Donations Instead Of Gifts: 12 Charities To Help This Holiday

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 19: First lady Michelle Obama (2nd R) participates in a literacy service project at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, DC to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, January 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Obama family visited the Boys and Girls Club and helped paint murals and put together literacy kits. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

5. Boys and Girls Club of America

Cause: Children’s welfare, after school activities

Why Choose This Charity: If you’re concerned that your more conservative relatives will balk at the more overtly progressive organizations on this list, then you may want to send them a link to the Boys and Girls Club of America donation page. This organization is just as important as any other on this list, but perhaps it will be easier for someone to donate to an organization that serves the very real needs of American children.

The Boys and Girls Club was founded in 1860, in Hartford, Connecticut. It was, predictably, first named the Boys’ Club. In 1990, the growing organization was renamed the Boys and Girls Club, to more accurately reflect the children that participated.
The organization offers many after-school activities to kids of varying ages, and especially to children in low-income or high-needs communities. Focuses of Boys and Girls Club chapters often involve education and career counseling for older members, as well as leadership and character-building goals. Other programs focus on the arts, sports and fitness, and health and wellness skills. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a magazine aimed at workers within charitable organizations, routinely ranks Boys and Girls Club of America at the top of children’s charities.

Links to Send Gift Givers: Their donation page here.