I was in three weddings this past year, each with its own flare. And it’s not the fancy meal, the lighting, or the color of the bouquet ribbons I remember. It’s the personal touches like receiving Save the Date cards on Willy Wonka-inspired golden tickets, watching the bride walk down the isle to Pure Imagination, laughing at the groom’s delivery of a comedy routine before the vows, and being asked to share marital advice using an antique typewriter. (This inspired moments of hilarity from my 20-something peers who had never used such a “high-tech” device. Luckily the parents stood by to help.) Now those were unforgettable moments.

Of course you want your wedding day to be special and express who you are as a couple. And ultimately, when all the elements come together to really capture that spirit, it makes an impression.

What’s trending now?

Many couples are personalizing their weddings by registering for charity and requesting donations for causes they care about. With organizations like I Do Foundation, it’s easy to manage a charity registry online, simple for guests to donate, and convenient to get a ready-made gift list when it’s time to send thank you notes. As a serial bridesmaid, I know anything that makes the after-wedding rituals simpler is appreciated!

For some couples like Annette Toutonghi and Bruce Oberg of Seattle, Washington, registering for charity made perfect sense. “We have everything we really need,” they said. “Physical gifts seemed wasteful. We are passionate about human rights, the environment, and the arts. And have quite a few loved ones who we’ve lost to cancer. What a wonderful gift to feel like our special day could benefit these causes.”

They’re not alone in their thinking. With nearly 70% of couples living together before marriage and many waiting until later in life to get married, home and kitchen items just aren’t needed. They want to make their day about something else. Charity gifts are an inspired, eco-chic option that shares the love in a feel-good and meaningful way.

For other couples, a charity registry offers a chance to give back locally. “We lived for decades in Minneapolis before moving to California just before our wedding, and wanted to benefit a charity that serves that local community,” explains Eric and Becky Bausman of San Mateo. “The notes from our guests reflected the true spirit of our celebration—they completely understood that this was about choosing to celebrate our joy by sharing our blessings with the world around us.”

What a wonderful world

Take a cue from popular wedding songs to personalize the charity choice for your wedding:

1. Marry Me - The most important part of your day is joining the two of you as a couple. What causes and issues do you and your partner care about individually and together? Charity registries let you select favorite organizations so you can share your love with others.
2. Celebrate good times - Weddings reunite family and friends and are a time to remember someone special who is not there to celebrate with you. Why not honor them and their health struggle by giving to make a difference for the cause? It’s a great way to include them in your day.
3. Shout! - Let guests know about your registry by sharing a custom link in an email, on your invitations, and through social media—telling them how their gift to charity will mean the world to you.

“We felt giving our guests the opportunity to donate on our behalf would add to the good energy and feelings of love surrounding our wedding. It can be easy to get caught up in table decorations, favors, or any number of small details,” comments Elizabeth James of Santa Monica, California.

When it comes to starting a marriage off on the right foot and remembering what’s important, I think there’s no better way than to include charity on your special day. When I plan my own ceremony, I know I want to represent who I am and my dedication to charity, and I’m confident my partner will share this passion with me. I would love for my guests to be a part of the causes I hold dear and to leave the wedding feeling like we made a difference together.

Charity makes it easy to celebrate generously^™ and creates not-to-be-forgotten wedding memories.

P.S. Check out I Do Foundation on Facebook!

– Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator

For me, December 31^st is a simple marker in the year where I can stop and reflect on what I have accomplished . . . and what else I hope to do moving forward. This year, I’ve done more writing and photography than ever, moved to a new apartment in San Francisco, and paid off a lot of my dreaded student loans.

But one of the most important things I’d like to do more of next year—especially now that I’m moving out of a “student” lifestyle and into some financial stability—is to give back. So far, I’ve managed to find ways to give here and there: buying charity gift cards, volunteering, and giving a few individual donations. But I haven’t yet made it a part of a personal giving plan.

