Year End Oracle

It's the last day of the year, and that means more than just icing the champagne and tuning in to watch the Times Square ball drop...

It means there is still time to make a 2009 tax-deductible contribution to a worthy cause! Two of my favorite charities really need help:

Kiva
This group has made microfinance not only cool but socially conscious. Kiva connects people through lending for the sole purpose of alleviating poverty. Voted as a best website of 2008 by Time magazine, Kiva allows you to lend money to a low-income entrepreneur in the developing world. The loan recipient repays the money, and you get to lend it to someone else. We're not talking huge bucks, either ... you can loan as little as $25. Want to know more? Take a look at what the media is has to say about Kiva.

Donors Choose
Here's a great way to make up for all the times you cut class in high school. By giving to Donors Choose, you can help needy students get the materials public schools often cannot provide. Teachers from around the country submit project proposals -- everything from requests for classroom equipment to art supplies -- and you pick which projects to fund. You can search by areas of interest, financial need or geographic location. When you get the packet of handwritten thank you notes from an appreciative class, you'll feel like you've really made a difference in the world. Learn more about Donors Choose here.

Like the car above says, be heartful! Or maybe it says be love-ful? Oh, you get the idea.