CONSCIOUS GIVING AND PHILANTHROPY | IN BALANCE CONSULTING

Conscious Giving and Philanthropy

We invite you to browse the variety of charitable and non-profit organizations listed below and give yourself the gift of GIVING.

If we share with caring, lightheartedness, and love,

we will create abundance and joy for each other.

And then this moment will have been worthwhile.

~ Deepak Chopra

Alone we can do so little;

together we can do so much

~ Helen Keller

"Give thanks for

unknown blessings

already on their way."

~ Native American saying

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Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.

ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life - united as ONE - to help make poverty history. ONE is a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America's most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. ONE is raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world's poorest countries. ONE is asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries.

The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-partisan effort to bring citizens together to declare that global warming is here now and that it is time to demand solutions. Global warming is the most urgent issue of our time, and while the problem is of worldwide significance, we recognize that the United States is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, responsible for 40% of the industrialized world's emissions, and doing the least about it. The necessary first step must be to encourage Americans to take action. This online grassroots movement is about change -- as individuals, as a country, and as a global community. Human Beings are all contributors to global warming and must all be part of the solution.

With the support of leading scientists, political, religious, cultural and business leaders, the Virtual March is creating one, loud collective voice that will be heard around the world. By spreading the word, the organization building a movement to stop global warming.

1% For The Planet uses market forces to drive positive environmental change by inspiring companies to give. It’s about businesses recognizing that industry and ecology are inherently connected. It’s about realizing the positive effects of connecting businesses, consumers and nonprofits through philanthropy. And it’s about understanding that the true cost of doing business can be mitigated by a simple pledge to the planet.

Since 2002, 1% For The Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well.

The Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts supports national programs that build stronger private sector support for the arts. In addition to working to stimulate more financial support for the arts, efforts are also made to stimulate and support voluntarism, services the arts can offer to business, the transfer of management expertise from business to the arts, and sharing of knowledge and best practices. Local Arts & Business Council chapters also pursue this mission at a local level. The Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts serves as their “national headquarters."

Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children's Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah's Angel Network.

Leaders Today is a world renowned youth leadership organization, delivering innovative local and international training experiences to more than 350,000 youth every year. Leaders Today brings hands-on programs to schools and communities around the world, providing opportunities for both young people and adults alike to travel and learn through life-changing international volunteer trips. Founded in 1999 by international spokespeople for change, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger, Leaders Today is now the worldwide leader in empowering youth with leadership education, inspiration and action tools.

The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development connects thinkers and leaders of all ages to develop fresh ideas, forge new partnerships, and design strategies that engage young people and their communities.

They help innovative programs become strong, sustainable ventures. The Innovation Center seek out community organizations around the world to find creative ideas and promising practices in the youth development field. They offer technical assistance and practical guidance to organizations that want to deepen, expand, and launch new initiatives.

Service For Peace is an independent nonprofit organization providing service and learning opportunities through community projects which promote transformational and sustainable personal and community development around the world. Service for Peace brings together people and partners of diverse faiths, ethnicities, nationalities, generations, and cultures to address profound social needs by discovering commonality and genuine appreciation for differences – all through service. Service for Peace believes that peace begins with the inner peace fostered by service to others and that active cooperation provides the foundation and the real hope for peace.

Crossroads' mission is to empower youth who are homeless, abandoned, abused, or at-risk to leading healthy, productive lives.

Crossroads' is committed to creating an environment where all youth can grow, thrive, make choices, and become valued, contributing members of society.

Crossroads' goal is to promote the healthy development of youth who have very few of the resources needed to grow up in this world. They believe that all youth deserve a chance to discover and put to use their inherent strengths and talents in order to become successful, contributing adults someday. Their approach is to promote positive, healthy adolescent development by fostering responsibility, resiliency, and respect for self and others.

LEAPNOW provides students with access to thousands of diverse international and domestic learning experiences in 126 countries, and offers transformational teachings that give students the opportunity to empower themselves to “be the change that you wish to see in the world (Gandhi).”. Cultural immersion, study abroad and work abroad are LEAPNOW's main vehicles offered to students for learning about themselves and their world. Intense work and study experiences abroad are complemented with contemplative learning retreats at the northern California campus that serve to teach students how to wholeheartedly participate in the world and live passionately without leaving any parts of themselves out - mind, body, spirit, soul, emotion, etc. LEAPNOW calls this way of learning, “Transforming Education.”

Bringing People Together - VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. VolunteerMatchs' popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 50,000 nonprofit organizations.

Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.

With tiny loans, financial services and technology, Grameen help the poor, mostly women, start self-sustaining businesses to escape poverty. Founded in 1997 by a group of friends who were inspired by the work of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, they have created a global network of 53 microfinance institution (MFI) partners including our Growth Guarantee partners has touched more than 31 million people in 23 countries. In addition, Grameen Foundation has introduced and now sustains technology initiatives (Mifos and Village Phone) in Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, bringing their total country outreach to 27.

Women Thrive Worldwide (formerly the Women's Edge Coalition) is a catalyst for transformation and change. As the leading non-profit organization shaping U.S. policy, Women the organization is helping women in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty.

Women Thrive develops, shapes, and advocates for policies that foster economic opportunity for women living in poverty. The organization focuses on making U.S. international assistance and trade programs prioritize women. Women thrive bring together a diverse coalition of over 50 organizations and 25,000 individuals united in the belief that women are the key to ending global poverty, and empowering them is not only right, it’s also the most effective long-term solution to world poverty.

CharityFocus is an all volunteer run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that endeavors to leverage technology for inspiring greater volunteerism and providing meaningful volunteer opportunities for all who want them -- no matter what their skills, how much time they have to give, where they are located, and what their interests. In the process, CharityFocus volunteers provide much-needed assistance to nonprofit organizations worldwide and create inspiring local events that manifest the spirit of service.

DO Something believes that young people have the power to make a difference. It is our aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of do-ers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.

With the power of the Internet, DO Something provides a platform to help young people change the world. Their website is a community where young people learn, listen, speak, vote, volunteer, ask, and take action to make the world a better place. Currently, only 23% of this generation actively volunteers. Our hope is to create a do something generation: a world where more than 51% of young people are involved with community action.

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Business must be a force for change, if environmental challenges are to be overcome.

~ Peter Robinson

The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment,

not the other way around.

~ Senator Gaylord Nelson

Unless you start doing something different,

you are in for more of the same.

~ Author Unknown

People who say

it cannot be done

should not interrupt

those who are doing it.

~ Author Unknown

If the earth is a public company, consider this shareholder activism.

~ Jeff Cooper