Bruce Schwartz, playwright, producer, children's author and novelist -- most recently of the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, "The Twenty-First Century" -- lost both of his parents to Alzheimer's disease.

As his parents' main caregiver, he witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking effects this devastating disease has on its victims and their loved ones.

"I watched in horror as my parents forgot who I was, then who they were, forgot how to talk and eat, and turned into skeletons I no longer recognized," said Schwartz. "I felt I was in the twilight zone, helpless and alone, which sent me spiraling into a deep depression for many years."

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that, over time, destroys a person's memory and, consequently, his or her ability to do the most simple, everyday tasks. After years of watching his parents' mental and physical functions deteriorate, Schwartz is on a crusade to help other families living through the same ordeal.

"Alzheimer's is absolutely the worst disease anyone can imagine, and more and more cases are being diagnosed every year," Schwartz said. "If we all help in this drive, and ask the same of our friends and family, we will all win in helping eliminate this threat to our lives."

More than 4.5 million Americans have the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. By 2050, the number of Americans who will die from the disease will reach 16 million if nothing is done. The average lifetime cost of care for a victim's family is a staggering $170,000.

"Buying a copy of 'The Twenty-First Century,' which NPR called 'the best thriller of the year so far,' may one day save the life of someone you love or know," Schwartz said of his mission in life. "This disease and its effects can last 10 to 20 years, as happened to President Reagan. No one wants anyone to suffer like that."

Of the royalties that Schwartz has been donating to the Alzheimer's Association, half is being given to the national headquarters for research and the other half is going to each state to directly help the victims and their families.

"If you believe in miracles, miracles will happen," Schwartz said. "It's time we create one."

To order a hardcover copy of Schwartz's book, log on to The cover price is $24.95; however, it is only $19.95 when ordered through the Web site. - NU

Many people can empathise with the pain of discovering you cannot have children, and some are so touched they are compelled to action. Luckily modern scientific techniques have for several years allowed people to help infertile couples through sperm and egg donation.

However, donating eggs differs from donating sperm in the amount of preparation it requires, and the invasivness of the operation to remove the eggs.

This is why in addition to a medical check up, family history review and scan of your ovaries, you might be expected to attend a counselling session when you apply to become a donar. This should help you assess your reasons for wanting to donate, and prepare you for the procedure.

To qualify as a donar you need to be between the ages of 18 and 35. Often clinics also prefer donors who have children of their own, for various reasons such as the small risk to your future fertility, and your capacity to comprehend what you are giving to another person.

Before you begin treatment, you will need to stop taking the pill or any other hormonal contraception, so that you have a natural menstrual cycle.

Following your first "natural" period, you will begin taking daily injections to stimulate the ovaries. You can have these injections at the donation clinic, at your local surgery or you may wish to inject yourself at home. Small needles are used, and administered into the fatty tissue in your abdomen.

You will be required to make two to three visits to the clinic during this preperation for vaginal ultrasound scans to moniter the progress of the stimulated follicles in your ovaries.

Once the clinic finds your ovarian response is peaking, you will be asked to take a late night injection of HGC to ripen the eggs. The egg collection will take place in the clinic or hospital the next morning.

The procedure is carried out under intraveneous heavy sedation. This means that while you will not be fully unconcious whilst your eggs are taken, you will be unaware of what is going on, and should not experience any pain or discomfort.

In ordinary circumstances, you will be able to return home the same day. You must have somebody to accompany you though, as the sedation takes a little while to wear off. You will be given a course of antibiotics to reduce the possibility of infection.

The clinic should inform you of possible risks such as Hyperstimulation syndrome, bleeding or infection. Hyperstimulation syndrome effects about 1 in 20 donaters, and happens when fertility drugs create too many eggs in the ovaries. If you experience abdominal pain or swelling you should return to the clinic for a check up.

They should be able to diagnose the condition, and give you dietary suggestions and other precutions to take to avoid complications arising. In general, the condition is temporary and treated by rest and hydration.

