The end of the year is almost upon us and you know what that means: it’s your last chance to make your tax deductible charitable gift! Yeah, we tax people tend to think about the end of the year in slightly different ways…
This is a tough year for a lot of folks. Charities are reporting that donations are down and needs are up – not the best combination, as you can imagine. With this in mind, I wanted to do something to raise awareness for the great work that’s being done by a number of charitable organizations. At the same time, I wanted encourage you to make your charitable gifts by the end of the tax year (this is, after all, a tax blog).
So here’s what I’m doing: 12 Days of Charitable Giving!
I’m asking you, the reader, to post in the comments below about the charity that most deserves a boost this year – it needs to be one that you have supported financially over the past year or that you plan to support before the December 31 year end. At the very least, you’ll need to include the name of the charity, the city where the charity is located and why you support the charity (personal stories would be great). A link to the web site and the best way to make a donation would be terrific: the more information that you can provide, the better.
The charity must be a bona fide 501(c)(3) organization, meaning that deductions are tax deductible to the donor. Examples include churches, schools, libraries and purely public charities like the Red Cross. If you’re not sure about the tax status of the organization, you can check it out here. Additionally, most charitable organizations will post evidence of tax-exempt status on their web site.
Convince me why your favorite organization is a deserving charity. But you don’t have to convince just me: I’m reaching out to 12 bloggers and companies to evaluate the comments and choose the most compelling. Those bloggers and companies will commit to making a donation of at least $25 to the charity mentioned in the comments that they find most deserving. Even better, the winning choices will be featured, one per day, for 12 days in December on taxgirl.
The hope is that one donation (yours) turns into two (a match from the judges) or more (more readers), a big win for the charitable organization. The benefit to you? A tax deduction and some warm fuzzies, knowing that you’ve done something good in the world. Remember, the power of one can be enormous.
So, um, what are you waiting for? Start posting in the comments section below!
{ 13 trackbacks }
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
St Croix Civil Air Patrol
http://stcroix.mncap.org
This troup not only does volunteer search and rescue, but also grooms and teaches youth in its cadet programs for military careers and improves team building spirit amongst its entire membership.
Also visit the national site http://cap.gov for more information
There is a local center here in Bakersfield, California that is my most deserving charity.
It is called the Jamison Center. They take in children from broken families, arrested parents, drug and alcohol disfunctional families. they get very little government help, just donations to keep going.
I belong to a club here that donate 100%, YES, 100% of everything we make to help these kids. My club is the Nemesis Station and we are the local Star Trek club.
I know how corny I sound, but, for the grace of God and my parents years ago, my children would have had to stay there when I was struggling with addiction.
We hold an annual Bowlathon in October to raise money to buy Christmas presents, replace old furniture, paint classrooms, and take care of their softball field among other things. We are a 501c so any donations given the club are tax deductible to the fullest extend of the law..We pay for these kids to go bowling throughout the year so they can have some normalacy in their otherwise difficult days. I am, understandable proud of my organization, and just wanted you to know…Becky Sheldon
t.bsheldon@sbcglobal.net
PPS. I guess I have listed both the Jamison Center and my organization.Nemesis Station as charities, it doesnt matter to me where the money goes, in the end it goes for the kids…
The FORGET-ME-NOT ANIMAL SHELTER of Ferry County, Washington is a 501(c)3 non-profit that serves an area larger than Rhode Island. It is typical of many self-funding shelters across the country in that it: (1) was established by local citizens who saw a need and acted on it; (2) is managed and staffed entirely by non-paid volunteers; (3) receives no funding from state, county, or municipal resources.
The Shelter has three main programs. The “Stop the Cycle” voucher program (supported by regional veterinarians) allows area residents to spay/neuter their pets at nominal or no cost. The “Fear No Feral” program is a trap/neuter/release program for feral cats that seem non-adoptable. The “Happy Home Adoption” program goes far beyond Ferry County, with regular deliveries to such places as Seattle and Spokane, WA, and adopters as far away as California, Alaska, Montana, and (for one lucky lizard) Florida.
The Shelter finances itself from donations, adoption fees, an annual huge yard sale, and a small number of corporate grants. Besides running its programs, it has managed to secure a permanent site for the Shelter. However, it urgently needs funds to make the physical shelter fully operational and to meet various building codes. It also needs a reasonable endowment, the income from which to help provide for the continuation of the Shelter.
