Iodine supplements aren't required in USA.. Countries like India ONLY sell iodized salt.. They realized a long time ago the importance of this micronutrient in brain health..
23
I love these suggestions. A few years ago, I gave all of my friends $25 gift cards for Kiva, the microlender. Not a single person bothered to redeem the card and help out someone trying to better their life. It was disheartening.
25
@TexasTabby
That sounds very disheartening but perhaps they didn't know how the card worked. The gift-card-in-order-to-lend idea is a little counter-intuitive. Just a hunch.
34
Why didn't Kristof list even one charity that would help animals here or around the world? In terms of sheer numbers -- and the fact that, relative to humans, animals remain unprotected by laws, or lack of enforcement of the meager laws that do exist -- it is indisputable that animal suffering worldwide is at catastrophic levels.
Yet, animals and the environment receive only a pittance of charitable donations each year. In 2016, “animals and environment” received only 2.83 percent of the total $390.05 billion dollars donated that year, according to Forbes. And of that 2.83 percent, the animals received only a tiny fraction compared with the amount donated to environmental causes.
In 2016, religion received the most charity dollars ($122.94 billion), then education ($59.77), then human services ($46.80 billion), then foundations ($40.56 billion), then human health ($33.14 billion), then "public society benefit" ($29.89 billion), then international affairs ($22.03 billion), then arts/culture/humanities ($18.21 billion), then environment/animals ($11.05 billion), then individuals ($7.12 billion), according to Forbes.
The world-traveler he is, Kristof is in an excellent position to recommend small, perhaps previously unknown, charities around the world where our donations could help animals. I hope Kristof will write another piece devoted entirely to the world's animals — accompanied by a list of such organizations.
64
Why didn't you just say it without all the criticism? Animal organizations need help too. But so much poverty in the streets, people with no access to mental health resources or health care are high on my list.
63
This is a great list and I already responded by offering volunteer time with the listed reading program. I have been looking for a volunteer program and this appealed to me. Doctor Without Borders has been my go to organization but any listed here will be a great addition. Thank you Mr. Kristof, for this great list, so much more rewarding than material gifts.
31
I think this should apply beyond Christmas gifts. Years ago I stopped giving baby shower gifts to couples who make a lot of money. Instead I give a donation in their name to a local organization that works with abused children.
51
Wonderful suggestions - and I'm grateful for them all. Can you do me a big favor, though? Update your usage to align with what mental health advocates recommend so that in future articles, you use the phrase "died by suicide." The verb "commit" reflects a time when we viewed suicide more as a crime or sin than an outcome of deep emotional trouble or mental health struggles. Thank you!
52
@Betsey O'Brien (and NYT)
Important and valued suggestion/correction.
Another one: when the suicide is known to have stemmed from a mental illness, such as serious Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder, severe anxiety disorders or similar, naming that as a cause of death might encourage more people to take these sometimes deadly illnesses more seriously and to devote more funding and other resources to research and therapeutic and other programs aimed at preventing these dreadful-to-experience disorders and at ameliorating their impact on individuals, families, and communities struggling live with them. When someone has a heart attack and dies, the NYT usually reports the cause of death as cardiac arrest or such.
When a person dies after a long struggle with cancer, news organizations and others usually say the person died after a long fight with/against cancer. What makes so-called mental illnesses any different? Answer: stigma; and we all should fight that.
49
thanks for the list...I sent it on to my twitter account
5
Another national organization focused on mental health support and education for young people: Peer Health Exchange - check them out!
5
Thank you, Mr Kristof! Please add the United Nations World Food Programme' s Yemen relief fund to your list. It's helping to stave off starvation and certain death for millions:
https://support.wfpusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6063&6063.donation=form1&s_src=UNR0000WEByemredirect
19
Another empowering group we've supported is Heifer International http://www.heifer.org They supply animals to poorer people so they can get eggs, get wool and other products, as well as learn of better agricultural practices to generate an income and improve their diets.
27
Please consider ShelterBox USA or our international site. We were nominated for the Nobel Peace prize this year. We deliver relief in the form of shelter due to conflicts and natural disaster around the world to the most vulnerable and needy.
It has been demonstrated that having shelter dramatically reduces crime after these incidents.
Our website shelterboxusa.org will illuminate more about this relief. Our highest goal is to keep people in place safely and securely with the latest water filtration technology, solar lights; forged tools and our volunteer help for their best outcome.
