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

How Would You Like To Save Lives Through Car Donation?
By Alex Baumm

So, how would you like to make a difference in your life and in the lives of many struggling people around the world? One recent movie said - ARK, one Act of Random Kindness - this is the secret to a meaningful life.

You know what? This is something that is not so hard to do. You can start by considering car donation. Car donation is a great way to show the world how much you care for other people. It is one clear way to show how one act of random kindness can spell the big difference.

If you are planning to buy a new car and you don’t know what to do with your present car, well, you need not think any further because you might want to consider donating it to car donation. Instead of selling it, you can choose to give it to car charity and get benefits you will not get, although generally you will make lesser money from this.

But that’s not the important point as you’re not after the money anyway but what you want indeed is to help raise funds that will be of help to underprivileged people. By donating your auto to car charity you can also send poor students to school.

Funds generated from car donation could be used to help for the medication of many sick people. It could also be used for efforts that will help clean and save the environment. Victims of abuse are other people who can directly benefit from car donation. There are auto donation organizations focusing on cancer patients. There are also those who help build new homes of people affected by calamities like hurricanes and floods.

There are also non-profit organizations that open up programs that will aid people to find livelihood and jobs thus making them productive members of society. This can also make them very self-reliant. Giving your used car to car charity can be life saving for reasons already mentioned. This simple deed can assist in the efforts of non-profit organizations to improve the living conditions of thousands of people.

Orphanages and rehabilitation centers are among the institutions that benefit from car donation campaigns and drives.Other non-profit organizations like Yellow Ribbon Fund and Joy for Our Youth are good examples.

Not only that fund raisers like car charity will be help improve lives of Americans, it could also be helpful to other people living in other countries as there are foundations that focus programs to help them. Car donation organizations are examples of groups that are very easy to deal with and they are likewise very open to your questions.

If you want to help people and at the same time benefit from a simple act, the right option would be to give your car to car donation programs. It’s great. It’s moral and life-saving. So, what are you waiting for?

Go get that phone today or browse websites and contact people who are into car charity campaigns. Negotiate and see for yourself the advantages and goodness that car donation can bring you.

Alex Baumm, member of a car forum. Join our Car Forum and learn about Car Donation, talk about Car Purchase

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Baumm
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Would-You-Like-To-Save-Lives-Through-Car-Donation?&id=1044831

NASCAR Charities - The Giving Spirit of Racing Men
By Tuck Robinson

Most non-racing fans don’t associate the rowdy men of NASCAR with the giving spirit that it takes to be involved with charities. Real racing fans know the truth that NASCAR is one of the most giving of all professional sports. The NASCAR Foundation was started in 2006 as a link between the sport and all of the charitable causes supported by its different elements. They support over 30 assorted charities and foundations many of which are run by the drivers, their wives, teams and team owners. Two of the many charities that benefit from its largess are the Victory Junction Gang Camp and Speediatrics.

Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in memory of their son, Adam Petty, who was killed in an accident during practice at New Hampshire International Speedway. The idea for the camp was Adam’s and it’s purpose is to provide a place for terminally ill, and chronically ill children to have a camp experience that otherwise wouldn’t be an option due to their illness. The camp has received support from many NASCAR drivers, teams, and sponsors, including Tony Stewart, one of the rowdiest drivers in NASCAR. Tony Stewart has donated well over 2 million dollars to the camp.

Speediatrics was founded by Betty Jane France, wife of the late co-founder, chairman and CEO of NASCAR, Bill France. Speediatrics is a pediatric unit located at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, FL and Homestead Hospital in Miami, FL. Its cheerful decor is designed to make children feel as comfortable as possible during a hospital stay. The goal of the unit is to allow children to heal in a place that is fun and inviting. The unit’s waiting room, nurse’s station, walls, patient rooms and playroom are decorated with a NASCAR theme that includes race cars, checkered flags, and cartoon characters named Traxx, Curves, Six-Speed, and Clutch.

The NASCAR Foundation raises money in many different ways and virtually every one of the people associated with the sport contribute. There is an online auction conducted routinely, last year a motorcycle was auctioned off, this year Dodge has donated a 2008 Dodge Challenger painted Petty blue. NASCAR Day is another huge moneymaker, donate $5, you get a pin and participating employers allow you to wear your NASCAR gear to work. There are many more fundraisers including track walks, races, motorcycle rides and sporting events. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR has taken it one step further in an unprecedented move. All drivers fines will go to The NASCAR Foundation, where before the fines went into NASCAR’s pocket. Some may say this will encourage drivers to behave badly, but at least someone worthy will benefit.

NASCAR owners, drivers and teams are making a bundle of money nowadays. The NASCAR Foundation, driver foundations and individual NASCAR charities are a way for them to give back to the communities and help out those in need.

Written by the Webmaster of Racing Men, the site for all your NASCAR drivers news, NASCAR tickets and NASCAR cars.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?NASCAR-Charities—The-Giving-Spirit-of-Racing-Men&id=999149

More NASCAR Racing News

In June, Scranton Pennsylvania will host a NASCAR “Fan Fest” benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeast Pennsylvania, an advocacy group for victims of child abuse and neglect.

The event will be held on the weekend of June 8 — when the Pocono 500 is scheduled — on Courthouse Square, where NASCAR vehicles will be on display. Attendees will be eligible for a giveaway of 1,000 tickets for the Saturday race and 100 tickets for Sunday. Four VIP tickets will also be up for grabs.

The Pocono 500 is the first of two NASCAR Sprint Cup races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond. The Pocono 500 replaced a 400-mile race at Texas World Speedway on NASCAR’s schedule beginning with the 1982 season.