Other things to consider include that fact they your egg donation will not necessarily result in a child. Although you are not generally permitted to meet the intended parents, some clinics allow you to know whether the result of their fertility treatment was a success. You need to think about how you would feel if your donation did not have the hoped for result.

In some countries, such as the UK and Ireland, a child concieved through donated sperm or egg cells can find out contact details of the donor once they reach eighteen. For some people this is a very positive thing, but for others it might not be. You would have no legal obligation or rights to a child born, even though they are genetically related to you.

Becoming an egg donar requires huge levels of commitment and tenacity – but can also have an amazing effect on so many lives, not least your own.

Find out more by visiting Ciara McGrath is a full time mother to four teenage daughters. Find out more at egg donation, egg donors and fertility help.

In prior years, if you wanted to donate your car or other vehicle to a charity, it was easy. All it took was to select the charity, give them a call and they would pick it up and the ownership documentation. This part is still easy and many charities advertise how easy this part is for you.

If you want to claim a tax deduction for that car donation however, the tax rules have changed a little. The reason for the changes were because people were over-estimating the value of vehicles then taking the higher amount off on their income taxes.

First, to even qualify for this tax deduction, you need to be itemizing deductions on your income tax. This effectively eliminates everyone using a 1040 short form, or 1040EZ or those who don't itemize. Further charitable deduction cannot be greater than 50% of your total income. I don't quite understand why this matters to the government but it's in the rules. Further, the amount you can deduct for the contribution depends on what the charity does with vehicle donations. Check the IRS resource publication 4303 at for more information and details. Now is a good time to state that I am not a tax attorney, accountant or make my living working with the tax code. For more specific information on donating you car to charity or other related questions, I suggest contacting a local tax professional.

A 500 dollar deduction is the threshold for increased paperwork requirements. If however your charitable gift is worth over the 500 dollar limit, you need acknowledgement documentation from the charity. This is typically given to you when they pick up the vehicle. This document must have the following information for you to claim any amount over the 500 dollar basic deduction.

1. Your name and Taxpayer ID [usually your social security number]

2. The vehicle Identification numbers

3. Date of contribution

4. An any one of these pieces of information. a) statement that no goods or services were received for the gift. OR b) a description and good faith estimate of anything received by the donor.

There are a few other details that should be included but this is the basic outline required.

The IRS also limits the value of the deduction to what the charity actually received from selling the vehicle. Generally however, you can use fair market value if certain rules are followed and you obtain a statement made by the charity regarding their plans for the vehicle. You may also be required to obtain written acknowledgement from the charity within 30 days from the date of the vehicles sale or 30 days from the date of donation.

So the value of the deduction is based on what the charity actually sold the vehicle for on the open market. Other rules apply if they decide to keep it but generally most charities of any size take their donated cars and simply sell them on the market. This means that if you donate your car to charity and it has a resale value of 5,000 dollars, you simply cannot legally take a 5,000 dollar deduction unless the charity actually sells the car for that amount, or is subject to the other rules.

If the charity sells your car for 400 dollars, even though it was worth 5,000, your legal deduction is only 400 dollars.

Finally, to make things even more complicated, the value of the vehicle cannot be more than the fair market value. The IRS publication noted above has specific explanations about how to determine value. I personally have simply sold the car and made a cash donation to he charity of my choice. Yes, it takes a little longer but I didn't need to count on anyone else to provide the necessary documentation and there was no question about the value of the donation or deduction.

Abigail Franks writes on many subjects having to do with home, family, and travel. For more information on donating your car or truck visit the site at

Volunteer experience

About a month ago I returned to Denmark after almost 2 months in Thailand, most of the time spent in The Tiger Temple. It has been a fantastic experience, and I would like to share it with whoever wants to read it!!

