MM Money

Making Your Generosity Pay

Excerpt: Fact is, people have good reason to be wary. In recent years several high-profile scandals have rocked the charitable world. Most recently, the American Red Cross was taken sharply to task over its plans (later dropped) to use some Sept. 11 funds for other purposes, while the Nature Conservancy was criticized for failing to disclose loans to its executives.

For Michael and Martha Hogan, giving to charity is not just a tradition -- it's a passion. The St. Louis couple, both 51, donate regularly to some two dozen nonprofits, ranging from major groups like the United Way and the National Kidney Foundation to the lesser-known Small World Adoption Foundation, which helped them adopt the youngest of their four children.

"The charities that get most of our time and money are the ones we're familiar with and where we see the most need," says Michael, an executive at a scientific-research company. But, he adds, "I'm a total sucker when someone asks me for a small amount."

Case in point: Last year Hogan was approached in a Wal-Mart parking lot by a man selling raffle tickets to support a program to teach inner-city kids to play golf.

"It was a steaming-hot day, and he looked like a regular guy with a job and other things to do," says Hogan. "But he was out there stumping for his cause." The man asked for a $5 donation. Hogan gave him $100, even though he'd never heard of the charity before.

"I just wanted to help him out," says Hogan. "It's not really rational -- it's just something that touches your heart."

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