Year-end gift giving has a few benefits: it contributes to important causes, makes you feel great, and can also be used as a financial strategy to reduce your taxes. This makes it a win for everyone. If you are feeling extra charitable this year and want to reap these benefits, here are some charities that we love and want to support.
Grady’s Decision
Their mission: “Providing emotional, spiritual, and financial support to families experiencing premature birth and/or families with babies needing specialized medical attention.”
After the unfortunate loss of their son was born prematurely, Ryan Smith and Katrina Vincent founded their non-profit charity Grady’s Decision to support families who are experiencing a premature baby in the hospital the way they had. In their son’s honor, they offer emotional, spiritual, and financial support to families who have babies in the NICU.
You can read testimonials from families that this charity has supported here.
Inspired Women
Their mission statement: “Creating space for women who have more in their lives to take action on behalf of women who have less.”
Inspired Women donates to charities that benefit women and girls that are nominated by the people. These nominations go through a three-step process to determine which charity will receive up to $10,000. You can read more about the process on their website.
American Cancer Society
Their mission: “Improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.”
The American Cancer Society fulfills their mission by encouraging cancer prevention, providing support to cancer patients and their families, addressing cancer disparities, and fostering innovation in the field of cancer research.
Their website states that they have invested $5 billion in cancer research since 1946, and that kind of number is achieved with the help of donations.
CASA for Kids
Their mission: “Advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the Washington County juvenile court system.”
This nonprofit trains members of the community to become Court Appointed Special Advocates to speak up for abused and neglected children in the courts of Washington County, Pennsylvania.
These volunteers review records, research information, and talk to those involved in the child’s life so they can present their best recommendation on what they think is best for the child.
Living Stones
Their mission: “Providing food and services, without charge or discrimination, to help increasingly at-risk, vulnerable individuals and families in Pittsburgh’s South Hills.”
Living Stones serves the community by saving food that would typically be sent to the dumpster and turns into warm meals for those in need. Every meal they serve is donated from senior care homes, health care facilities, and other businesses.
Not only do they provide hot meals, but they also provide other services such as free clothing, free haircuts, and other pop-up events that provide free items and services.
Learn how you can get involved with their cause here.
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Their mission: Driving the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.”
Since its founding in 1971, the Foundation has become the world’s leading private resources for inherited retinal disease and dry age-related macular degeneration research funding. They provide resources about retinal degenerative diseases, the importance of genetic testing, and have funded research to understand these diseases.
They have 35 VisionWalk events throughout the U.S., and Delta Gamma participates in their 5K VisionWalk every spring.
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Their mission: “Providing families with a ‘home-away-from-home’ for seriously ill children receiving medical treatment, and is committed to helping children and their families lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh andMorgantown offers three core programs that benefit the communities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown. The Pittsburgh House, the Morgantown House, and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile ensures that the families of children who are seeking medical care will have safety, comfort, and support when their child is going through treatment.
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Their mission: “Improving the health and well-being of children, teenagers, and young adults through excellence in patient care, teaching, research, and advocacy.”
The UPMC Children’s Hospital receives its financial support through the Hospital Foundation. These donations help the Children’s Hospital provide all kinds of services to children for various health issues. It will also help fund research that can help us get a better understanding of various diseases.
Angel Ridge Animal Rescue
Their mission: “Providing a permanent home and care for animals that are abandoned, aged, or handicapped with the ultimate goal of rehoming them. As well as providing outreach to the community and providing speakers to schools and community groups to cover animal welfare topics.”
Animal Ridge Animal Rescue’s place of operations is a 51-acre facility called Angel Ridge Farm. Here, they provide a home and care for animals that are without one in hopes of rehoming them. If they cannot be rehomed, the animals will stay their entire lives on the farm. They provide pet food donations and other resources that encourage animals to be adopted from their shelters.
If you are not capable of giving monetary donations but still want to support this cause, you can support them by downloading a free app called WoofTrax, which allows you to donate to a local animal charity just by walking your dog.
Make-A-Wish
Their mission: “Creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.”
Make-A-Wish utilizes donations, volunteers, and sponsors to assist them with their goal of granting wishes to children who are going through critical health issues. A Wish Kid having their wish come true means they will finally feel a spark of hope again, which gives their families that spark of hope, too.
Final Thoughts
We hope our list of charities has inspired you this holiday season to spread some love and donate to these causes. Even if you can’t donate monetarily, volunteering and advocating for their cause is also a great way to support a charity.
If you’d like to learn more about how supporting a charity can impact your taxes, we have a blog post about the topic. Please note that the age listed in this blog post is no longer accurate, and the updated age for an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution is 73 years old.
: All of these charities are separate organizations and not affiliated with Astyr Wealth/Lincoln Financial Advisors. CRN-6120752-112723
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