We stay, help, come back to review and are often followed by Habitat for Humanity with long term solutions.
Check our our rating on Charity Navigator and GuideStar Platinum.
Thank you.
31
One more:
The ACLU
33
Those are all greats ideas Mr. Kristof, but I have always said that; '' if governments (around the world - but especially 1st world ones) worked of the people, by the people, and for the people, then there would be no need for ''charity'' of any kind''
Having said that. to ''just'' give money to one organization or another sort of let's the person off the hook, where they rationalize that they have done enough - it is never enough.
If you truly want to make a difference (not only to the receiver, but to yourself) then get your hands ''dirty''. Open up your home to one or two homeless people. Let them have a save place to recoup physically, mentally and emotionally. Help them clean up and offer some ''counselling'' that there are truly people that care for them.
The rewards are incalculable, and I would know.
18
Stop all other “what to gift for Xmas” lists. Now. This is ALL that is needed. Repeat this list yearly.
14
Thank you Nick, for this column. We have picked 2 of your suggestions for our use and are asking our adult children to pick one each to be their Christmas Gift to us.
10
Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
Years ago, our family would gather for Chanukah and each kid would get lots of presents because each adult gave each kid a modest gift. As the kids got older, the family shifted to making donations in the kids' name. In this way, as we light another candle each evening, we hope to increase the light in others' lives, those who may have had their stores of proverbial oil smashed or seriously depleted due to oppression, war, natural disaster, etc. Your article and suggestions help us all become more of "a light unto" others. Blessings to you, Mr. Kristof, for adding warmth and comfort to so many, directly and indirectly.
28
Thank you for this column. It reaffirms why I get so aggravated every year when our department, in a community hospital that takes care of many homeless, insists on a Secret Santa gift exchange of $10 gifts which, believe me, no one wants or needs. Its not the money but the thought that a department full of educated people can't decide to give a group gift to one of the organizations mentioned in your column instead of exchanging junk. Fortunately, I can also give generously to my favorite charities.
27
Good point. Perhaps your office mates could agree, or you could model, spending those $10 on individual "donation certificates" from organizations or even to people you or they know of who are truly struggling?
The combined group donation is a fine idea, but it's often hard and time consuming to get a group of adults to agree on a common beneficiary. If you all could instead develop a list of at least 10-20 organizations that no one has strong objections to, maybe include a brief description of each, and make it easy for folks to make their donations in each other's honor, you accomplish at least two meaningful acts: you provide the benefit of the money (or goods or in-kind services) itself AND you provide free outreach and public education for the charitable organizations your group selects to include on the list.
21
You should publish this information every March, June, and September, as well as the holiday months. I'd especially recommend March, when people are thinking of next years' tax write-offs. Charity is needed all year.
41
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, so let me digress and tell you about the best Hanukkah I ever had.
I was ten years old and had my eye on a baseball glove that cost around eight bucks. My father and mother had a small candy store, and I knew from listening to them that it had been a pretty tough year at the store. But I asked for the glove anyway. They said yes, but only on the condition that I would not be receiving any other presents at Hanukkah that year. I accepted the condition immediately, without ever thinking twice about it. They worked late during the holidays, but when they came home on the first night of Hanukkah they took me totally by surprise by arriving with the glove, a football, a Monopoly game and a toy microscope which made me think that I had just won the Powerball Lottery of my dreams. Which, of course, is exactly what I had done. The glove fell apart after a couple of years and the Monopoly game and the microscope didn’t last very long either. I’ve had my fair share of gifts since that time, but never any others that even came remotely close to matching those.
That was then, and this is now.
The present I dream of now is a removal of Trumpism from the land and all the evil it stands for.
Some things are more important than the Powerball.
Thanks Mom and Pop, for everything.
81
Thank you for these suggestions. They will inform our year-end giving
9
These are all wonderful suggestions. For several years several of us in our extended family, whose kids are long grown and who are lucky enough not to need much, have exchanged gifts of donations to non-profits. ACLU, Natural Resources Defense Council, Planned Parenthood, and RAICES have all been recipients, as we recognize that their excellent litigation staffs are often the primary obstacle to horrific agendas being adopted by the current administration.
30
Members of my own family are in need of help. I am fortunate enough to be able to make some cash gifts directly to them while also able to contribute to worthy causes that my husband and I have supported over the years. Some are local, others are not. As for gifts to us, we ask our family only for photos or homemade consumables such as pickles from their gardens or applesauce made from their trees. Keep Christmas giving simple.
