Self suffiency is this charity’s mantra. Honor loved ones on your gift list with a flock of chickens from Heifer International for $20 – a gift that creates sustainable benefits for a poor family in Guatemala or Haiti. A hive of honey bees for $30 would start a small business in Honduras. Or your whole family could go in on a dairy cow for $500 and that would mean a miracle for a woman in Africa left to care for an extended family of AIDS orphans.

Malaria kills nearly one million children each year in Africa alone. But there is a simple solution…a bed net that has been coated with insecticide. People who use the nets decrease the rate of malaria dramatically. A bed net costs only about $10. Donate $10 or any multiple of $10 and provide a simple, effective tool to help save people from a terrible disease.

We all take our shoes for granted. We have many pairs in our closets gathering dust. Soles4Shoes has a mission of helping people by providing them shoes in those areas of the world where there is no shoe store, much less the money to buy shoes. You can donate money to this charity, organize a shoe drive, or send your own shoes to it. Feed your soul with some soles!

For Global Warming and environmental issues we like the World Wildlife Fund. The website has a feature that is fun for kids and parents called “WildFinder” which maps the world’s animals. It is a searchable database of 26,000 species worldwide. You can search by place or species and learn about birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Donating is fun too with symbolic animal adoptions, a WWF Endangered Species-of-the-Month Club, and handcrafted items that support sustainable livelihoods.

CHAMPS kids is an educational program to raise awareness of the global landmine crisis. Groups of kids raise funds and sponsor mine-detection dogs. They name their dog and actually make a difference in the lives of people all around the world. This project may require you to work with your child’s teacher, or scout troop, but it is a perfect way for kids to work together on something very specific.

NURU means light in Kiswahili. Your family can help a poor family in Nuria, Kenya climb out of extreme poverty for $29 a month. Join the I Am Nuru Campaign and provide healthcare, clean water, and economic assistance to a family.