The mission of the American Breast Cancer Foundation is to provide women and men in financial need, regardless of age or race, access to breast cancer early diagnosis, to assist patients and their families, and to support research. Early detection and treatment are the keys to surviving breast cancer. ABCF has been providing direct financial assistance to individuals for breast cancers screening and diagnostic tests since 1997.

Other Breast Cancer resouces:

The BreastCancer.Net News provides its 20,000 readers with breaking news on breast cancer treatment and research daily. Along with thousands of breast cancer patients and survivors, The BCN News is read in nearly every major cancer and health organization, all the major breast cancer organizations, and major research laboratories and universities around the world.

Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. Their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer, so they can make the best decisions for their lives.

VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 50,000 nonprofit organizations.

VolunteerMatch is about relationships. We are a service that brings good people and good causes together. We believe that the health of our community can be measured by the relationships formed between volunteers and the nonprofits they serve. Our aim is to build services that overcome the barriers that keep volunteers and nonprofits from finding each other, working together, and developing strong relationships.

The Alzheimer’s Association Web site provides information on the latest Alzheimer care strategies, research findings and advocacy initiatives. They also provide updates on Alzheimer’s Association programs, partners and events.

The Alzheimer’s Association-Capital of Texas Chapter is a non-profit organization that provides family support, community education, public awareness and supports research for the prevention, cure and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Alzheimer’s Australia is the peak body providing support and advocacy for the 500,000 Australians living with dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that causes memory loss, behavior and personality changes, as well as changes in the ability to think clearly. The behavior and personality changes often turn into dementia. Alzheimer’s dementia affects millions of people and can be the hardest part of the disease to accept and live with.

Alzheimer’s dementia can cause a person who was once pleasant and forgiving become violent and harsh; and it can even cause a person to see things that aren’t there. They can suddenly erupt into screaming fits, complaining that someone is trying to kill them, or, even worse, they can begin to thrash about and hit those that are trying to care for them. For this reason, people suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia must be cared for by someone who is professionally trained and who possesses a great amount of patience.

Alzheimer’s dementia especially hurts the loved ones of the afflicted, because they have to witness their relative acting in ways, and sometimes saying things, that are unbearable. They literally have to witness their loved one deteriorate into an unrecognizable stranger. Alzheimer’s dementia often results in the person having to be cared for as one would care for a young child. The patient, who once had so much life experience and wisdom, now has to have everything done for them.

Caring for Your Loved One
Alzheimer’s dementia can be cared for by taking the person through regular daily routines. Get them used to watching certain TV shows, watch movies, listen to music, any activities that keep them busy but are simple enough that they don’t have to think about doing them. It’s also important to allow time for frequent rests, as sometimes, a certain activity may prove too much for the person, for whatever reason, and must be approached later when the person isn’t so anxious.

The most important thing to remember when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s dementia is that they must never be left alone. The person literally must be taken care of the way a small child would be cared for. They must not be able to wander off by themselves. They could get hurt or, worse, they could wander outside and get lost. The worst part is that they probably don’t even know they’re doing what they’re doing.

Alzheimer’s dementia is a very difficult symptom of Alzheimer’s and must be cared for by someone who is specially trained to handle the outbursts and behavioral changes that can occur with this disease. When caring for someone with Alzheimer’s dementia, it’s important to prepare for the worst and the unpredictable.

Should You Scrap Your Fund-Raising Event?
Some charities have taken the extreme step of canceling their annual fund-raising galas in light of the economic downturn.

But Robert Evans, a fund-raising expert, advises against making a last-minute decision to cancel a special event. Read more

The Sky is Falling
Gloom and doom. The sky is falling. Budgets are bad. We need to cut back. It’s time to do even more with even less.

Sound familiar? If you work in the nonprofit or educational sector, it should. It seems like every few years we go through this cycle—and every few years, we react in the same way.

I’m fond of quoting Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity where he pointed out that if you keep doing things in the same way it is simply not rational to expect that you will get a different outcome. And yet that is exactly what we do. Read more

US charity donations hit 2007 record despite soft economy
Americans shook off economic uncertainty and gave a record 306.4 billion dollars to charitable causes in 2007, an increase of 3.9 percent for the year, a survey showed Monday.

The annual survey by Giving USA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University showed a rise in overall donations but hesitation by individual donors and companies affected by economic woes.

