5 Organizations Worth Supporting this Holiday Season

Last night, two of my best friends and I had our Annual Holiday Google Hangout (it's  a thing). This year, in lieu of gifts, we decided to each donate to a couple of organizations in the name of our friendship.

No, we did not do this to feel morally superior to those who buy gifts or to make some sort of statement (see last week's guest post entitled Spiritual Materialism), but instead, we did it because we all have plenty and it feels really meaningful to give to those who truly need help during the holidays.

So, because I found last night's gift-giving ceremony to be so moving (I loved hearing which organizations my friends chose and why they chose them!), I wanted to share some amazing global (as opposed to local) organizations that I believe are worth donating to this holiday season: 

1. Karam Foundation: A smaller, lesser-known organization whose mission is to build a better future for Syria. They're focused on education, entrepreneurial development, and community-driven aid. They have a very powerful donation option on their site, where you can "Sponsor a Syrian Refugee Family," but for those who need to make a smaller donation, they also have a shop where you can purchase items made by refugee women (and of course, all proceeds go to those women and their families). Learn more and donate here. 

2. Orangutan Outreach: A New York-based non-profit whose mission is to save the critically endangered orangutans and protect their rainforest home. A great way to give this as a gift is to "adopt" an orangutan for someone on their site and then send your giftee a picture of the orangutan, his or her story, name, etc. Bonus: they are ADORABLE. You can donate here. 

3. American Refugee Committee: This large non-profit is highly-rated and is playing a big part in the Syrian Refugee Crisis by providing emergency support and acting as a first defense to people where they are right now; they provide clean water, shelter, and healthcare services. You can donate here. 

4. Zana Africa Foundation: In Kenya, 1 million girls cannot go to school when they get their period because they lack access to sanitary pads. This organization provides girls with "Purpose Packs:" a yearlong supply of pads, high-quality cotton tie-on underwear that adjusts for size as a girls body changes, and innovative pro-girl, pro-period, health comics that helps girls feel body-positive and proud. Just $40 provides 4 girls with a year-long supply of these items. Give a "Purpose Pack" today. 

5. Best Friends: You've probably already heard/seen me mention this organization here on the blog, but in case you missed it, Best Friends' mission is to is to end the killing in America's animal shelters and create a time when there are no more homeless pets. For the pet-lovers in your life, you can give a symbolic gift like a warm bed, a spa day for a pup, physical therapy, etc. So sweet. Donate here. 

What organizations are your supporting this holiday season?

I hope you'll join me and my besties in making some small donations to help those in need...

{Oh, and I should note that this is by no means a list of all of my favorite orgs! I'm a huge fan of *so* many--especially smaller, local non-profits and groups to which I'm personally connected--like Spa Swag for Warriors, Dream Big on Cape Cod, Tranquil Space Foundation...I could go on and on! But I had to draw the line and wanted to stick to bigger-picture organizations for this post. I hope you understand.}