Ring in the New Year on a positive note…

Join me and create your own giving plan. We can start now, with three steps to finish 2011 right. And we can kick off 2012 with a resolution that feels good all year long:

1. Donate by December 31 – I’m getting in my last donations for 2011 and adding to my charitable deductions for the year. Do the same: Give to your favorite charity, donate in someone’s name, or buy a charity gift card as a New Year’s gift —they choose the cause and you get the deduction.

2. Get it on the Record – JustGive creates a Giving History online for every donor with convenient access to charitable information needed for taxes. I’m able to do all my giving in one place and can easily keep track of it. Whether I’m donating or buying a charity collection, sending a gift card, or making a charity or wedding registry gift, it’s all recorded and stored for me online.

3. Plan to Plan – I want to make a bigger difference with my giving in 2012. By ticking the recurring box on any donation, I can affordably budget my charitable gifts throughout the year. JustGive automatically sends my donation each month . . . and I check ‘charity’ off my resolution list instantly!

Questions?

Still not sure about how to make charity a part of your own budget in 2012? Visit our Giving Wisely page for more info and things to consider as you develop a plan that works for you and supports the causes you care about.

P.S. Let’s get the buzz going: How do you plan to make a difference with your giving? Which charities do you support and why? Tell your story on Facebook – and we’ll spread the word about the good work being done across the country. 

Despite all the emails, ads, music, and festive decorations (not to mention the holiday clichés all around) – it’s easy to put off shopping while your list continues to grow. The stress of what to get, how much to spend, and the time it takes to wrap and send can be overwhelming….

Have no fear. Here are some great holiday gift options for any procrastinator. Unique, meaningful, and hassle-free–they may be last minute gifts, but they’re coming from your heart.

GiveNow Charity Gift Cards

You choose the amount, they choose the charity. And now, you can upload your own photo for that personal touch. Select an email card and schedule a delivery date or print the card at home to hand deliver. (And here’s a secret: On Tuesday December 20 all email and printed GiveNow cards purchased on the JustGive site will be fee free!)

They’re perfect for Hanukkah, Secret Santas, stocking stuffers, host gifts, client thank you’s and more.

Donate in their Name

It’s not hard to find a cause or charity that your friend or family member cares about. Maybe they have a love for animals, have served in the military, or recently ran a marathon to benefit breast cancer—try checking Facebook to learn about their favorite organizations and interests. Then just use the JustGive search tools and donate in their name for a personal gift that means more.

 Choose a Charity Gift Basket

Select from 16 Charity Collections that feature four nonprofits supporting a specific cause. From education to global aid, women’s rights to health, military to peace – there’s something for everyone!

Each of these charitable gift options shows you care. Even at the last minute—these are memorable gifts that share the true spirit of the season.

P.S. Follow us on Facebook for more holiday tips, ideas and stories.

What does home mean to you? Is it simply the roof over your head? Your life’s savings or investment? Where you raised your children and where your family gathers for the holidays?

Having a place to call home is the pillar of the American Dream and the center of our childhood memories. As the weather turns cold and plans center around festive gatherings, our homes become more precious than ever. And we think of those who are have no place to call home during our iciest and most challenging time of year.

Despite growing up in a fairly affluent county in Northern California, my family is no stranger to homelessness. When there’s expensive rent, five mouths to feed, credit card bills, and trying to keep up with the Jones’ (or Kardashian’s for a younger reader) - everything can get turned upside down quickly when the primary breadwinner loses his job. For a short time while I was in high school, my sisters and I stayed with friends so our parents could get back on their feet when we lost our home.

With “president” and “vice-president” of software companies to his professional credit, time and time again my father was denied positions for being over-qualified. He stayed in a shelter for months so that the money he earned working a retail job could contribute to a small apartment for my sisters, mother and me. Every weekend, we would open the door to groceries left on our stoop, a symbol of the indignity he felt as well as his desperate attempt to care for us in one of the only ways he could.

We were fortunate enough to have family and friends to lean on, beds to sleep in, food in our bellies, and to remain in school. But my story isn’t uncommon nor is it the worst case scenario. With the state of the economy, fewer job openings and more layoffs, families across the country are at risk of losing everything.

