the nature conservancy

Here's another way to give someone a very cool gift while saving the planet this holiday season. Chances are very good that you've probably heard of The Nature Conservancy. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Their vision is to leave a sustainable world for future generations.

You can make a good, old fashioned donation to The Nature Conservancy to help support their conservation projects all around the world. Or, you can shop the Nature Conservancy Marketplace and pick a specific conservation project to support in your name or on behalf of someone else. Protect sea turtles for $25 (and get a cute stuffed turtle as a special gift) or adopt an acre in Costa Rica for $50 (sadly, this one does not come with a free trip to Costa Rica). You can also shop the Marketplace for clothing, jewelry, ornaments, water bottles, books, DVDs, etc. and 10% of sales will go toward the Nature Conservancy. Not sure whether your mother-in-law would appreciate a donation to rhinos on her behalf? Get her a gift certificate to The Nature Conservancy Marketplace instead and let her choose for herself!

You can also join The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees campaign. The Conservancy is working with local partners to bring the Atlantic Forest of Brazil - one of the world's biggest and most endangered tropical forests - back by reforesting 1 million acres of land. They are close to their goal of planting 1 billion trees by 2015 (they're at 9,953,810 trees right now!). One dollar plants one tree. You can also give a gift of trees by planting trees on someone's behalf.

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CARE

I read this news story a few months ago and cried. My heart absolutely breaks for the people suffering in East Africa. (Uplifting way to kick off a post, eh?) Earlier this year, the United Nations declared famine in six regions in the Horn of Africa. More than 13 million people are in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Women and children in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have been particularly hit hard and humanitarian agencies like CARE are working around the clock to respond to the crises and save lives.

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. They have been rapidly scaling up their response in the Horn of Africa,  and their emergency interventions have already directly reached over a million people across the region. CARE is working alongside partners to provide food, water, health, education, protection, livelihoods, and prevention of gender-based violence in the Dadaab refugee camps.

CARE not only feeds the hungry, they also help tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change. CARE also provides people in need assistance with water/sanitation/hygiene, food, education, gender-based violence, psychosocial support, and psychological counseling. In 2010, CARE worked in 87 countries around the world, supporting 905 poverty-fighting projects to reach more than 82 million people, over half of whom are women. You can learn more about what they do or search their project database.

If you make one donation this year, consider supporting a humanitarian organization like CARE. They are literally saving lives every day. Make a general donation to CARE between now and December 31 and your donation will automatically be doubled. Over 90% of funds go to help people directly through CARE programs. Make a donation for someone else and send them a CARE holiday e-card.

You can also donate by building and sending a CARE Package. This is actually really cool. You drag and drop customized gifts of empowerment into a virtual CAREpackage that will go to help poor girls and women access the resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Or, you can send a care package to someone else and let them choose the items they want to donate. You can also invite your friends, family, and colleagues to add items to your group CAREpackage. $12 can add a lifesaving mosquito net. $60 can provide one family with Unimix, an enriched corn and bean flour to fight malnutrition, for a month.

There are other ways you can help. Donate your cell phone through the CollectiveGood program. It’s designed to capture idle mobile phones in North America and redeploy them, solving an environmental problem, raising funds for CARE, and bridging the digital divide. Send your used mobile phone(s) with the extra batteries, charging unit, automobile power plug, case, etc. All phones will be recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner and you will receive an acknowledgement letter from CARE for your donation.

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[UPDATED] google chrome for a cause

This one is so easy, you literally do good just by turning it on.

If you use Google Chrome to surf the interwebs, install the Chrome for a Cause extension and your web browsing will drive donations made to charities around the world. Each tab you open between December 15 -19 will raise money for charity. At the end of each day, contribute your tabs by choosing one of five charities to support:

The Nature Conservancy is a conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Doctors Without Borders is an independent, international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid in nearly 70 countries to those most in need.

Un Techo para mi País is working in 19 countries across the Americas to improve the quality of life of impoverished families through the construction of transitional housing.

Room to Read is a non-profit organization seeking to transform the lives of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.

You can, of course, donate to any of the charities above directly, too. Easy easy easy. Happy clicking!


UPDATE (12/15/11):

Soooo...Google Chrome for a Cause states clearly on all their web pages that the program was running from December 15 - 19. What they did not clearly state, however, was a year. It appears that they might not be running the program again this year.

I have emailed the extension developers to get some answers. If I learn that they are not running the program again this year, I will first offer my sincere apologies for my oversight. Then, I will try to use all my charms and the support you all have shown to convince Google to run the program again this year.

My apologies in advance for anyone who was looking forward to making a difference this year by using Google Chrome for a Cause and I thank you for doing good. More to come...

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childrens leukemia foundation of Michigan

A friend of mine from high school, Jessica, does a lot of work raising awareness and money for the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. The mission of Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLF) is to provide and promote compassionate, personalized support to people in Michigan affected by leukemia and other related disorders. I grew up in Michigan and can think of no more noble cause than supporting children and their families in their times of need, so I was happy when she recommended them to be featured on the blog.

