{"id":80628,"date":"2019-12-01T22:43:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T05:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=80628"},"modified":"2019-12-02T10:07:36","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T17:07:36","slug":"its-the-giving-month-here-are-some-suggestions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2019\/12\/its-the-giving-month-here-are-some-suggestions.html","title":{"rendered":"It’s the Giving Month. Here are some suggestions."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Anonymous<\/a>
A face from the Interpreter Foundation\u2019s Witnesses<\/em> film project, in a still photo by James Jordan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re rapidly approaching Christmas 2019. \u00a0As I write, there are only 23 shopping days remaining until The Big Day.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shopping! \u00a0I couldn\u2019t possibly be more thrilled.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like me and you really don\u2019t need a whole lot more stuff<\/em> \u2014 and if, when you do need something, you\u2019re generally able to just go get it, which is what you typically do \u2014 the magic of finding toys under the tree is largely gone. \u00a0It\u2019s still fun to give<\/em> things, though. \u00a0And to serve others. \u00a0And common sense and even social scientific studies confirm that there is immense joy to be had in doing so. \u00a0In fact, giving and serving guarantee happiness just about as surely as anything else that we can do in this life, and far more than most<\/em> things that we spend our days doing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Frankly, though, many of the people to whom we give stuff don\u2019t really need many more \u201cthings\u201d\u00a0themselves<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, in an attempt to be helpful, I offer here some of my own preferences or choices. \u00a0There are scores, indeed hundreds and thousands, of other worthy places.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

First of all, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a> is again sponsoring its #Light the World campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I also strongly recommend service through, and gifts to,\u00a0LDS Charities<\/a>, which has been doing good work all around the world:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

You Can Do Something<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Church has also launched JustServe<\/a>, which I highly, highly commend to your attention. \u00a0Although it is sponsored by the Church, it isn\u2019t specifically oriented to Latter-day Saints. \u00a0Please, where appropriate, call it to the attention of others in your community:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.justserve.org<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among the myriad of other great organizations doing good nationally and internationally, here are two that have specifically caught my attention and that of my wife, and which I commend to your notice:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bountiful Children\u2019s Foundation<\/a> (formerly the\u00a0Liahona Children\u2019s Foundation)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Operation Underground Railroad<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I would be remiss in my duties as its president and as a committed believer in its mission not to mention the Interpreter Foundation<\/a>. \u00a0We are a very lean and quite efficient operation, almost entirely run and staffed by volunteers and making most of its products available for free or at cost, but our basic, regular expenses still run approximately $8000 per month, on average \u2014 which doesn\u2019t take into account our very ambitious but somewhat autonomous\u00a0Witnesses<\/em> film project \u2014 and the funds to cover those expenses must inescapably come almost entirely from donations.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not \u2014 contrary to the jubilant and absurdly confident declarations of certain anonymous internet detractors \u2014 in a perilous financial condition. \u00a0Nor anywhere near<\/em> to being in one. \u00a0But that\u2019s because of the generosity of many in our audience. \u00a0We depend upon continuing contributions.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, if you have enjoyed or benefited from anything we do, please consider making a donation. \u00a0No matter how small it may be, we appreciate it \u2014 and it will be effectively used.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Donating to the Interpreter Foundation<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally, are you aware of AmazonSmile<\/a>? \u00a0As we move ever deeper into the Christmas shopping frenzy, please don\u2019t forget this marvelous opportunity to give to your chosen cause \u2014 whether that\u2019s the Interpreter Foundation or any of the hundreds or thousands of other eligible charities that you might prefer \u2014 merely by shopping and\u00a0at absolutely no cost to yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Donate to Interpreter via AmazonSmile Purchases<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

How to Use AmazonSmile to Make Donations<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Really. \u00a0Everybody ought to do whatever online Amazon.com purchasing they do through AmazonSmile. \u00a0There\u2019s really no sound reason not<\/em> to do so.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The amount that you will be giving through AmazonSmile will be small, unless you\u2019re much, much more of a Christmas shopper than I am. \u00a0But, if enough people do it, the cumulative results are potentially quite significant. \u00a0Remember, though, that, because it costs you nothing at all \u2014 the money that goes to charity from AmazonSmile is actually Amazon\u2019s, not yours \u2014 you also receive no tax deduction for \u201cgiving\u201d through AmazonSmile and you cannot think of it as part of your charitable giving. \u00a0Using AmazonSmile should be absolutely basic for you. \u00a0If you want to actually give a real gift, that gift should be on top of what you regularly do via Amazon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019re nearing the end of 2019. \u00a0If there are ever times where it is especially appropriate to think about charitable giving, certainly December (for Americans, anyway) is one of them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 We\u2019re rapidly approaching Christmas 2019. \u00a0As I write, there are only 23 shopping days remaining until The Big Day. \u00a0 Shopping! \u00a0I couldn\u2019t possibly be more thrilled. \u00a0 If you\u2019re like me and you really don\u2019t need a whole lot more stuff \u2014 and if, when you do need something, you\u2019re generally able […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nIt's the Giving Month. 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