Between five and six hundred thousand people are considered homeless at any given time—without a “permanent, safe, affordable place to live.” Families constitute about one third of all homeless and are the fastest-growing group. The homeless elderly are also an important group as America ages in the next decades. — Preventing Homelessness in America

What difference can one person make?

If you’re wondering how you can give back during this season, consider the following organizations and gift options that are close to my heart. You can make life better for individuals and families in need.

• Homeward Bound of Marin: The Mill Street Center is the county’s only emergency shelter for homeless men and women. Half of the center’s beds are for night-to-night stays, while the other half are for those who are determined to end homelessness in their lives and are working on a personal action plan to accomplish it. >>Give Now
• Raphael House: As the first shelter for children and families experiencing homelessness in Northern California, they provide an environment of loving support where families can find stable housing and achieve financial independence, while strengthening family bonds and personal dignity. >>Give Now
• JustGive’s Homes & Jobs Charity Collection: Provide jobs, training, shelter, and homes through four organizations that reverse homelessness and joblessness. >>Buy Collection
• Search for other organizations helping to end homelessness in your community, nationally and worldwide. Make your gift recurring, something you can be proud of all year long. >>Search Guide

This holiday, as you cozy up to the fire, light the menorah, hang twinkle lights on your roof, and sit down to your dinner table with loved ones… pause and think about ways to share your warmth and light with others. And give what you can to help the homeless find an affordable, safe and secure place to call home.

Do you support a charity that does a great job of helping the homeless? Like us on Facebook and let others know.   

Hearing and joining in on the negative remarks has made me take pause. I don’t want to feel overwhelmed or get swept up in all the consumer hogwash, I’d rather enjoy the season. My sisters will be back from college and the holidays are the perfect time to reconnect—with my family, my community, and the true spirit of the holidays. Showing my loved ones I care in new and meaningful ways without breaking the bank or gifting unwanted items seems like a great place to start.

Here are some great charitable gifts that can change lives:

• Charity Gift Cards. Take advantage of JustGive’s Cyber Monday promotion: fee-free GiveNow cards*. Pull out your favorite photos to upload, and on November 28^th, create customized gifts for your friends, family, and colleagues – with ZERO fees. You chose the amount, they choose the charity (from more than 1.8 million on the site). >>Buy Gift Cards

• Personal Charity Registry. Create a wish list and ask for charity as your holiday gift. It not only makes you feel good, but also spreads holiday cheer to others in need. Select organizations working to make a difference for your favorite causes, and share your wishes by email or on Facebook. It’s a selfless way to celebrate the holidays. >>Create A Registry

• Charitable Donations. Donate in your friend or loved one’s name to a local charity that means the world to them. Or choose a collection of four charities supporting a specific cause like animals, the military, or children. Experience the joy of giving back. >>Give Locally   >>Select Charity Collection

Spending and cherishing time with family is another way of getting back to what’s most important about the holidays. I know that gifting charity will let them know this year is different. Imagine how things would change if we all did the same.

Spread the spirit—Like us on Facebook and share what you’re doing. We’re posting up creative and inspiring ideas for the holidays.

*Promotion Terms & Conditions - Eastern Standard Time

– Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator

Each Thanksgiving, my family makes it a priority to have dinner together. Even when I was living abroad for my first holiday away from home, my dad booted up Skype so that I could join in the festivities virtually. For us, it’s not just the meal that’s important. It’s taking time off of work, turning off our cell phones, and coming together in one place. We start by going around the table and saying what we are most grateful for. It is never difficult to think of or name our blessings—the most obvious of which is the food in front of us. It gives us a way to celebrate while satisfying our basic human need.

At Thanksgiving, more than any other time, it’s obvious there is enough food to go around. (And around and around.) While our own family’s table bursts at the seam with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, I know there are many in my own backyard of San Francisco going to sleep hungry and cold. And the number of homeless and hungry families is only growing with unemployment at a staggering 9.1 percent. That’s nearly 14 million Americans.

This Thanksgiving season, my appeal is simple. Fill someone else’s belly.

