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Your Generosity Test

BCBusiness

| June 8, 2009

Image by: iStock

Times are tough, and you might be tempted to downgrade your do-goodery – but we’re here to tell you that giving back doesn’t necessarily mean giving up a lot.

As this list shows, some philanthropic deeds can be done on the cheap – and some are easier said than done. Where do you draw the line?

Feel free to add your own ethical quagmire to the comment field below.

Advice: Words of wisdom from the philanthropy trenches
Advice: How to Do Well at Doing Good
More: The Bentalls Give Away $100M
More: 2007 Profile of Frank Giustra
More: Rennie: The Small Give Is Over

Easy: Pray for someone
Not as easy: Pray for someone you don’t like

Easy: Hold the elevator door for someone
Not as easy: Hold the elevator door for someone – and break your fingers in the process

Easy: Buy a 50/50 ticket at your beer league softball game
Not as easy: Buy a 0/100 ticket at your beer league softball game (somehow)

Easy: Buy a box of Girl Guide cookies from the neighbour kid
Not as easy: Buy a box of Girl Guide cookies from the neighbour kid – but not the mint-flavoured ones

Easy: Put your empties out in the alley
Not as easy: Put full bottles out in the alley

Easy: Offer up your seat on the SkyTrain
Not as easy: Offer up your seat on the SkyTrain to an ill-tempered, unattractive old coot

Easy: Let someone in while driving
Not as easy: Let someone into your car while driving

Not too hard: Sign your organ donor card
Fairly hard: Donate an organ while still alive

Not too hard: Donate to a charity that digs wells in Africa
Fairly hard: Dig a well in Africa yourself

Not too hard: Tell your spouse you like their undercooked quiche so as not to hurt his/her feelings
Fairly hard: Eat up all of your spouse’s undercooked quiche before the rest of the party guests get sick from it

Not too hard: Volunteer to be a Big Brother or Sister
Much harder: Volunteer to be a hostage

Kinda hard: Try to break up a knife fight
Much harder: Try to break up a knife fight between 2 million people

Quite a feat: End world hunger
Saintly indeed: End world hunger without any credit