44
What about the millions who are starving in Yemen? how can we help them?
27
Helen |
SFL
Doctors Without Borders.Org.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are on the front line in Yemen. MSF treated more than 718,000 emergency room patients from March 2015 to December 2017. Teams treated more than 72,000 patients for war wounds and other intentional physical violence over the same period.
MSF first started working in Yemen in 1986. Today, Yemen is one of their largest projects with approximately 1,900 staff; the vast majority are national staff.
35
I give generouysly to the Fistula Foundation all year long. This charity operates on women, primarily in AFRICA, who were pushed into sexual activity and childbirth too early and have damaged bodies as a result. By financing a surgery for lesss than $500, you restore an innocent woman to life in her community. By my count, I have personally helped 12 of these women over the years. Without medical help, these women are incontinent, smelling badly and are treated like lepers. I have not come across a surer way to have a big positive impact on innocent lives--------
57
@Caroline P. I too give to the Fistula Foundation, and it is worth noting that not all fistulas are caused by youth or small size — they are often caused by lack of medical care, which is a problem especially in rural areas, where the woman’s labor becomes stuck and she has no real medical help. (Many women around the world are petite.) Fistulas used to be a problem in the US as well.
15
as every year, thank you!
10
Many Americans recoil from iodized salt, encouraged by chefs who refer to it as having an “off” taste — maybe an article telling people in this country why iodine matters and why they should, in fact, buy iodized salt,
27
@Raindrop I went back to iodized salt after years of sea salt...gotta help my thyroid
7
I was simultaneously laughing and crying when I read " . . when we inflict on one another neckties and perfumes that no one really wants."
Yes, it is high time we stop "inflicting" and truly start "giving."
22
The Mother Jones Fund. National Public Radio. Both have broken stories that deepened the truth. Support investigative journalism.
58
Make black lives finally and really matter in the callous corrupt cruel cynical hypocritical "land of the free and home of the brave" aka the United States of America.
America was born denying the humanity as persons in enslavement and the separate and unequal defying existence as Americans while black. Black Americans are still not divinely naturally created equal persons with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in America, Black Americans are 2nd class citizen victims of white supremacist malign mass incarceration, mass welfare deformation, mass miseducation and mass poor health care and housing.
Not MAGA!
16
Thank you so much for including the elimination of iodine deficiency and the profound impact that salt iodization can have on children's lives and enabling them to develop fully, and reach their potential to thrive !!
We at the Iodine Global Network take particular pride in our convening function which brings together all partners, including Governments, development agencies, communities and the salt industry, to strengthen national iodine programs to assure optimal intake of this critical nutrient.
Jonathan Gorstein
Executive Director
Iodine Global Network
http://www.ign.org/cm_data/IGN_2017_Annual_Report.pdf
20
All good suggestions. And an additional thought, a small gift—maybe fair trade—that reflects the intent of the charitable gift.
Pairings:
Citizens Climate Lobby — LED lightbulbs
World Wildlife Fund — panda-shaped ornament from 10,000 villages.
Doctors Without Borders — fair trade Yemen coffee. http://yemenica.com/about-us.html
31
Our family at Christmas, does not buy gifts for each other. We give to everyone’s favorite charities, instead. It does make gift giving easier, too. There’s no wondering what to buy for everyone. Try it! You’ll like it❤️❤️
19
This is a great article with some awesome suggestions. However, might I suggest changing the words "committed suicide" to "died by suicide" under the "Fight suicide and mental illness" section? There has been a recent shift to decriminalize victims by changing our wording.
20
I’m so glad to read this piece in the Times, after having clicked on their gift giving guide and run through the list of useless expensive items it listed. I thoroughly respect the truthful and in-depth reporting the Times provides. But when it comes to advertisements and articles like the gift giving guide, I feel like a poor relation who is allowed to read the newspaper. Who are the people these ads and lists are aimed at? They are nowhere in my world.
28
❤
4
As always, thank you for your articles and holiday lists
It is a reminder that in the ocean of American hatred, racism, xenophobia, America First (and only) there are still voices of good.
14
I know last year you joked that only your mom read your holiday gift column but I wanted to let you know it sparked a conversation in our home. My husband and I agreed instead of giving each other gifts, we’d donate to our local food pantry and two other charities that had meaning for us.
