Give More

"No one can settle how much we ought to give. I'm afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare" - CS Lewis

A group of us at my church are currently going through a months-long discussion on giving to others. A week or so ago we busted out a whiteboard and brainstormed every charitable organization that interested someone in the group. The results are below.

My Promise: You are going to see organizations here that you don't care for. That's fine. Keep it to yourself. Really. Deep breaths. You'll be okay.

My Hope: That if you aren't involved with a charity already you will find an organization that really interests you and get involved by giving your time and/or money.

My Request: If you know of a charitable org you want to tell people about - put it in the comments!

BTW: itunes kicked up this song while I was posting this:



http://youtu.be/Hclxep-jZiE

141: http://141eyewear.com
For every pair of 141 Eyewear purchased, we give a new pair of prescription glasses to a person in need. No portions of proceeds. No percentages. You buy, we give. One Four One.

ALSA: http://www.alsa.org/
Established in 1985, The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.

Angel Tree: http://www.angeltree.org/
Angel Tree is a ministry that reaches out to the children of inmates and their families with the love of Christ. This unique program gives your church an opportunity to share Christ’s love by helping to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the families of prisoners.

Baja Christian Ministries: http://www.bajachristian.org/
Since October 1991, Baja Christian Ministries (BCM) has been serving the spiritual and physical needs of the poor through engaging short-term mission teams in Baja California, Mexico.

Camp Attitude: http://www.campattitude.com
To communicate the importance of honoring people with disabilities and equip individuals, families, and organizations with the proper skill set to care for, evangelize, and disciple people affected by disabilities.

Camp Korey: http://campkorey.org/
Camp Korey’s mission is to honor the courage, strength, and determination of children living with serious and life-altering medical conditions and their families; and to provide them with a safe, friendly, medically sound environment in which to simply have fun and be kids.

Compassion International: http://www.compassion.com/
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

God’s Extended Hand: http://www.godsextendedhand.com/
God's Extended Hand is a place of evangelical ministry aimed at showing the homless population of San Diego the Love of God. We endeavor to do this by providing a gathering place where they can come and experience a sit down restaurant style meal in a peace filled Christ focused environment. All meals and services are offered free and without any charge on a first come first served basis. This is a place where hatred and anger is left outside and the word of God is given with each meal to encourage and offer hope.

Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org
Habitat for Humanity International is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat and its homeowner families have built or rehabilitated more than 400,000 houses. A nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing ministry, Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build together in partnership.

Healing Waters: http://healingwaters.org/
Healing Waters International is a nonprofit organization providing safe water solutions in communities where poverty is compounded by contaminated water.

Heart to Heart: http://www.heart-2-heart.ca/
Heart 2 Heart is a non-profit resource for abused men and women. It was created with love and love is free . . . always

Hole in the Wall Camps: http://www.holeinthewallcamps.org/
The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps is a growing global network of innovative camps and programs that provide life-changing experiences to children with serious medical conditions, always free of charge. Our goal is to extend these experiences to as many children as possible around the world.

Inspiration Through Art: http://www.inspirationthroughart.org/apply/
Inspiration Through Art (Formerly the Littlest Heroes Project) provides the following services; Photo sessions for children infant- 21 who are dealing or have delt with any type of serious illness, children who have been a part of any type of serious illness resulting in illness or disability, photo sessions for families who have lost children within the last 3 years due to a serious accident or illness, organizations or foundations holding events/ fundraisers for a child or for children suffering from serious illnesses, care package send outs, snail mail support letters and cards, bracelet/necklace gifts, mailing lists with specials and discounts for participating families. All of our services are free to the participants as a way of giving back to the smallest of heroes.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: http://www.intervarsity.org/
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is an evangelical campus mission serving students and faculty on college and university campuses nationwide.

Invisible Children: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Koney’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity.

Krochet Kids: http://www.krochetkids.org/
To empower people to rise above poverty. To create sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities within developing nations.
To inspire the knowledge of a generation about their ability to bring change to a world that is in need.

Life Rolls On: http://www.liferollson.org
Life Rolls On, a subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis.

Lions Club: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.php
Whenever a Lions club gets together, problems get smaller. And communities get better. That's because we help where help is needed – in our own communities and around the world – with unmatched integrity and energy.

