100 Words On. Check them both out when you get a chance!

The Holiday Giving Season is almost upon us. If your company sponsors a specific charity, the decision to give as an employee can be a tricky one. Is this an organization you might give to anyway? Is participating in the company charity drive one of those “intangibles” that might be taken into account when you try to move up the corporate ladder? Will donating get you something you want (like the opportunity to wear jeans)?

The bottom line: Donate only if you want to (for whatever reason). Otherwise, don’t let someone else tell you where your charity dollars should go.

Photo Credit: Elliot Brown

November 22, 2012

Comments

  1. 1

    Hugh says

    I never donate to charity campaigns sponsored by corporations, for 2 reasons.

    First, I assume that the sponsoring corporation will use the donation to secure a tax credit for itself, and second, the corporation will use the collected donations to make itself, as opposed to the individual donors, look good in the eyes of the public.

    When I wish to donate anonymously, I simply do so as an individual, and should I want a tax receipt, I donate in my own name.

  2. 2

    Lance @ Money Life and More says

    I try to avoid them personally. They’re normally bigger organizations that probably have more waste than the more local ones.

  3. 3

    shanendoah@The Dog Ate My Wallet says

    Thanks for letting me write a guest post, Len!

    My company has it’s own charitable arm, so that’s who they are trying to get us to donate to. And at some point I might, because it provides good networking opportunities and because I do support the work our foundation does. But for the most part, I don’t let other people tell me where my charitable dollars should go.

  4. 4

    Daisy @ Everything Finance says

    I’m not sure why, but I tend to avoid such drives. I do like giving to charity but I guess I don’t like mixing my personal interests and favorite charities with work, and I also don’t usually give to the larger charities with high administrative costs. Work drives tend to be about the larger charities.

  5. 5

    Jerry says

    People think donating is insurance that you feel like a good person. There are many things that you can do besides giving money that will lead to good results, too. And, if you don’t have it to give then it’s a no-brainer. Give time.

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