Thank you for another great column. I already forwarded it to family who are “ shopping” for gifts for us and it will help guide our gift giving to one another this year.
Please keep up the good work.
Ann
24
I know many people that give more money to charity every year than give gifts to their families.
6
If anyone planning to buy me a gift is reading, I have everything it need, so please take the money you would have spent on me and donate it to any of these organizations. It really would make me feel better.
19
Thank You! Written by a GENUINE namesake of Saint Nicholas & Kris Kringle!
13
Thank you for reminding us about life saving gifts. I like to add Heffer organization and Doctors Without Borders. By donating a couple of chickens, goats, or half a cow, you can change the life of a needy family all over the world. These are gifts that keep on giving. Once their animals produce offsprings, they get donated to others.
Doctors Without Borders are a nonprofit group of doctors who give their time and expertise to save lives in dangerous areas, treating patients regardless of their color, religion, or nationality.
17
Better yet, keep the money in your own community. Pay for meals at a homeless shelter of food bank that your "gift recipient" supports. Donate to hospital funds that pay for medical care that people cannot afford. If you know of a shop owner that is struggling with a medical problem, buy from that shop. Tell family, friends, kids and anyone else that Christmas in your home is not going to include presents but will include helping to make your community stronger and more sustainable.
Sadly Mr. Kristof refuses to believe that we have millions of people who are living in abject poverty and intense violence here in the US. Real charity begins at home and spreads out from there.
Pay attention to France. These Yellow Vests are not just protesting a gas tax. The real protest is about inequality and a decreasing basic standard of life. The backlash against immigrants in nations across the globe is not so much racist as it is declining basic standards of living and not having "enough" to properly take care of people already in that nation.
Also, try to avoid donating to charity organizations, especially the large ones. If they are US based they will have publicly available financial statements. If wages for the C-level are in the millions, just say no.
16
@skramsv, actually Mr. Kristof has written a number of columns in the past dealing with poverty, domestic violence and child marriage in this country. His worldview is truly that: a world view. I would contend that keeping our help for others within our own communities is part of the problem, not part of the solution, when it comes to creating a better, more cooperative and more inclusive world.
25
Oh, and don't forget HIAS - the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society at https://www.hias.org/ - they help immigrants of all origins (not just Jewish).
I only ever heard of them after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, but they are a wonderful organization with a very solid history.
31
BRAVO! Thank you. I give donations in honor, wish more people did so. I've never been a stuff person (except for a few year involvrment, and as a little kid.)
4
“The best gifts never leave the giver”, someone once said. They remind us we have a heart and a soul. Thank you for this wonderful list of worthy causes.
7
Thank you!! It is terrific that you put this info out there. You make a real difference.
People can also consider donating to local animal rescues. It is not only humans who suffer; all of our fates are intertwined. And when you help animals, you help humans, too - it's been proven. Particularly in disaster situations, saving animals saves people, too - because some people won't leave their animals behind.
But even if you do it just for the sake of the animals, they count, too. There are starving, abused, injured, neglected or otherwise suffering animals that you can help, by a simple donation of time or money to a small local rescue.
Find the people in your own neighborhood who are pulling animals off the street and getting them the care they need, whether it's treatment for injuries, spay/neutering, vaccinations, or a safe home, and at the same time alleviating the loneliness or improving the quality of life of humans via animal companionship.
27
In my undergraduate business class, Nick's (St. Nick's?) Christmas column of worthy workers for those in need provide us with a path holiday giving, not to mention a terrific discussion starter about the global state of human health and wellness.
Nick's list is really a planet-wide snapshot of how we're doing and how well the members of our species are taking care of one another.
Thanks, Nick Kristof, for a very unusual business text!
10
Maybe it's so commonplace that it requires no mention, but no matter where disaster strikes, need arises or desperate measures must be undertaken, The Salvation Army is there. They aren't preaching; they aren't judging; they are only helping all in need. Even though winds are still raging, waters still rising or bullets still flying, they are there. I greatly appreciate the more particular causes -- direct aid to Puerto Rico or Doctors Without Borders, for example; by all means help them--but whether you put your change in the red kettle or write a check, you know it will find a needy recipient if you assist the Salvation Army.
12
@Tomas Salvation Army discriminates against gay people.
11
This is one of the best articles all year. I save it and go back to view it several times. You really do great work! I also appreciate the student you sponsor. Have you ever thought of doing the same for a retiree? Maybe not such an arduous trip but important nonetheless less. A great way to get retirees involved in meaningful volunteer work.
