My Donations 2012

This is something new for me to share more of my personal tracking. I decided to be a better self-tracker in 2012. I tracked places I went in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 but only last year did I start to track in a real way a number of other personal items. That list includes books I read (that post is coming soon) and 100% of donations versus just my larger donations. I decided to include a second column for crowdfunding. It's all split up below but I wanted to be able to really dig in and share where I'm giving to.

My goal was 1% of my salary. I have been exceeding that for most of my career (before the One Percent Foundation was created, though I do love that there is a larger movement towards something I believe in.

In giving there were a few areas that I really focus on. I first go local, so I give to places that were meaningful to me growing up like my alma maters and then I give locally to where I live. I also give to organizations that focus on my core areas: women & girls, financial literacy & microfinance and education. I also give when friends ask. So quite a few donations below are to birthday or other various fundraisers. I believe many of us are giving to organizations because friends ask and I know I greatly appreciate it when I ask and friends give so this is also really important to me. I give to people who I believe in. I give to more startup nonprofits than established ones. I give to socially relevant topics like Planned Parenhood's battle last year. I give to places where I also dedicate my time volunteering and playing a bigger role (Kiva, She's The First, Resolve, Step Up Women's Network). Last, I included crowdfunding in my tracking just to see how much I gave over last year to Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. These aren't part of my total donations but I did track them.

I'm not releasing the actual amounts instead I bucketed below. I'm excited to track again this year and really look at where I'm giving and how it supports my overall giving philosophy. I am going to be writing more about my own giving philosophy and am excited to put some of those thoughts to paper and share them here.

If you have a giving philosophy and want to share that with me, I'd love to hear from you.

Without further ado, giving in 2012.

$0-$100 Care For The Homeless charity:water Hole In The Wall Gang Kiva Plant A Fish Red Cross

$100-$250 BPeace Glory Reborn Resolve Network (Advisory Board) Shady Side Academy St. Edmund's Academy Step Up Women's Network University of Vermont

$500+ She's The First*

Additional fundraising platforms used: Crowdrise Razoo Kickstarter IndieGoGo