It all started as a crazy idea in my head sitting at home in the dark and cold winter in Denmark. I had the opportunity to take two months of in school in the spring. I wanted to travel, to see something new, to do something meaningful and to work with animals without spending too much money (since I'm a student I don't really have any to spend…). Different things came into my mind, but after having seen an ad for the Animal Planet program about The Tiger Temple I wisited the websites there was no doubt in my mind - that was where I wanted to go!!! To be able to work with these big majestic cats, to be part of a project set up to help save these beautiful endangered animals, and to get to see some of Thailand at the same time, what more could I wish for? So I sent an e-mail and asked if it would be possible for me to come and stay, and as it turned out, it was actually possible!! I bought my tickets, got my vaccinations and packed my bag, ready to go, not really knowing what to expect when I arrived.

After 2 days in Bangkok I went with one bus to Kanchanaburi and with another bus out towards the Temple, and there I stood looking at the big sign saying that this was the road leading to the Temple, beginning to realize I was finally there after months of waiting.

I went to the office signed some papers, got a key to a room and Maha followed me up to the nice little house inside the Temple walls that were to be my home for the next 7 weeks. After that I went down to the canyon to meet the other volunteers, the monks and the staff - and of course the tigers!! Such an impressive sight - big grown tigers laying calmly sleeping in the beautiful canyon, tourists padding them and having there pictures taken next to them. Very impressive, but also quite scary in the beginning… The first two days I spent watching and learning the basics about tiger behaviour, and then I started actually working, amazing!! To wake up in the morning, knowing that 4 "little" cute tiger cubs are waiting for you, hearing them great you with that special prrrr sound when you come up to the cage, to go into the cage, clean it and wash the cubs - that was really something that could make me get out of bed with a smile!! For me mornings and evenings were the best times of the day, so peaceful, and so beautiful! The nature around the Temple is amazing, and the fact that lots of half tame animals roam around freely inside the temple walls was something I really loved! The view from our house was fantastic, I spent a lot of time just sitting there watching all the animals.

And the tigers… Wow!! I love tigers, I always have, and to be able to get so close to them was really a mindblowing experience! I have walked and washed the cubs, walked a full grown tiger (Vayo and Techo), I have had a tigers head (Herfa) in my lap, I have had a grown tiger (Techo) suck my finger and I have spent hours watching tigers play in the water, unbelievable, good thing I have pictures to prove it!! And I've also got a really cool scar to show off since I got bitten by one of the tigers (Dau Ruang)!! ? Another great thing was the possibility to get to know a lot of very nice people from all over the world and to get to know a lot about a culture and a religion so very different from what I'm used to here in Denmark. I regret that I didn't learned any thai before I came to Thailand, some very patient thai people tought me some, but I would have liked to be able to speak some more!!

I also got to see some of all the things in the area around the Temple and Kanchanaburi, some of the very beautiful scenery like Erawan National Park with the amazing 7-tired waterfall and some of the more scary things like The Hellfire Pass and The Death Railway.

All together it was a lifetime experience, and I had a very hard time leaving it all behind, and a hard time getting used to being back in Denmark, and I want to go back!! To see how the building of the Tiger Island is going, to see "my" cute little cubs and all the other tigers again, to once more feel the peacefulness of meditating in the Sala in the evening, and to meet some of the wonderful people I got to know there again. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to work in a place like this, and I hope that one day I can come back. Please visit the website and check the photos and if you can donate.

Mai Falk (Denmark)

Mai Falk was a Volunteer during 2006 in the Thailand Tiger Temple. Please consider donating to the temple so that more people can visit and the tigers can remain in the tempel.

Donating to good causes is a great way to help people who are less fortunate. People have always been able to help good causes by giving up their time or handing over cash. Now the process is even easier.

Many charities now have branded credit cards that enable consumers to donate to the charity every time they spend. These charity credit cards are backed by major UK banks. The Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax and the Cooperative Bank all support several charity credit cards.

Learning About Charity Credit Cards

When consumers first sign up for a charity credit card, the issuing bank makes a donation to the relevant charity. This sum ranges from £5 to more than £40. The actual sum donated will depend on the terms of the particular credit card deal. If consumers keep and use the card, then card issuers usually make a second donation at the end of six months or a year.