1. Give – Donate to organizations that feed the hungry every day.
• Bay Area Rescue Mission: $26 = provides food and care for 13 people
• Share Our Strength: $35 = feed a child 3 meals a day for over a month.
• World Vision International: $60 = plants ten fruit trees for an impoverished family providing fresh food and a source of revenue
2. Volunteer – Make it part of your family tradition to visit a soup kitchen or shelter or help out at a food bank, and combine spending time together with doing something meaningful.
3. Share your meal – If you know a family that is struggling, invite them to join yours for dinner or stop by their home with leftovers. (Your church or a nearby school may know of a family if you don’t.)
4. Click on The Hunger Site – Bookmark the page, click daily, and sponsors pay for food.

However you choose to contribute, make it last. Volunteer throughout the year or consider making your donation monthly recurring. In these tough times, it’s no secret that hunger is an everyday problem for many.

>>Like us on Facebook for more tips and ideas on how you can give back during the holidays.
>>Visit JustGive for tips on Other Ways to Give.

– Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator

I Care: About supporting charity. It’s my thing.

My Friends: They’re everywhere.

Facebook. Twitter. Google+ (I’ve got circles and hangouts galore). I even have blogosphere followers.  Okay so they probably aren’t all friends, but in the social media generation, I’ve got a big network that reaches from the kids I went to elementary school with, to college dorm mates, to travelers I met abroad, to my friends and coworkers of today.

My Event: Is going to make a difference.

I’m having a birthday celebration and raising money for several of my favorite women’s health charities. It’s just one way I can personally create change—but the possibilities are endless: You can run that marathon you’ve been meaning to get in shape for, shave your luscious locks (or hard-earned moustache), throw a holiday party or tie the knot while incorporating charity.

My Plan: I’ve decided to combine my thing, my people, and my event to do something AWESOME.

In a world with a gifting currency of “stuff,” for my birthday I’m requesting a charitable donation instead. (And you can too.) I find online registries to be one of the best ways to raise money and track my progress.

For my birthday I simply:

• Set up an account with JustGive
• Added my favorite women’s health charities
• Wrote a quick story about what this cause means to me
• Uploaded a photo, and invited my friends to join!

If you also care about women’s health issues, October (breast cancer awareness month) is the perfect month to fundraise–there are plenty of races and charities that will plan the event for you! You can also create a Memorial Registry in honor of a loved one who battled a health related illness and raise money to support research and education.

For any reason and every cause, it’s easy to raise money through an online registry.

>>Facebook: Tell us what inspires you. How are you creating real change?
>>Wedding Charity Registry: Are you getting married or do you know a couple that is? Charity is the perfect way to share the love.
>>Memorial Registry: A meaningful way to honor a life. Read about my aunt and how my family celebrated her legacy.

– Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator

Peace. A word that conjures images of symbols and hand gestures, the sounds of The Beatles, history lessons about the 60‘s, hippies and anti-war movements, and memories of idealism and hope. But peace shouldn’t just be an ideal of the past or a part of today’s media hype. With 2011 marking the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center—what better time to remember those who gave their lives, reflect on how far we’ve come, and get inspired to work towards a more peaceful future at home and abroad.

Where were you? Similar to the fall of the Berlin wall, JFK’s assassination, and the first steps on the moon – most of us have a memory of where we were and how we felt when the first plane hit. We were fearful for friends and family, shocked and confused waiting to learn what it all meant and what would happen next.

A few memories from our staff: 

“I remember lots of confusion and difficulty in finding out what was going on, trying to get hold of loved ones and a general sense of worry and panic.  We ended up getting stranded overseas as plane travel was restricted. We definitely felt helpless.” – Julia Hughes, Marketing Assistant, JustGive

“I was in the car on my way to high school, with the radio a slight murmur in the background. My dad abruptly increased the volume and listened with a face of shock I had never seen. I was full of questions he couldn’t begin to answer, and I felt both naïve and confused. With hesitation, my dad let me go to class and we all sat silently throughout the day with eyes glued to the TV—as our teacher wrote the most current statistics on the whiteboard. In the days and weeks that followed, there were stories from classmates who were touched by the tragedy. I learned a lot, and it marked a big part of me growing up and becoming more aware of our Nation’s standing in the world.” – Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator, JustGive

