Charity is something that personally comes to mind this time of year.  For quite some time I’ve had a tradition of giving to a person or organization every year on the day before Thanksgiving.  Last year I gave to the National Association of Free Clinics (a very good cause).  This year I’m still evaluating my charity decision.   

I have found that charity rating services, like Charity Navigator and Charity Guide, are very helpful in evaluating charitable organizations.  Unfortunately, there are many “charity shysters” out there today who have formed their organizations to enrich themselves with very little going to the advertised needy recipients. 

In the past, my pre-Thanksgiving gift was not very carefully thought-out.  For many years, when living in the Bay Area, I would find a down-and-out person in Union Square in San Francisco and give him or her a crisp $100 bill.  Having been in close-to-similar circumstances at one time, I knew that this would probably be the best thing that had happened to that person all year.   

Each year I would find a homeless person with a dog.  I’m an avid dog lover, and I felt that anyone in that position, who was caring enough to also consider the needs of man’s-best-friend, had to be a good person.  When I gave him or her the $100 bill, I’d say, “Part of this gift should go to your loyal friend.”   

My wife told tell me that I was being played for a fool because panhandlers often find a pet to sit with them during the holidays.  She said that most of my gift recipients were probably just panhandlers who were only using their rent-a-pup to increase profits during the holiday season.  I disagreed.   

After several years of doing this, however, I found that practically every seemingly homeless person in Union Square had a dog with him/her on the day before Thanksgiving.   

Perhaps my wife was right.