Support a good cause when you buy your holiday gifts this year

Sure, a lot of us don't have much money these days to be spending on gifts for the holidays. There is an extra struggle this time of year for people who also like to donate money to their favorite causes. Well, here is an idea for killing two birds with one stone. Buying your gifts from nonprofit organizations helps the organizations to keep afloat in financially hard times and makes for more personal, less mass-produced gifts.

If I may, here are a few suggestions:

• The Medicare Rights Center is holding their Annual Celebration Dinner in November. The dinner, along with a silent auction on their website, raises money for the organization to continue to assist people with Medicare. Check out the dinner and the auction.

• National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate stations carry out fundraisers several times throughout the year. WNYC, the affiliate station here in New York City, gives gifts corresponding to various levels of donations. For instance, I donate just over $8 a month and got the totally spectacular Alison Krauss and Robert Plant CD when I pledged the donation. Look into your local station. They're always doing these things.

• Madre, an international women's rights organization, has really cool items from all around the world available on their website. The merchandise is affordable and so much better than the crap you get at Walmart. You can also donate money or supplies directly to Madre. They send a lot of shipments to their sister organizations around the world after disasters and during conflicts. They offer lots of ways to help out.

• Unicef sells items on their website too, including Christmas cards and other holiday items. You can send a tribute card to honor someone, with a donation of $25 or more. You can also just make a donation on their website.

• Doctors without Borders will allow a donation in honor of a person or event.

• You can donate money in honor of someone to Heifer International, and they will provide livestock and other resources to help families and communities become sustainable. For those who cannot stand to donate a goat or pig for meat, you can donate money to provide trees to help sustain the environment.

These are just a handful of organizations that could use your money this year. I am familiar with these particular groups and give them my thumbs up! I'm sure there are lots more out there that I am less familiar with, but who could use the money too. So here is an idea for a socially and fiscally responsible holiday season. We've got to help each other out!