海角大神

One聽positive development聽emerging in the wake of聽an聽ultra-contentious presidential election is the surge in people who want to contribute to social good, however they're able. For those willing to open their wallets, Black Friday presents an unusually聽impactful opportunity to do just that.

This isn't going to be a list of things you can buy for yourself with a portion of proceeds going to charity. Nope. Today we're talking about actually setting up charities and nonprofits with the tools they need to do their work. During these Black Friday sales, many of those tools will be at their lowest prices of the year.

So why not just give them cash? You can, of course, and please don't hesitate to donate money to your favorite causes. If you want to provide聽something more specific,聽though, don't be afraid to check in with them to ask what they need.聽The benefit is doubled 鈥� the nonprofit you choose gets something they need, and you get the satisfaction of knowing exactly what your donation is providing.

When Being Black at School founder Kelly Hurst聽spotted an Etsy vendor selling a $335 safety pin necklace and promising to donate only 5% of proceeds to charity, she had some very pointed thoughts about it.

"That's less than $20," she noted. "Go get a gift card from OfficeMax or Staples and send that [instead] so people like me can buy all the external hard-drives we need."

When I read that, my first thought was of all of the portable hard drives that are going to be on sale next week, and that we knew exactly where to find the best deals on them which聽could save her organization a small bundle money while it's still just getting off the ground.

You can spend too much money on a necklace, or you can buy a portable hard drive that has a real immediate impact for those actually putting in the work. And it聽just so happens聽to be the best time of year to do that.

Talk about a light bulb moment. That聽conversation is why this story exists.

The very first thing every nonprofit聽told us when we reached out was that gift cards were basically the best. For Being Black at School, it was OfficeMax that immediately came to mind. At Better Bites,聽gift cards for local grocery stores were the go-to item. That makes resellers like聽, where you can buy gift cards at a discount, a great option for getting more for your dollar.

Many nonprofits聽also have Amazon wish lists that their patrons can buy from, and that's what we're focusing on the most in this article:聽Find out what nonprofits聽need, and then filling that need at the lowest price possible.聽Amazon聽is typically pretty aggressive about price matching its major competitors, so chances are pretty good that the price on an Amazon wishlist聽is already the lowest price available, but you'll want to check around just in case.

The bottom line here is that if聽budget-conscious nonprofits need stuff, then leveraging Black Friday sales to make that budget stretch makes sense. And the same goes for cash-strapped patrons.

The three nonprofits we highlight below are just a sliver of the good work being done in communities all across the country. Find the organizations聽that are doing work you care about, and reach out to ask them what they need.聽Whatever聽they need most,聽you'll probably find it on sale in the聽. (And if you don't see it there, ask us!)

#1: Being Black at School

Former public school guidance dean聽Kelly Hurst founded聽聽to focus on helping schools discuss and address the many ways 鈥撀爈arge, small and often subconscious 鈥� that black students are at a disadvantage compared to their white peers in the classroom. To say this work is both important聽and tricky is an understatement.

"As a startup business I'm working on a shoestring budget while creating content that can be delivered in person and online," Hurst told us. "With the donations we have coming in right now we're using it to build the business, provide some web security for ourselves since we're an advocacy group, and we're in need of some resources. Since we all work from home, this list provides supporters with ways in which we can do the work and be safe."

罢丑别听聽Hurst refers to includes items that range from over ear stereo headsets for聽online conference calls to encryptable USB devices and more than a few books about聽race and multiculturalism in聽education. Much of it is likely to be heavily discounted聽during next week's Black Friday sales, whether at Amazon, Best Buy, or other retailers.

#2: Better Bites St. Croix Valley

Karyn English founded聽聽after聽realizing that many items at community food pantries are left on the shelves聽because patrons don't know聽how or what to cook with them.

"If you're living on food stamps and food shelf donations, waste means you might not eat," said English, who holds a Masters in Public Health and certificate in Health Education and Promotion. "If you don't know how to cook, the thought of ruining a meal could be a huge deterrent to trying."

Better Bites takes food shelf clients through a program that introduces them to twenty vegetables and five lean proteins, teaching them how to cook meals for their families using slow cookers. Along with the slow cookers on their聽, clients get a kitchen starter kit that includes two cutting boards, a knife, three storage containers, measuring cups and spoons, and two serving spoons 鈥� all of which聽will be at the best prices of the year next week at retailers like Walmart聽and Kohl's.

#3: Toys for Tots

While the previous two nonprofits we highlighted are small,聽聽is large, well-organized, and ubiquitous during the holiday shopping season. Sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corp, this national-but-local toy drive聽ensures that children聽of less fortunate families receive Christmas gifts. All donations are distributed in or near the communities where they're received.

The mission statement on their website聽reads, in part, "The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation鈥檚 most valuable resources 鈥� our children."

The donation needs at聽Toys for Tots are straightforward: new, unwrapped toys. Of course, the Black Friday ads from Target, Walmart and Toys R Us are brimming with discounted toys, enabling those who wish to donate to buy more than they otherwise might be able.

You can find your local toy drop-off聽spot聽.

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