Make a Wish Foundation: http://www.wish.org/
We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Medals for Mettle: http://www.medals4mettle.org/
Runners from around the world give their hard earned medals to Medals4Mettle. Our worldwide network of physicians and volunteers then awards these medals attached to a Medals4Mettle ribbon to children and adults fighting debilitating illnesses who might not be able to run a race, but are in a race of their own just to continue to live their life.

Mercy Ships: http://www.mercyships.org
Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion.

Models for Christ: http://modelsforchrist.com/
We are a global community of professionals who are seeking to honor God as we navigate the unique opportunities and challenges within the fashion industry.

ONE: http://one.org/
ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures.

Plant with Purpose: http://www.plantwithpurpose.org/
Plant With Purpose is a Christian, environmental non-profit organization that transforms lives in rural areas worldwide where poverty is caused by deforestation.

Project Wildlife: http://www.projectwildlife.org/
The mission of Project Wildlife is to improve quality of life for local wildlife and the community as the primary resource for animal rehabilitation and education.

National Capital Lyme Disease Association: http://www.natcaplyme.org/
The National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association strives to improve the quality of life for people suffering from Lyme and other Tick-Borne illnesses by offering support and disseminating information that educates and empowers patients, families, healthcare workers, and the community at large about these diseases.

Not For Sale: http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
Not For Sale equips and mobilizes Smart Activists to re-abolish slavery — in their own backyards and across the globe. Not For Sale believes every individual has a skill they can contribute to fight human trafficking, and together we can end slavery in our lifetime.

Rady Children’s Hospital: http://www.rchsd.org/getinvolved/
On August 19, 1954, Rady Children's officially opened to receive its first 12 patients. Since then, nearly 2 million sick and injured children have been treated here. As San Diego has grown, so has our commitment to offering comprehensive care to our community's children. We are the county's only hospital dedicated solely to pediatrics and the region's designated pediatric trauma center.

Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
The Salvation Army was founded as an evangelical organization dedicated to bringing people into a meaningful relationship with God through Christ.

San Diego Adaptive Sports: http://www.sdasf.org/
The San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children and adults with physical disabilities through sports and recreation.

San Diego Blood Bank: http://www.sandiegobloodbank.org/
Saving lives with quality blood services in partnership with the community.

Scottish Rite Center: http://www.scottishritesandiego.org/
In the early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The results obtained from this program led to the establishment of RiteCare clinics to provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders, as well as learning disabilities.

Shriner’s Hospitals for Children: http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/
Shriners Hospitals for Children has a mission to: Provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment. Provide for the education of physicians and other healthcare professionals. Conduct research to discover new knowledge that improves the quality of care and quality of life of children and families. This mission is carried out without regard to race, color, creed, sex or sect, disability, national origin or ability of a patient or family to pay.

Susan G. Komen: http://ww5.komen.org/
As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, we’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.

Toms Shoes: http://www.toms.com
With every pair you purchase, Toms will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.

Two Degrees Food: http://twodegreesfood.com/
Our mission is to feed 200 million hungry children - one child at a time. For every nutrition bar you buy, we give a nutrition pack to a hungry child.

Vitamin Angels: http://www.vitaminangels.org/home
One in three children worldwide is undernourished. Vitamin Angels reduces child mortality by connecting infants and children under five with vital nutrients.

Wheels to Water: http://www.wheels2water.org/
Wheels 2 Water is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to share the Ocean Experience through Adaptive Surfing and Scuba Diving for everyone with a Spinal Cord Injury.

World Vision: http://www.worldvision.org/
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

Wounded Warrior Project: www.woundedwarriorproject.org
To raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

Wycliff Bible Translators: http://www.wycliffe.org/
Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend. A missionary to the Cakchiquel Indians of Guatemala, Townsend caught the vision for translation when Cakchiquel-speaking men expressed their concern that the Bible was not available to them in the language they understood clearly. As a result, Townsend resolved that every man, woman and child should be able to read God’s Word in their own language. Since its inception, Wycliffe has made great progress in Bible translation all around the world. To date, we have played a part in completing more than 700 Scripture translations.

Young Life: http://www.younglife.org/us
Young Life brings the good news of Jesus Christ into the lives of adolescents with an approach that is respectful of who kids are and hopeful about who they can be.