WOW! I'm a bit surprised at the replies.
We made regular contributions even before we really had the financial means to do so. Once we achieved some financial independence, we contributed generously. I thought it was the "right thing to do". I was convinced WTS used the donations frugally and to promote good things. I was a "believer". That gradually changed.
I first stopped all "green handshakes" when it was evident that the CO was living a better lifestyle than we were.
I next stopped all donations at Circus Assms when I saw how they wasted donated funds (after being appointed an elder and sitting in on the "business meetings"). They couldn't give a flying f**k about how they spent the donations of the "widows". Send all excess donations to NY so we look good!
I then stopped donations to the WorldWideWork and limited it to Kingdom Hall Building Fund and when our local Cong needed extra funds.
When it became evident (as I am clearly a "slow learner") that it was all a money scam and they could NEVER GET ENOUGH, I cut 'em off completely and concentrated on helping individuals that were less fortunate and in a financial bind (not because of their own stupid asset management). Tires and battery for an elderly widow's car. Airline ticket for an widowed, pioneer sister who had decided she needed to renew the relationship with her DFd son, who she had shunned because he was gay. A car for a single mom of 3 kids whose hubby abandoned her.
I saw such "causes" as things that deserved financial assistance much more than the greedy WTS and I felt like I could really make a difference in these people's lives.