Note: The period to nominate charities for this giveaway has expired. Please see this post to find out which charity received the donation!
I will donate up to $500 to the winner’s favorite charity! All you have to do is nominate the charity of your choice by leaving a comment on this post. I will randomly select a charity from the nominations and then donate $1 for every comment received. It is as simple as that.
I have been greatly blessed this year and in the spirit of Christmas, I earnestly want to give back. I thought this would be a great way to do it and to learn about some new charities along the way.
Guidelines for nominating your favorite charity for the donation
This is an excellent opportunity to spread the word about the charity of your choice! Also, in order to make the donation, I need to be able to positively locate the intended charity. Therefore, let me offer these guidelines to ensure your charity gets the consideration it deserves.
In your comment:
- Be sure to use the exact official name of your charity
- In 2 to 3 sentences, tell us who your charity benefits and what they do
- If you would like, leave a link to the charity’s website so I can find it
- Tell us what you particularly love about this charity
Following these guidelines should help ensure that all the necessary information is included to qualify your charity for the giveaway.
Rules for the charity donation giveaway
What would a contest be without a few rules, right? I’ll keep it simple, but I do have to set a few boundaries in order for this to be fair and meaningful. Here it goes!
- All organizations nominated must be actual non-profit charities. Please no “I’m my favorite charity” nominations! A Charity where I cannot verify its official status will not be considered.
- I will close the comments on this post on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 5:00 P.M. Central. Only comments received prior to this time will be a part of the random selection giveaway.
- Please only one nomination per person. No spam comments!
- I reserve the right to disqualify any charity that offends me or my beliefs. I doubt this will be an issue, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
- Again, I will donate $1 per legitimate comment to the charity nominated in the randomly selected comment below. The maximum donation is $500. I’d love to see 500 valid nominations!
Be sure to tell your friends so they can nominate their charity!
This is a great way to support your favorite charity without having to spend a dime out of your own pocket! Why not let all your friends, so they can participate too?
Spread the word!
Note: My wife saw this idea in the December 2008 edition of Real Simple Magazine. In response to the “Your Words” question of “How Do You Give Back During The Holidays?”, Kristen from GreenStyleMom mentioned how she did this last year. It seems like a fabulous idea so, I borrowed it.
Photo by dental ben
Great idea! Here is my nomination:
* Women for women international
* This organization helps women in post-war areas build up their life. They will receive training and coaching for a year, after which they will be able to stand on their own feet. The organization works with one-on-one sponsoring of a woman, but they also have bigger projects.
* http://www.womenforwomen.org
* I firmly believe in the power of women to build up a future, for themselves as well as for their children. I also like the fact that you get matched with a woman for a year, being able to communicate. Each year, you sponsor another woman.
My favorite charity is Compassion International (compassion.com). I sponsor a little girl in Peru and receive letters from her every month. It has changed my life!
Super post!
My vote is for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. St. Jude’s is a cancer research and treatment facility in Memphis, TN. This is where basically all of our charity donations go. For every dollar given, 85 cents go towards cancer research and treatment at their facility.
They’ve made great progress and this link shows the 5 year survival rates of children with cancer now as compared to 1962: http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=5b25e64c5b470110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD&vgnextchannel=4bbafe08dc835110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD
Great idea Jeff!
Read HIB´s latest article – 10 Simple Ways to Overcome Disappointment
Doctors Without Borders.
Read FFB´s latest article – 9 Year End Tax Savings Tips
My favorite charity is Doctors Without Borders, Medecins Sans Frontiers(MSF).
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care.?MSF currently works in more than 70 countries.
Offical website: http://www.msf.org.hk/public/main2
Read iwalk´s latest article – Hand-Made Clothes For Dachshund Leo
I’d like to nominate the charity that I posted about today on my blog, America’s Second Harvest food bank. They’re helping a ton of people this time of year, and giving just $25 will help provide 100 meals to hungry families.
Read all about them, and why I’ve chosen them, at my blog or through the commentluv link below. Thanks for considering them!
Read Peter´s latest article – 2008 Charity Spotlight: America’s Second Harvest
This is awesome and so generous of you!
The charity I have in mind is called Cradles to Crayons. I have a friend who is running in the Santa Speedo Run in Boston in a couple of weeks and that is the charity they have chosen this year.