Charity credit cards also give ongoing support to charities by paying a percentage of any spending on the card to the nominated charity. For example, most cards contribute 0.25% of spending to the charity. This means that 25 pence is donated to charity for every pound spent on the card. Some charity credit cards offer a donation of as much as 1%, so the amount given to charity increases to match. This is worth thinking about when deciding which charity credit card to go for.

What Causes Can I Support With Charity Credit Cards?

There are cards for almost every good cause. These include:

- Cancer charities such as Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer Trust

- Children's charities such as the NSPCC, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Barnardos

- Animal charities such as the RSPCA and PDSA

- Aid agencies such as Christian Aid and Oxfam

- And many more.

To find out if the charity you want to support has a credit card, telephone them or visit their websites. There are also several credit card comparison sites to help consumers decided among the different credit card offers.

What Incentives Are There For Using Charity Credit Cards?

Charity credit cards offer the same incentives to new cardholders as other cards. This means that, depending on the offer, cardholders can benefit from:

- Low annual interest rates

- 0% balance transfer rates for a fixed period

- 0% interest on purchases for a fixed period

- other rewards and incentives.

Some credit card issuers may charge a one-off balance transfer fee. This should be considered when deciding on the right card.

As with all credit cards it is essential to make payments regularly and on time to avoid attracting any penalty fees.

Once people have selected the right charity card, making a donation is as simple as doing what they would do anyway. All they have to do is spend money in the usual places and their favourite charities will get the benefit.

Joe Kenny writes for CardGuide.co.uk, loaded with the latest information on credit cards, visit CardGuide.co.uk today for more best credit cards. Visit today:

The guest list is complete, the flowers have been ordered and the perfect dress has been found. Now, how about something very special to let the guests know that you appreciate them being there?

With wedding season always in full swing, many brides and grooms are looking for a unique way to thank their guests for sharing their special day. Now, a new Wedding Favor Donation program launched by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provides a memorable option. In lieu of traditional wedding favors that might be eaten, forgotten or tossed away with the centerpieces, couples can join a growing trend of making a tax-deductible donation to the cause of their choice-in this case, diabetes research, information and advocacy.

Couples who choose to support the ADA's Wedding Favor Donation program may contribute a few dollars on behalf of each guest in honor or memory of a loved one and their wedding guests or they can give the donation in their own names. ADA will provide complimentary donation announcements for guests in the form of personalized scrolls, table tent cards or bookmarks. Couples may also order invitation donation cards, asking that guests make a donation to the American Diabetes Association in lieu of a gift.

According to Megan Sullivan, a wedding favor participant, "My husband's daughter (who is now my stepdaughter) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about nine months ago. The cause is extremely close to our heart and we wanted our money to go to the ADA. Everyone was so touched. Rob and I and our parents got so many compliments about the great addition and 'feel' it gave to the wedding. Most people who were there know of Maura's diabetes. They loved that we used our money to help her and so many others with diabetes."

With nearly 21 million Americans with diabetes and millions more affected by the disease through a friend or family member, chances are that a donation to the ADA will be meaningful to more guests than the bride and groom would imagine. Funds from ADA's Wedding Favor Donation program will support the mission of the Association-to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of those living with the disease.

For more information, visit or call (800) DIABETES.

Wedding Favors With Meaning-Many at weddings appreciate wedding favors in the form of charitable donations.

For people who are organized and careful, using a credit card can be a good way of managing debt and handling spending. And there are other advantages that can make credit card use even more appealing.

Many credit cards can now be used to contribute to people's favourite charities. This means they can spend as usual, secure in the knowledge that they are also contributing to a good cause.

How Charity Credit Cards Work

The way charity credit cards work is simple. Every time people spend on the card, the card issuer gives a proportion of their spending to the chosen charity. The charitable donation can range from 0.25% of the amount spent on purchases to 1% or more, depending on the card chosen and the particular deal. The amount donated may increase if spending goes over a certain threshold.

Many card companies also offer a one-off donation when the card is first issued. Again, this sum can vary considerably depending on the card chosen. There are also rewards for using the card within a set period and for continuing to use the card over months and years.

Some credit cards contribute to specific charities and are branded with the name of that charity. There are also credit cards that allow card holders to nominate the charity their donations will go to.