My wife and I know several of the individuals who established and run the Shelter. We have been modest but major contributors since the Shelter’s inception. And we have, each of the last three years, adopted an adult cat from the shelter. We are now owned by four cats (the oldest was rescued from a shelter in Massachusetts.)
A major problem for THE FORGET-ME-NOT SHELTER is that Ferry County, Washington, is the least affluent county in the state, by any measure (unemployment, per capita income, etc.). To the credit of the Ferry County residents, they support the Shelter overwhelmingly, even with their very limited resources. For example, donations for the annual Shelter yard sale were too many to fit into this year’s sale (we worked on the preparation for the sale and were amazed at the number of donations received).
The FORGET-ME-NOT SHELTER is in Republic, Washington. Physically, it is at 49 W. Curlew Lake Rd. Its mailing address is: PO Box 602, Republic, WA 99166-0602. Its FAX number is: (509) 779-4339. Its phone number is: (509) 775-2308.
Most important, its website is: http://www.forgetmenotshelter.org. I urge you to go to that site to get a real understanding of what the FORGET-ME-NOT SHELTER is and does, and to learn how to make donations.
Thank you for your consideration.
Bill Mahaney
bill@mahaney.com
I love the Women’s Medical Fund because your contribution goes directly to support women who otherwise could not afford an abortion or related reproductive health care. I have seen the fund make a positive difference in the life of thousands of women…. it’s a great place!
—————————–
The Women’s Medical Fund provides direct financial assistance and other support to low-income women and girls in Southeastern Pennsylvania who wish to terminate an unwanted pregnancy but cannot afford a safe legal abortion.
The Women’s Medical Fund also raises public awareness of the devastating impact of denying access to safe legal abortions.
History
The 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, promised access to safe legal abortions for American women. This promise was broken for poor women in Pennsylvania when the federal government cut Medicaid matching funds for abortions in 1977 and when the state legislature followed suit in 1985. Since then, those least able to afford the cost of an abortion must either continue the pregnancy to term; attempt a dangerous self-induced abortion; or cobble together the fee, often risking the health and safety of themselves and their families. The Women’s Medical Fund was formed by women’s health activists in 1985 in response to this crisis in reproductive freedom for low-income women and teens.Since its inception in 1985, the Women’s Medical Fund has ensured the right to choose for almost 10,000 poor women and teens by disbursing over $1,200,000 in financial assistance. Our Access Counselors continue to answer dozens of calls each day from women and teenagers from Southeastern Pennsylvania.It is our belief that to choose between a dangerous, self-induced abortion and bearing a child against one’s will is no choice at all.
To contributeMake a contribution through PayPal or send a check to the address below.
Contact us
Women’s Medical Fund
P.O. Box 59555
Philadelphia, PA 19102-5955
Help line: 215.564.6622
Admin: 215.564.4070
Fax: 215.564.4090
Email: info@womensmedicalfund.org
I’m a big supporter of Rural Development Institute – based here in Seattle. RDI was started by a University of Washington law professor named Roy Prosterman. RDI focuses on land rights for the poor in the developing world.
Here’s some info about what they’ve done from their website:
Over the past 40 years, RDI’s work in more than 40 developing countries has proved to be a great social investment, bringing huge returns on each dollar contributed.
During that time, each dollar invested in RDI has, on average, produced new land rights for six families.
More than 100 million farm families worldwide — representing well over 400 million people — have received land rights.
That means that nearly one out of every sixteen people on the planet has been helped by RDI.
This change—from land insecurity to land ownership—has boosted agricultural productivity in the developing world by billions of dollars per year, and placed scores of billions of dollars in new land wealth in the hands of the rural poor.
I support (through donation and volunteerism) Valley Churches United in the San Lorenzo Valley area of Santa Cruz County http://www.vcum.org/ . This group provides food to those who need it all year round. At Thanksgiving, the makings for full dinners are made available to families and special meals are taken to the homebound and the elderly. At Christmas, gifts are provided for underprivileged children and gift boxes taken to the elderly and shut-ins. This organization – started by the combined efforts of all the churches and temples in the Valley never stops giving and neither does their need for donations of money, time, and food items. Last year they served over 10,000 people in the four villages of the San Lorenzo Valley and neighboring town Scotts Valley.
