How much should you give?

Another reason to give more systematically: Donors who want a tax deduction can no longer write off the cash they drop in the collection plate or the coins they plop in a kettle. The Internal Revenue Service now requires receipts, canceled checks or other evidence to back up your deductions.

As for how much to give, Miniutti declined to give a firm answer, saying it's up to individuals to evaluate their own circumstances and ability to give. But, she adds, "most people say around 3%" of after-tax income is a good goal.

Mary Hunt, the creator and editor of the Web site Debt-Proof Living, says her family shoots for more: about 10% of after-tax income. Hunt says her family continued to give to charity even while digging out from more than $100,000 in credit card and other unsecured debt, a process that took 13 years.

Hunt might have paid down her debt faster by suspending all her charitable giving, but she's convinced the donations actually helped her achieve the goal of being free of debt.

"Giving is the antidote for greed, which I believe is at the heart of the problem we have in this country with consumer debt," says Hunt, the author of several books, including "Live Your Life for Half the Price." "We just want more than we can afford, and the more we get, the more we want. Pretty soon even more isn't enough."

By contrast, Hunt says, "giving connects me to the world, takes my eyes off myself and makes me more willing to want what I have instead of wanting all that I don't have -- and to be grateful for it."

She recommends that others who want to give start "with $1, if that's all a person can possibly handle," and work up to their giving goal from there.

Make your dollars do the most good

Not everyone views charitable giving as a priority, of course. Some people think they give enough through their taxes to support others, and a few don't have a charitable bone in their body.

But if you want to give, and give wisely, consider taking the following steps:

• See how generous you are. Find the "total income" line on your latest completed tax return and subtract from that your total tax. Now divide your charitable donations by that after-tax income. If you itemize, your gifts to charity will be listed in Schedule A. Otherwise, you'll need to look through your receipts and bank statements to find a total (or, if you use personal-finance software like Microsoft Money or Quicken to track your spending, you can use the "report" feature to find out how much you gave to charity).

• Consider your other goals. Charitable giving should be part of your overall financial plan. Make sure you're covering your basic expenses, saving adequately for retirement and not incurring credit card debt or other high-rate debt before you step up your contributions. If your current giving is preventing you from achieving those other goals, think about reducing your donations temporarily while you get back on track.

• Figure out where you want to be. How we spend our money is tangible evidence of what we value most in our lives. Setting a goal to donate a certain amount of our incomes elevates charity from a whim to a priority. If you need some help getting inspired to give (as well as some instant gratitude), check out the calculator at Global Rich List to see where you stand financially compared with the rest of the world.

• Mull your alternatives. If you can't give as much cash as you'd like, are there other ways you can help? Donating food, household items and clothing in good condition can help many nonprofits, as can volunteering your time. If you have unused frequent-flier miles, those can be contributed to good causes, as well.

• Research your options. Evaluators like Charity Navigator and GuideStar can help you decide where your money will do the most good. Miniutti recommends investigating the nonprofit's privacy policy and requesting that the charity not sell your name to other organizations.

• Consider making it automatic. I'm convinced the best way to invest, save, pay bills and, yes, contribute to charity is to do so automatically. If you have to write a check every month, you're more likely to find other things to do with the money and fall behind in your goals. If it's whisked away automatically, though, you probably won't miss it.

Many large employers offer the option of giving a percentage of your paycheck to charities. You also can set up recurring payments with your online bill-payment system. You may be able to arrange with the charity to have your contribution deducted from your checking account each month, or have it charged to your credit card (just make sure to pay the bill off in full every month).

Be prepared, though. Giving can have unexpected payoffs. "I can tell you from experience that giving returns so much in terms of peace, patience and joy," Hunt says. "You just want to give more."

If you've decided to boost your charitable giving or want some suggestions on how to find money to give, please come visit us on the Your Money message board and share your story.

Liz Pulliam Weston's new book, "Easy Money: How to Simplify Your Finances and Get What You Want Out of Life," is now available. Columns by Weston, the Web's most-read personal-finance writer and winner of the 2007 Clarion Award for online journalism, appear every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. She also answers reader questions on the Your Money message board.

Updated May 5, 2008

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