Other Incentives

Having a charity credit card does not mean giving up on some of the other incentives new credit card holders normally get. Many charity cards offer 0% interest free periods on balance transfers for up to nine months. Some also offer 0% on spending for a certain period. Others offer a fixed low interest rate. People can shop around for the best incentives and still make a charitable contribution. Standard interest rates for charity credit cards have the same range as normal cards, ranging from below 9% to over 17%.

What Charities Can I Support?

There are many charity cards available, supporting a wide range of charitable causes. These include the RSPCA, NSPCC, and cards supporting animals, diabetes, cancer and a wide range of medical conditions. Charities always need more cash to support the work that they do. Using a charity credit card means that people can help their chosen charities while doing what they would have done anyway.

How Else Can I Help My Charity?

Another strategy that credit card holders can use is to choose a credit card that offers a cash back facility. This means that holders get a percentage of their spending as cash at the end of a given period. This is usually once a year, often on the anniversary of taking out the card. Cash back percentages can be quite high, depending on the level of spending. Organized borrowers can spend on their cards and donate the cash back reward to charity as well. This is another good option for lending support to a favourite charity.

Joe Kenny writes for CardGuide.co.uk, loaded with the latest information on credit cards, visit CardGuide.co.uk today for more best credit cards.

Visit today:

I am amazed by the number of people that I hear from who apologize for only being able to volunteer one or two hours a week. Some of them don't feel like the time they have to contribute can make a difference. Some even avoid volunteering because they consider their potential contribution a waste of time. Does this describe you?

This way of thinking couldn't be further from the truth! Let me prove it to you by walking you through a short exercise. It will only take you a few minutes to do this exercise, but it will be worth it.

* Think back over your life and make a list of every person that had a positive impact on you.

* Once your list is complete, write down the amount of time it took them to make that contribution.

* Review your list for at least one person that helped or encouraged you in a short amount of time.

Most people that do this exercise will uncover memories of several individuals that contributed to their life in a positive way. Many of those did it through something they said or a small gesture they made. If they could do it for you, you can do it for others!

There is someone in this world that is waiting for you to donate whatever time you can afford to make their life and the world around them a little bit better. Don't let your thoughts of wanting to have more time keep you from giving to that person today.

To learn more ways to give to others, sign up for the free Everyday Giving ezine at Roger Carr is the founder of Everyday Giving. His life purpose is to help people help others.

Many people volunteer to work with charity organisations. It is a chance to help your chosen charity by the giving of your time and skills, and also getting something back in return. If you want to help a charity, and you don't have much money to give in the way of donations to your chosen charity, why not consider volunteering?

Depending on what charity you choose to volunteer for will depend on exactly what you will do. So, if you are considering becoming a volunteer within the charity there are some basic factors that you should consider. The first thing to think about is what you can offer the charity. Look at what skills you possess and how they could be of benefit to the charity group. For instance, if you are especially good at administration then your administration skills could be of great benefit to the charity, and this is where you should offer your services. It's no good volunteering with a charity as a counsellor if you have no qualifications or experience in that department. Think about what you can do well and offer to do it for the charity.

Another thing to bear in mind when volunteering for a charity is what you like to do. Volunteering in a charity is not just about what you are good at; charity work is also about what your passion is. For instance, if you enjoy art, but haven't had the chance to work at it as much as you would like, then combining this with charity work in a volunteering capacity could be a good idea.

Another factor when volunteering for a charity is to decide how much time you have to donate. Think about how many hours each day you could give to volunteering to a charity. You may only be able to visit the charity in the evenings or on weekends, but you need to be aware of how much time you can give to the charity before you volunteer. That way you will understand beforehand exactly what is involved in the charity work and how much you can expect to be working.

Volunteering for charity work should be beneficial to both the volunteer and the charity. As well as giving your time to the charity you should also get something out of the volunteering work that you do. You should find satisfaction as well as gaining insight into the charity you are working for. Volunteering with a charity is a great way to meet new friends, enjoy new projects, and find new skills whilst helping others at the same time. If you have some spare time on your hands and would like to be involved in a charity then volunteering is a great option.

