Retired baby boomer here, and I want more than transparency in the charities that I support. I want personal involvement. My major donations go to local charities - food bank and women's emergency shelter. I am also involved on an intimate personal level. I am on the board of the emergency shelter and I grow vegetables in my garden for the food bank. As needed, I have donated my trade skills to the two charities.

Continual browbeating from my former family doctor who is volunteering in his retirement with Medecins Sans Frontieres has me now making donations to MSF. In fact, my old doc is also pressuring me into becoming a volunteer for MSF. He says a tradesman with my skills would be a valuable addition to many MSF projects. I didn't know that characters like me could be useful to MSF. I am a bit intrigued at the thought.