Archive for November, 2007

cool list of…

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

Dear friends,

in honor of Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas and the end of the fiscal year (tax deductions), I like to compile and distribute a list of charities that I feel strongly about. This year I asked friends to send me the charities that they feel passionately about. Here are their picks (and a couple ones that I like too).

This was cool for me because I learned about numerous charities that were new to me. Scroll down and I think you will be intrigued by them.

This list is not delineated by order of importance. That’s why you need to read the entire list. Also, some do not include a description because I figured the description is implied in the name. Each description comes from the charity’s web site.

Feel free to reply to this posting with more charities or to say why one charity or another is especially great.

Happy holidays,

Sharna

American Brain Tumor Association
http://www.abta.org/

Concern Worldwide

http://www.concern.net/
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and …
http://www.rainn.org/

Intersos
http://www.intersos.org/whoweARE.htm

INTERSOS is an independent non-profit humanitarian organization committed to assist the victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts.

Doctors Without Borders

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Mercy Corps
http://www.mercycorps.org/
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

IRC

International Rescue Committee

http://www.theirc.org/
The International Rescue Committee serves refugees and communities victimized by oppression or violent conflict worldwide. Founded in 1933, the IRC is committed to freedom, human dignity, and self-reliance. This commitment is expressed in emergency relief, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement assistance, and advocacy.

The New York Bariatric Wellness Program-
Specializing In Rehabilitative Care for the Severely Obese Patient
http://www.brookhavenrehab.com/bariatric.html

American Cancer Society

http://www.cancer.org

The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of

America

http://www.myasthenia.org
Myasthenia Gravis comes from the Greek and Latin words meaning "grave muscular weakness." The most common form of MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that is characterized by fluctuating weakness of the voluntary muscle groups. The prevalence of MG in the

United States

is estimated to be about 20/100,000 population. However, MG is probably under diagnosed and the prevalence may be higher. Myasthenia Gravis occurs in all races, both genders, and at any age. MG is not thought to be directly inherited nor is it contagious. It does occasionally occur in more than one member of the same family.

Jewish Federation of

St. Joseph

Valley
http://www.thejewishfed.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/

Alzheimer’s Services of Northern

Indiana

http://www.alz-nic.org

The

Parents Circle

http://www.theparentscircle.com/

Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF) is a grassroots organization of  bereaved Palestinians and Israelis. the PCFF promotes reconciliation as an alternative to hatred and revenge.

Chai Lifeline

http://www.chailifeline.org/

Chai Lifeline is a not for profit organization dedicated to helping children suffering from serious illness as well as their family members.

KFAR Jewish Arts Center
(tax deductible donations via our fiscal agent, Foundation for Jewish Culture)
1807 W. Sunnyside #2e,

Chicago

IL

60040

773.362.4760
http://kfarcenter.org

JUF

http://www.juf.org/about_juf/default.aspx

The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago is the largest not-for-profit social welfare institution in

Illinois

and the central address of

Chicago

’s Jewish community. JUF provides critical resources that bring food, refuge, health care, education and emergency assistance to 300,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and two million Jews around the world. JUF/Federation funds a network of nearly 70 agencies and programs that care for people at every stage of life, regardless of the ability to pay. Since 1900, JUF/Federation has worked to give voice to the community, and to assure that necessities are provided for its most vulnerable members—children, immigrants, the poor, the elderly and the disabled.

Special Olympics

http://www.specialolympics.org/

Evans Scholars Foundation

http://www.evansscholarsfoundation.com/

The WGA-sponsored Evans Scholars Foundation administers the nation’s largest privately funded college scholarship program.  Since 1930, over 8,500 deserving young caddies have earned their college degrees through Evans Scholarships.  Today, more than 820 caddies attend college each year as Evans Scholars.  The Evans Scholarship was founded by golf great Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. (1890-1979).

Mazon
http://www.mazon.org/
MAZON allocates donations from the Jewish community to prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

http://www.mdausa.org/

Voluntary health agency providing information and supporting research into neuromuscular diseases, including Muscular Dystrophy.

St. Coletta’s of IL. Foundation

http://www.stcolettail.org/

Providing support and funding for special needs individuals in the areas of:
          Residential Care
          Educational Programs
          Medical Care
          Religious and Pastoral Care
          Vocational Services
          Specialized Facilities

Les Turner ALS foundation

http://www.lesturnerals.org/

The Les Turner ALS Foundation is the only independent publicly supported non-profit organization in the Chicago-area devoted solely to the treatment and elimination of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Walter Payton Foundation

http://www.payton34.com/

The Walter & Connie Payton Foundation’s
largest program is our

Holiday

Giving
Program. This program helps provide gifts
for in-need children during the Holidays.

ACLU Foundation
http://aclu.org/

The ACLU Foundation is the arm of the ACLU that conducts our litigation and communication efforts. Gifts to the ACLU Foundation are tax-deductible to the donor to the extent permissible by law.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

http://ww5.komen.org/home/
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Brain Aneurism Foundation

http://www.bafound.org/

Leukemia Lymphatic Society

http://www.leukemia.org/hm_lls

Planned Parenthood
www.plannedparenthood.org/

As Good as Gold Dog Rescue

http://asgoodasgold.org/
As Good as Gold, Golden Retriever Rescue of Northern Illinois is a membership based, all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; and we invite you to browse our website to learn more about As Good as Gold.

America

’s Second Harvest
www.secondharvest.org/
The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the nation’s largest charitable hunger-relief organization.

Communities in Schools of

Chicago

http://www.chicagocis.org/
Communities In Schools of Chicago (CISC) is a unique organization that works exclusively to connect

Chicago

public school students and their families with existing social services to address critical unmet needs. Our goal is to ensure that all children have the opportunity to improve their chances for school and life success by meeting their social, emotional, and health needs. When these needs are met in a place where they feel safe and comfortable – right at their schools – attendance and test scores increase, higher numbers of students graduate, resulting in improved academic lives and brighter futures. Most importantly, we do all this at no cost to the schools.

March of Dimes
http://www.marchofdimes.com Information and answers about pregnancy, your baby, folic acid, prematurity, genetic disorders, birth defects and much more.

Heifer International

http://www.heifer.org/

With Heifer’s proven approach – almost 60 years in the making – to helping people obtain a sustainable source of food and income.

American Jewish World Service
www.ajws.org/

A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing nonsectarian humanitarian assistance and emergency relief to disadvantaged people worldwide.

Logan

Center
http://www.logancenter.org/

LOGAN

is committed to supporting people with disabilities in achieving their desired quality of life. Through our commitment to this mission, we help individuals and our community come together to Discover the Potential in each and every one of us.

Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago

Chicago

children’s hospital describes services and presents health and medical information on a wide range of children’s diseases.
www.childrensmemorial.org/

United States

Holocaust

Museum

http://www.ushmm.org/

Magen David Adom (

Israel

’s Red Cross)

http://www.afmda.org/

World Wildlife Fund

www.worldwildlife.org/

For a previous year’s list:

http://smarcus.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2005/11/give_a_little_b.html