This is a little about the charity:
“To provide, free of charge, low-income and homeless children from birth to pre-teen the basic essentials they need to be safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued. We also set a foundation for lasting change through the meaningful, tangible volunteer opportunities we provide to thousands of youth and adults each year.”
http://www.cradlestocrayons.org/2/index.php
http://www.santaspeedorun.com/index.php
Thanks again!
Jennifer
I nominate the Salvation Army. They have been around for many, many years, and yet still hold true to their original purpose and mission. Their overhead is very low (meaning more of any donation goes to the actual work), and they benefit all of the less fortunate.
Cancer Research UK are a great cause that look at ways to cure cancer.
Great idea, and thanks for giving us the chance to nominate. Whoever gets the cash will be grateful!
Cheers,
Glen
Read Glen Allsopp´s latest article – How to Get Someone or Something, Off Your Mind
Great idea! Love it.
My favorites:
Compassion Int’l: http://www.compassion.com/default_a.htm
World Vision: http://worldvision.org/
Samaritan’s Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
Read Tsh´s latest article – Link Love :: Kick off the Christmas Season with Simple Home Decor
I nominate KALAWEIT:
http://chaneekalaweit.blogspot.com
The organisation could disappear because of a lack of money.
Wow, how wonderful of you! Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for whatever charity you donate to! You are showing the true spirit of Christmas, and it is a wonderful reminder for everyone else!
I would like to nominate St Jude’s Children’s Hospital. They take sick children from all over the world, and do not turn anyone away due to inability to pay.
Merry Christmas, and, again, thanks for giving all of us this opportunity!!!
I would like to nominate Compassion International as well. They actually put 80-90% of all proceeds into the programs for the families. I have a boy from Haiti and had another from Indonesia. It is a great organization!
Great idea, thank you!
I nominate Sea Shepherd as it’s one of the few organisations I can genuinely say is working for the betterment of this planet. They’re unusual in that they take direct action to address the extinction of marine habitats, and they’re effective. Here’s from their site:
“Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.”
I want to nominate the Spina Bifida Association of America. This organization helps provide services and connections to doctors for Spina Bifida patients and their families. The reason this organization is meaningful to me is that I have Spina Bifida.
I nominate Young Life (www.younglife.org), a outreach ministry for High School aged kids. Young Life provides a place for students to gather together, build relationships, and share in each others lives. They have week-long summer camps that provide a safe environment for kids to learn and grow.
Fantastic idea.
I would like to nominate THON http://www.thon.org/. It’s Penn States fight against kid with cancer. It is the largest student philanthropy in the country and something I have been involved with for years. There is a 46 hour no sit, no sleep dance marathon to end it and tally up the amounts, that by the end packs an entire arena with people watching and partaking. Even if it doesn’t win, please check it out and donate. Last year they raised over $6 million.
The Salvation Army USA’s 2008 Red Kettle Campaign! Set up your own Online Red Kettle & join the Twitter Team Kettle: http://tinyurl.com/5cvjk6
I’d like to nominate A Small Victory. It is a non-profit that provides support and loss kits to parents who have gone through miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal loss. This is run by my dear friend who turned the unimaginable grief after her daughter’s stillbirth into this beautiful work. To mothers in our area, she provides support with a heart that understands what they’ve gone through.
http://www.asmallvictory.org
Read Rae´s latest article – Made it!
Great contest JNick!
I nominate Heifer international who continues to fight to end global hunger by training local families in sustainable farming practices. People can donate area appropriate animals and then Heifer trains a given family how to care for, utilize, and sustain their animals.
Read The Happy Rock´s latest article – DD’s Monthly Expenses – November 2008
I love Compassion International for its help to children throughout the world.
http://www.compassion.com/default_a.htm
Read valerie´s latest article – lil boy joke
This is a wonderful idea – I believe in paying it forward and what better way than this.
* My favorite charity is Dogs Deserve Better.
* This organization helps save dogs that are chained outside. We adopted our dog, Sweet Pea, from this organization when we saw her at a local event, Woofstock, in Harrisburg, PA.
* I like this organization because it offers dogs a chance to live a life where somebody loves them enough to bring them inside their home and treat them as part of their family instead of a piece of property.
* http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org
This organization responds immediately to disasters in every nation, including the USA. There were one of the first allowed into Myanmar after the cyclone and they also distribute the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes worldwide. To know that someone will be there soon to help those in need is priceless.
