Hi Dosho,
Well, this is something we all have to wrestle with for ourselves. I will say that there are many ways to give ... and the old "
it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish" is often very true. A householder need not sell his household and give it away, but can reasonably take care of his/her family.
On the other hand, we must learn the true meaning of generosity and moderation, not being attached to material goods and success. We should learn to share and help others.
Can we honestly say that we are contributing to society, making a better world, and not merely lining our own pockets and cheaply amusing ourselves?
The Buddha (for example, in the The Brahmajala Sutta) describes many form of giving ... it does not only have to be in the form of money and material goods ...
The perfection of giving is to be practiced by benefiting beings in many ways — by relinquishing one's happiness, belongings, body and life to others, by dispelling their fear, and by instructing them in the Dhamma Herein, giving is threefold by way of the object to be given: the giving of material things (amisadana), the giving of fearlessness (abhayadana), and the giving of the Dhamma (dhammadana).
This is a very big and important topic, and I am thinking that we may make a special study of this topic for a week ... much as we did the Precepts for Jukai. In the meantime, I very much appreciate Rob's comment ...
I think your question has just about answered itself. If giving $5 hurts a bit under the burden of your current obligations, that $5 donation toward the well-being of sentient beings *is* dana.
Yes, for sure.
Gassho, Jundo