Where to donate and how much to donate?

In today’s times, charity should be done after thinking thoroughly, especially in terms of where to donate and how much to donate. In earlier days, wealth was earned righteously, so donations too were pure. Nowadays, much of the income comes through dishonest means. Hence, one must be especially mindful to use wealth in a noble way; otherwise, excessive ill-gotten money can lead one toward a lower life-form. Therefore, the scriptures advise that a certain portion of one’s income should always be offered in charity. But before giving charity, everyone faces the question that will the money be used for a good cause or be misused? Therefore, one should donate only where there is confidence that the wealth will be used for a noble purpose, and refrain from giving where there is a likelihood of misuse.

How much should one donate? Should all one’s property be left as inheritance for the children, or given away in charity? Where and to whom should one donate? The answers to all these questions are revealed here through the perspective of Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan.

One-Fifth of the income should be donated

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan says, “In this lifetime, whatever money you earn, you should donate one-fifth of it; either offer it to God in the temple or use it for the welfare of people. That way, your next life’s overdraft gets deposited in advance!” That means, whatever income you earn in this life, if you use one-fifth of it for noble causes such as charity, that much punya (merit karma) gets deposited for your next life.

Before deciding where to donate and how much to donate to charity, you must ensure that it doesn’t create difficulty in running your household. Charity should be given only from surplus money, that is, the amount left after meeting all daily necessities without causing any hardship. Donating money today and then having to worry about it tomorrow—that shouldn’t happen. Charity should only be given when you are confident that you won’t face any financial difficulty for at least next six months.

In India, among certain communities, there is a long-standing tradition passed down through generations to donate 20–25% of their annual income to temples or religious institutions. Just as the seeds sown in a field sprout and return to us many times over, similarly when we offer wealth towards religious or virtuous activities, it returns to us manifold in the next life as the fruit of our merit karma. And when we again dedicate a portion of that wealth to charitable purposes, we continue to earn more merit karma.

Inheritance for children

If we leave too much property to our children as inheritance and raise them in luxury, they may waste that wealth on addictions like alcohol and other wrong paths. Therefore, giving them excessive wealth is a mistake. Instead of that, we should educate our children well and help them become self-reliant through jobs or business. After that, parents’ major responsibility is fulfilled.

One can keep aside a certain amount of money in the bank to help their children in times of difficulty. However, do not tell them that you have kept this much money, otherwise they may create problems after knowing so. Marry off your daughters and give them gold ornaments and everything necessary. If your sons wish to start a business, offer them some financial help and make them take the rest of the money as a loan. This way, they will have a sense of responsibility and won’t become reckless. A little struggle in life ensures that children do not go astray.

Parents should first secure enough money for their own future before giving any to their children. The will should be made in such a way that it safeguards both the children’s interests and their own. Half of the assets should be kept aside for ourselves, and the remaining half can be disclosed in the will. We should leave behind for our children only as much wealth as we ourselves inherited from our parents and grandparents. Whatever we have earned beyond that should, after our passing, be used for religious purposes or for the welfare of others. This is a key to deciding where to donate.

Give charity with discretion

Charity should be given thoughtfully. Let us look at an episode from the Ramayana. When Lord Rama went into exile for fourteen years, He entrusted the kingdom to His younger brother Bharat and said, “Do not let the people suffer.” Taking this to heart, Bharat stopped collecting taxes from the citizens and distributed all the wealth from the royal treasury among the people until the treasury was nearly empty. As a result, the people became idle and ultimately impoverished. Instead of giving cash to those in need, one should guide them on how to live happily and manage their lives properly. If a poor person is given thousands of rupees in charity, he may become lazy and stop working from the very next day. Once a person gets money without effort, he tends to go astray. Instead of giving such people cash, it is better to help them find employment or start a small business. Alternatively, provide them with essential items they truly need. If money given in charity is later wasted on alcohol or gambling, then that donation is in vain.

One must also give some thought while donating material goods. For example, if one feels compassionate on seeing people sleeping on the footpath, they might think, “If it’s so hard to bear the cold even inside a house, how must these poor people survive out here?” Moved by pity, they spend their own money and buy about 100-125 ordinary-quality blankets to distribute among the homeless. Early in the morning, around four o’clock, they go and cover the sleeping poor with those blankets. However, when they visit the place five or seven days later, not a single blanket is to be seen. Upon inquiring, they discover that the people had sold the brand-new blankets to get some cash instead.

Param Pujya Dadashri says that charity should not be given in this way. Instead of giving them brand-new blankets, one should buy second-hand but clean blankets from the market at a reasonable price and give those. Because if the person tries to sell them, no one would buy those old blankets. So, if you have a budget of five hundred rupees per person, then instead of buying one new blanket for five hundred, you could buy three used ones and distribute them.

Moreover, instead of giving someone cash, it is better to bring food from somewhere and feed them, or buy sweets and distribute it among them. Do not even hand over a box of sweets, because they might sell it to someone else at half price to collect money. If we give cash donations to people with violent tendencies, they will commit more violence. Therefore, give charity with great care and thoughtful consideration, so that it is not misused.

Nowadays, it’s difficult to say who is truly poor! Even a beggar you give money to might have lakhs of rupees deposited in the bank. Collecting money in the name of beggary has itself become a business. So, who really is in need of charity and how to determine where to donate? Those who are struggling financially but cannot bring themselves to ask for help, those who silently suffer and live under constant pressure; it is to such middle-class people that charity should be given.

A person who gives true charity is naturally quite an expert at it. Just by looking at someone, they can instantly understand whether that person’s need for charity is genuine or not. Suppose a person comes asking for cash to get his daughter married, but if his intent doesn’t seem right, instead of giving him money, they would invite the daughter home and give her clothes, ornaments, and other things needed for the wedding, and also send sweets to their relatives from one’s own home. In this way, the responsibility is fulfilled properly without handing over cash.

Charity is truly meaningful only when it is given willingly and joyfully. When there is no fundraising competition over giving, and no asking for money from others, that is considered the highest form of charity. When it comes to deciding where to donate, the best place to offer donations is where the funds are not used for the personal expenses or benefit of the religious heads, but are instead directed toward supporting genuine religious or charitable activities.