African Well Fund
http://www.africanwellfund.org/
The African Well Fund believes that access to safe, consumable water is not merely a basic human need, but a basic human right. Our goal is to raise money for the construction and maintenance of clean water wells in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I support many charities, but try to promote people helping themselves. The African Well Fund, provides the water which they use for cooking, cleaning and farming. I’m a firm a believer in the saying, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime”
I support Susan Komen for the Cure.
As you may know, my grandmother died of breast cancer and I supported Komen publicly on the blog this year in her honor.
In prior years, I have “walked for the cure” — this year, I am putting together a team to “run for the cure” in May. It’s a 5k run in Philadelphia.
I think it’s important to support a cause that has the potential to affect so many women. More than 40,000 women will die this year from breast cancer in the US. That is more than 40,000 mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, daughters and friends. We can make a difference.
Web site is http://ww5.komen.org/
Hope for the Animals, in Morrisville, PA – This is a donation based no-kill dog and cat shelter.
I support Circle of Friends Charities, a non profit corp formed by my mom and her friends to support AIDS orphans in South Africa. It was formed approximately 7 years ago after my mom retired from nursing. The small group (between 4 – 8 ladies) create blankets, clothes and toys to send to the children and fine crafted handwork items to sell here to raise money to send as well. The group visited the orphanages 5 years ago and met some of the children they have helped. Despite their small size, they have raised more than $35,000 over their existence. They are a shining example of how anyone can make a difference, even the little guy (or gals).
I support Arkansas Sheriffs Youth Ranch in AR whose mission is “To address, remedy, and prevent child abuse and neglect by creating safe, healthy, and permanent homes for children”.
The ASYR use the power of horses to reach the kids, provide them a friend, and teach them valuable life lessons.
One of the things I most appreciate for the kids about ASYR is that they are not suddenly sent out on their own once they come of age. They can stay at ASYR and are provided with support to help them make the transition to independent adulthood.
Philadelphia Brotherhood Mission – A hundred year-old faith-based mission turning drug and alcohol dependent men into productive citizens. Also feeds three square per day to anyone and everyone who shows up at its Fishtown neighborhood facility.
The windows need to be replaced. The building desperately needs work. 50 or more men are housed, and the Mission is dependent upon some grants, and the 18 Philadelphia area Baptist Churches for its survival.
Founded 100 years ago by the founder of Temple University, Russell Conwell. Disclaimer: I serve as its counsel pro bono.
I shared my gift of writing with the Age of Conversation project, where we are giving all of the profits to Variety, a children’s charity. Last year we raised $14,000 for charity, and this year we hope to donate over $20,000. 237 authors donated their work to this wonderful project. Anyone can help by purchasing a book. To read more, please click on my name in the comments, and think about how you can help children who have mobility concerns.
For me, there is nothing more rewarding than sharing my resources with a less fortunate child, and Variety does a great job of helping children.
A couple of charities that I support routinely:
http://www.donorschoose.org
“DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund. Proposals range from “Magical Math Centers” ($200) to “Big Book Bonanza” ($320), to “Cooking Across the Curriculum” ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.”
http://www.urbanpromiseusa.org
“The mission of UrbanPromise is to equip children and teens with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth and leadership. As a non-denominational organization, the UrbanPromise community seeks to fulfill this mission through after school programs, summer camps, alternative schools, job training initiatives and a host of other programs that challenge youth to develop their academic, social, creative, spiritual and leadership potential. Unique to the vision of UrbanPromise is a commitment to involving local teenagers (StreetLeaders) in the tutoring, mentoring, and coaching of younger children in the community. By involving teens in the leadership process, UrbanPromise is creating a new generation of young, visionary leaders who embody a commitment to change their own community.”
http://www.bestfriends.org
“Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. Best Friends operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals; provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs; manages the Best Friends Network, http://network.bestfriends.org, an interactive, online global community; and publishes Best Friends, the nation’s largest general-interest animal magazine. The sanctuary is home on any given day to about 2,000 animals. Most of these are dogs and cats, but there are also horses, burros, birds, rabbits, goats, farm animals, and an assortment of other creatures. The animals come from all over the country, and sometimes beyond – mostly from shelters that don’t have the resources to rehabilitate them and where they would otherwise be destroyed. “No-kill” means that animals are not destroyed except in cases of terminal and painful illness, when compassion demands euthanasia because there is no reasonable alternative. Most of the animals at the sanctuary – approximately three out of four – are soon ready to go to good homes with permanent or foster families, making way for the daily new arrivals. Others, who are too badly traumatized through ill treatment or who are old, crippled or chronically ill, find a permanent home at the sanctuary.”
