Our Favorite Holiday Charities
by Amanda Wills
Published on December 15th, 2009
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The holidays are often synonymous with overindulgence and excessive spending. But who says those expenditures have to apply to new gadgets or fancy trips? We are huge fans of giving the gift of supporting a favorite charity or cause with either time or money in place of physical presents – the whole year round!
If you’re new to giving, groups such as Charity Navigator or the American Institute of Philanthropy can help you make informed decisions. But if you’re worried you may not be able to find a good fit for the people on your list, we’ve found charities for the person who has everything:
According to Charity Navigator, only 10 percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter. Photo: Amanda Wills, Earth911.com
The Animal Lover: For the vegetarian in the family, Farm Sanctuary works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy. We also like the World Wildlife Federation, which works to protect worldwide animal populations of all species.
The Outdoor Enthusiast: Save some trees with a donation to an organization that promotes forest conservation and replanting, like the Rainforest Alliance, which works to fight deforestation and climate change. “Global forest loss contributes approximately 20 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions each year – more than all the trains, planes, and automobiles combined,” according to the RA. The organization also has a certification label for products relating the forest and agriculture industry.
The Foodie: According to the World Bank, each year, 3 million children under the age of 5 die because they are undernourished. Bread for the World is an organization that supports hunger relief both at home and abroad.
The Artist: Charity Navigator notes that donations to arts groups dropped by 6.6 percent, to $13.5 billion, in 2005. For musicians and artists nationwide, this is a serious loss in both the educational and artistic realm. As more public education programs lose funding for arts programs, supporting organizations like America for the Arts will help bring much needed support to programs across the country.
The Survivor: Whether your recipient has been diagnosed with an illness or recently had a loved one battle a disease, a donation made to research organizations will mean more than any cashmere sweater or snowman tie. Browse Charity Navigator for organizations that support individual causes. For a broader topic, we like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
