Charitable donations

Yes I think I agree with what Rolcam says here. Tax deductions at least encourage people to donate who may not otherwise do that. Maybe its not as 'wholly' a donation as just giving without receiving in return is, but at least it's still doing some good. After all, he could be selling his un-needed stuff on ebay, and not donating at all. I LOVE donating stuff to charity, but that's also partly because I get something out of it - it makes me feel good! I think even if the motives aren't great, the more people who can be encouraged to donate the better.

I know a lot of people who give to organizations just so that they can right it off. I think that it's still good they are giving - even if they have ulterior motives. I myself give stuff to people at my mom's church and then if none of them want it then I take it to the goodwill drop box. I never ask for the receipt.

It's still a donation and I wouldn't even question your friend about it. I have a friend who works in the sanitation department in a neighboring city and you wouldn't beleive the stuff people just put out for trash pick up that could be used by someone who is needy! I always wonder why these people don't donate them to someone, somehow. Lamps, boxes of books, dishes, furniture; you name it! I'm always running things down to Salvation Army, but I don't bother with the receipt. Animals shelters are always looking for donations of old linens; sheets, towels. (Newspapers, too.)

As an employee at Goodwill Industries, let me just say that the number of people that actually end up getting the reciept is slim. At the store I worked at (not the donation center itself, just the store) we probably got around 30 seperate donations a day of people dropping off bags of clothes. Out of those 30 donations, it was only usually about 6 or 7 people that would take a reciept, and usually only after asked. As was stated before, the reciept is a great incentive, but the charity is still charity. Plus, the stuff the stores really need the stuff that's donated to do the work. Goodwill doesn't just sell the clothing, books, toys, or whatever other hard goods are donated back at low prices for people that can't afford that stuff new. The real point of Goodwill are the services offered to the handicapped, at least that's what I saw for Goodwill in New England. We got lots of customers that recieved aide from Goodwill, either because of a mental problem (generally the result of brain damage, sometimes birth problems), or because of deafness. Its those people that need the charity, so the donations that people give to Goodwill are really supporting that cause.