http://www.rif.org
“Founded in 1966, RIF is the oldest and largest children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. All RIF programs combine three essential elements to foster children’s literacy: reading motivation, family and community involvement, and the excitement of choosing free books to keep.”
http://www.uso.org (and in Philadelphia: http://www.libertyuso.org/)
“The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress — and enduring style of USO delivery — is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 5.3 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops”
The charities that I support on a regular basis go to support things I always think could use a little helping hand in this world: kids, schools, literacy, homeless animals and our troops. Also, each of these charities get good scores over all on Charity Navigator; Donor’s Choose gets the highest score available.
http://www.donorschoose.org (Four out of Four Stars on Charity Navigator)
*** This program is remarkable – it is one of the best ways I have seen to be able to make a real, actual difference in the lives of public school children in need.
“DonorsChoose, pioneered by teachers at a Bronx public high school in the spring of 2000, DonorsChoose is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At the DonorsChoose web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.”
http://www.urbanpromiseusa.org (Three out of four stars on Charity Navigator)
*** I learned of this program from a special news program ABC News did on families struggling in Camden, NJ – a place that is no more than 10 miles from my house. That fact was remarkable to me – that I could essentially live a life that might as well be on a different planet compared to people living in Camden, so very near to me. It motivated me to support this charity, which again, makes a real, genuine difference in the lives of the people – especially the children – it touches. It provides homes, food, motivation & comfort to those in need.
“UrbanPromise is an interdenominational faith-based organization based in Camden, NJ. Our mission is to equip Camden’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth, and leadership. UrbanPromise programs include: Camden Forward School – educating grades K through 8; UrbanPromise Academy – an alternative high school for teens; AfterSchool Programs; Summer Camps; StreetLeader Program – a job training and mentoring for teens; and Athletic Leagues.”
http://www.bestfriends.org (Three out of four stars on Charity Navigator)
*** I am a Mom to two rescue dogs, one of whom is a special needs rescue who probably would have died if he had not come home with me. He is one of the sweetest souls you’ll ever meet- & this angel would have been killed if I had not found him in time. There are so many little loving soulds like that out there- & Best Friends gives a loving home to those that are hardest to find forever loving homes for…
“Best Friends Animal Society is working with shelters, rescue groups and our members nationwide to bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets. Best Friends had its origins in Arizona in the 1970s with a group of animal lovers who were unwilling to accept the conventional wisdom that humane societies and shelters had no choice but to kill their unadoptable animals. Among its services, Best Friends operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals; &provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs around the country.”
http://www.rif.org (Two out of three stars on Charity Navigator)
*** Even though this organization gets 2 stars, this organization played a very big role in my life as a young child, supporting my love of reading. This program actually changed my life.
“Founded in 1966, RIF is the oldest and largest children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age eight. Through a national, grassroots network of community volunteers at 21,000 program sites, RIF provides five million children with 17 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.”
http://www.uso.org (Three out of four stars on Charity Navigator)
(…and in the Philadelphia area: Liberty USO)
*** Our troops and their families give so much to our country – we should all honor their sacrifice, regardless of our feelings about the war. The troops are just doing their duty.
“The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 5.3 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops.”
I have, and will continue to support the Scleroderma Foundation
For those that are unfamiliar with this devestating disease, the easiest way to explain it is that it turns the body of the person with the disease to stone. It mostly affects young women often soon after childbirth when their kids are toddlers and when their family needs them the most. It renders them “crippled” and very often affects both their bodies the way Arthritis does and their internal organs covering them with scar tissue and making it impossible for them to pump blood, oxygen, etc. It is incurable, and always leads to death. Its cause is unknown.
The Scleroderma Foundation is the leading non-profit supporter of scleroderma research in the United States, allotting more than $1 million annually to find the cause of and cure for scleroderma. Since 1989, nearly $12 million in research funds has been allotted. To promote education of the disease, the foundation facilitates health and professional seminars, produces and distributes literature and conducts publicity campaigns. To help support the 300,000 people living with scleroderma, the foundation offers peer counseling, mutual support programs, and physician referrals.
