Children First: Nonprofits That Give Back To The Little Ones

Thinking of helping less fortunate children? Here are nonprofit organizations that can help you reach the little ones.

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Center: AVID is a nonprofit dedicated to help C and D students prepare for and eventually enter college. Its beneficiaries are usually underprivileged children, and the group works with tutors and teachers who encourage students to cultivate their critical thinking skills.

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Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: Did you know that tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.? And every day, thousands of kids are exposed to smoking. The goal of this organization is to prevent kids from smoking while protecting them from secondhand smoke.

International Child Art Foundation: While the sciences are often prioritized in schools, ICAF helps children cultivate their creativity. It sponsors exhibitions, festivals, and programs featuring children’s artwork. The group also helps children who were victims of disasters recover through their healing arts program.

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Locks of Love: This organization pools donated hair to make hairpieces for children who are suffering from hair loss because of cancer and other medical conditions. Its program helps children regain their self-confidence and sense of normalcy. The group helps children in the US and Canada.

Make-A-Wish Foundation: Since its establishment in 1980, the organization has helped thousands of children with medical conditions fulfill their greatest wishes. The foundation is recognized as the largest wish-granting organization in the world.

Hi, I’m Larry Polhill. It is my joy to help people in need. Read more about nonprofits when you visit this page.

Types Of Charity By Cause And Structure

Charitable organizations widely vary in their mission and structure, and one can get lost in the myriad of options out there of which ones to help or volunteer with. It will be vastly helpful to break them down into different types and categories to dig deeper into what the renowned charity groups are all about, as well as be introduced to newer or smaller ones that do the good deed.

There are five kinds of section 501(c)(3) organizations as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. These five kinds of charities are:

• Private independent foundation
• Publicly-supported entity
• Charity supported by gifts, dues, and fees
• Private operating foundation
• Supporting charitable organization.

The private independent foundation, for instance, has the most restrictive rules of al relating to its excise tax as well as the distribution of investment assets every year.

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In terms of charitable giving, there are several various ways to give, and these include donor-advised funds, real estate, cash, stocks, charitable trusts (CLT or CRT), giving assets to charity, pooled income fund, and private foundation. Each has its own pros and cons depending on what one is looking for and what’s there to be shared and given freely.

Depending on their specific causes, charities can also be classified into various categories. There are animal charities, which can be broken down further into wildlife conservation, pet and animal welfare, hunting and fishing conservation, and zoos and aquariums. There are also environmental charities that can be classified as environmental conservation/protection and parks and nature centers.

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International NGOs focus on international development, disaster relief, peace and human rights, conservation, and child sponsorship. Health charities tackle disease and disorder, provide medical services, perform medical research, and offer patient and family support. Education charities offer scholarship and financial aid services as well as work toward school reform, while arts & culture charities address the heritage and work of museums and art galleries, performing arts, libraries, and public broadcasting and media.

Larry Polhill is a graduate of the University of Florida and a volunteer pretty much his whole life. For similar reads, visit this page.