20
Our family has begun a tradition of a small gift plus a contribution, sometimes geared to the interest of the recipient. I’m very surprised that you have not emphasized environmental organizations. Climate change is happening at a breathtaking pace. It is the worst threat to any baby born today, promising more poverty, more wars, more refugees, more hate. I give to 350.org, to the Sierra Club, and to politicians who prioritize it in their campaigns.
37
I think helping those in need is only human, and most people I know jump in really quickly to give aid for many issues locally and non locally. So while again, someone is trying to guilt those that want to share and celebrate the Holiday season that their gift giving is selfish and pointless, lets remember, struggling to survive was not chosen by any one particular human on this earth, it is built in by nature. We all face it. I myself have dealt with horrible and unfair things as a young child and I survived. The memories are haunting, so I am one of the first people to want to help others. But rather than think that society owes me, and I should be taken care of, I have worked and raised my family in an oft times unfair and aggressive work environment. How about supporting those that get up and go to work and support all the aid that is given to struggling societies. In today's work environment all companies want to do is punish the employee that is responsible. "Let's see what we can take away from them." So how about some support for those here on the home front that are the most giving people in the world.
9
Thank you for this helpful article, especially for highlighting the sad truth about suicides in the US. However, I couldn’t help notice the term “committed suicide,” which insinuates a crime has been committed, subtly perpetuating the shame around suicide; “committed suicide” is becoming outdated in the mental health community for that reason. “Died by suicide” is the language we’re trying to use — less punitive, less shaming, but without losing truth around the loss. What do others think?
32
@Jeremy Steglitz, PhD
Only because you asked: I have never thought the phrase connoted a crime, perpetuated shame, or was at all punitive. No one I know has ever reacted to news of a suicide with anything other than shock and sympathy I think efforts to change the phrase are well-meaning but wholly unnecessary.
16
@Jeremy Steglitz, PhD
I think it's a little PC. I understand your point, but the term is part of idiomatic English, and I don't really think most people hear "committed" as indicating something punitive or judgmental.
14
Thanks. I hadn’t heard that term yet, and someone I love died by suicide in October.
7
Great pointers for meaningful presents! I especially applaud mention of Puerto Rico in the article. It has been quite distressing for me as a fan of Steven Colbert to watch him hype his “Whose Boat Is This Boat” and mention the hurricanes that hit the US mainland, but unaccountably never, not once, mentioned the (US) island of Puerto Rico as a beneficiary of the book’s profits. For an otherwise upstanding guy whose commentary I enjoy, this is an unforgivable oversight!
16
This is a wonderful op ed, the perfect antidote to the Black Friday mentality that pervades in our culture.
I'd like to suggest another way to give--contribute to the planet. Support efforts to protect embattled wildlife, educate about the value of public lands, give a boost to our severely underfunded national parks,. Then when (or if, these days) you hear any success stories about these things, you can take heart that you helped it happen, which may endear you more deeply to the natural world.
30
I have for decades 'given' my nieces and nephews animals through the Heifer Foundation (now that they are grown, Heifer gets a 'where needed' gift). It is a fun way to teach children about other parts of the world and the difficult lives of families less fortunate than their own. Along with homemade cookies and, if I visit, token gifts, this has been my giving (it also saves Aunt Anne from giving part of the giving budget to the Postal Service).
That said, I have had more than one friend tell me that that was a 'terrible' gift because it doesn't "really give them anything" (believe me, those kids always had enough). A few have insinuated that I was really giving to myself because the gift was tax deductible (though I rarely itemize)…
Thanks for the list - it's good to know about some of these resources just for my own giving choices.
52
I would add that if you really feel you must give something physical to someone buy from an organization that really helps those that make the items. Fair trade, hand made items can really help. Couple a small gift like this with a larger donation to an organization, might be nice compromise. If you can't find that, a small gift from a local artist/farmer with a larger donation would fit.
33
These are all wonderful and creative ideas for giving gifts, both locally and globally.
We might also consider less driving and more carpooling, riding public transportation, and bicycling/walking to get around, as much as we can manage. And less travel by air? Perhaps eating less meat as well?
These are some examples of how doing less can mean doing a lot more for our planet. And they include the gifts of improving health and saving money for you, too.
30
Excellent ideas.
When considering any charity, please check with Charity Navigator which rates them.
