Christmas is the season of giving; it's a time to reflect on how fortunate you are and give back to those who don't have as much. While you may be done with most of your Christmas shopping already, a quick donation, closet raid, or even just a simple click can make someone else's Christmas magical. With so many different donation options and charities to choose from, it's easy to help change the world by making a donation this holiday season.
1. The Salvation Army
Each year, the Salvation Army helps more than four million people around the country in different ways. They collect donations ranging from cars to household furniture at various locations. Around Christmastime, the Salvation Army's red kettles can be seen on street corners and in front of grocery stores across the nation, full of change that will go to provide Christmas dinners to the homeless. If you see one, be sure to toss in your spare change. Anything helps! If you can't get out to a red bucket or don't carry any change with you, a quick online donation is basically the same thing. You can donate at the Salvation Army's website here.
2. One Warm Coat
Do you have an old coat that you outgrew or don't want anymore? You can donate it to One Warm Coat, a growing national organization that supports over 3,000 coat drives each year. When the temperature drops in the winter months, one of the greatest needs among people living in poverty is a warm coat. Coats are seen as an extra expense for families with tight budgets, one that many families can't afford. A simple donation or even hosting a drive can provide a family in need with warmth they couldn't otherwise get. You can donate online, find a coat drive near you, or host one yourself with One Warm Coat's instructions, materials, tools, and resources.
3. Samaritan's Purse
Samaritan's Purse is a Christian organization that provides aid to people around the world who are in need. Samaritan's purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victim's of war, poverty, natural disaster, disease, and famine. You can donate a monetary gift to where it is most needed, which will go towards funding the resources that the organization needs, including personnel, supporting services, and equipment. You can also choose from 41 different gifts to give, ranging from helping to build a school to providing household water filters. They also host Operation Christmas Child, where you can build a shoebox online that will be sent to a child in need around the world for $25. You can give it a personal touch by choosing from a list of gifts and adding a note and photo to the box.
4. Project Linus
Project Linus is a nonprofit organization that provides warm, homemade blankets to children who are in need. You can donate money to the cause, which will go towards chapter expenses and program support or you can become a "blanketeer". If you know how to knit, crochet, or quilt then you can find a chapter near you and make blankets to donate.
5. Operation Smile
Operation Smile is a project that was started in 1982 when Dr. William Magee, Jr., a plastic surgeon, set out to help children in the Philippines who were born with cleft lip and cleft palates. Upon arrival, the doctor realized that the need for these surgeries was greater than he predicted, and Operation Smile was formed. Now, the organization has a dedicated team of thousands of medical volunteers from across the globe who help to improve the health and lives of children from more than 60 countries. To date, they have performed over 220,000 free surgical procedures to children and young adults with cleft lips. To help the cause, there are many ways to donate. You can give money to the organization, or even pay for certain procedures, stock medical equipment, and send post-op care packages.
6. World Vision
World Vision is a Christian organization that works with people in nearly 100 countries to provide transformational development, emergency relief, and public awareness. They are an all-encompassing charity that is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families from all over the world in many different ways. Your donation can go to anything from providing clean water to a home in Africa to fighting child trafficking by providing job training and education for girls and women.
7. Soldier's Angels
Soldier's Angels is a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to American soldiers and provides programs for veterans, wounded soldiers, and families. The organization was founded in 2003 and has since grown with thousands of volunteers who have helped 734,844 service members by providing them with care packages. They offer many different programs and volunteer opportunities for veteran support, deployed support, wounded support, and family support. You can donate online to make a care package, help veterans put food on the table, and buy items for wounded warriors.
8. Greater Good
Greater Good is an online community that provides a network of websites with good, charitable causes for you to donate to. The idea began with the Hunger Site, a website that funded more than nine million pounds of food for the hungry by having sponsors donate to the cause for every click the website received. On top of that, companies would pay for the Hunger Site to have their ads posted on their thank-you page. More click-to-give sites popped up following the Hunger Site, and the Greater Good connects all of them. A simple click on a page turns into a donation for any cause you choose, and the Greater Good site provides a menu of different charities to click through.
9. Click to Donate
The Click to Donate site is similar to the Greater Good site. It connects people with online charities that they can donate to with a simple click. They offer donation clicks for cancer research, wildlife conservation, disaster relief, education, and many more reputable charities. A complete list of organizations and ways to donate is available on the Click to Donate site.
