Top Charities

Sharing is Caring: Top Charities

Donate, share and give with the holiday spirit. The holidays mean much more than just time spent with family, sharing stories, watching movies, and opening presents. For those of us fortunate enough to revel in holiday tradition, it is also a time to reflect on the luxury of a comfortable lifestyle, to appreciate our health and to feel grateful for our surroundings.

The internal warmth created by a donation or participation in a volunteer activity is comparable to the sensation generated by a holiday family gathering around the fireplace. Giving back to your community and to those less fortunate bolsters the holiday spirit. Instead of adding to the clutter, bookshelves and closets of your home, try donating to a charitable cause. With hundreds of organizations to choose from, the task of finding a charity aligned with your personal values evolves into a fun adventure. After perusing the list of top charities provided by CharityWatch, we picked out a few organizations covering a wide variety of interests, categories and programs.

 Ten different charities with high ratings working to improve life, health, literacy, the environment and a whole lot more:

1. The Wildlife Conservation Society – Founded in 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society currently manages nearly 500 conservation projects in over 60 countries. The WCS makes a commitment to protect 25 percent of the world’s biodiversity and the five WCS parks in New York City welcome four million visitors annually. Donate to help save wild tigers, to protect elephants from poaching and to protect Afghanistan’s wildlife.

2. The Guide Dog Foundation Mission – Established in 1946, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. has provided guide dogs free of charge to blind people. The Guide Dog Foundation has trained students from all over the world and offers individualized instruction for both hearing-impaired blind individuals and those facing physical challenges.

3. Children Incorporated – Children Incorporated is a nonprofit organization that provides resources for children in need across the globe. Children Incorporated has grown to serve over 20,000 children in 300 projects and 24 countries around the world. Through sponsorship and different funds, gifts to Children Incorporated help to change the lives of underprivileged children in both the U.S. and around the world.

4. Center for Constitutional Rights – The Center for Constitutional Rights is a nonprofit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change. CCR was founded in 1966 by attorneys involved in the civil rights movements and is dedicated to protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

5. Conservation International – Through science, policy and field work, Conservation International (CI) works to ensure a healthy and productive planet for us all. CI works at every level to inspire entire communities and societies towards a smarter development path.

6. City of Hope – City of Hope is an independent biomedical research, treatment and education institution, leading the fight against cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Recognized for its excellence in cancer treatment and research, City of Hope is designated as one of only 40 Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide by the National Cancer Institute.

7. Human Rights First – Human Rights First is a nonprofit international human rights organization working to build respect for human rights and the rule of law. Human Rights First uses creative coalition-building, advocacy, litigation and research to solve tough challenges. Human Rights First does not accept government funding.

8. Reading is Fundamental – Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the U.S. RIF motivates children to read by delivering free books to children in need. RIF sends 15 million books annually to children who lack adequate literacy resources.

9.  The Global Fund for Women – The Global Fund for Women plays a role in advancing women’s rights by making grants that bolster and strengthen women’s groups around the world. Since 1987, the Global Fund has provided grants to 4,200 groups in 171 countries.

10. The Hunger Project – The Hunger Project is a global, nonprofit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. It develops bottom-up strategies in 11 countries across the globe to put an end to hunger and poverty.

FeelGoodNow Contributor: Chrissie Nims

This wild cookie gobbler enjoys roaming the online world, exploring new marketing strategies and meeting new people. Chrissie satisfies her sweet tooth with healthy, all natural recipes that make her sugary guilt melt away. She loves discovering secret, sunny spots during the winter, skiing and taming wild, rambunctious ponies. 


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