I consider myself a fairly active person, and by “active,” I mean keeping up with various causes that I believe are worth my time. I promote fair trade coffee, encourage recycling, even plan out the cost of purchasing only clothing made without sweatshop labor. But there’s one thing I still find myself having a hard time getting behind: charities.

While it might sound absurd next to my other concerns, I have very mixed feelings about supporting charities. These thoughts stem not from some miserly condition of mine, but instead a cynicism as to what exactly my money is being used for. I guess my dilemma parallels that of seeing a homeless person on the street asking for change. Do you give them your money because you have faith in humanity, or because it doesn’t really hurt to? Or do you shy away and avoid making eye contact for fear of either being robbed while opening your wallet or discovering your gift will be used for alcohol?

Think about the sorority and fraternity members you see on the Quad during the year, shaking decorated Pringles cans half-full of pocket change. Try to recollect the causes you heard students shouting about, encouraging you to donate. Children’s literacy. Domestic shelters. Breast and prostate cancer. And certainly there are students out there who gave to these causes, whether because they wanted to be left alone, didn’t want to look like greedy jerks, or because they felt a genuine interest in furthering some cause. Afterwards, they might have felt some semblance of hope or self-satisfaction. “I did my good deed for today,” they might have thought. “I helped make a little bit of a difference.” Maybe they felt so charitable that they continued donating.in exchange for shots at Murphy’s.

Believe me when I say I don’t fault anyone for this. Your money is being used in some way by the nonprofit organization to which you donated (and unlike your suspicions regarding the homeless, it’s probably not being used for, say, crack cocaine). But personally, I don’t feel comfortable opening up my wallet unless I know how for sure how my gift will be spent. Is my dollar making the difference I want?

This column may seem peppered with many open-ended questions, but these really represent the ones I ask myself every time I hear about a charity. Maybe it sounds selfish, but I didn’t donate to a children’s literacy fund, or to a breast and prostate cancer organization. Do I know that my money will physically put someone in a classroom or community center and teach children how to read? If not, I would feel that my own involvement in conducting a literacy class would make a bigger impact than giving my money. I would sooner give my time than my cash to help others, and enjoy seeing the culmination of my volunteer efforts. Unfortunately, with a B in AP Biology in high school, I’m probably not qualified to perform cancer research in a laboratory somewhere. However, being certain that my quarters go directly toward funding those who are skilled enough to conduct lab research, or toward services provided (for free or drastically discounted cost) to cancer patients (shuttles for hospital visits, treatment, etc.) is more than enough to solicit my monetary support.

So for those of you who breeze past the masses of people requesting your hard-earned dollar, don’t feel bad. Perhaps we share the same internal dilemma, or perhaps you really don’t have the spare cash (whether you spent it on tuition or at Murphy’s). And for all the people asking for donations and giving them, it’s always wise to determine how your efforts effect change. No matter what category you fall into, there’s always something more valuable to give when you care about a cause-your time.

Chelsea is a junior in English and music and is currently listening to the Om Shanti Om soundtrack on loop.