George Ruotolo, chair of the Giving Institute, said charitable contributions held up even with Americans fretting about high oil prices, the subprime real estate crisis and the ongoing war in Iraq. Read more

The ASPCA was founded in 1866 as the first humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. The Society was formed to alleviate the injustices animals faced then, and we continue to battle cruelty today. Whether it’s saving a pet who has been accidentally poisoned, fighting to pass humane laws, rescuing animals from abuse or sharing resources with shelters across the country, we work toward the day in which no animal will live in pain or fear.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest and most effective animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one in every 30. Established in 1954, The HSUS seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals—a world that will also benefit people. We are America’s mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect, as well as the most trusted voice extolling the human-animal bond.

View Charity Navigator rating for the Humane Society of the United States

HumaneTeen features true stories of teen activists and clubs making a difference for animals and the environment.

The Humane Society Of The United States - Wildlife Land Trust - Saving Lives By Saving Land.

The ALS Association
The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

As the only not-for-profit voluntary health agency dedicated solely to the fight against ALS, they direct the largest privately-funded research enterprise engaged to uncover the mystery of a disease that affects as many as 30,000 annually. With more than 5,600 people diagnosed each year – an average of 15 new cases each day – their mission is urgent.

What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.

The ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter, founded on January 27, 1990, is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization based out of Dedham, Massachusetts. We offer more than a dozen free services for patients and their families, including a respite care program, an equipment loan program, a children’s program and support groups. We, along with our sister Chapters from across the country, also contribute significantly to research efforts both nationally and internationally, making The ALS Association the largest private source of funding for ALS research anywhere in the world.

The Evergreen Chapter, founded in January of 1999, operates under a shared mission: to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support, and to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research. The Evergreen Chapter focuses primarily on helping local patients and families live with ALS while the National Office focuses primarily on research and advocacy. The Chapter supports the National Office through revenue sharing and research contributions. The National Office supports the Chapters by providing up-to-date information and materials.

It all started many years ago with an urge to help the less-privileged in our society unconditionally. Over the years, the urge developed into an idea and then into Child’s Dream. Our organization has been brought to life by a circle of friends with one common goal; helping underprivileged children in the ‘Mekong Sub-Region’, which includes Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. This region is at the core of many humanitarian crises such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, child prostitution and the spread of HIV / AIDS.

We realized that charitable funds are spread unevenly among various projects, resulting in an inefficient use of funds. More established and well-connected projects often receive excess funds, leading to non-essential investments, whereas smaller, newer or low profile projects lack money and can often hardly cover their running costs. This leads to a significant lack of essential infrastructure, medical attention, education, etc. These projects often try to survive by only providing food and shelter. Child’s Dream aims to help improve this situation by supporting projects, which really need help. In order to ensure an optimal use of funds, we provide infrastructure as well as personal items to meet health and educational needs (cloths, stationery, etc.) directly to the projects concerned rather than giving money to cover running costs.

Accuracy In Media is a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage. Quite frankly, the news media don’t always get their stories right. What’s worse, many of them don’t even seem to care. By advising them of their responsibility to the public, whom they claim to serve, AIM helps to nudge the members of the news media into greater accountability for their actions.

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), is a national media watch group that has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. Theywork to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, they expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information.

Chicago Media Watch aims to ensure that this region’s media remains open, honest and responsive to the people’s needs.

NewsWatch: A Consumer’s Guide to the News

The mission of the American Humane Association, as a network of individuals and organizations, is to prevent cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals and to assure that their interests and well-being are fully, effectively, and humanely guaranteed by an aware and caring society.

American Humane envisions a nation where no child or animal will ever be a victim of willful abuse or neglect. As a recognized leader in professional education, training and advocacy, research and evaluation, American Humane joins with other similarly missioned individuals and organizations to make this vision a reality.

While the primary mission of shelter & rescue organizations is to care for, and find homes for, stray and surrendered animals, many of these organizations also provide excellent education and support services. Additionally, these groups serve the needs of homeless animals everywhere with low cost spay/neuter programs, free or low cost care and training programs, community education, and more. These organizations have, also, been incubators for some of the most innovative and successful programs to combat overpopulation, abuse/neglect, and other welfare issues.

Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator has become the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities. In our quest to help donors, our team of professional analysts has examined tens of thousands of non-profit financial documents. As a result, we know as much about the true fiscal operations of charities as anyone. We’ve used this knowledge to develop an unbiased, objective, numbers-based rating system to assess the financial health of over 5,000 of America’s best-known charities.

View Charity Navigator rating for the American Humane Association

Relative to Western institutions, Asian foundations are a comparatively new social phenomenon. A two-year study by Joan Fawcett of the Aspen Institute was conducted to research the social aims, revenue sources, funding activities and grant allocation of charitable foundations located in six East Asian countries, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, and North and South Korea. In their organization, structure and day-to-day operations, some functioned more as tax shelters for the wealthy, while others were more philanthropic. Though great variation was found between the groups studied, some general statements can be made about these groups.

