What are your favorite charities?
 

I am a fan of the following:

www.halfthesky.org - Charity for children in orphanages in China
www.heifer.org - Charity to help communities around the world become self sufficient.
www.cancer.org - American cancer society
www.aspca.org - For pets in shelters and also helping take pets out of bad situations

Others I've heard are good
www.doctorswithoutborders.org - Support doctors in areas where medical care is scarce


I believe in spreading charitable contributions around and I was just hoping to find maybe a charity I overlooked. I care about animals (a lot) as well as research toward medical cures, providing aid to countries/areas that need it, etc.

If anyone has any of their favorite charities, I'd love to hear them.

I'm involved with http://www.homewardtrails.org/
They're a rescue organization that pull animals from high kill rural shelters. They don't just take the cute little puppies and kittens, they also take many special needs animals that other rescue organizations tend to over look because they are difficult to place.
I don't have a lot of money to donate but I help with adoption events, do home visits for potential adopters and even have a little kitty I'm fostering. (Any body looking for a kitty!? http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=9124607 )

I also really believe in the work done by http://www.rainn.org/
I'm putting in an application to help out with their hot line.

I sponsor a child in the Philippines through World Vision. My monthly contribution pays for her schooling, food, clothing & medical care. I get periodic updates with photos, report cards, etc. This is my second child I have sponsored. It is very rewarding.

I volunteer at my local Cat Protection in the UK. I also like to support the RSPCA and the ASPCA. I spend quite a bit of time working with animals, and would like to foster dogs, but that can only happen when we have a house that isn't being rented out to us!

I have also been accepted for a job for the NSPCC, an administrative role, it is nice to know the I would be working for neglected children.

Amnesty International. I'm an active volunteer in my college group and would totally work for them full time. It's about upholding a charter of rights worldwide: the right to one's own body, to freedom of peaceful expression, to freedom from arbitrary detention, to a fair trial, etc. We do a lot of activism and a lot of awareness-raising. This terms campaign has been on Terrorism, Security and Human Rights, so we've been focused on arbitrary imprisonment, use of torture, rendition flights, secret detention camps, etc.

http:www.unsubscribe-me.org

All the charities I support right now involve someone I have lost. It seems to be the way I can cope with the hole these special people left in me now they are gone.

I donate to the Feral Cat Coalition because my mom, who died 4 years ago of pancreatic cancer, was an animal lover. She was very involved in the organization. I donate one of my business's espresso carts to their annual fund raiser. And every year I have a little cry. (I know she would love that I donate to them.)

I donate to the Cascade Aids Project in honor my one of best friends, Jim, who died at age 25 of aids. I lived in San Francisco during the late 80's and seeing the havok this disease wrecks on people haunts me to this day. I also donate a couple of my espresso carts to their biggest fund raiser of the year.

Recently, another of my best friends just experienced a horrific loss. Her 9 year old daughter died last week after a 2 1/2 year battle with Nueroblastoma. My heart is so absolutely broken right now. I feel like I need to do something. In my searching I found St Baldric's Foundation. I, my husband and my son will be shaving our heads for charity on April 10th (I am a 40 year old obsese woman who is losing weight. I am going to warn my clients and friends - and while I'm at it ask for a donation. Once I am officially registered I may ask the 3FC forum as well.)

Probably one of my favorite organizations overall is Amnesity International. I support them in spirit. :)

~ Gretchen

:hug: I always contribute to

The Food Bank in our city
The American Red Cross
Project ABC - Any Baby Can
The Salvation Army
and the Women's Shelter.

Compassion International - Sponsors children over seas shares the love of Christ , gives them food , clothes , Meds and sends them to school.We are on our second child and she lives in India.
Our local Pregnancy Care Center , Salvation Army, Teen Challenge,American Bible Society and Billy Graham to name a few.

There are so many great charities out there, but the one that is closest to my heart is MusiCares and the Grammy Foundation. They have programs that benefit every aspect of music- Grammy Schools, Music Rising (hurricane relief)... They were a fundamental tool in re-establishing school music programs along the gulf coast and assisting the more than 3500 musicians down there. They provide substance abuse assistance, health insurance and over the summer we even replaced a struggling musician's water well. Schools across the country benefit from their grants (Grammy Schools).

www.musicares.com

Hearing that people out there still care about stuff makes me :)

Life is tough, but some people in the world have it much tougher!

Heart and Stroke

I've looked after sooo many stroke victims in my life ... it's a terrible thing.

The Canadian Cancer society is a big one of mine (my mom, my grandmother, my aunt, and my grandfather have all had cancer) as is the heart and stroke foundation (my uncle had a serious stroke).

I can't afford to pay much so I usually spend my time volunteering.

My favourites are:
Youth Challenge International (a CDN organization that sends youth to developing nations to volunteer)
Elizabeth Fry Society (an organization that helps women and children who are in the criminal justice system)
Girl Guides
Big Brothers & Sisters

World Wildlife Fund
National Wildlife Federation
Defenders of Wildlife
Seattle Humane Society

I was lucky enough to have healthy family and friends, and most of the misfortunes I encountered were suffered by animals. I think that's where my motivation comes from.
I'm so glad there are people ready to support all kinds of charities - from (human) health and research, to education, art, environment. Many times people tell me "why do you help animals when there are so many PEOPLE suffering". First of all this is so superficial and I pity the people that get to think and express that thought, second of all no type of charity/interest excludes another.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Children's Miracle Network
March of Dimes
Local volunteer rescue squads/fire departments
The Army Emergency Relief
The Lupus Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation

Greyhound adoption groups (they are non-profit) are especially close to my heart. Also WWF and Human Society.