It’s the holiday season yet again. Usually I participate in holiday charities though work, but this year there doesn’t seem to be much going on in the office beyond yearly charity contribution commitments. I got a catalog from Heifer International yesterday and after a little bit of background checking I’ve decided that this year I’m going to go with it.

I like the option of Bees in the catalog and the ability to donate as little as $10 for a concrete cause. You can find the online catalog on their website.

Before you make any contribution to a charity you should do a little homework, for reference “Things you need to know before giving to a charity”.

From wikipedia:

Heifer International works to ensure that the gift of each animal will eventually help an entire community to become self-sustaining. Animals such as goats, water buffalo and camels are “seven M” animals: they provide meat, milk, muscle, manure, money, materials and motivation. Once its immediate needs have been met, a family is free to sell any excess at market. Heifer International provides a breeding animal along with the gift animal so that it can produce offspring. Participating families are required to “pass on the gift”, that is: they must give at least one of the female offspring to a neighbor who has undergone Heifer’s training. In time, that neighbor will pass along one of the offspring of its animal, and so on.

A 2007 report by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) found that Heifer International met all of its standards for charity accountability

If you need any more encouragement, here is Alton Brown pitching for them.