During the holidays, we are all bombarded with requests for charitable giving. Sure, it's a great way to do something good and squeeze in one more tax deduction before year's end, but given the number of requests, making a choice about how to spend your charity dollars can be somewhat daunting. The Times focused this week on the dizzying number of food-related charities making year-end requests.

Alongside the more traditional hunger-related organizations, "[c]haritable groups dedicated to saving farms from bankruptcy or delivering vegetables to poor urban neighborhoods have popped up in recent years. So have groups that build organic gardens in struggling school districts or protect endangered indigenous foods like the O’odham pink bean." The overall advice for picking a charity that makes you feel good about where your dollar is going? Introspection. Would you rather see your money go to a local organization that has a very concrete impact, like a local food pantry, or to a larger charity involved in systemic change on an international basis? Only you can decide.

If you're looking for some options for food-related giving, the article is chock-full of good ideas: City Harvest, America's Second Harvest, Heifer International, Citymeals on Wheels, Yorkville Common Pantry, Share Our Strength, Action Against Hunger and the Menu for Hope, which donates proceeds to the UN World Food Programme. If you're looking for a way to donate while you're celebrating New Year's Eve this year, you might consider Boqueria or Suba, both hosting soirees to benefit the Food Bank for NYC. Did you give to a food-related charity this year? If so, tell us where and why.