It's no secret that our wallets take a major hit during the holiday season. Shopping sprees upon shopping sprees fill the weeks of December, and if you're anything like me, you never know when to stop spending. The best part about the holidays, though, is the spirit of giving that comes with it. And not just the giving of gifts to our loved ones, but giving to those who we may not know, who truly need it the most.

Here are a few charities making a major impact that could benefit from your support not only this holiday season, but all year round:

1. First Book

More than 80 percent of preschool and after-school programs for children from low-income families have no age-appropriate books for the kids they serve. First Books helps young reader from a low-income family learn their ABCs and 123s through the donation of ten books per child. Recipients of books from First Book participate in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs.

2. The Salvation Army

This one is easy, because Salvation Army volunteers are on what seems like every street corner and grocery store entrance during the month of December. The traditional red kettle is an integral part of the Christmas scene, with millions of dollars donated each year to aid needy families, seniors, and the homeless. Donations and financial assistance provide Christmas dinners, clothing, and toys for families in need, including families of prisoners.

3. The Hunger Project

The Hunger Project is a global movement of people working in authentic partnership for the sustainable end of hunger. Their mission is to end hunger and poverty with sustainable, grassroots, women-centered strategies and advocating for their widespread adoption in countries throughout the world. Find out what it means to be a Hunger Project investor.

4. The White Helmets

With everything that is currently happening in Aleppo, this is a great charity to donate to. The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, are a group of volunteers who search recently bombed locations and rescue surviving and or trapped civilians. So far, the group has successfully saved more than 73,530 people from attacks in Syria.

5. No Kid Hungry

This campaign from Share Our Strength works to feed the one in five American children who don’t have reliable access to food. This campaign educates parents about ways to stretch their food budget, works to provide healthy breakfasts in public schools, and helps to get food to children over summer vacation.

6. The Trevor Project

The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. The organization works to fulfill this mission through four strategies: providing crisis counseling to LGBTQ young people thinking of suicide, offering resources to LGBTQ young people to reduce the risk that they become suicidal, educating young people and adults about suicide prevention, risk detection and response, and advocate for laws and policies that will reduce suicide among LGBTQ young people.

7. Amnesty International

With its time-tested approach and infrastructure, the charity advocates for people in the direst of circumstances worldwide, including refugees and asylum seekers. Victims of human-rights violations like rape and torture during armed conflict; those awaiting execution, those punished for dissent, and those who lack the most basic of human rights, such as food and water.

8. World Vision

Log on to the World Vision site and see the faces of children in need: 1-year-old Nicolle from Mexico, 12-year-old Carlos from Mozambique, 10-year-old Mercy from Ghana. Choose to sponsor a child, and your $39 monthly donation will go toward fresh water, nutritious food, education services, bed nets to shield against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and job training for his or her parents.

Hopefully in the spirit of Christmas, we can learn to open not only our pocket books, but our hearts. And if you can't find room in your budget to donate, even educating yourself about these causes is so impactful.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday and the happiest of new years!