The holidays are upon us! With the holidays come shopping and giving. That means that downtown will once again be filled with the sound of jingling bells and the sight of red buckets. While it may be tempting to throw spare change in Salvation Army buckets, remember that the Salvation Army uses those exact dollars to lobby for anti-LGBT legislation. So, here are ten Chicago based organizations that you should donate your money to this holiday season instead.

1. SWOP Chicago

"Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago [SWOP-Chicago] is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of current and former sex workers in the Chicago area, on and off of the job. SWOP-Chicago is composed of current and former sex workers — including prostitutes, professional dominants, porn actors, strippers, and sex educators — and our academic and activist allies, working together to ensure that sex workers are allowed healthy and fulfilling labor and lives."

You can donate here: https://www.youcaring.com/swopchicago-1005658

2. Girl Forward

"GirlForward is a community of support dedicated to creating and enhancing opportunities for girls who have been displaced by conflict and persecution. We are in the midst of the biggest refugee crisis the world has ever seen. Over 60 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes. In conflict, girls are especially vulnerable to violence, isolation, and being kept out of school."

You can donate here: https://www.girlforward.org/donate/

3. The Night Ministry

"The Night Ministry compassionately provides housing, health care, outreach, spiritual care, and social services to adults and youth who struggle with homelessness, poverty and loneliness. We accept individuals as they are and offer support as they seek to improve their lives."

You can donate here: https://www.thenightministry.org/003_donate/

4. Chicago Recovery Alliance

"The Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA) is an ethnically diverse group composed of people living with HIV and drug use, working in addiction treatment, health care, education, law and assorted other areas. CRA is unique as an organization in that the community of individuals affected by HIV and drug use is primarily involved in consuming drugs and support around living with HIV. CRA is an action organization for those interested in directly serving, supporting, educating and advocating with others for reducing drug-related harms. "

You can donate here: https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonati...

5. Test Positive Aware Network

"Saving lives and empowering those affected by HIV/AIDS and related illnesses."

You can donate here: https://www.tpan.com/donate-now

6. Heartland Health Outreach

"Heartland Alliance Health is the leading healthcare provider for the homeless, poorest, and sickest people in Chicago. We believe that healthcare is more than a doctor’s appointment. It’s a safe place to live, healthy food, and help every step of the way. It’s care in our centers and outside our doors – on the streets, in shelters, and in their neighborhoods."

You can donate here: https://www.heartlandalliance.org/donate/

7. Community Outreach Intervention Projects

"The Community Outreach Intervention Projects (“COIP”) operates from storefront sites in Austin, Humboldt Park, West Englewood, South Chicago, and Uptown. Other neighborhoods are served by COIP’s motorhome and mobile van units. COIP’s interventions are known for their use of the Indigenous Leader Outreach Model, which employs former drug users to deliver services and assist in conducting research."

You can donate here: http://publichealth.uic.edu/coip/donate

8. National Runaway Safeline

"The mission of the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) is to help keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the streets. NRS provides education and solution-focused interventions, offers non-sectarian, non-judgmental support, respects confidentiality, collaborates with volunteers, and responds to at-risk youth and their families. "

You can donate here: https://www.1800runaway.org/donate/

9.Between Friends

"Between Friends is a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse. Between Friends was founded by volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women and the North Shore Junior League of Evanston as a small grantmaking body dedicated to raising funds for local domestic violence programs. Today, Between Friends' comprehensive programs and services include a toll-free Crisis Line (800-603-HELP), counseling for victims and their children, court advocacy, and prevention and education efforts."

You can donate here: http://betweenfriendschicago.org/donatenow.html

10. Transformative Justice Law Project

"We use our legal access and our privilege as people on the outside to further the prison abolition movement and support people on the inside. We provide free, zealous, life-affirming, and gender-affirming holistic criminal legal services to low-income and street-based transgender and gender non-conforming people targeted by the criminal legal system."

You can donate here: http://tjlp.org/support/write-checks/