I've been mentioning various important Causes To Care About the past few months because though I do love the more fun and silly aspects of blogging and social media, I also want to use this platform to bring attention to those who are trying to make the world a better place. It's just my own attempt at doing as much good as I can. Even though I'm thinking about how to be charitable all year long, I thought that the holiday season is the perfect time to highlight a bunch of organizations I think are doing a lot of good. I put together this list of charities that address some of the issues that mean to most to me. People are just that little bit more generous at Christmastime and these organizations are a great place to start if you are looking to donate. Or just read about what they are doing and become a little bit more informed and pass it along to your own networks.

If these are not issues that are dear to your own hearts, definitely check out CharityWatch.org, a watchdog organization that rates and gathers information on non-profits to ensure that they are using donations efficiently. They have a Top Rated Charities page divided up by issue areas, so you are sure to find something to support there.

ISSUE: Animal Welfare

When I was a kid I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I ended up not going into that field because I absolutely can't stand seeing animals in pain. That's why I try to support them in other ways.

ISSUE: Environment and Sustainability

Climate change prevention and mitigation, environmental protection, and improving sustainability are some of the key issues that we are a planet NEED to focus on if we want to survive. I spend a lot of time on this as part of my career (expect to see more here too!) and I support other organizations working on these problems too!

ISSUE: International Relief and Development

Beyond the current refugee issues that are all over the news, there are plenty of people who need our help. These organizations focus on some of the most important relief and development issues like health and clean water.

ISSUE: Rights for Vulnerable Populations

There are so many people around the world and here in the United States that need help to have equal rights. These vulnerable populations can be as vast as women and LGTBQ or as specific as an ethnic minority in a small country in Africa; they all need help.

ISSUE: The Arts

In all these important issues I've mentioned, the Arts might seem like the odd man out, but promoting them, to me, is just as important. Arts in the form of painting, drawing, animation, film-making, writing, acting, etc. is a huge part of our society and how we tell the story of who we are to our descendants. According to Americans for the Arts, Art can promote creativity, innovation and serves as a vital component in improving civic engagement. You can support the arts by buying and commissioning all kinds of art, donating to your favorite local library and museum or supporting one of these organizations.

As I said before, I've highlighted just a few issues and only a very few organizations working on those issues. There are so many others out there. I'd really love to talk more about these and other charities here on this blog in the future so stay tuned and let me know if you have a favorite charity.