Reply #21: thanks! I'm printing this one out for my musician friends!

[Lisa]

And -- an excellent commentary about charitable giving in general. Not only are we looking at the increasing chance of disasters in the future (due to changing environments, increasing vulnerability of many populations, and the trail of damage left by Dubya and his pals, among other rhings) -- but the whole nature of donations is shifting. A lot of charities are increasingly adopting a corporate fund-raising model, and trying to get people to commit to giving a set amount each month. While this makes it easier for them to plan, it also creates a problem for those of us who don't have a steady paycheck -- this includes many artists, academics, and seasonal workers. (I'm fortunate that I don't have a family to support, because while I was able to get by on fridge leftovers for a couple of weeks, after I spent my grocery budget on Katrina relief, I don't think I could have forced my kids to do the same!)

Knowing "how to give" is an important skill, and can prevent you from maxxing out your own resources -- or at the very least getting "donor fatigue". It helps a lot to have detailed research available, of the type being provided courtesy of the Plaid Adder! I have been experimenting with setting up a "dedicated charity account", using a set portion of my income, and any gifts which come my way. I've always felt uncomfortable about accepting money from friends (e.g. for doing work for them) -- and if I get any payments from writing stuff critical of Bush, I feel it should go to fixing things (so I don't feel I'm getting a profit, however indirectly, from people's misfortune. So any money which I have qualms about spending on myself, goes into the fund. As for figuring how much goes to whom ... that's when the information on all these different charities comes in handy.