How do you choose who to give to?

My favourite charity is MSF - Médecins Sans Frontieres. The work they do is beyond price in some of the most dangerous hell-holes in the world where people are most in need. I get regular bulletins from them which show me how and where the money I send is used. Another charity is Shelterbox which provides essentials for living to areas in crisis. I'll donate on an ad hoc basis to local charities and charities like Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Can I just say to those who have a limited budget and feel bothered that their donated amount is small that EVERY penny (literally) counts in my little charity and I would hope that's true of others too.

This is not the first time I have been advertising the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) as a way of giving to charity, but I do think it's a good idea. You set up an account with them and pay in £10 per month or more. If you're eligible for Gift Aid, they claim it and add it to your account. They take off a small amount for admin (less than the Gift Aid) and you can then decide where to put the money. You can do it by the card or cheques they send you or online (the website is not the most efficient, but if you're not in a hurry it works). The best thing ( I think) is that you can donate anonymously, so you do not get endless appeals for yet more money. We've done it for years and can change charities as and when we want, or respond to special appeals, and no follow-up!

Eglantine21, what is wrong with giving to charities which have helped you? At least you know what the money is being used for, and that people can actually benefit from it, and I don't think to call it 'self-focused' is fair. You are giving something back.

Auntieflo I had a similar experience a couple of years ago, approached someone representing the local air ambulance only to be told he wasn't accepting money just signing people up for regular donations.

We have small standing orders for charities throughout the year, but at Christmas we always give to the Salvation Army. My mother grew up in a poverty stricken family in a poor part of London, and she said the 'Sally Army' were always around the area helping with food, clothes and support. When she died I gave them her clothes - I felt she would have approved. You can see the Salvation Army out there on the streets actually doing so much good.

I choose a couple of different ones each year as well as my usual ones. Bought cards directly from RNLI, sent donation to Crisis, bought a couple of bales of hay for Hillside Farm animal charity and today in Sainsburys bought a bag of carrots for local horse and donkey sanctuary, apparently one of the donkeys is coming to collect them!
Last Sunday left a carrier bag of tinned food on doorstep for the Lions who make up hampers for people in need.
I too am on a pension so my donations are small but I hope it all helps.

DD to RNLI and I support local charities. I cannot understand why as an island nation the RNLI is not supported by government. It does an amazing job on donations.

Salvation Army and RNLI when in the UK ...now Emmaeus and Secours Catholique in France ...and donations to the clothing banks and the food bank ....NEVER send any info to anyone, but will give maybe an amount of cash say, as above, to the Sapeurs Pompiers (and for some reason !? the lady from La Poste ...in return for a calendar .....I am not sure what La Poste does with the money ....hopefully it donates it to charity and I don't mean the post office party !

I would have given a donation to Air Ambulance this morning, while out shopping. But were told, no cash. I think they wanted us to sign up for a monthly lottery, but we refused, so they lost that little bit of cash.

I'm just about to cancel my direct debits for Oxfam and Save the children,IF they used the money to help rathere than send me multiple glossy mailshots I'd happily continue the over 20 years I've been giving.I'm sure every penny I give must be swallowed up with these appeals by mail FROM PEOPLE WHO ALREADY GIVE .it doesn't make sense so my money will all be going to Mary's Meals from January ...I'm happy to say they dont write me begging letters several times a year and over 93% of every pound goes to the cause ..not the admin

And Marsden of course, almost every year throug ‘ Just Giving’

Last year it was ‘Crisis at Christmas’ - this year ‘British Legion’ - the trouble is they all expect the same every year and I can’t do it. Little bits during the year too to various.

I mostly only give to animal charities ( but not the RSPCA who are totally untrustworthy) as they can't help themselves and are widely abused by humans, the 'so called' superior species on this planet. Occasionally, I will give to medical or ex forces charities but NEVER EVER to foreign aid. The government already gives enough of taxpayers' money ( £25 million+ a day ) to that cause and achieves very little and it also encourages the recipient country to do less themselves. A lot of times the trouble people find themselves in is through their own choice- multiple babies by absconded men, substance or gambling abuse etc. They have far too much sympathy as the victim, in my opinion, and need to sort themselves out.

My OH gives monthly to the local air ambulance, we give to cancer or heart charities if they are collecting at somewhere like the supermarket. Lifeboats and poppy appeal are the only others I would give to.
I don't give to any of the overseas ones, where most of that money goes ... who knows?

The local Hospice were incredibly supportive during DH's illness, so I donate in his memory. Also to a local children's cancer charity.

That's it, I'm afraid. Much as I would love to, if I gave to everything that tugged at my heartstrings I would be bankrupt.

Army benevolent fund (my late husband's corp). They were so helpful and supportive when I was in need.

I have standing orders for Marie Curie and Anthony Nolan Trust, and play Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice lottery.
Most of my other donations are through Just Giving for friends who are looking for sponsors ( as long as it’s a good cause!)

I never give to Children in Need, ever since a playgroup in a very affluent area near us got £2000 for soft play equipment , and this was nearly 20 years ago.

I forgot to mention the french "Fire Brigade" (sapeurs pompiers) who also have first aid training and are on call for medical emergencies.
They are mostly volunteers, who have other jobs.
I always give them a good donation, which is used to support the families of volunteers who have lost their lives.
For serious medical emergencies there are paid professionals.
As I've had to call for them myself I appreciate their work.

We give monthly donations to Cancer Research and Men United, buy cards 2 or 3 times a year from Mouth & Foot artists and also send a Christmas donation to the Salvation Army. I am also considering sending a donation to Crisis. As well as that we support a local hospice charity and the Air Ambulane. As I tend to tell the door collectors, there is only so much you can give. DH also sends odd donations to Mind and Marie Curie. Actually we seem to give rather more than I had realised!

Although I work for a hospice charity, I prefer to give to the Salvation army and Cats Protection ...two very vulnerable groups in society to my mind who can be saved from end of life.

I'm with charleygirl - charity begins at home. And I don't have any spare money in the month to give any to charity.
I'm a Trustee of a Charity and I can't even afford to give to my Charity let alone any others.
I think all the advertising on the tv is wrong - the Salvation Army are asking for £19 and Christian Aid for £20 for example and that doesn't include the "it's only £3 or £4 a month" adverts. It's still begging.
I'm sorry but my money is to keep my family fed and clothed and the bills paid and if there's any left at the end of the month then i might buy myself a treat - which is shared between us.

I give to British Heart Foundation as my grandson now 12 had open heart surgery when only weeks old,both Mum and Dad also had major heart surgery,also give to local hospice.

So many of the charities aren't satisfied with a one off donation. Sorry, but I can't commit to regular payments, much as I'd love to be able to. Also the flood of emails asking for more and bigger donations if you donate online is infuriating. I do donate to disaster charities, and local good causes, also Children in need etc, but sadly you can't help everyone.

Always the Salvation Army at Christmas, partly in memory of my mother who used to give to them and often told me "they do a lot of good". I also love their music, particularly at this time of year. For any donation, I do it anonymously, to a street collector as it avoids being hounded by then for ever agter

Very tricky one this... so much call on our hearts and our purses...

What i have done and seems to work for me is decided what i want to contribute to long term... set up my DD's and that's that... I don't give them any extra.

Then if and when i get a sudden rush of compassion i can or don't send a fiver .... and move on to the next...

I do understand that regular gifts are good for charities... but my money is limited... and this is how i cope.