How do you choose who to give to?

I support my local hospice and a local animal charity. I know that everything donated to them gets to where it's most useful and not in a chairman's bank account.

I send Action Aid a contribution once a year by DD, also have DD for a Guide Dog raffle once a month and my husband gives talks and donates the fees to the Alzheimer's Soc. In between it's as and when we can afford to give something and I no longer feel guilty about ignoring all the appeals we get.

I have a SIL who gives up time at Christmad to help out at CRISIS and having heard first hand how a few days with them can turn people's lives around we support them every year. I have also this year sent a donation to MNDA in memory of my sister who died from this dreadful disease at age 54 twenty years ago. Donate where your heart guides you if you are able.

We choose a different charity each Christmas and send a cheque. This year it is going to Leprosy Mission.

I give (irregularly) to a charity for cancer research and support, physically handicapped children, and training guide dogs. My reason - these were the first requests I received when we came to live here.
Since then I've had requests from many more, by post, but can't afford it.

Crohns and Colitis. My 16 yr old has crohns, so we support this charity. Also the air ambulance as my dad was air lifted to hospital after an accident a couple of years ago.
Apart from these I don't support any other charity.

Salvation army, because they go in where others won't go, and wear silly hats while doing it.(at least they used to.)

I support my local hospice. I dislike the charity adverts on television, finding them very staged and manipulative.
I expect I am hard hearted, but I want to see where my money is going

The National Brain Appeal, which funds research into neurology and brain surgery. (My SIL had brain surgery, and my closest friend’s son is brain-damaged as a result of a diabetic hypo when in his early 30s). Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is another good one.

I don’t think I give enough.

I give to smaller local charities. If I receive something in the post asking for money, I look up how much the CEO of that charity is being paid - if it is over £100,000 they don't get my money.

Cancer and Alzheimer's charities get my donations and I volunteer for the Alzheimer's Society on a weekly basis. DH volunteers for RVS and we support Headway whenever possible. Headway were a fantastic help to DS when he had a stroke.

Monthly NSPCC and Many Tears animal charity. Instead of buying presents for each other at Christmas we support Crisis although this year we have chosen to support a local homeless charity. For birthdays and anniversaries we support Smiletrain. When you get to our age we find we have everything we want or need.

DH and I have a monthly DD for a charity each (guide Dogs for him and Sightsavers for me). We have had these for many years. After that its local charities for us and the occasional sponsorship for DD2 when she does a big run - her company sponsor Headway.

I believe that charity begins at home.

I find it quite deplorable that respectable charities seem to home in on pressuring vulnerable people. My mum was hounded, too.

I choose to support my local hospice, full stop. I can't afford to spread my charity around so it makes more sense to donate a significant amount somewhere that I trust.
I have an elderly neighbour who is hounded by charities using the most pressurising tactics. Shame on them!

I now avoid the chuggers as I think they are called. The ones who come at you in the street with a clipboard to try and get you to sign up to ongoing payments.

I agree kirbygirl I feel like giving to everyone but tend to pick those close to my heart. Cancer, BHF, Alzheimer's, then usually those who need aid at Christmas with blankets or food etc. Donate to local food banks when shopping. It's hard to know where the money goes and what are genuine collections.

I give to the ones that have directly helped me or my family. Marie Curie, Air Ambulance, local Sue Ryder hospice.
A bit self-focused I know.

My mum and I would always be reduced to tears at the donkey charity advert this time of year, and end up donating, even though we had said we wouldn't.

It is very hard in this cruel world to know what to do. We support Action Aid (which has a good rack record) and the local hospice. I also give an annual donation to Crisis.

Anything else that comes in goes in the bin without being read I am afraid.

I never give to charities that send me things as a bribe.

I support small, local charities whose workers are volunteers. I'm fed up and disillusioned with the Big charities - too much of our donation never reaches the people/animals that we intended it for.

I suppose it would be helpful to narrow them down as much as possible, then commit to one or two. Then throw away and don't read any info about any of the others.
Next year you could include ones that didn't get chosen this time.