Foundations in several of the regions societies function as instruments of state policy, most notably in China, not a surprising finding due to the Communist Partys control over all aspects of society. In Japan and Korea, foundations serve more to implement corporate policy, and organizations in these two nations tend to be closely linked to business interests.

However, in the more individualistic societies of Taiwan and Hong Kong, foundations are established to further personal rather than public policy and often reflect the funding preferences of the benefactors who fund them.

The paper also identified philanthropic grant making priorities of the foundations studied. Initially, they dealt mainly with the social, economic and political devastation caused by the Second World War and local wars such as the Vietnam and Korean conflicts. They currently deal with issues of economic dislocation and social upheaval. Approximately sixty percent of the worlds population is Asian, and while there are many Asian millionaires, two-thirds of the worlds “absolute poor” are concentrated in Asia.

Many of these developing nations are struggling to establish a foothold in the new globalized world economy where a nations wealth is increasingly dependent upon exports. Asian economies are growing at an unparelleled rate, leading to the emergence of “civil society” movements to counter the effects of globalization on peasants and unskilled workers. Due to the desire by governments in the region to reduce the size and scope of social responsibilities and costs, organized philanthropy is being officially encouraged. Most Asian nations, from China with its ostensibly communist government to Japan with its wealthy mega-corporations, have poor social safety nets. This has led to the professionalization of philanthropy and the growth of private organizations.

Not all Asia-oriented foundations are based in Asia. One large non-profit, non-governmental organization based in San Francisco, the Asia Foundation, provides millions of dollars annually for social and educational programs in Asian countries. Its stated aim is the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. They function as an umbrella organization, providing grants to local groups in the Asia Pacific that fall within the areas of womens participation, fair elections and human rights, international relations, environmental protection, economic reform and development.

The Asia Foundation also administers the Luce Scholars program, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. This scholarship provides an opportunity for young Americans to spend a year in Asia studying in the fields of law, medicine, international relations, performing arts, and other subjects.

About the Author:
Frank Vanderlugt is interested in Asian Foundations

The creation of the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc) was inspired by 9 year old Jennifer Harper, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1977. When her father, Peter Harper, discovered that there was no research into children’s leukaemia being done in WA, he set out to raise funds for this purpose.

Together with other parents of children with cancer and with the support of Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation (Inc) was formed. In 1983 the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Laboratory was established on the children’s hospital (PMH) campus and in 1984 Dr Ursula Kees, a Swiss born scientist was recruited from the German Cancer Institute, to head up the Research Laboratory.

Visit Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation

Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute is a national animal advocacy nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to which are tax-deductible. Our mission is to advocate for the protection of animals from cruelty and exploitation.

Every year, millions of animals suffer in fur farms and circus cages. In our campaigns against such cruelties, we use powerful tools including legislation, public education, litigation, and grassroots networking. We also work actively with media to spread the word about challenges facing animals.

Our primary campaign areas currently include animals used in entertainment, captive exotic animals, trapping & fur, and the international wildlife trade.

Visit Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute

Also visit More Beautiful Wild
Each year millions of exotic animals are captured from the wild or produced in captivity for commercial profit or human amusement, only to languish in conditions that fail to meet the instinctive, behavioral, and physical needs of these wild animals. The More Beautiful Wild campaign will reduce animal suffering by raising public awareness of the cruel and destructive exotic animal trade, by increasing legal protections for captive exotic animals, and by supporting efforts aimed at preserving wildlife’s rightful place in the wild.

BanCruelTraps.com
This site helps you to understand the cruel effect traps and trapping have on huge numbers of wild and domestic animals. It also contains many of the tools useful in starting, leading, or working within a successful campaign to reduce or end the trapping of animals.

The Truth About Affinity Cards
By Debbie Dragon

America is seeing a surge in charitable endeavors. More people are opening their wallets to donate to good causes year-round. The kind-hearted are even electing to take volunteer vacations, where they spend weeks building homes for disaster victims or rebuilding habitats for endangered animals. Even when times are tough, giving to others makes us feel better about ourselves.

Affinity credit cards play on our desire to help others. These credit cards are branded with the credit card company’s logo, as well as the logo of a charity. When card holders make purchases using their affinity cards, the card company donates a percentage to the partner charity. There are affinity cards that support all kinds of good causes. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the donations generated by these cards don’t amount to much. Card holders would be better off donating cold, hard cash to help the needy. Some of the leading affinity cards donate about fifty cents for every one hundred dollars of charges. If you charged two hundred dollars a month in hopes of supporting animal rights, your affinity card contributions would add up to twelve dollars a year. Every little bit counts, but any given charity would be better served by larger up-front donations.