Abandonment of people with the disease averages about 75 percent. PLease consider helping these folks fight for a cure.
I regularly donate to Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org), and thus receive constant requests for monetary support from every animal group nationwide. I usually toss them aside, but this year chose to additionally support the Humane Society when they wrote an urgent request for funds that spoke to me.
It’s hard when it’s something our passionate about to turn any good organization down, but I have to remember that I can’t save – or fund – the world.
I have been supporting the ALS Hope Foundation of Philadelphia, PA for many years. The ALS Hope Foundation is a local 501(c)(3) organization that funds research and helps people suffering from ALS. ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is a degenerative neurological disease that causes damage to the nerve cells eventually leading to total paralysis and inability to breathe. ALS claimed my father’s life in 1994, just two years after he was diagnosed. There is currently no cure and little in the way of treatment. The cause is unknown. The average life span is between 3 and 5 years following diagnosis. Most treatment involves making the lives of those suffering with the disease more manageable and comfortable. The money that the ALS Hope Foundation raises goes directly to funding a local center where medical and emotional support is provided (headed by Dr. Terry Heiman-Patterson) and research is conducted (headed by Dr. Jeffrey Deitch). Money raised has also gone to establishing and supporting a research institute in Philadelphia to find cures for ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders and diseases. The unwavering dedication of Dr. Heiman-Patterson and Dr. Deitch is inspiring. Unfortunately for my father, there was no place like the ALS Hope Foundation. I support the ALS Hope Foundation because of the help it provides to those currently suffering with the disease and the work that it does towards finding a cure. You can learn more about the ALS Hope Foundation at http://www.alshopefoundation.org.
Hey all
I have supported two charities over the weekend-
One is St. Timothy’s Outreach Center in Barnes Mountain, KY.
St. Timothy’s is a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington and for the past 30 years works to meet the needs of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in our country. Simply put, those who live up “on the mountain” are born into a culture of deep poverty with little chance for education and even less for employment. I took a mission team from my parish there this summer and got to see things first hand. I will share one anecdote of the dozens we collected. We met a teenage girl going into her junior year of high school. She told us that she was considering dropping out of school and getting married (a very common option for girls there) but wanted to try and finish her education. However, with the rising price of gas her mother had asked her to come and work with her at the local (more than 1 hr away) Walmart. So, this young lady’s day will run as follows- up by six- ride the bus 1 hr to school. Get picked up at 2 by her mom and drive 1 hr more to the Walmart… work the 3-11 shift and ride more than 1 hr back home to sleep for 5 hrs and get up and do it all again. Given this reality- is it any wonder that a huge percentage of the people on the mountain don’t bother to finish school or to even try and find work?
St Timothy’s Outreach center is committed to helping the people of Barnes Mountain find means to education and empoyment that are not as as grueling and have more potential upside and reward. They offer everything from assistance with clothing and school supplies, food, education, parenting classes, computer classes, etc. Contact The Very Rev. Bryant C. Kibler at 606-464-971 or at BKibler@diolex.org.
The other is one we do in conjunction with North Light Community Center located right here in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia.
North Light has been serving the community, particuarly it’s children and youth for more than 75 years. As a settlement house they were victims of the United Way’s recent re-priortizing of its funding. That meant that North Light lost more than 10% of its income for 2009. This is terrible timing as the demands for North Light’s services have increased dramatically due to the tought economy. North Light provides utility assistance and has a food cupboard. Also, North Light works with other non-profits(my church is one http://www.sttimothysrox.com)to provide a holiday celebration to many needy families in the community. They collect enough food and individually chosen gifts to provide a Christmas feast and presents for everyone in the family. More info at http://www.northlightcommunitycenter.org/
Hi Tax Girl,
This is a post I pulled of our blog, so I don’t know if this counts since I’m the founding director of Spirit Animal Sanctuary. I hope it does.
http://www.spiritanimal.org
Spirit Animal Sanctuary Incorporated. Boonville, New York.
We provide a life long loving home for dogs that for one reason or another, are considered unadoptable by today’s socially established standards for adoptable dogs.
Not only does Spirit Animal Sanctuary provide a safe sanctuary for behaviorally misunderstood dogs or abused, forgotten and neglected dogs, we also open our hearts for handicapped dogs, terminally ill dogs, geriatric dogs, and health challenged dogs (dogs with skin diseases, dogs that have severe allergies, dogs with seizure disorders, etc.).
