5 Charities to Donate to this Holiday to Help Children

November 15, 2018 by Eric White

With a pervasive sentiment of kindness throughout the holiday season, this time of year is one of the most common times for people to make charitable donations. As anyone knows, there are charities covering a multitude of issues, way more than one person can consider in a given sitting.

This season, you might consider donating to a charity that works with children. Here are 5 organizations that you can donate to this holiday if you're interested in helping improve the life of a child.

5 Child-Focused Charities for the Holidays

1. Code.org: If children are our future, what is their future? Their future lies in technology and Code.org is helping make sure that all children have access to computer science education. Code.org mainly focuses on the participation of women and minority students in grades K-12. According to Code.org, 30% of students in the United States have an account on Code.org, with over 14 million of those students being women. If you are interested in helping children gain better access to computer science education, you can support Code.org by donating here.

2. Shoes That Fit: Everyone knows what it was like to be a kid and to get a pair of really cool new sneakers. What you may not know is that new shoes can actually lead to a 68% increase in physical activity, 54% increase in appropriate behavior and higher attendance for 34% of students recorded, according to Shoes That Fit. Shoes That Fit is a charity dedicated to tackling a major result of poverty: poor footwear. Since 1992, Shoes That Fit has put over 2 million pairs of shoes onto the feet of children across the country. If Shoes That Fit sounds like an organization you would donate to this holiday season, click here.

3. Sacred Rok: The organization Sacred Rok is all about connecting youth in the juvenile system with the outdoors. The aim is to build confidence, self-discipline and focus through activities like rock climbing, hiking and camping. Sacred Rok founder Ron Kauk himself had his life changed by connecting with the outdoors, specifically in Yosemite National Park. If helping to connect youth in the Merced County Juvenile Probation Department connect with nature to change their lives, visit Sacred Rok.

4. National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Childhood cancer is a heartbreaking tragedy that affects 1 in 285 children. By donating to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation this holiday, you’ll be helping to fund research for less toxic and more efficient ways to fight the battle against childhood cancer. To put what that donation means into perspective: less than 10 drugs specifically for childhood cancer have been developed since 1980. Click here to donate to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

5. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been helping youth find mentors they can look up to. Big Brothers Big Sisters operates in cities around the country, likely even in yours! Children in need are paired with adults that make frequent visits with them, taking them to do things like see a movie, head to the park or visit the science museum. You can donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America this holiday by clicking here.