The Jesse Greise Foudation is my life and mission as it was founded after the accidental death of my son Jesse. He lived his short life (21 yrs)with a passion for life through nature and reaching out to others everyday with a magnitude unknown to us until we received several letters from people we never met that celebrated their memories of him. Our foundation takes underprivileged kids into nature, camping and fishing, to experience other things besides the ills of the streets and to challenge their skills and interests to learn new things, set goals, and also give back to the community while achieving those goals.
I nominate the Central Asia Institute. Greg Mortenson is the author of Three Cups of Tea, which explains his mission of building schools to educate the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan. His mission of promoting peace through education makes him the only American a lot of the people over there have met and he’s a good one. We need some goodwill in that region and he spreads it everywhere he goes. I’m a huge fan, obviously! The website is http://www.ikat.org. Thanks for doing this!
Read SimplyForties´s latest article – Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb with Garlic Roasted Baby Potatoes
This is an awesome idea!
I would like to suggest The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. They plant fruit trees around the world, starting in Africa: to help keep the soil from becoming desert, to keep the air clean, and to provide fruits for starving people to eat.
Here is the web site: http://www.ftpf.org/
I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the charities.
Read Nathalie Lussier´s latest article – “You Shouldn’t Have!” Gift Giving Theories To Simplify Your Life
* I’d like to nominate Water for People.
* From their site: “Water For People helps people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities and health and hygiene education programs.”
* http://www.waterforpeople.org
* Clean water is such a basic necessity of life that so many millions of people do not have access to. In developing nations lack of access to clean water effects all areas of life: education, economy, health, etc.
Read Amanda´s latest article – Multi-colored Pearl Cascade Earrings
Doctors Without Borders.
Doctors Without Borders.
I’d like to nominate the March of Dimes.
*Provides education and prenatal care to women.
*Engages in efforts to help avert premature and underweight babies.
Read Miranda´s latest article – $1 Trillion Economic Stimulus: Will the Government Pull Out All The Stops?
- Agape Adoption Agency of Arizona
- Agape helps children find foster and adoptive families, which serves both children and couples that cannot conceive naturally.
- http://www.agapeaz.org/
- They provide a much needed service to neglected children and bring awareness that there are so many children in need of good families.
As a disclaimer, my wife works for this agency.
Thanks for your consideration.
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Members and Veterans of the United States Marine Corps and its Reserve collect toys, and monetary donations to purchase toys, for Christmas/holiday gifts for needy children and teens throughout the United States.
http://www.toysfortots.org
There is nothing better that putting on your Dress Blues and playing Santa. When I was still serving, I worked a distribution point and had a mother just break down and start crying when I told her how may toys she could get for each of her 3 little kids. It was an awesome felling that still chokes me up to this day.
Citizens Caring for Children – Oklahoma City
Jeff,
What a wonderful gift to give. I have listed my nomination above and here is their information/mission statement with a link to their site…
“Citizens Caring for Children breaks the cycle of abuse and neglect for Oklahoma foster children by addressing their material, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs … because every child deserves the chance for a better life.
Through our programs we promote self-worth, self-esteem and develop character to give hope, change lives and create healthy futures.”
http://www.citizenscaringforchildren.org
Again, many thanks to you (and your wife), your compassion and generosity.
Soldiers’ Angels – “May No Soldier Go Unloved”
http://www.soldiersangels.org
Soldiers’ Angels is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and their families. Founded by the mother of two American soldiers, Soldiers’ Angels is an international organization with members in all fifty U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and several friendly countries who support America’s men and women in uniform.
I’ve been a member of Soldiers’ Angels for 4 years, supporting individual soldiers and units through letters and care packages. I love the organization because it not only collects donations and provides the types of support soldiers and families need most, but also enables individuals to ‘adopt’ soldiers and support them one-to-one.
Read Kim Cornwall Malseed´s latest article – How to Grow Your Business in 3 Months via Social Media Marketing
I nominate Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Tulsa (http://www.catholiccharitiestulsa.org) because they help so many people.
They give away coats, so people can stay warm in winter.
They give away food, so people can eat.
They give transitional housing to the homeless.
They offer help to women in crisis pregnancy.
They provide residential care to people with HIV/AIDS.
They provide adoption services, so children can have loving parents.
They offer the services of volunteer doctors and nurses to assist the poor.
They provide assistance to immigrants.
They offer counseling.
Of course, donations are tax deductible.
I nominate Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Tulsa
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Tulsa
http://www.catholiccharitiestulsa.org
Mission
The mission of Catholic Charities is to bring Christ’s merciful love to those who suffer in our midst.