It’s our mission a calling if you will, to give them life where otherwise euthanasia awaited them. And to give all the dogs a true doggy life were they can play to their hearts content or just lay around and be lazy. But maybe most importantly of all, we give them the opportunity to learn how to be dogs again.
This is the link to the above post, in case you would like to see some photographs.
http://thespiritdog.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/spirit-animal-sanctuary-boonville-new-york/
Sincerely
Alan Papszycki
Spirit Animal Sanctuary
P.S. Unlike some of the other 501(c)3’s listed above, we could really use the twenty five bucks.
This is a wonderful post- the comment section specifically – I really like hearing about where others choose to give their contributions.
One of my favorites is Heifer Foundation. http://www.heifer.org — I think they do great things for people worldwide by helping people to become for self sufficient and self sustaining.
I think supporting your local no-kill animal shelter is very admirable as are local women’s shelters.
I can’t narrow it down to one charity. I give what I can in money, canned food and other goods when I can. Basically I feel that children and animals are dependent on us for food, shelter and well-being, that is where I like to focus my giving. Giving within your community always helps to strengthen local ties community awareness. Although, worldwide assistance is just as needed. Anyone who chooses to give to others this season should be commended.
Since I just participated in our local elementary school’s Art Show & Silent Auction, I’m going to throw “public schools” into the mix. Public schools are considered public charities without making a separate application.
Folks don’t really go out of their way to support public schools. I find this odd. I’ve heard the justification that there’s no need to pony up extra dollars because “I already pay taxes” – yet folks pay, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition to their colleges and then turn around and give a few extra hundred dollars each year in donations nonetheless. I think it’s great to support colleges and universities – please don’t misinterpret. But why not give a few bucks to public schools?
In some municipalities, like Philadelphia, budgets are so tight that some students don’t get textbooks. There are no fancy art or music programs because the schools can barely afford core teachers. And traditional hot breakfast and hot lunch programs – the only hot meals that some children get during the day – are being eliminated due to funding cuts. Libraries are depleted.
So maybe you don’t have kids. Or maybe your kids are grown. Or they go to private school. You may be thinking, “Why should I care?”
You should care because, as corny as it sounds, the children are the future of this country. And each child in this country, no matter how rich or poor, deserves the chance to learn to read, write, do math and grow up to be a productive member of our society.
So, consider making a donation to your local public school. It could be cash, books for the library, healthy snacks for a classroom, art supplies, whatever. Give a child a chance.
I’m not going to point to a particular charity, but I’m going to plug your local foster children. With cuts in social welfare programs, things like target and kmart cards for clothing for kids in foster care are being cut. And contrary to popular belief, the stipend that foster parents get is not huge, and sometimes not enough to feed and cloth and give school supplies and presents to foster kids. Call your local child welfare agency and find out what they need. There is such a need out there.
The BlueSkies for Children Child Care center is an innovative, model day care center. It provides home-cooked meals, bedding, formula, organic food, and is a play-based child care center. It is th eonly NAEYC accredited child care center in Oakland, CA. Their scholarship fund provides tuition assistance to working families who otherwise would not be able to send their children here. WE need to support high-quality care for young children.
We not only support Pavilion Village Children’s Home financially, but also actively travel to Kenya and volunteer. Pavilion Village is a small orphanage located in Karatina, Kenya with the charity itself based out of Birmingham, Alabama. Several individuals, including my wife, traveled to Kenya about 3 years ago and saw the desperate need to help the street children of Africa. They came home with a vision to do something about it and to my amazement they were able to do it. Pavilion Village was begun with the purchase of 5 acres of land and taking in 22 children and has grown from there. You can learn more about what is currently taking place at the orphanage by visiting http://www.pavilionvillage.org
I think that if you can donate money, you should donate the money to the Arkansas Sheriffs Youth Ranch in Batesville Arkansas. They help children who have been abused, troubled, are neglected. I lived there for five years and They changed my life for the best. They helped me get over being abused and they really can use the money
Thank you Amanda D
oh the place you can find them on the internet at http://www.youthranches.com/pages/home_html.html – 8k
PLEASE HELP THE CHILDREN. IT WILL FEEL GOOD AND IT WILL BE WORTH IT