Selfless Self-Care: How to Improve Your Mental Health by Giving Back

Our friend Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE Charity, shared the powerful physical and mental benefits of giving back.

Every year, I meet hundreds of youth and educators through WE Schools, our charity’s service-learning program. I ask them all the same question: What issues are you most concerned about? In the past, answers varied, but lately, there is a singular, common response: young people want support to address mental well-being.

Mental health is a huge and growing challenge across North America. Twenty-percent of American adults will experience a mental illness. More than six million American children under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression.

Investing more in care and treatment will be part of the solution. But mental health is no different than physical health—preventative care can significantly reduce the need for treatment and interventions. Each of us can work proactively to look after the mental well-being of ourselves and others. And one surprisingly effective tonic is giving back.

Ask a Fundraiser: Why Do Some Charities Have Two Addresses?

You may have noticed that some charities have more than one address, either listed on their Charity Navigator rating page, the charity’s own website, or on a piece of mail or email that the charity sends to you. 

This has raised some questions and even made some of our users suspicious of these charities. But, there is a simple reason that charities have two addresses.

Solicitation Overload: Why So Many During the Holidays?

You may have noticed a major uptick in the number of times you heard from charities in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years.  We heard from a number of Charity Navigator users and supporters asking why they were receiving so many emails and letters and what they can do to cut back. 

Often, the holidays bring out the best in people - they give back to causes close to their hearts and even ask their loved ones to make a donation in their name instead of getting gifts. As a result, many charities receive the majority of their funding during this special time of year. When you couple this with the midnight deadline on New Year’s Eve for tax-deductible giving, charities respond by increasing the number of emails, letters, phone calls, text messages, and more.

Should You Feel Good About Donating at Checkout?

Here's a common scenario: you just spent the past hour adding items to your shopping cart at your local supermarket.  You get to the register, place all of your items onto the counter, and proceed to be rung up.  Now you're asked to consider making a donation to a charity.  A myriad of questions float through your head before you ultimately decide whether or not to press yes or no.  This form of donating is called point-of-sale donations.

We Deal in Hope: The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation

Renee Parsons is the Co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation and President of PXG Apparel. A passionate philanthropist, Renee is a member of the global organization Women Moving Millions. She and her husband, Bob Parsons, are Giving Pledge signatories.

Years ago, Bob and I pledged our support for the people of Haiti with an emergency donation after the 2010 earthquake. Knowing we needed to help, but not sure where our funding would make the most difference, I turned to Charity Navigator. It was through the Charity Navigator website that we discovered Hope for Haiti.

Reflections on 2019: A Letter from our CEO

Dear friends of Charity Navigator,

It's hard to believe that 2019 has come to an end--with so many firsts and new initiatives, the year seemed to fly by at Charity Navigator. This past year has been one of transformation and progress.

As I reflect on the past twelve months--what we achieved, what we learned, and where we’re going at Charity Navigator--one thing continues to ring true: we wouldn’t be the trusted resource we are today without the confidence of millions of users and the generous support of our donors.

Each year, tens of thousands of users show how much they value the ratings and tools we provide by making a donation to support our work. For that, the entire team at Charity Navigator is deeply grateful. Thank you for your generosity. As a small token of our appreciation, I’ve outlined some highlights from 2019 that you made possible.