At the beginning of December, my sister Heidi did something awesome. She’s generally great, but this was extra super cool. She posted this on her Facebook timeline:
After 30 Days of Thanksgiving and the positivity that it brought to my life, I was trying to think of something for December. I have come up with 31 Days of Giving!
It is the season for giving, and so every day this month I am going to tag a friend and ask them what not-for-profit organization they think is worthy of a donation this holiday season.
It’s not an invitation to debate the worthiness of the charities, merely a way for everyone to find out about organizations they didn’t know about that might align with their values to donate to this holiday season.
Remember, a $25 donation to a not-for-profit is tax deductible.
When I asked her if this was her idea or part of a larger campaign, she said, “I came up with it. I thought it would be better than a charity a day from me, that I’d get a wider view of places where people could focus their giving.”
Heidi is half way through the month, and she’s received a response from every friend she’s tagged. Below, are the suggestions she’s received to date. I’m not officially endorsing any of these organizations, except for the one I personally shared on December 4.
One of Heidi’s friends made the good point you should confirm causes aren’t scams before donating. She shared an article from Consumer Reports on how to vet organizations.
There are only 15 days left in 2012 to donate to a worthy cause. Do any of these strike your fancy? What charities or not-for-profit organizations do you support?
james carter 
Thank you, and your sister, for the shout out to the Adult Congenital Heart Association. I manage their advocacy program and as a mother of a child with a heart defect, can attest to the incredible work they do that impacts the millions of people living with heart defects. (did you know it is ther mousy common birth defect? ) Every dollar given makes so world of difference!
Thanks for sharing, Amy. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and great New Year.