A Roundup of Charitable Ideas

Real Simple Magazine
Gemma Comas
Gemma Comas

Looking for unusual ways to give back? Why not . . .

  • Donate your shoes: Soles4Souls distributes gently worn footwear to the needy, including victims of natural disasters worldwide. So far, this young organization has donated more than 3 million pairs. Consult its website, soles4souls.org, for more information on how to donate shoes or organize your own shoe drive. Donations are tax deductible.

  • Support soldiers overseas: Make life a little more comfortable for our service men and women abroad. Visit anysoldier.com to connect with soldiers and see a list of their requests, then send items such as cookies, DVDs, or phone cards. A care package of cookies goes down especially well at 2400 hours.

See Real Simple's How to Make a Difference.

  • Drink coffee to finance water wells in Africa: Talk about a good buzz. With the purchase of Ugandan Gold coffee ($8 a pound, ugandangold.com), you'll drink an excellent cup of java and finance water wells in Africa. In many regions of Uganda, women and children must walk miles to collect muddy, unsanitary water. Help bring wells to isolated areas and make your caffeine addiction mean something.

  • Host a potluck to donate to charity: Dining out with friends may be your favorite indulgence. But by staying in, you could actually make a difference. Host a potluck meal at home and donate the money each of you would normally spend at a restaurant to Dining for Women (diningforwomen.org), a nonprofit that raises money for charities dedicated to making life easier for impoverished women. Every cent of your donation goes to groups like Habitat for Humanity and Women for Women International, which provides assistance in war-torn regions.

See Real Simple's Guide to Organizing Charitable Events.

  • Give to deserving schools: Remember how your favorite teacher, Miss Packard, encouraged your fascination with tree frogs? Log on to donorschoose.org and help the current crop of Miss Packards inspire the next generation. The website posts requests from teachers in underfunded public schools for donations to cover supplies, such as $56 for scissors and glue in the Bronx or $1,081 for an amphibian habitat in North Carolina. Donors receive thank-you notes and photos from the kids (better than the usual address labels).

  • Make a donation as a gift: Instead of buying your best friend another cable-knit sweater this Christmas, take the money you'd spend and donate it to a good cause (not her closet) in her name. Not sure which charity she'd pick? Buy her a gift certificate from JustGive (justgive.org), where she can choose from more than a million charitable organizations. Now you can both feel the warm holiday fuzzies -- just not the ones that come from a woolen sweater.

More from Real Simple:
Volunteering Options for Everyone
Donate Your Used Items
Little Things You Can Do to Make Someone's Day