Final Philanthropic suggestion for holiday giving

Make a difference for children affected by cancer with Alex's Lemonade Stand foundation

Alex's simple belief that she could make a difference by selling lemonade has surely paid off for children with cancer!

This foundation is unique in their approach to funding childhood cancer research -- working directly with doctors, researchers, and nurses to identify the specific challenges they face in bringing new treatments to and caring for children with cancer. Grants distributed from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation are designed to overcome these challenges by filling critical gaps in funding.

Alex's Lemonade Stand foundation strives to fund the most promising research projects with a priority given to the testing and discovery of innovative and more effective treatments for children and adolescents with cancer.

Their careful distribution of grants has allowed doctors and nurses to speed up the process of bringing the latest and most promising life saving treatments to seriously ill children. The result -- bringing hope to childhood cancer patients now and in the future.

For more information, visit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

Philanthropic Suggestion # 8 for holiday giving

Help a woman help herself

Give her tools -- and training -- needed to take up carpentry and start to rebuild her life! More information at Women for Women

Philanthropic Suggestion # 7 for holiday giving

Give the Gift of literacy--teach a woman to read!

Women for Women International shows how you can help make 2010 a transformational year for women suvivors of war around the world.

Your tax-deductible year-end gift will help them build new Women's Oppoturnity Centers in Kosovo, Rwanda and Bosnia and enable them to expand their programs to reach thousands more women in their Africa offices.

Your gift must be received by midnight on Dec. 31st in order to qualify for a 2009 tax deduction. Visit Women for Women International to donate today!

Philanthropic Suggestion # 6 for holiday giving

Donate your old cell phone to help victims of domestic violence

Women of the World avidly supports the mission to eliminate domestic violence. We'd like to share with you these steps to donating your cell phone, courtesy of eHow

Step1
Remove any extra information from your phone, such as address books, pictures, and text messages. If you like, most cell phone companies can do this for you. The phone will basically be a 911 device only for the person it will assist. All cell phones have 911 capabilities even when service is cut off.

Step2

Find out where you can drop off your donations, if your cell phone provideris not a collection point. Sometimes police stations or emergency rooms have a collection program connected with the local Domestic violence program.

Step3
Donate directly to the Domestic violence program, call first and let them know that you are coming and what you have to donate, they be stocked up or know of another agency that could use the phones for similar reasons.

Philanthropic Suggestion #5 for holiday giving

Green Holiday Gift Guide

What do you give the person who has everything? You give nothing--and give to someone you've never met instead. The opportunities for charitable donations are limitless, so it's easy to find a cause that matches your philanthropist's interests; use your holiday shopping budget to support organizations working to green the music industry, promote sustainable building, protect the oceans from boating pollution, or provide education and business loans to adolescent girls in poverty-stricken countries--all in your "I don't need anything, really" recipient's name, of course. You can skip the stores and the wrapping while your money goes farther than you ever expected--and the person who has everything gets one less knick-knack to dust.

For more information on Green holiday gift ideas, please visit Treehugger

Philanthropic Suggestion #4 for holiday giving

Holiday giving matters

Over the years, I have documented my fondness for tacky sweaters, dancing candy canes, bus stop nativities, mechanical reindeer, any drink with "nog" in the name and all things Santa.

Below are some ideas for holiday giving -- all except the Salvation Army have received a "four star" top rating by Charity Navigator, ensuring a great value for your dollar (the Salvation Army is a faith-based organization and is not rated).

Charity Navigator has a very handy database of hundreds of organizations, categorized for easy searching: http://www.charitynavigator.org/.Serving wounded military and their families

Fisher House Foundation: http://www.fisherhouse.org/. Fisher Houses are attached to military hospitals. These comfortable and beautiful homes are free to the families of wounded soldiers, so they can be close to one another during hospitalizations and rehabilitation. Frequent fliers should donate airline miles to the Hero Miles program, providing air travel to bring service members and their families together.

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Trust: http://www.dav.org/. The DAV Trust has one mission: to provide services for America's wounded veterans, offering housing, transportation, programs and grants to vets.

Feeding the hungry-Feeding America: http://www.secondharvest.com/. The numbers are staggering: 49 million Americans are hungry, up 36% from last year.One dollar can buy 9 pounds of food for a hungry person. Feeding America is a network of food banks across the country. Please donate money, host a food drive or volunteer at a food bank in your community.

