As I get older and look back on all the ground I’ve covered, I realize that life is a precious gift. I see my accomplishments and milestones as a collective victory, with the champions being my community, my family, my opportunities and my God. While birthdays are a great time to celebrate yourself and have a great time, it’s also important to give to your co-sojourners on this journey while you have the chance. Here are some organizations that allow you to direct the generosity of your loved ones toward helping people who are in need.
1: Charity: water
You probably don’t relish every drop of clean water you have access to. It’s easy to take anything for granted when it is not lacking. However, 663 million people live without clean water in developing countries around the world. Can you imagine walking for hours every day to gather dirty water for your family from a swamp or river? Charity: water funds projects that bring clean water to millions of people. If you pledge your birthday to this cause, you can garner donations from people who would normally purchase a gift for you. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to clean water projects all over the world.
For more information, visit charity: water.
2. ECHOage
You can pledge many different types of celebrations to a charity of your choice using this website. ECHOage is mutually beneficial in that it provides invitations and thank you notes for your party while including the donation option as part of the RSVP form. Instead of bringing a gift, attendees have the option to donate online, at least 50 percent of the proceeds allocated to a charity of the host’s choice. The rest of the money goes to a gift for the birthday girl or boy, creating the perfect balance between the joys of giving and receiving.
You can see the multitude of charities that partner with ECHOage and create an invitation here.
3. Heifer International
Do you know anyone who is particularly generous? Someone who would rather give than receive on their birthday? If so, Heifer International allows people to provide practical needs to families all over the world who are without adequate supplies for living. Examples of the types of gifts you can give in the name of the person you are celebrating include a cow, a flock of chicks, a goat and even a llama. Cool, right? Heifer International is geared toward giving a charitable gift in someone else's name, but you can also request that your loved ones give to charity in your name as a gift to you as well. Birthdays are not the only occasion Heifer International recognizes. You can also give charitable gifts on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
Browse the types of gifts you can give to make a difference.