So many charities don't actually give most of the donated money to the people/ or subject matter one is attempting to give to. Many funds are siphoned to the large salaries for "executives" of the charities, or in other ways.
Go to www.charitynavigator.org to determine what a particular charity is rated.
73
It is unfortunate that this tradition of gift giving at Christmas ever started as it detracts from the true meaning of the event. Apparently we give gifts because the wise men, or magi, brought gifts for Jesus. But according to the gospel of Matthew it would have been months or years after the birth of Jesus as they visited with him in a house, not a stable. Nevertheless the ideas presented here are admirable but of little help in choosing a gift for Aunt Maggie.
5
@Aaron Adams
Let us also not forget that many Christian churches banned congregants from participating in Christmas celebrations well into the 19th century. Also Jesus was not born in Dec. That date was picked to draw in potential Roman converts because it could be joined with Winter solstice celebrations.
The gift giving also comes from the Festival of Lights that reminds people that the amount of sunlight will be increasing after the winter solstice.
The Magi were great astrologists and astronomers. They would have known years in advance of the "Star" (planetary conjunction) and would planned their trip to see it so I do not buy the years later nor do I buy the cave stable bit.
10
St. Nicholas is not just a remote but recurring legend. He lives among us.
Thank you, St. Nicholas (Kristof) for your annual list for our consideration.
30
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
Uplifting. Uplifting. Uplifting.
Just one suggestion If I may, Mr. Kristof:
'Tis the season should be celebrated all year long!
16
Mr. Kristof, your list of potential gifts that do good goes directly to the core of what this season should be about. Compassion for others, and a reminder to be grateful for the blessings of a relative state of health and peace in our lives.
Thank you.
24
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Kristof. In a world where we have needed--for our very survival--to reassess a mounting appetite for unnecessary material consumption, your recommendations resonate at every significant level of gift-giving.
You are a man for all seasons, and so is your advice.
37
Let me add something else. Become a blood donor, sign a donor card, sign a living will, and become a LIVING donor. I gave blood in September to a 30 year old male nurse who donates blood platlets every week and was waiting for word to fly to Princeton from Minnesota to donate bone marrow. Was there really no one in the NY NJ area with a match for the little boy whose life might now be saved? Many companies offer time off to donate blood. Writing a check is important, but giving of one's self is more satisfying.
54
I donate blood every 2 months, barring any illnesses or low hemoglobin counts. For many years I wasn’t able to donate due to the fact that I had lived in Africa. There are many things that prevent people from donating, ranging from travel, to medical conditions, to whether they happen to be gay men. For those of us who are able to, it is oh so important that we can. Join me in donating blood this Christmas, but also know that it is not your fault if you aren’t allowed to or can’t due to your medical needs. Donating blood can be very draining.
7
Thank you for this.
Christmas has been completely overshadowed by consumerism and we all see it but seem to be stuck in a system of social expectations and corporate need (many companies depend on Christmas to make budget).
Hoards of people spending more time shopping, away from family they already don't see enough, and more money they really don't have, to consume more planet resources on more things people don't need.
A very stark contrast from the supposedly founding idea of Christmas. What happened to us all?
40
Thank you, Mr. Kristof, for reminding us this time of the year of the credible and meaningful causes we can give to. I will forward this to as many people as I can.
20
Thank you, Mr. Kristof for reminding us of two very important truths:
Compassion is one thing, but compassion in action is what makes a difference; and,
Voting with one's pocketbook is sometimes just as important as voting at the ballot box.
With the important exception of loved ones in need, the people whom we love want only one thing at the core of our gifts: a meaningful expression of our love for them.
And there is no better testament to love than to help a person just as incredible and wonderful as our friends: a stranger in need.
36
There are lots of worthy organizations fighting hard for women's rights and empowerment in a regrettably misogynist, patriarchal world.
As a man, I support improving women's rights and power all across the globe.
Contribute a few dollars to any of these worthy organizations below; you might help save the planet from its environmental overpopulation time bomb at the same time.
UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund
hhttps://www.unfpa.org/donate
Guttmacher Institute
https://give.guttmacher.org/give/109478/#!/donation/checkout
International Planned Parenthood Federation
https://www.ippf.org/support-us/donate
Women for Women International
https://www.womenforwomen.org/
Orchid Project
https://orchidproject.org/donation-3/
MADRE
https://www.madre.org/
Three cheers for giving the world's poor women (...and ourselves) a better future.