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/. Simply stated, the Salvation Army goes where the need is and offers the most basic services -- food, housing, rehabilitation and fellowship -- to the neediest among us. Shop at or donate to an Army store, drop some money in the famous red kettle or donate in the virtual kettle online.

Educating children - City Year: http://www.cityyear.org/. City Year employs college-age people for one year of service as mentors and educators in schools and communities, bringing youthful energy and idealism into the lives of kids who could use some inspiration.

Mr. Holland's Opus: http://www.mhopus.org/. This organization is a favorite of mine because its mission is so simple: to donate musical instruments in good condition to schools. As a lifetime band geek who believes in the power of music to transform lives, this cause is very close to my heart.

LiteracyFirst Book: http://www.firstbook.org/. Since 1992, First Book has provided 65 million free or low-cost books to kids and schools, helping children to gain basic literacy skills and discover the magic of imaginative storytelling.

Give in your community - All of these national organizations -- and so many others -- are worthy, but I'd also like to make a plug for supporting your local humane society, public library, arts organizations and social services. Celebrate your blessings by sharing them with neighbors.

The complete article can be viewed at:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-amy10-2009dec10,0,515154.storyVisit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com/

Philanthropic Suggestion #3 for holiday giving

Holiday shopping with purpose and passion:

Artisan Cooperatives
A hand-carved salad server and apron set supports a unique cross-border initiative supporting families in both Rwanda and Kenya. From the Rwandan Virunga Artisan Cooperative, a community of refugees who've devoted their livelihood to gorilla conservation programs, comes the salad servers (embellished with the group's gorilla insignia). The block-printed apron is the work of the Bombolu Workshop in Kenya, where adults disabled by the recent violence in Kenya are helping support their local economy through handicrafts. This gift, sure to be appreciated by mothers and cooks of every age, supports the two efforts and the strides they've made by working together. $38; womenspeacecollection.com.

Philanthropic Suggestion #2 for holiday giving

Give the Gift that Gives Back!

From sewing machines to beekeeper suits, Women for Women International invites you to give the gift that gives back this holiday season.

Give Your Gift in Three Easy Steps:
1. YOU choose a gift to give on behalf of a loved one.
2. Your loved one receives a card in the mail letting them know about the gift you have given them.
3. Your donation goes to work immediately to help women survivors of war rebuild thier lives. *

(Please note, all gifts must be received by December 16th in order to be in home by December 22nd)

Check out our gift selection below – and start shopping!

http://tinyurl.com/yd5nvxj

Philanthropic Suggestion #1 for holiday giving

Hello Women of the World!

The weather outside may be 'frightful' in your area, but during this season, we'd like to remind you that giving always warms the heart. We bring to you, our Philanthropic Suggestions for holiday giving!

Global Girlfriend
This organization was established to help women artisans in developing countries support their families. Girlfriends around the globe will be proud to carry an antique Sari clutch for $24 - something fashionable that supports the cause. And when it's bought through the Literacy Site, a children's book will be donated to the organization. $24; theliteracysite.org.

Join Women of the World at our first event of 2010!

Eat to Live, Live to Eat - Kneading and Feeding Our Souls

Thursday January 21, 2010
8:00 am-9:30 am
Union League Club
65 W. Jackson
Chicago

An expert panel moderated by Noeleen McGrath, McGrath Communications

Karen Gruber, The Perfect Dinner

Wendy Pashman, Entertaining Company

Kim Oster-Holstein, Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels

For Americans, rushing to get dinner between work, soccer, Pilates and bedtime, the missing ingredient is called time. These experts provide excellent resources to win the battle and eat healthfully at the same time.

ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

$20.00 Women of the World Members
Non-Members: $25.00 until 1/11/10
$35.00 beginning 1/12/10

Hope to see you there!

Thank you from Women of the World

A heartfelt thanks for attending the first holiday celebration of Women of the World.

It's been an inspired year: 6 panels of thoughtful leadership and interaction and a fund raising fashion show for A Silver Lining Foundation showcasing Chicago designers. Next year will be even more diverse.

Get involved with the passion and purpose of Women of the World - people are watching us. Our goal is to have 100 charter members by the Spring and we are 25% there.

"To succeed and have a happy life, you need common sense,

a commitment to hard work and the courage to go your own way.

Interest is not enough - you must be passionate about what you do..." Robert Mondavi

--

Always inspired,

Donna Gutman

Executive Director