CLF is a statewide organization that provides information, financial assistance, and emotional support to Michigan families affected by leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood disorders. CLF offers a variety of services that help to meet the needs of its patients and families. Check out all of the different ways you can help this wonderful organization.

Living with a serious illness puts a significant strain on a family’s finances, time, and emotions. To combat some of these stresses and make the December holidays brighter, CLF distributes gift packages to child patients and their siblings, and to the children of adult patients. During the CLF Holiday Toy Drive, you can donate new, unwrapped toys for children and teens. Check out the Holiday Toys Wish List for gift ideas.

You can also make a difference when you shop! Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan has partnered with Kroger stores through its Kroger Community Rewards Program. Every time you swipe your Kroger Plus Shopper’s Card a portion of your purchase can benefit CLF. You must have a Kroger Plus Card to participate and register your card online to benefit CLF. Again, its getting a little late into this holiday season, but CLF also offers adorable holiday greeting cards designed by kids and that generate a contribution to Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan.

You can also make a donation to CLF in your name or in honor of someone on your holiday gift list. The primary focus at CLF is to support its patients so the majority of funding directly benefits patients and families.

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safe horizon

A wonderful friend, Lynette, sent me a message yesterday telling me about a cool event that's taking place in NYC today and tomorrow:

Urban Sanctuary Shopping Benefit for Safe Horizon
Thursday & Friday, December 8 & 9,  10:00am - 8:00pm
Rockefeller Center, 636 Fifth Avenue at 51st Street, New York, New York

The benefit will be held at Faconnable's 5th avenue flagship store to help raise money and awareness for Safe Horizon, the nation's largest provider of services for victims of crime and abuse. Bring an upwrapped toy with you to the event and be entered to win a VIP gift bag. It promises to be a swank event with Kelly Rutherford from 'Gossip Girl' hosting and vendors selling their wares including Vinci, Dermalogica, Smartcar, Alize, Votre Vu, Dyanne Bell Jewelry, and more! The organizers of this event, Urban Sanctuary, have a simple mission: to offer companies an opportunity to 'make a profit while making a difference' through a series of interactive retail events that raise money and awareness for various causes and organizations. We like that type of mission.

This event will benefit Safe Horizon, the largest victims’ services agency in the United States. They have 57 locations serving more than 250,000 children, adults, and families affected by crime and abuse throughout New York City each year. Safe Horizon offers a number of vitally important programs, including 24-hour hotlines. If you need help, call. If you see abuse, report it. Safe Horizon provides a Streetwork Project for Homeless Youth, Child Advocacy Centers, Domestic Violence Law Project, Immigration Law Project, Counseling Centers, Community Programs, Court Programs, Domestic Violence Shelters, and Project SAFE - a free service that installs new locks or cylinders in the homes of those who have filed police reports.

You don't have to go to a fancy shopping event to help Safe Horizon. Make this holiday a special one for children and youth who wish for comfort, safety, and happiness with a donation. Your donation supports their 24-hour hotlines, domestic violence shelters, community services, Child Advocacy Centers, trauma counseling, and group services for victims of crime and abuse, homeless youth, and families of homicide victims. Safe Horizon spends 84 cents per dollar on programs that help those affected by violence and abuse. You can also buy a gift for someone from Safe Horizon's online store, Hope Shop, where you can purchase special gifts that are fashionable and powerful.

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project night night

1 in 50 American children will face homelessness in his or her lifetime.

That sucks. But there is something we can do to help homeless kids feel a little bit better. Check out Project Night Night. This is such sweet idea, pointed out to me by a college friend of mine (thanks, Stacy!) Project Night Night is a 501(c)(3) organization that helps homeless children have sweeter dreams.

Project Night Night donates over 25,000 Night Night Packages each year, free of charge, to homeless children who need childhood essentials to feel secure, cozy, ready to learn, and significant. Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children's book, and a stuffed animal -- all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children they serve. Every child who receives a Night Night Packages gets to leave the shelter owning a book which encourages reading and family bonding, a security blanket to cuddle, and a stuffed animal which can become a cherished friend. Project Night Night's mission is to deliver a Night Night Package to every homeless child in the country who needs one.

You can help Project Night Night with a tax-deductible donation. You can donate any amount to help them run their wonderful program. You can also sponsor a Night Night Package with a $20 donation that will underwrite the cost of one Night Night Package to be delivered to a homeless child. This holiday season, you can also make a tribute donation on behalf of someone on your gift list and Project Night Night will send them a card of recognition.

You can also help Project Night Night without spending any money. Yay! Volunteer your time making and delivering Night Night Packages to local shelters or donate items for Night Night Packages (they are quite specific, so please be sure to read carefully the guidelines for donating items). Here's wishing you all a good night!

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