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Topics included in the article:
--It's Easy To Set Up A Fake Nonprofit
--Signs Of A Legitimate Charity
1. A board of directors numbering at least six people, with their credentials or regular job titles and place of employment listed
2. A permanent street address in the United States or your own country.
3. A 501(c)3 statement
4. Success stories
5. An outline of this charity's goals
6. Downloadable financial statements that detail where money has been expended in the past
7. Accurate statistics with verifiable and legitimate sources
8. Good writing, spelling, and grammar
--If You Think A Charity Is Fake
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...
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http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/e...
Holiday Mail for Heroes Program Overview
The holiday season is just around the corner and it’s time again to start thinking about being part of the 2011 American Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes. For a fifth year, American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are partnering to ensure all Americans have an opportunity to send a touch of home this holiday season to members of our U.S. military, veterans and their families, many of whom will be far away from home this holiday season.
Starting this fall and throughout the holiday season, the Red Cross is working with Pitney Bowes, a mail stream technology company, to collect and distribute holiday cards to American service members, veterans and their families in the United States and around the world.
The process is very simple and takes no time at all - All you need is a pen and piece of paper to share your appreciation for the sacrifices members of the U.S. Armed Forces make to protect our freedoms The Holiday Mail for Heroes mail box is open and ready to receive for your cards. Please send all mail to:
Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Sending a “touch of home” to American men and women who serve our country is the perfect way to express your appreciation and support during the holiday season.
Card Guidelines
Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.
Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:
All cards being sent in for 2011 Holiday Mail For Heroes program should be postmarked no later than Friday, December 9, 2011.
Ensure that all cards are signed.
Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
Only cards are being accepted. Do not send letters.
Do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
We encourage participants to mail as many cards as they are comfortable sending. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes or use a flat rate box from the post office. Each card does not need its own envelope, as cards will be removed from all envelopes before distribution.
Please refrain from sending holiday cards with glitter. Many of these cards will be delivered to military and veterans medical facilities and the glitter could interfere with a patient's recovery
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Find locations and charitable opportunities in your area:
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/w...
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http://www.timeisnowtohelp.org/
THE TIME IS NOW TO HELP: THE POVERTY STRICKEN CHILDREN, ELDERLY, & HANDICAPPED
- MY MISSION-
I have devoted myself to help those in need.
I grew up and out of moments of poverty through perseverance and hard work. Because I have personally experienced what it is like to be in need, I made a vow to God long ago to diligently work to help those who are extremely poverty stricken—focusing on children, elderly, the handicapped, those that cannot fend for themselves. I also help families, widows, single moms, good people who have fallen on hard times.
To date, I have helped an average of 500 extremely poverty-stricken and good fellow creations per year for the past 28 years. We provide food. Sad but true, there are over 40 million Americans who go to bed hungry every night. We have provided thousands of blankets, hundreds of heaters, thousands of coats, shoes, gloves, and hats. We have provided tens of thousands of diapers, toiletries (toilet paper, soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, etc.) We have supplied air-conditioners for those with heart problems and other extreme health conditions where heat and humidity can be terminal. We have turned on electricity when we find people sitting in the dark. We have the heat turned on when we find people suffering in the cold. We have also provided toys, educational tools, books, etc… to children that have none. We have provided shelter assistance, refurbished run down homes, helped to provide jobs, etc., whatever God puts upon my heart to help our fellow creations.
Since I grew up in moments of poverty, I know how it feels to be fearfully sad. I know how it feels to watch your mother cry when the electricity is turned off and you have no food. I vowed to God that I would always work hard and provide for my mission with devotion and dedication, providing hope, care, support and love.
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It's been a bit stagnant lately, I know we are all busy these days, I certainly am!
I just got a message from a friend I have in another group. I thought it might be kind of nice to let you all know what she shared with me:
"I volunteer for a public charity
called the Dreaming Zebra Foundation http://dreamingzebra.org/ ; we provide art and music supplies to children in need throughout the USA and in developing countries. One way that people can help raise funds for art education for the kids is by purchasing their books through "Goodsearch" http://www.goodsearch.com/ This is basically a website where you go and select a charity that you want to support, then you just go shop on Amazon, or wherever, and a portion of the book purchase is donated back to the charity."
I thought this looked like a nice thing one could do anytime throughout the year, not just during the holidays.
Hope everyone is enjoying the season!
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http://www.charitynavigator.org/index...
Give A Charity Gift Card
Charity Navigator is pleased to offer the Good Card that can be redeemed as a donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. These cards are the perfect way to say thank you or to celebrate holidays, birthdays, graduations and other momentous occasions.
