Ever wonder what to do with your old mobile phone?

Or that outdated iPod that you upgraded from years ago?

Or the myriad of chargers tangled up in a drawer that don't seem to fit any of your current gadgets?

If you're hungry for an answer, Pizza Pizza might be the solution.

In delivering on its commitment to the environment, the pizza giant is offering up free pepperoni slices in return for your old phones, iPods and chargers during the month of April.

A few weeks ago, Ottawa's Salvation Army fired its executive director after an internal audit revealed that $240,000 had gone missing.

A few days later, the charity revealed that some $2-million worth of toys and other donated goods went missing from, or never reached, its main distribution warehouse in Toronto.

Even though it's a great cause, sure makes you wonder who's minding the store.

But what about the case of Aaron Collins who passed away earlier this year, leaving behind one final wish for his family: Order a pizza and leave the server a $500 tip.

The family started a website to solicit donations, and then headed off to their favourite pizza spot to honour the 30-year-old's last request.

Women give more to charity than men and are more likely to give, when education, income and other factors affecting giving are equal, according to a new study from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at  Indiana University.

At every giving level, women were more likely to make donations and be more generous than men. The biggest difference was found among those who gave the most.

Both boomer and older women give 89% more to charity than their male counterparts. And, among those who are in the top 25% in income, the gap is even larger with these cohorts giving 156% more than similarly situated men.

There's one catch, however. The study concentrated on the giving habits of single heads of households; in other words, those who were separated, divorced, widowed or had never married. It didn't look at married couples because they often pool their incomes and make charitable decisions in tandem.

Scammers are a heartless bunch, which is news to no one.

But while everyone knows to keep an eye for fraudsters targeting seniors or surfacing ‘round the holidays, thieves know how to leverage tragedy, too.

They popped up after 9/11, and there they were following Norway’s massacre last year, pulling on heartstrings to pry on wallets.

Now? Merciless con men are turning the deadly Colorado Dark Knight Rises  shooting into an earning opportunity.

We’ve all heard the expression, “give ’til it hurts.” Now, some researchers are talking about “give ‘til it heals.” Can giving money to charity improve your health and physical well-being, too?

Yes, according to the Institute of Noetic Sciences  which recently highlighted some research that suggests that giving is good for you – for your health, your happiness and your sense of purpose.

The IONS report identifies three aspects of gifting – altruism, interconnectedness and compassion – that have been positively linked to physical health by various researchers.

One study found that a correlation exists between the degree of generosity and patients’ descriptions of better health, more positive emotional well-being, higher self-esteem, and a sense of personal control in their lives.

Is converting existing a few restaurants into a nonprofit pay-what-you-want eateries a gimmick or a good way of helping to feed the needy and raising money for charitable work?

Ron Shaich, who heads up the popular Panera Bread chain in the United States, certainly thinks it's the latter. The chainm's few pay-what-you-can spots look like a typical Panera location, except when you hit the checkout.

The menu board lists "suggested funding levels," not prices. Payments go into a donation box, though the cashiers provide change and handle credit card payments.

In many ways, "it was a test of humanity," says Shaich. "We didn't know if people would help each other or take advantage."

If you’re like me, who’s tasked with scouring financial headlines and articles all day, you really have no idea what shape the economy is in.

Well, you see the news. You know. Every story contradicts; one step forward, two steps back, another ahead to bring things even.

So what I’ve found is, since the recession’s outset in 2008, it takes a story that makes layman’s sense to put the economy in perspective.

Like this one: if you want proof things repaired last year, consider that people gave more to charity in 2011 than they did in 2010.

If the sound of buzzing across Canada kept you up last night, forgive a nation of moustache trimmers.

Yes, the final evening of November marked the final evening of wondrous moustache glory for thousands of Canadians, who shaved their Movember pushbrooms en masse as the calendar flipped months.

Yet don’t roll your eyes. Despite looking freaking awesome, Canada’s collective Movember moustache wasn’t just some ironic trend.

In fact, as of the latest numbers, Canucks’ Movember campaign raised the most money for prostate cancer research in the entire world.

Salvation Army kettle captains, God bless ‘em, must hear the following more often than a street escort looking like Rosie O’Donnell: “Sorry, haven’t got any cash.”

And just like that, the passerby nods, and on the charity workers go ringing their bells, braving the cold. That’s how it’s been at kettle sites on city streets and out front Walmarts for years.

But these holidays, the Salvation Army in some cities won’t let commuters and shoppers off so easy.

Many will be equipped with cell phones fitted with mobile payment systems, so anyone with a credit card – that is, most every consumer known to man – will have a tough time shrugging their shoulders when faced with solicitation this year.

After spending an unpaid week in Costa Rica building a school, a friend of mine can’t wait to do something similar next year. And he’s not alone.

Volunteer vacations are becoming increasingly popular with those who’d like to do a bit more than sit on the beach for a few days but don’t have the time to join the Peace Corps.  

In exchange for your work and dedication to their project and cause, sponsors like Global Volunteers will take you on an unbelievable journey – at a fairly reasonable cost.

In fact, it seems that just about every travel organization — from tour companies to luxury resorts — has a volunteer component, although prices rise proportionately.