The Fan Fest, which has proven successful in a number of NASCAR race cities, will also feature music, entertainment and official NASCAR activities.

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.

Founded in 1985, amfAR is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, amfAR has invested $260 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

AVERT is an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK, working to AVERT HIV and AIDS worldwide. AVERT has HIV and AIDS projects in countries where there is a particularly high rate of infection, such as South Africa, or where there is a rapidly increasing rate of infection such as in India. We also take AIDS education and information to people in almost every country in the world through our web site, www.avert.org, the world’s most popular AIDS website.

Children with AIDS Charity was set up in 1992 to help the youngest of those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS maintain a good quality of life. It is a national UK charity with the aim of working towards a future without poverty or prejudice for these children and their families.

The Stop AIDS Campaign is an unprecedented initiative of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development, bringing together more than 80 of the UK’s leading development and HIV and AIDS groups. Launched on World AIDS Day 2001, the campaign works to raise awareness in the UK about global HIV/AIDS epidemic and to campaign for urgently scaled up international action.

We are campaigning for Access to Care and Treatment.

Why…? Treatment is a basic right and it is an essential part of the strategy to defeat the global HIV and AIDS pandemic. It is crucial to prevention efforts and to improving overall delivery of care. Treatment and care allows people living with HIV/AIDS to protect their health, raise their children, and continue to live productive lives.

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch and Girlstown, U.S.A. provides professional programs and services in a Christ-centered atmosphere to strengthen families and support the overall development of children.

Visitors are always welcome at Boys Ranch. Tours for groups or individuals can be arranged through the Amarillo office. Any visit should begin at Ranch Headquarters, where guests view a short film about Boys Ranch and meet their tour guide. Whenever possible our children enjoy serving as tour guides because they are very proud to show off their home. All visitors are invited to stay for lunch and share a meal with our boys and girls in the Dining Hall*.

What is GoodSearch. com?

It’s the answer to a question two siblings asked themselves when looking for a way people could raise money for their favorite nonprofits and schools without spending money or time.

GoodSearch. com is an Internet search engine, launched in 2005, from which 50 percent of advertising revenue is donated to the local and national nonprofits and schools designated by users.

The search engine was founded by brother and sister Ken and JJ Ramberg. Ken is the founder of JOBTRAK, now a division of Monster.com; and JJ is a current MSNBC business anchor and former marketing director of Cooking.com.

Last year, the Rambergs launched a companion site to GoodSearch. com, called GoodShop.com, in which a percentage of each purchase completed through partner shopping sites goes toward an individual’s designated charity. The percentage of each purchase donated to a charity varies from retailer to retailer. For example, Flowers.com donates 7 percent of every purchase made through GoodShop, while Barnes and Noble lists a donation of 2.5 percent of every purchase.

Searching for charity: Web search site promotes giving - Fosters

One thing they do is sponsor auctions where the proceeds go to one of the foundations supported by the NASCAR foundation. For example, on September 17, 2007, they announced bidding on Jeff Gordon full-sized and autographed fiberglass auto body. The proceeds from this auction go to the Jeff Gordon Foundation which supports pediatric medical care of children with serious and life-threatening disease.

The NASCAR foundation holds the Blood and Marrow Drives at different tracks each year. The donations help out the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the Hendrick Marrow Program. Other charities of the NASCAR Foundation are:

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation

This is a foundation run by the wife of the racing great who died in a race car crash in 2001. Dale Earnhardt was concerned about education, children, and wildlife and his commitment lives on through this foundation.

The Kyle Petty Charity Ride

Kyle Petty is the son of the King of NASCAR Richard Petty and he sponsors a motorcycle ride across the USA for the Victory Junction Gang Camp as well as other children’s charities.

Victory Junction Gang Camp

This is an organization with the mission of helping to enrich the lives of children with serious illnesses by providing them a camping experience in a medically-safe environment. It was founded by Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in June 2004. The couple also donated the land that the camp stands on today. The camp is interesting because it was built with a racing theme and all the look of a NASCAR race track. The camp takes cash donations and there are volunteer opportunities. It is also gives a quilt and a teddy bear to each child who stays there so they are always looking for donations of these two items to replenish their supply.

NASCAR Auto Donation Program

There are many ways to donate to the NASCAR foundation. One way is through the NASCAR Auto Donation program. Here, you can donate a vehicle and then any of the proceeds that the NASCAR Auto Donation program gets from the proceeds in an auction are given to charity. All donations are fully tax deductible.

The NASCAR Day Telethon

This was a telethon held on May 18, 2007 across from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Speed Channel, NASCAR, and Sirius radio broadcasted this telethon event through the end of the Craftsman Truck Series Race.

There are many other charitable organizations supported by the NASCAR Foundation but it is obvious that NASCAR cares about contributing to the community which is probably one of the reasons why this sport is becoming increasingly popular.

Chris DiCicco is owner, senior editor and website developer for NASCARsupershop.com, a NASCAR Apparel and Memorabilia Store for every NASCAR Fan. We carry the internets largest selections of NASCAR products all in one place for your shopping convenience. http://www.nascarsupershop.com/ http://www.nascarsupershop.com/Nascar_Shorts.html http://www.nascarsupershop.com/Nascar_Sunglasses.html http://www.nascarsupershop.com/Nascar_Watches.html

Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) is the umbrella organisation of Alzheimer associations around the world. We aim to help establish and strengthen Alzheimer associations throughout the world, and to raise global awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and all other causes of dementia.

The Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA) is an experienced community-based clinical trials network whose main goal is to obtain evidence to properly inform healthcare providers and people living with HIV on the most appropriate use of available HIV therapies in diverse populations across the spectrum of HIV diseases…