Good Card®
Give the Gift of Charity: You Choose the Amount ... They Choose the Cause.
* Pick an amount to load on the Good Card (between $10 and $250) and your recipient selects the charity (or charities) to receive the donation.
* You can choose to send Good Cards via email, print-at-home or postal mail (allow 1-2 weeks for printing and delivery). The deadline for the 2011 year-end holiday season for physical cards is 12/9/11.
* If you choose the email option, your recipients will see a link back to Charity Navigator encouraging them to research their charity (or charities) of choice before making a donation. This ensures that the money you’ve contributed via the Good Card will go to a well-run, deserving charity.
* Your Good Card purchase is tax-deductable for the buyer, not the recipients. There is a $5, tax-deductible, fee per card in addition to the amount loaded on each card.
* Charity Navigator is offering Good Cards through a partnership with Network for Good. Charity Navigator, a nonprofit itself, receives $2.50 from the purchase of each RED GOOD CARD to help support our efforts to rate charities. We do not receive the $2.50 if you select the green Six Degrees card. Either card cost $5 whether purchased through Charity Navigator’s site or from Network for Good directly.
* Good Cards expire 6 months after the purchase date.
* Order Good Cards now:
https://www.networkforgood.org/goodca...
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http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/e...
Holiday Mail for Her..."
I posted this last Christmas and wanted to do something similar this year. I found a different organization called Packages from Home on the internet. They send care packages all year long, not just for Christmas to the troops overseas. The packages are, of course, gratefully received especially during this holiday season away from home.
I started out writing my own cards. A friend of mine wanted to join. We took a night and just sat down and wrote about 30-35 cards between us. I then invited my sister who teaches 2nd grade, to take some cards to her classroom. It was very well received. Not only did the kids in her class draw and write in cards, but 8 other teachers wanted to participate. After all, we got about over 200 cards, pictures and about 50 drawings (from kindergarten and the younger grades) It was a heavy box to send, and one I gladly sent this year.
Today I heard back from them. I would like to share the letter they sent:
"Packages From Hom Board of Directors and those who serve in our military want to Thank You for your support and for your participation in the Packages From Home Letter Writing Project.
Below you can read a typical thank you letter we receive from our deployed troops every day:
Thank you, Packages from Home, for brightening the lives of some weary Civil Engineers in Afghanistan. We received TWO of your packages today-=-our first mail call. There were tons of M+M's and popcorn in the first one, with a nice drawing from Blake, a card from Chloe, and some crayon drawings on the box from Elea. Very sweet. And the M+M's were sweet, too.
The second box held a bounty of health and beauty supplies, which we were in need of. Some of these guys more than others, I'm afraid.
Yo can't imagine how much brighter our spirits are by receiving some everyday items in the mail. Maybe it won't be so bad to be away from home for so long.
Please extend our warm thanks to all of your volunteers and donor for thinking of those of us who are so far away. We really do appreciate it. And keep those kids drawings coming. They look better than the alternative. DEREK E. SST, USAF Packages From Home
Here is their info. Remember, you can do this all year long, they are there serving us all year long, too!
Packages From Home
121 South 7th Avenue, #50
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-253-0284
www.packagesfromhome.org
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It says "Your tax-deductible donations of used clothing and housewares help us provide services to adults and children in your community living with Multiple Sclerosis"
It's nice to know that the donation will be used locally. My mom has MS, so donations like this hit close to home, figuratively and literally.
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http://www.roww.org/
ROWW Mission
ROWW is a network of professionals with first responder skill-sets who augment local expertise when natural disasters strike in order to accelerate relief efforts.
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I started out writing my own cards. A friend of mine wanted to join. We took a night and just sat down and wrote about 30-35 cards between us..."
I posted this in December 2012 and I got a response THIS WEEK...March 2014! What a thrill! It was a hand-written response from Captain Verardo in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. She wrote: "I was touched by your kind words and sweet picture of you and your grandfather. I often think of the men from the 'greatest generation' and wonder how they survived being away for so long in such austere conditions. I am grateful for them paving the way for our Army and for protecting our Country. They continue to be an example of truly selfless service...please enjoy America and we'll hopefully be back soon!"
What immense satisfaction and joy it brought me to receive this in the mail. What joy it would bring to them! Keep this in mind, it's simple and has a profound affect.
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Empowering Injured Veterans, Family Members, and Caregivers to Successfully Transition to Life after Injury
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
http://www.charitable-organizations.org/
American Institute of Philanthropy
http://www.charitywatch.org/azlist.html
Open Directory Project
http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Philanthr...
List of Charitable Foundations
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...