“It was an ordinary work day – until I saw the news. Shock set in and it was hard to pull away. I remember staring at the screen in disbelief, trying to take it in, listening for more information. Personal stories of survival were little miracles that rose from the ashes. For a while, our humanness as a nation—our compassion, care and consideration for others—was so present. We were gentler and kinder to each other in the aftermath.” – Candy Culver, Marketing Consultant

What will you do? What was a horrific date that spurred years of global political debates and US military involvement in the Middle East, is now a date of service and remembrance.  No matter how unique your perspective, every American was impacted—it brought us together in mourning and in a spirit of cooperation.

Movements like 911day.org urge visitors to claim a good deed or charitable activity they will do in honor of the victims, survivors, and leaders that rose in response to the attacks.

Saying a prayer, talking about it with co-workers or during family meal are things we can easily do. But I would like to challenge us all to do a little more: plant a tree, volunteer, educate yourself, or teach a child about what happened on 9/11 and promote an understanding and desire for peace in our future.

This year, take personal action.

• What will you do? Let us know on Facebook
• Donate to organizations that promote and support Peace
• Visit 911dayofservice.org to share what you will do in tribute, and get great ideas too
• Learn more by watching 9/11 documentaries on National Geographic Channel, or visit The 9/11 Chronicle of Philanthropy

Seemingly back to back, a stream of disasters have headlined the US media: Haiti, The Gulf Coast oil spill, earthquake and nuclear contamination in Japan, tornadoes in the South – and now the horn of Africa drought.  The UN has declared famine in several regions of war-torn Somalia during the continent’s worst drought in more than 60 years. This is a dire prognosis, given the limited aid available/allowed by the current al-Shabab regime and the mass migration of people fleeing to neighboring countries for refuge that may not exist.

Photo Credit: Business Daily

Not as many people have responded to the Somali famine as previous disasters or requests for aid. Perhaps we feel helpless, that our dollars don’t make a difference, or that we’ve donated to other causes and are already stretched thin. In the meantime, 3.2 million people, nearly half the population of Somalia, need immediate life saving assistance. To date, more than 29,000 children have already died and another 640,000 are malnourished.

Photo Credit: Associated Press, Zuydam

While living abroad, I participated in the 40-Hour Famine with World Vision Australia, where I raised money by not eating for 40 hours. It was a real life feeling of what it would be like to live and function without sustenance – luckily one that ended after a mere 2 days.

40 Hour Famine Crew at the South Australian Global Leadership Convention

Millions of people both domestically and abroad are not so fortunate.

IMAGE CREDIT: FAMINE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS NETWORK & FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS UNIT

I am immediately struck by the current crisis in Africa and consider it to be a GLOBAL concern and priority that children are dying of starvation in a world where there is and should be enough food for everyone. We all need to be involved, and take it personally.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Support charities providing assistance on the ground: 

• Action Against Hunger
• CARE
• HelpAge USA
• International Medical Corps
• International Rescue Committee
• Mercy Corps
• Operation USA
• Oxfam America
• Save the Children
• US Fund for UNICEF

>> Wondering how much to give? JustGive helps you get started. Consider making your gift an automatic monthly donation (just click recurring).

>> Start a charity registry and do your own famine fundraising!

>> Keep the conversation going on Facebook and Twitter - inspire your friends to be part of the solution.

– Michelle Koffler, Marketing Coordinator

Did I really need to wear a shoelace necklace?

As a young girl, my mom told me that I could do anything and be anything–and I believed her. I took the classes I wanted, played the sports I wanted, and wore what I wanted (much to the dismay of my future self as I look back now on old photos).

Today, as a woman in the workplace, I have yet to experience the glass ceiling or to be slighted because of my gender. The fact that I have not thought much about my “role as a woman” outside of suffragette history lessons or worried that my salary may never reach the level of a male counterpart shows I live in a country which boasts an (arguably) equal and open playing field.

