Five Good Kids Charities

Are you interested in donating time or money to a charity that helps kids, maybe even kids right in your own backyard? There are many charities that specialize in helping kids with medical, educational, social, and cultural programs. Here are just five well-respected kids charities. Their websites are located below, too, so you can look into them yourself at your leisure.

The Jimmy Fund at The Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Few things are more horrific than the idea of a child being stricken with cancer. Hope springs eternal for children and families in the midst of the cancer battle thanks to many advances in medicine. One place at the forefront of fighting cancer is Boston's Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund is a special fund supporting research at Dana Farber. Established in 1948, it funds childhood (and adult) cancer research. The Jimmy Fund also operates the Jimmy Fund clinic for pediatric cancer patients and their families. For more on how to help this wonderful cause, check out their website listed below.

St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Everyone has probably seen commercials for this organization, found by Danny Thomas and promoted by his daughter, Marlo. This hospital is the "3rd largest health care charity" in America, serving hundreds of children who cannot pay for treatment and whose treatment requires more than what insurance will cover. The hospital, besides treating sick children also conducts research to help fight pediatric diseases. There website, listed below, includes information on making donations and on the specific work they do at the hospital.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Formerly the club that beats the street and now the "positive place for kids", Boys & Girls Clubs of America has branches all across the country in major cities and in suburbs. Clubs offer recreational and educational programs for children and teens. They also offer chances for character development and the building of leadership skills. Giving kids a place to go, things to do, adults to look up to, and a safe haven from dangerous situations: not a bad combination. You can check out their website listed below for more information on how to help kids all over America reach their full potential with help from this respected organization.

Save The Children. A lot of people don't know that this Connecticut-based organization has programs helping kids right here in the U.S along with their many wonderful programs helping children in need overseas. Among the areas where STC works with American grassroots programs to create change: Appalachia and The Mississippi Delta. They have also worked to help Katrina survivors and continue to do so. They provide educational programs, health programs and other services to American kids just as they do for kids around the world. You can sponsor a child with a monthly donation or maybe a one-time contribution. Their website has lots of information about what they do and where they do it and how you can help. It's listed below.

VH1's Save The Music. Many people have come to recognize the important role music education can play (no pun intended) in helping kids achieve and grow by providing discipline and thinking skills they can apply to academics, by fostering a sense of team work they can put to use when interacting with peers in and outside of schools, and by giving them a way to express themselves. Many schools cannot afford, for whatever reason, to pay for music programs, and so kids lose valuable music education opportunities. VH1's Save the Music partners with corporations to help these school once again have music in their halls. To learn more about this group and how you can get involved, check out their website listed below.

It's always reccommended that one checks out charities before making any financial donations. Those described here have great reputations, but, still, it's always reccomended to read-up thoroughly before any monetary contributions. Charity Navigator (online) rates charities for efficiency. Also, don't underestimate how much your time can be an asset to an organization. You can check out ways to get involved personally with these organizations on their websites.