Our mission is carried out by Catholic people and others in fraternal goodwill pooling their resources to reach out and assist those in need. In so doing, Catholic Charities is the primary instrument of the Church in carrying out the works of mercy.
Vision
As a conduit of Christ’s love in providing works of charity for all people – those who receive and those who need to give – we will continually assess the needs of the whole person — material as well as spiritual, gather the necessary resources and assure the provision of programs accessible to those served.
My suggestion is for Israel’s ERAN, a volunteer organization that provides “emotional first aid.”
According to their official website, “ERAN is Israel’s only national phone and web hotline service for immediate anonymous and confidential emotional support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
I blogged about ERAN here:
ERAN Gives You Emotional First Aid in Israel
What a great idea, Jeff. Always good to hear about people who are having success and even better to hear about people who are spreading it.
Read Jacob from JobMob´s latest article – 6 Reasons You Might Need a Job Search Coach Now
I would like to nominate PSI World for your giveaway and specifically their OKC Giving Day project. PSI World contributes many thousands of volunteer hours and dollars to projects and missions around the world. Their donations are primarily derived from the PSI Seminars Division Graduates. In those programs, participants are encouraged to make a difference in their communities and our world. OKC Giving Day is a three year old project started by 1/2 dozen seminar participants. We adopt needy families at Christmas time and provide their meal, tree & decorations, and gifts for the family for the holiday along with a grocery gift card. In three years, this small group has grown to now serve 60 families in 2008. Members of prior recipient families are helping give to others in this years project. We are grass roots under a bigger 501c3, and every penny goes to our recipient families!
PSI World in the OKC Giving Day project is an awesome way to show those in need that we care. Providing gifts, tree and dinner to children who don’t have any sign of Christmas in their homes. I worked with a family in 2007 who had 7 kids living with their Grandmother. One of the teenagers was in critical condition in the hospital. This Grandmother didn’t have the money or the time to think about Christmas. The look on their faces when we walked in with Christmas for them is a feeling more than words can describe. Giving to others is far more precious than ever receiving any gift myself. That is my gift, putting smiles on their faces and a sparkle in their eyes.
PSI World’s OKC Giving Day project has been an annual event for my family and myself for the past few years. I have watched this experience deeply effect both those who are receiving the opportunity to have a Christmas they would not otherwise have, as well as those who have the honor of delivery. Children and adults alike are moved by this event and we embrace and appreciate the opportunity to increase the number of families we are able to help each year.
I nominate the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.
http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org
My last comment did not have a correct email address, so I am going to do it again. I am not meaning to do this incorrectly, so here we go again.
PSI World’s Oklahoma City Giving Day originated three years ago. This year we are serving 60 families by providing them a full Christmas, including their Christmas Tree, decorations, meal, food for after Christmas, a want and a need for each child in the family. For children who do not have coats, we provide them with a warm coat. We interview counselors at schools and at other organizations to get families nominated for our program. We then contact each family and interview them. We solicit donations to fill the needs. There is so much need and we are blessed to be able to take care of some of it.
I am happy that you have been so blessed this year. Thank you for your generosity.
Carolyn Sims
Co-Chair, Giving Day OKC
9735 Briarcreek Dr
Oklahoma City, Ok 73162
Giving Day Oklahoma City
Giving Day OKC is doing awesome work for families by providing those in need with a complete Christmas. We’re talking presents, food, christmas tree, ornaments, etc. These families would not have a Christmas with out Giving day OKC!
PSI World’s Oklahoma City Giving Day
100% of collected funds are given out. All administrative costs are donated.
Giving Day Oklahoma City.
These people make a difference.
I would like to nominate First Step , a local charity that assists abused women. They provide a shelter (safe house) so families can escape the violence. Many times these families have no other safe place to go. Sometimes they escape with nothing but the clothes on their back. First Step provides food, clothing, toys, advocacy and counseling. I love the fact that this organization helps those who need to take the first step in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
I don’t believe they have a website ,however if they are chosen you can email me for contact information,
amazing ~ what a blessing you are to ge so generous ~
the charity i vote for – very hard decision with so many out there is
http://www.samaritanspurse.org
they help all over the world in so many different ways –
wishing you a blessed christmas
I’d like to nominate Doctor’s without Borders. What a great idea. Thanks for doing this.
I humbly ask you consider The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)
Christian compassion to bless Israel and the middle east.Thanks