Planting a Seed

Growing up, I looked to my Great Aunt Charlotte as our family matriarch: a strong woman with outspoken ideals about human and animal rights and global politics. A woman who never followed the pack.  I especially admired her sacred travel room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves were full of worldly trinkets, endless photo albums, and vials of sand from exotic beaches and terrains like the Galapagos Islands, Fiji, the Italian seaboard and more.  Each piece had a story from a different time and place, both intriguing and inspiring.

Setting Sail

With the  travel bug rooted in my genes and dreams, I gathered the funds and support to study abroad with Semester at Sea for my last semester of college. Along with 700 other students from around the US, I took classes on the MV Explorer and docked in cities around the globe. We traveled from the Bahamas and Brazil, around the southern tip of Africa, to various ports in Asia, and back to California for more than three months of compounding culture shock.

Photo Credit: Micah Diamond

A Global Education

Our weeks at sea were spent learning about the countries we would visit – their history, politics, language, art and music, and cultural nuances. Each professor would give us assignments that involved interacting with the people, visiting sites of cultural or historical relevance, and observing daily life through the lens of a particular subject matter. My human sexuality class not only discussed anatomy and relationships, but also delved into gender roles: specifically, how women in society differed from country to country and in various contexts.

• In Brazil, to the sounds and colors of Carnival, women wear revealing clothing with confidence and empowerment.
• Women in South Africa wear bright colors and walk tall with heavy loads on their heads and backs, standing proud amidst a painful history of apartheid.
• In Malaysia, Muslim women wear hijabs, which inspired me and my friends to cautiously cover up in sleeved tops and long bottoms so we didn’t inadvertently offend any passerby.
• In India, women ride behind their men on the back of motorcycles. Despite the sweltering heat, they drape themselves in traditional sarees and adorn their forehead with a glittering bindi while males almost exclusively sport ‘western’ clothing.  The vast difference in gender freedom echoes a long history of practices like arranged marriages and class pyramids.
• In Cambodia, women fill massage parlors, will walk on your back or provide “happy endings.” A not-so-subtle reminder of the sex trade and horror stories about trafficking through Thailand, Myanmar and other parts of Asia.
• In Japan, young, almost cartoon-like harajuku girls contrast the rural/traditional idea of Japanese modesty with their miniscule skirts and tall stockings. My friends and I were turned away from a “pod hotel” reserved only for businessmen and we were gazed upon with disapproval as we reserved a room in a hotel normally intended for extramarital affairs.

In class, we watched a graphic documentary about female genital mutilation that still occurs in many countries in Africa, and learned about the staggering ways and alarming rate at which HIV continues to spread. Visiting a clinic in a township in South Africa, where the HIV rate was 12% of the population, was emotional and eye opening.

Bringing it Home

After visiting each port, I would write back home to my family about the experiences I had and the cultural extremes I witnessed. My Aunt Charlotte would respond with stories about traveling as a woman in the 1950s and 60s and give me her ongoing and entertaining political commentary.

Unfortunately, Aunt Charlotte passed away soon after I returned from my travels, but her life taught me to explore all that you can and to give back as much as you can. At her funeral, loved ones were asked to donate to her favorite charities in lieu of flowers. She continued to inspire even as she departed.

Life Lessons and Paying it Forward

Through the strong women in my life, messages of empowerment, and the gift of travel, I have an unwavering appreciation for my rights as a woman: to my own body, to vote, to dress how I like, to practice any or no religion, to work in nearly any profession, and to travel as I please. Not only am I thankful for being American (despite any shortcomings as a country), but also for the generation I was born into and the opportunities available to me.

It is my hope – with care, persistence and generosity – that other women around the globe may someday have the same experiences and freedoms that I enjoy. And through our time, our charity, our advocacy, we can help make it a reality! As a proud young American woman, I can’t think of any greater legacy.

• Check out the JustGive gift collection that supports Women of the World
• Create a memorial registry in honor of a loved one
• Like JustGive!  Share your thoughts and join the conversation on Facebook!

Author: Michelle Koffler