What should I put in a Tzedakah box?

The short and obvious answer to this question is, “Money”.

But there are some more interesting questions hidden behind this simple one.

a)     If I have a tzedakah box at home, how much should I be putting into it?

The traditional Jewish guideline for giving Tzedakah is 10% of your after-tax income. (This My Jewish Learning article breaks this down further.) How much of that should come from your Tzedakah box will depend on your habits. 

b)     Should I put money into those donation boxes at stores?

This CBC article talks about some of the problems around those boxes; long story short: only donate if you know and trust the organization that is collecting.

c)      What should be the source of the money I put into my home tzedakah box?

This one’s up to you: some people have a tradition of emptying all the coins in their pocket at the end of the day, or on Shabbat. Others designate specific coins for the tzedakah box (for example, every dime and nickel, or every toonie).

 Having a tzedakah box at home can be helpful in building your habit of giving. At JewJu Box, we include a simple Tzedakah Box in every Basic Box, or it can be ordered on its own or as part of a custom box. Because it costs less than $10, more of your money can go where it’s needed.