Guest Author - Rhonda Cliett

Charitable giving seems to gravitate towards the holiday season, at which time we are inundated with requests for money, canned goods, toys for tots, and more. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year when we have many other items vying for our pocketbook. We want to support worthy causes but it sometimes seems difficult, if not impossible, to find the extra money.

One way to support charitable organizations is to combine the contribution with purchases we would be making anyway by purchasing items from businesses that donate a portion of their revenue to a charitable organization. Newman’s Own is probably one of the most recognized brands associated with charitable giving. The company has donated over $150 million dollars to charities worldwide since 1982. They offer a wide variety of products ranging from pet food to salad dressing. If you are already purchasing a bottle of creamy caesar dressing, why not turn your purchase into a charitable donation by purchasing a Newman’s Own product? This type of giving may take a bit of research in order to determine which brands donate profits, but once you have identified the brands, you are on your way to combining your purchases with charitable giving.

Another way to integrate charitable giving with purchases is to purchase a product directly from a charitable organization. If, for example, you are going to purchase a gift for your sister, why not purchase a tote bag from the American Society for Prevention of Animal Cruelty? Your purchase will directly benefit the organization and your sister will be delighted that her gift was part of a larger cause.

You should be certain that your chosen charitable organization is legitimate. To do this, search the database at Charity Navigator. Their database provides indepth research of charitable organizations as well as links to the organization's website.

Charitable giving does not have to be a once-a-year affair. Instead, we can easily integrate contributions with our everyday purchases and thus support worthy causes throughout the year.

Businesses that donate a portion of their profits to charitable organizations:

•Target
•Talbots
•Radio Shack
•Circuit City
•Home Depot
•Toys-R-Us
•Dan's Chocolates
•Martha Stewart Living

Charitable organizations that sell items:
•ASPCA Online Store
•Globalgirlfriend.com
•The Breast Cancer Site Store
•The Hunger Site Store
•The Child Health Site Store
•The Literacy Site Store
•The Rain Forest Site Store
•The Animal Rescue Site Store