You can donate all kinds of things- your time, money, school supplies, food, and clothing. But there are lots of things that your body makes that you can also donate to people in need.

1. Hair

Hair donation is fairly common and requires no more effort than getting a normal haircut. Length is the most important requirement (usually 8-10 inches are required) and the hair can be used to make wigs for people with cancer or other types of alopecia (hair loss). Many years ago, I donated my hair and hope to do it again soon. It is such a satisfying feeling to cut off so much hair, and knowing that it will bring confidence and happiness to someone in need makes it so much better.

2. Blood

Donating blood is a little more painful than donating hair, but it requires a similar time commitment of an hour-ish. Unless you're deathly afraid of needles, there's no reason why you shouldn't try and donate blood! There are some height and weight requirements and they'll want to know if you've recently gotten a tattoo or been out of the country. But it only hurts for a minute and donating blood once can save up to three peoples' lives. You also usually get a free t-shirt and who doesn't love that?! Blood donation centers also commonly do mobile donations where they come to campuses and workplaces, meaning you might not even have to go anywhere to make your donation.

3. Sperm and Eggs

To help people have babies, men can donate sperm and women can donate eggs. The procedure for donating eggs is a more invasive and time-consuming procedure than donating sperm (women just can't catch a break) but luckily for you, donating your reproductive cells is usually less of a donation and more of a money-making option. Donating your eggs could earn you up to $8000. It's not something to take lightly, though. You have to be of good health and you should think long and hard about how there one day being a baby that is partly you somewhere out in the world makes you feel before you use this as your next cash venture. You can also get money for donating sperm, but not as much because it is much simpler of a process. If you do it for the right reasons, it can be a pretty amazing thing to be able to help people struggling with infertility or women who want to get pregnant on their own.

4. Surrogacy

If you are a healthy young woman, you can also temporarily donate your body in order to help someone have a baby...by having the baby for them. Surrogacy is a beautiful thing. Some women are unable to have babies and someone carrying a baby for them is an incomparable gift. Surrogacy is a huge commitment- it includes medical procedures for the fertilized egg to be implanted, as well as carrying the baby for 9 months and then birthing it. Surrogacy is strangely illegal in some states but in places where it is legal, the medical expenses are usually compensated for by the biological parents, plus a profit. However, many people are surrogates for family and friends and do it purely to help people that they love become parents.

5. Bone Marrow

Bone marrow donation is a painful and invasive procedure. To donate bone marrow to someone in need, you have to be almost an exact match, meaning a lot of people who need a bone marrow transplant may never get one because they can't find a match. If you're interested in registering as a bone marrow donor, you can register online and they will mail you a simple DNA test to complete and mail back. You will be in the registry and if you ever match someone who needs a transplant, you have the option of deciding on whether or not you are willing to make the donation. Registering is not a commitment, it just means that you have the possibility of matching someone and later selflessly helping them with a bone marrow transplant. If you register, are contacted, and decide to go through with a bone marrow donation, the medical costs are paid for.

6. Breast Milk

You may not have heard of breast milk donation but it is another beautiful thing you can give to someone else that your body is already producing naturally (if you are a woman currently producing breast milk of course). Some women prefer to feed their baby breast milk over formula but are unable to produce breast milk. Or maybe they can produce breast milk, but not enough. Other women are unable to breastfeed due to medications they are on. Donated breast milk is screened to make sure it is safe and clean and then it is sent to babies in need.

7. Organs.

Most people have heard of organ donation but what you may not know is that it includes a lot more than the common ones- heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. People who are listed as organ donors when they die can not only save lives, but give people an improved quality of life. Eyes, skin, even blood vessels can be donated and transplanted into needy individuals. Recently, more complicated transplants such as a face transplant and a penis transplant have become possible. It's a selfless thing to register as an organ donor, but in a way, it doesn't really affect you because you will be dead. How amazing is it that even when you are dead, you could save other people? It also takes about two seconds to register. You can do it online, or when you go to the DMV.

You can also be a living organ donor. You have two kidneys but can live with one, so many people donate one of their kidneys to family members and loved ones. Liver lobes, lung lobes, and skin are other organs that can be donated from live donors.

8. Your Body

When you die, you can choose to donate your body to science. It seems a little weird but I think it's a pretty special thing. Doctors and surgeons in med school learn to practice on cadavers. Research for new types of treatments and procedures are also done on cadavers. If you donate your body, you could be a part of the next big medical discovery or help new doctors learn how to be doctors. Even after your death, you would be helping to advance science and medicine which is incredible.

Next time you're feeling particularly charitable, consider one of these unique methods of donation. You could make lives better, save lives, or even help create life and nothing is more amazing than that.