By John Porter
“’Tis the season” for many things, with donating to your favorite charities being one of them. According to Bloomberg News, December is the biggest giving month of the year, with contributions that are more than twice as high as any other month.
As you sift through the many mailers and scroll through the numerous email solicitations, trying to determine to whom you should donate, be sure to look and give locally.
The following list of nonprofits, while not exhaustive, comprises those who participated in Spring2ACTion 2016 and are a few you may wish to consider as part of your year-end giving.
Take a look, follow your passion, and give to the causes that you care about the most. Help make this holiday season memorable and meaningful for others as well as for you.
A Roy Heron Global Foundation for Community Wellness; ACT for Alexandria; Advocates for Alexandria Aquatics; Alexandria Cares for the Uninsured; the Alexandria Choral Society; Alexandria Citizens Band; the Alexandria Film Festival, Alexandria Harmonizers, Alexandria Jaycees Foundation; the Alexandria Library Foundation; Alexandria Little League and the Alexandria Police Foundation.
The Alexandria Police Youth Camp; Alexandria Rugby; the Alexandria Seaport Foundation; Alexandria Singers; the Alexandria Small Business Development Center; the Alexandria Soccer Association; the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club; Alexandria Symphony Orchestra; Alexandria Tutoring Consortium; ALIVE!; Alternative Paths Training School; the American Horticultural Society and the American Red Cross of Alexandria/Arlington.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria; Acadia Food; Art on the Avenue; Arts on the Horizon; Associates of St. John Bosco; At Home in Alexandria; the Anthenaeum-Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association; Best Buddies Capital Region; Bethany House of Northern Virginia; Beverly Hills Church Preschool; Bishop Ireton High School and Blessings in a Backpack.
Books for America; Brain Injury Services; Brave Spirits Theatre; Bridges to Independence; Bright Resilient Youth Committed To Enrichment; Campagna Center; Capital Youth Empowerment Program; Capitol Post; Carpenter’s Shelter; Casa Chirilagua; the Center for Alexandria’s Children; Charles Barrett Elementary School PTA and the Choreographers Collaboration Project.
Communities in Schools of NOVA; Community Lodgings; Computer C.O.R.E.; Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria; Convergence; Del Ray Artisans; the Del Ray Farmers Market; Douglas MacArthur Elementary School PTA; Dreamdog Foundation; Eclipse Chamber Orchestra; Eden Good; Empowered Women International; Fort Hunt Preschool and the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation.
The Francis C. Hammond Middle School PTA; Friends of Alexandria Archaeology; Friends of Duncan Library; Friends of Guest House; Friends of T.C. Williams Orchestra; Friends of the Alexandria Commission for Women; Friends of the Alexandria Community Mental Health Center, and Friends of the Orchestra — George Washington Middle School.
Friendship Veterans Fire Association; George Mason Elementary School PTA; George Washington Middle School Band Boosters; Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia; Higher Achievement; Homeward Trails Animal Rescue; Hopkins House; the Humane Society of Fairfax County, and Hunger Free Alexandria.
The James K. Polk Elementary School PTA; Jane Franklin Dance; Jefferson Houston School PTA; John Adams Elementary School PTA; Just Neighbors Ministry; KI Services; Kathy Wilson Foundation; Kelley Cares Foundation; King Street Cats; Liberty’s Promise; the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia; Living Legens, and the Lyles Crouch Traditional Academy PTA.
The Matthew Maury Elementary School PTA; Metropolitan School of the Arts; MetroStage; Morning Bishop Theatre Playhouse; Mount Vernon Community School PTA; the National Breast Center Foundation; the National Concert Band of America; Neighborhood Health; New Hope Housing; Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, and Northern Virginia Family Service.
Offender Aid and Restoration; Operation Paws for Homes; Optimist Club Foundation; the Parent Leadership Training Institute; Patrick Henry Elementary School PTA; Potomac Crescent Waldorf School; Quintango; Ratliff Thomas Foundation; Reading Connection; Rebuilding Together Alexandria; Resurrection Children’s Center, and Runningbrooke.
The Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School PTA; SCAN of Northern Virginia; the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria; Senior Services; Space of Her Own; St. Rita School; T.C. Williams Titan Baseball Boosters Club; T.C. Williams High School PTSA; T.C. Williams Stadium Initiative Fund; Tails High; The ARC of Northern Virginia; The Art League; The Child and Family Network Centers; the Del Ray Kinderchoir; The Del Ray Montessori School, and The Fund for Alexandria’s Child.
The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund; The Salvation Army of Alexandria; Titans Robotics; Together We Bake; Torpedo Factory Art Center Board; the United Way of the National Capital Area; Upcycle Creative Reuse Center; Urban Alliance Foundation; Velocity Bicycle Co-op; Virginia Bronze Handbell Ringers of Northern Virginia; the Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation, and Volunteer Alexandria.
The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Assoication; Washington Street United Methodist Church; Washington Street United Methodist Preschool; Wesley Housing Development Corporation of Northern Virginia; Wildlife Rescue League; Wright to Read; YMCA Alexandria; YoKid Stretch Your Limits.
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The writer is the president and CEO of ACT for Alexandria.
