Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for January 31, 2016

I paid my bar tab and gave credit for it to my Dad.

Paying well is the best revenge!

I don’t get this. I tell my kids (all grown up), donate to a charity, tell me who you gave it to. It is all good. Rather than a waste gift, someone who needs a hand up receives it. I have also been doing this with my parents and inlaws for years, and they all appreciate it. Seriously we have far too much wasted junk in north america, help out a kid in latin america, or africa, or even eastern europe. And darn it, Garry, it is not “halo polishing”. You don’t earn brownie points by doing this. It is just the right thing to do.

I, and my brother and sister-in-law, have been giving money to each other’s favorite charities at Christmas for some years. In all cases, these are organizations to which we would not ordinarily be giving donations, chosen by the honoree. We are all getting old and don’t need any more “stuff.” If anything, we need to get rid of stuff. So it helps several worthy causes that receive funds they otherwise would not see, and leaves a good taste in the mouths of giver and receiver.

Anybody seen Sorkh Razil lately?

War on Isis: Mystery sniper believed to have assassinated 3 Daesh chiefs in 10 days

I support many charities and don’t brag about it. It keeps me humble. Maybe some day I’ll give them money in addition to agreeing with them.

Looks like opinions divide here. My (grown) kids and I don’t need or want any more stuff. We agreed some years ago to donate to charities instead of sending gifts. (Different matter with the grandkids. My wife shops for them and sends gifts. Not knowing what they need or want, I just send them a check. More practical all around.) And it’s NOT “halo-polishing.” Why would we do that within our own family?

Who gets to claim the donation on their taxes?

Poor Gary didn’t get something he wanted for Xmas as a child.

Saywhatwhat, you’re absolutely right. I wasn’t claiming any equivalence with what was in the strip; I was only continuing a discussion that was launched by it.

Some years back, for the holidays, I donated a number of wood-burning stoves to a Native American charity for distribution to the needy on reservations, in the name of my extended family. I notified them all… not a peep from ’em. Was happy to make the donation, was disappointed in their lack of response.

I don’t mean to be a cheap gift giver, but I live in an isolated part of the country with not a lot of retail. Most of my family lives in cities with quick, close delivery. It is stupid and very expensive to have a gift sent to me which I then send back to them. Sorry, but online ordering directly to them is not only cheaper, but uses less fuel and resources. It’s the greener choice.

Yes, when I donate to a charity “in your name” I specify to the charity whose name it’s being donated in, and the charity sends that person a nice thank you note. I asked back in the day which charities they like, and picked ones we mutually support..Ben here apparently wants credit for donating in everyone’s name with a single (small?) donation to a charity only he is interested in.

Check out those charities you want to donate too. Many big charities have a high overhead of advertising and well paid staff. A large percentage of your donation goes to them first. A smaller percentage of your donation goes to help those you hope to help.

It wasn’t an extra check to the charity he “already supports”, it was the same ol’ check but in ALL the names of his relatives. In other words, he went to all that effort to remember the names of his relatives!

For Christmas and two grandkids’ birthdays, we raided a local thrift store. This particular store hires and trains handicapped folks, and the all seem to have a grand time. They have two stores. The items they sell are in very good to new condition, and are very inexpensive. They’re not in it for the money. It’s a win-win-win.

Couch turned into a Loveseat

Charity Navigator gives all the necessary information on where your money goes, how your chosen charity compares with other similar charities, the information you need to send the money where it will be put to the best use.

recently back from Korea. Got a 4D TV-not sold in US for xmas(we spend 3-4 months every year in Korea, own an apartment on Chae Do Do Island).So many very high tech stuff that can be purchased in Japan and Korea, but not in US-mostly do to US having low tech infrastructure.Entire country wired for WiFi. Cell phones work everywhere, no signal loss anywhere in country. Subways, road or train tunnels.Took the 300 mph train from Seoul to Pusan, faster than plane trip.IMVPO giving a single check to YOUR fav charity, then writing a note to all your close relatives claiming a small donation made in their name is very selfish and def. not xristian

Some years ago, three generations of my family mutually agreed, rather than give “stuff,” of which we all have too much, to give donations or something edible. Even the kids got to choose their charities of choice. After the holidays and birthdays, we get thank you’s from the recipients—even the kids.

My father spent some of his last years at an upscale retirement home in Illinois. The retirement home seems to have been targeted by solicitors for charities via a computer data base. This conclusion seems logical because all of the retirement homes are registered with the State of Illinois Department of Public Health. My father was on some computerized “hit list” either because of his address or that he had made a contribution to a local charity. Believing that all of the residents in the retirement home were targeted was supported by talking to the management of the retirement home and learning that a considerable number of “charities” loaded the residents mail boxes with solicitations. Whatever the precise details were, the result was that he was hounded by computer generated solicitations. Then the early Alzheimer’s kicked in. He could not remember that he had sent a contribution to a charity. He was bouncing checks but the bank took money out of his savings account to cover the checks. To the computers, my father was “gold” and kept belching out solicitations. I read some of them. They were artfully written. They could get blood from a stone.When my brother took my father’s checking account away from him via a PoA, my brother went through the check registers for as many years that could be found to learn that my father had donated about $20,000 in units of about $20 to $50 per donation. After my father’s death, the charities started calling my brother at his home to ask for contributions. These “charities” have no shame.LESSON: As a relative ages, their spending patterns must be monitored. At a certain point, the child must become the “parent” and take complete control of the parent’s finances. Better sooner than later.

@Skyrider“You seem to be missing the point … it IS “halo polishing” to BRAG about what a wonderful person YOU ARE”.But if I don’t do it, who will????Not that it would matter, who would believe me?

Interesting strip today. I always thought I was the only one who had those thoughts about charity donations as gifts.

I wonder if you can take a tax deduction if a donation was made in your name.

Fine to donate to a charity, but if my name is on it, I would like to pick the charity.