By now, you probably know that today is GivingTuesday, a day to give back to those in need in this world.

Because we are parents of teenagers, organizations that work to better the lives of teens are near and dear to us. So, when you consider giving today, here are a few you might want to consider:

• Teen Cancer America: specifically supports those in an age between pediatric and adult cancer care
• teenSMART: “most proven and effective driver crash reduction program ever developed, endorsed by more insurance agencies than any other program”
• TheCandie’sFoundation: educates America’s youth about the consequences of teen pregnancy.
• genHeration:a female empowerment network for high school girls.
• HealthInformationProject(beHip.org) provides peer-to-peer health education in high schools.
• TheSocietyForThePreventionofTeenSuicide(sptsusa.org)  organization with a mission to reduce youth suicides by promoting awareness and education.
• EnoughIsEnough: a non-profit working to make the Internet safer for children and teens.

(Feel free to comment below if you know of a teen-oriented non-profit organization worthy of our attention!)

Do Your Own Fundraiser

Now, if you are looking for ideas to help your teenager be more charitable this holiday season, here is a wonderfully thorough list of fundraising ideas. The 100 unique, impactful events listed in the Eventbrite post are a helpful starting point for teens looking to host a fundraising event for the cause of their choice.

Some of the ideas include a fashion show, a dance party, an ugly sweater party, or a dog wash. My teens get consumed by what they want for the holidays and I try hard to get them interested in giving instead of just getting.  Hosting a fundraiser for a cause they want to support is a great way to help teens get into the giving spirit of the holidays.