In the spirit of the holiday season, the New York Times presents a discussion of the ethics of philanthropy, showing just how easy it would be to eliminate global poverty.

In the same spirit, I'll be continuing the tradition I started last year, of giving the money I would otherwise spend on client gifts and holiday cards to charity. I certainly don't have the resources of the Gates Foundation, but every little bit helps. This year, I'll be donating to:

• Rosie's Place provides shelter and social services for homeless women in Boston.


• Glide Foundation serves the poor and homeless in San Francisco.


• Habitat for Humanity builds decent housing for homeless and poorly housed families around the world.

I hope you'll join me in giving what you can to these groups, or to the charity of your choice. If you'd like to see which charities make the best use of the money they receive, check out Charity Navigator's extensive ratings.