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Round up donations



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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 8:53 am
I was at a mall yesterday and when I paid, the cashier asked me if I want to donate to a charity. The total of my donation rounded up was less than 50 cents. I said yes, and the woman got very emotional. She told me that I’m the first customer today of many who donated.
Then I shopped at another store and the same thing happened. Again, I paid a few cents more towards the charity and I was told very thankfully that I’m the first person to do so.

This made me wonder. I feel really bad not to add a few cents to a purchase when I’m shopping. Like, if I can afford to spend $50 on shoes, what’s another few cents? Especially as a visibly Jewish woman, I really don’t want to make a chillul hashem. And between all the stores I shopped at I ended up paying $1.18 towards charity.
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mikayla18




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 8:56 am
Just be careful where it's going. I did it one time to xyz charity, I didn't even know what it was and then I looked it up after and it was for LGBT youths. I felt so bad about it, it was only 40 cents or whatever but be vigilant bcz non jews don't have the same "charities" as Jews do
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amother
Vermilion


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:42 am
Also the charities may have high overhead and not much going to help people.

I'd much prefer to give that money to a frum tzedaka I'm familiar with
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amother
Cornsilk


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:44 am
To the previous posters, it may be true that my pennies are funding causes that I don't support, but I wonder if it's still a good thing to do because of the kiddush Hashem. $1.18 isn't going to benefit anyone in this economy, but 3 sales ladies who now view Jewish people better can make a big ripple impact.
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singleagain




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:44 am
The other thing.. is that the store gets to take everyone's 30 or 40 cents and get a big tax write off bc the store donated several thousand dollars...

I mean yes every little bit helps but again I'd rather give direct to someplace I know
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STovah




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:44 am
She may have gotten emotional because perhaps she is eligible for some kind of bonus based on the number of “sales” of this sort that she generates. In general, if it’s not a charity I would write a check to, it’s not a charity I would donate to in this form.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:49 am
Won’t it come across as chillul hashem not to donate? The point is not if it’s going to help someone or not. Also, this is not instead of tzedakah. Of course I’d rather give to a good cause, but if I can make a kiddush hashem by donating a few cents, isn’t that the right thing to do?
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singleagain




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:51 am
amother OP wrote:
Won’t it come across as chillul hashem not to donate? The point is not if it’s going to help someone or not. Also, this is not instead of tzedakah. Of course I’d rather give to a good cause, but if I can make a kiddush hashem by donating a few cents, isn’t that the right thing to do?


I don't think it will cause a chillul hashem. A lot of people don't donate for many of the reasons listed on this thread.

I highly doubt cashier's are paying attention to who's not giving, especially since most ppl don't give
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amother
Grape


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:56 am
I don’t donate through stores like that because then it allows the company to take huge tax deductions and I feel like it’s more damaging to the overall economy than whatever benefit my pennies are doing
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theoneandonly




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 10:47 am
singleagain wrote:
The other thing.. is that the store gets to take everyone's 30 or 40 cents and get a big tax write off bc the store donated several thousand dollars...

Right, I was going to say that.
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mushkamothers




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 10:50 am
amother OP wrote:
Won’t it come across as chillul hashem not to donate? The point is not if it’s going to help someone or not. Also, this is not instead of tzedakah. Of course I’d rather give to a good cause, but if I can make a kiddush hashem by donating a few cents, isn’t that the right thing to do?


"Thank you, I already donate to my local organization."
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amother
Anemone


 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 11:07 am
amother Grape wrote:
I don’t donate through stores like that because then it allows the company to take huge tax deductions and I feel like it’s more damaging to the overall economy than whatever benefit my pennies are doing


Wow. How do they get a tax deduction with my donation?
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theoneandonly




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 11:09 am
amother Anemone wrote:
Wow. How do they get a tax deduction with my donation?

Just like you get to deduct charity you paid on your individual tax return, they get to deduct charity they paid on their tax return. Due to whatever quirk in tax law, the money you donate through their store gets to be claimed by them on their tax return.
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s1




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 11:13 am
I would donate at a till if asked. Definitely makes a kiddush Hashem. I also try to ask the homeless guy who sits outside the local Lidl if I can buy him something in the shop, and I donate monthly to a few charities eg cancer research and British Heart Foundation. I’m not rich and I also give to local tzedokas but I’ve heard it’s better to give a small amount to lots of different causes as it makes one into “a giver”.
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Debbie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jan 24 2023, 11:19 am
s1 wrote:
I would donate at a till if asked. Definitely makes a kiddush Hashem. I also try to ask the homeless guy who sits outside the local Lidl if I can buy him something in the shop, and I donate monthly to a few charities eg cancer research and British Heart Foundation. I’m not rich and I also give to local tzedokas but I’ve heard it’s better to give a small amount to lots of different causes as it makes one into “a giver”.


When I lived in Stamford Hill I would sometimes buy a sandwich and a drink for a homeless person or other sitting outside Sainsbury's they were always so grateful. I got many a 'G-d bless you.'
I have also heard that it's better to give smaller amounts to different causes.
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