My Favorite Charities

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”  James 2:14-17

Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.  That’s why I’ve been exploring practical ways of taking action, from volunteering my time and skills, to giving financially.  Below are reputable and well known charities I’ve donated to before.  I encourage you to check them out!  Please leave a comment below if you know of other great charities!

 


City Impact

  • Website: http://sfcityimpact.com/vision-mission-method/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfcityimpact
  • City Impact is a ministry serving the San Francisco Tenderloin community for the past 28 years.  I really admire and respect this ministry for serving the poor, homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes…but more so, bringing the love and word of God to them.  They have recently started collaborating with pastor Francis Chan…this is extremely exciting! =)
  • You can donate here.

 


Charity: Water

  • Website: http://www.charitywater.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charitywater
  • Charity Navigator: 4/4 review
  • Charity water is a reasonably new charity, growing in huge popularity and presence online over the past few years.  100% of public donations go directly to water projects, and every cent is tracked!  It’s easy and fun to create your own donation page.  Give it a try!  “Charity: water is a non-profit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations”
  • You can donate here.

 


Kiva

  • Website: http://www.kiva.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiva
  • Charity Navigator: 4/4 review
  • A very unique and clever charity as you’re lending your money!  Start with a $25 loan!
  • 1) Choose a borrower: All loans on Kiva are deserving of funding. Pick the one that speaks the most to you.
  • 2) Make a loan: Loan amounts can be as little as $25, or as high as the full loan amount. Checkout is quick and easy, made possible by Paypal.
  • 3) Get repaid: As the borrower repays the loan, the money becomes available in your account. This is called your Kiva Credit.
  • 4) Repeat: You can now use it to fund another loan, donate it to Kiva, or withdraw it to spend on something else.
  • You can donate here.

 


Children’s Hunger Fund

  • Website: http://www.chfus.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensHungerFund
  • Charity Navigator: 3/4 review, Ministry Watch: ‘A’ review
  • I first heard about CHF through pastor Francis Chan when he was preaching at Cornerstone Simi.  Children’s Hunger Fund believes fighting hunger is complex and will take more than a handout to truly help a child — it takes relationships. They  fight hunger using a unique in-home food delivery method to build trusting relationships with the needy.  Through relationships, they can truly meet their needs.
  • You can donate here.

 


World Vision

  • Website: http://www.worldvision.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldvision
  • Charity Navigator: 4/4 review, Ministry Watch: ‘A’ review
  • World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.  World Vision is one of the largest relief and development organizations in the world.
  • You can donate here.

 


Samaritan’s Purse

 


Red Cross

  • Website: http://www.redcross.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redcross
  • Charity Navigator: 4/4 review
  • You may have heard of the ARC (American Red Cross) from giving blood.  But as a whole, ARC is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States.
  • You can donate here.

 


Convoy of Hope

  • Website: http://www.convoyofhope.org/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/convoyofhope
  • Charity Navigator: 4/4 review, Ministry Watch: ‘A’ review
  • Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing.
  • You can donate here.