A small amount each month to a local child welfare charity whose founders I know personally. It would be dickish to not do so, really. I know exactly where the money goes because I get invited to the AGMs, and have actually seen some of the good work they do with it. The scale is tiny, maybe twenty, thirty needy kids helped in small ways each year, but it's a way of improving one's community with many microscopic pushes rather than one big, questionably effective shove.
A similar amount to a deaf childrens' charity that actually propositioned me on the doorstep. Which is a pretty unsafe thing to let yourself in for, I know, but I wasn't in the best of mental states at the time and wanted shot of them without being an asshole about it. I figured that I could just keep an eye on my bank account using my internet accounting facility and rapidly jump on anything untoward that happened, and research the organisation in the meantime. They turned up legit, and there was a profoundly deaf kid in my class at school who had a very rough time of it (and went a bit strange as a result) because of a lack of support, so I decided to let the direct debit continue. Again, it's something that will have a small and rather distributed effect, but a decidedly positive one all the same.
I also do my part with Childs' Play, with the nearest hospital to me on the map. Recognising a pattern? Helping those who most definitely can't help themselves, and keeping it fairly local (and in the latter case... I've worked in a childrens' hospital, I know how short they can be for new-ish, clean, fully functional toys...). In the latter two cases, not even meeting those involved, though they're nearby.
OK, CP isn't monthly, but it is annual. I also put in what small scrimp I can afford to the British Legion on their annual drive (these fellas ensured that I grew up in a peaceful and reasonably just world, and even that a couple of friends and distant family members got a chance at being born... we have a duty to look after them), and to Comic Relief/Children in Need when they come round (again, there's quite a few genuinely helpful and local projects they invest in, though a greater proportion of it is international - however, in this case, charity is most definitely starting at home).
Animal welfare ones, I don't get on board with so much. Not sure why. I can only stretch so far, for one, and I value human life more highly. Besides, if you really want to help out an animal protection charity or a shelter? Adopt one of their rescues and give it a good home, to take the pressure off... and drop off a crate of tinned food whilst you're at it.
Some people may feel differently to this. It's just an alternate opinion, yknow? They're not necessarily wrong, even though the rest of us may feel the money's better spent on our fellows. It's just a different kind of altruism - and maybe a form of penance, given that a large part of what animal welfare charities deal with is the fallout from human thoughtlessness, greed, or outright cruelty. EG rainforest destruction, or breeding dogs for pit fighting. We as a species have created that problem, it's kinda on us to fix it as well.