122
Yeah, but if you give a credit card gift card, they can donate the amount to any charity they choose. the odds of the giver guessing what charity the receiver would actually donate to are astounding.
5
Please consider the unsung heroes of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This incredible international non profit humanitarian organization has been providing global medical care to people in distress, including victims of political violence and natural disasters since 1971.Their courageous work brings them to war zones, refugee camps and areas of dangerous disease outbreaks in over 70 countries around the world. Their compassion knows no boundaries.
I personally thank you for keeping me out of the materialistic madness of the malls. These doctors deserve my gift and I would be gratefully blessed if just one person reading this would support them this holiday season.
doctorswithoutborders.org.
138
@HP Thank you for your comment.I don't have a lot to donate,but I do donate to Doctors Without Borders.A Non-Profit,that really is a nonprofit.
32
@HP
I used to support this group.
However, supported by its director, DWB/MSF consistently follows anti-Israel bias to the point of ignoring egregious actions by Hamas and wildcat terrorists and failing to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions while condemning Israel without basis of fact. Israeli docs and medical teams are among the first responders to international crises yet they are shunned by DWB. It's time for DWB to join the world community to work with ALL medics and remember the first rule of medicine: Above all, do no harm. Not one more dime from this household until that happens.
14
@HP
Yes! Doctors without Borders is also one of the most effective groups working in Yemen - currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
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I had the greatest problem with Global Giving. I wanted to donate in the name of my twin sister, for Christmas. But it ended up just being a donation. I was never given the opportunity to send notification to my sister.
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Thanks and take care, Nicholas!...(always love that name...especially at this time of year :o)
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The gift that keeps giving,...YOUR reporting and fine journalism. Keep at it! Happy Holidays!
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Mr. Kristof - looking at the excesses of our ... well, we're well past Gilded Age, probably Platinum Age is more appropriate, my charitable contributions have gone up enormously the last few years since I am not only grateful for what I have accomplished in life, but revolted by the excess of the current group in power.
If I can put in a plug for 2 organizations:
The Ali Forney Center, here in NYC, provides resources for homeless, at-risk LGBTQ youth. The legendary actress Beatrice Arthur was so impressed with the organizations work that she left them a generous bequest in her will. The demand for their services has only increased as kids from conservative areas South of the Mason-Dixon line are kicked to the curb by their families and make their way North, ending up on the streets of NYC.
Heifer International - recognizes that a chicken, a goat, a sheep, etc can make the difference between life and death in some poverty stricken nations. The cost of a chicken is less than most people drop on a latte at Starbucks.
If like me, you have witnessed your nieces and nephews ripping the paper off of packages and not even focusing on the gift, but just moving onto the next box to rip open, the latter charity is a marvelous way to introduce a child into the wonderful world of helping someone else.
Happy holidays all.
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So many ways to make a difference with many small donations. Last year Mr Kristof, author of "Half The Sky", highlighted donations to CARE, to help girls complete high school in specific developing countries.
We'll probably do this one again because its one of the best ways to fight oppression of girls and women, accelerate sustainable development, and reduce high birth rates and infant mortality.
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It's a gift in and of itself to have this well-researched (you ate the larvae!) and well-curated list of options. Many thanks!
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We look forward to reading this column as a family each year - helping us to have difficult, clarifying and hopeful conversations with our kids over the course of the year. I can't thank you enough for helping us through this process and sharing opportunities to help with purpose. Happy Holidays and good health you and your Ohana.
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Excellent suggestions.
How can we donate money to help the starving children, and adults in Yemen. I read the article in NYT and wished then that authors had included ways we could help.
Safe Travels and Happy Holidays
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Doctors Without Borders.Org.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are on the front line in Yemen. MSF treated more than 718,000 emergency room patients from March 2015 to December 2017. Teams treated more than 72,000 patients for war wounds and other intentional physical violence over the same period.
MSF first started working in Yemen in 1986. Today, Yemen is one of their largest projects with approximately 1,900 staff; the vast majority are national staff.
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@joyce:
see Charity Navigator which rates charities and weeds out those where much or most of the money donated goes to "expenses" or "salaries" of executives.
For Yemen, they recommend:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1904
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@joyce here is one option via the nonprofit I work for: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ri-protecting-yemens-children-from-famine/
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Kristof's annual suggestions are always excellent and most welcome. Particular thanks for remembering Puerto Rico, the slice of the United States that the United States forgot.
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