Since we’re more likely to part with our money passively than actively, these affinity cards do ensure that we give something. And when thousands of people give a little, the benefits can add up to a lot. Target, for example, has generated over 19 million dollars for Take Charge for Education. The cards are also great conversation-starters. People like to show that they care, and they like to talk about the organizations they support. As word spreads, more card holders come on board, and more donations are generated.

Before you get an affinity card, you should be aware that they usually come with higher rates and fewer perks than other credit cards. Also, since your donations are made as part of a contractual obligation, they are not tax-deductible. Still, it feels good to add your drops to the financial bucket to help those in need, which is why affinity cards are still hugely popular despite their less-than-stellar terms and conditions. Some of the most popular affinity card causes include child welfare, animal welfare, crime, public education, and environmental causes.

If you’re the type to give big, you’re probably better off making a donation to the charities of your choice and keeping your regular credit cards. But if you’d like to donate some spare change just by using your credit card for everyday purchases, an affinity card could be the right choice for you.

For help comparing credit card offers, visit CreditorWeb.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Dragon
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Truth-About-Affinity-Cards&id=1043261

Agents of Charity - Real Estate Gives Back
By Kelli Bennet

Too often in today’s real estate industry, good works sit unnoticed under the piles of corporate greed and lust money. When the bottom line for a real estate company is also the line in the sand, the agents don’t dare do anything to toe it. Pushed to the forefront are stories of stock prices, revenue projections, and profit margins. What many would see if they dig a little deeper, maybe read past the first page, is that many corporations do indeed give back to their respective communities in ways big and small. This practice has become especially prominent in the real estate industry.

Take for example a couple of real estate agents in Lavallette, New Jersey. Just last month Stephanee Mirachi, who is the Executive Assistant to Broker/Owner Lee Childers of Childers Sotheby’s International Realty, and Budd Rall, Sales Associate from the Childers Sotheby’s Lavallette/Ortley Beach office, participated in the 15th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Bear Plunge in Seaside Heights, to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey.

The air was frigid and the snow was fresh as the stage was set the day before the event by a snowstorm hitting the area. Despite the snow and the 38 degree water temperature, nearly 3,000 volunteers showed up alongside Mirachi and Rall to take the plunge. While the temperature was low, the donations were high. The event raised over $750,000 for Special Olympics that will go towards free year round programs that are available to adults and kids with intellectual disabilities.

In Minneapolis, brokers from area commercial real estate firms get together once a year to play in a charity hockey game. The Opus Cup is in its ninth year, and crowds turn out to watch these men hit the ice, and sometimes each other, all in the name of charity. Some are seasoned hockey players that played in college. Both goalies in this year’s game played college hockey. Don’t be fooled- this game is highly competitive and features a number of players who are just as comfortable skating around an ice rink as they are showing people around a property. The event benefits the charity “Hope for the City”, founded by Welsh Company CEO Dennis Doyle. Hope for the City collects and redistributes overstocked items such as food, clothing, and medical supplies. Last year the event raised over $27,000.

In New Jersey, commercial real estate firm Matrix Development Group bought two office buildings and nine acres of parking lots in Brunswick. Rather than settling for just a corporate presence in the community, President and Chief Executive Joseph Taylor began looking for a way to integrate the company into the community in a charitable fashion. Matrix is currently the backer for Elijah’s Promise. The charity is a Soup Kitchen, Counseling Center, and Catering School. In 2007 there were approximately 95,000 meals served to the needy at Elijah’s Promise.

The New York Times recently ran a piece about charity in the real estate industry. That is how relevant and prevalent the two have become together. Within the real estate industry, companies are not only looking to put their stamp on a market by selling homes or commercial properties. From heartfelt grassroots efforts like Kelli Bennett’s to big time undertakings such as Matrix’s Elijah’s Promise, real estate agents and companies are leaving their mark on communities and touching people’s lives every day through ongoing charity work and charity events that are embraced by everyone in the area. Agents once thought of as slick salespeople have been rebranded as agents of change and agents of charity simply by keeping it real.

Kelli Bennett is a real estate agent in Breckenridge, Colorado. The Kelli Sells team helped over 50 families buy and sell Breckenridge Colorado real estate last year.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelli_Bennet
http://EzineArticles.com/?Agents-of-Charity—Real-Estate-Gives-Back&id=1021222