Robert Michael is a writer for

Quasi Charity

which is an excellent place to find charity links,

resources and articles. For more information go to:

Making charitable contributions is a wonderful way to help out your fellow man, but it is also a good way to get some tax breaks. One really good method is to donate a car to charity. However, there are some things you will need to do in order to donate a car to charity and claim the donation on your tax returns.

First of all, make sure the organization is qualified. You can do this by logging onto the IRS website to check for qualified charitable organizations. If the organization you donate a vehicle to is not qualified then you will not be able to claim the deduction. So you will want to check this out before you make your donation if making the deduction is important to you.

Another question you will need answered before you donate your vehicle to charity is what will become of the vehicle? Will it be sold to make money for the charity or will the charity use it for transportation? Also, the car might be given to someone poor who needs transportation. Regardless of what the car will be used for, you have a right to ask the question and decide if you believe it is a charitable cause. If not, then you can look for another charitable institution that will use the vehicle in a means you approve of.

Make sure you determine the fair market value of the vehicle in order to claim the donation on your taxes. You will not be able to simply claim the Blue Book value for your vehicle but will have to take into account the vehicle's condition, and accessories you have added, and the like. There are several IRS and other guides that will help you come up with the fair market value of the vehicle.

Make sure you follow any laws required by your state regarding donating vehicles to charity. More often than not laws require you to transfer the title to the charity, if at all possible, and do not leave license plates on the vehicle. This will eliminate liability issues as well.

If after reading all the information on the IRS website and following these steps you still have questions regarding your charitable vehicle donation then you should contact the IRS directly in order to have your questions answered. It is better to have your questions answered before you make a donation than after, so be proactive.

Donating a car to charity is a really good thing to do and it will help you out on your tax returns as well. Just be careful because there are charities that will tell you what you want to hear, which can cause problems for you when you try to claim your donation. Just make sure you have all questions answered by the IRS.

Robert Michael is a writer for

Quasi Charity

which is an excellent place to find charity links,

resources and articles. For more information go to:

When you begin to compare cord blood banks one of the first things you may notice is that some of them are accredited while others are not. Accreditation is voluntary but being accredited by the AABB means that the company you are considering has high standards with regards to most of the factors you will look at yourself.

Experience.

The use of stem cell transplants is quite a new technique, however, successful cord blood transfusions have taken place and this means that there are organizations that have successfully stored and eventually used the cord blood in question. It may seem unfair to judge a company just because they haven't had the opportunity to prove that there systems, technique and facilities are up to scratch but the fact remains that if your child needs the use of their cord blood in ten years time you want to be absolutely certain that the company you have entrusted with this will be able to unfreeze the blood and find that it has retained it's potency. Some of the well established companies have 100% success rates with tens of previous cases. This is a statistic not be taken lightly.

Knowledge.

One factor that you might overlook when trying to compare cord blood banks is whether the company in question dedicate any or enough money to funding further research. In the case of many banks, funding is primarily used to research advances in storage techniques and the techniques in which the blood is transported and prepared for use. If a company does not invest enough money in this then they will eventually be left behind by the companies that do. Inevitably it is you, or indeed your children, who will suffer the consequences.

Financial security.

When investing time, money or your children's cord blood in a company it is important that that company will still be in operation should the day arrive when you need the blood in question. If a company fails financially while your baby's blood is stored in their facility then there is a reasonable chance that you will not be able to do anything about moving the blood. Once cord blood goes into storage it should not be removed and transported from location to location if it is at all possible to avoid this. You will be storing the umbilical cord blood for up to 15 years, and that's only presuming that no further advances are made, so you need to be as sure as possible that the company will still be in operation in 15 years time.

By selecting a company that is affiliated to a large hospital or other organization you can afford yourself greater peace of mind that they will indeed still be around when the time comes to use the blood you have in storage. Many major hospitals do affiliate with some of the more famous and well established cord blood banks and for true peace of mind you should consider using one of these companies. This also offers you the benefit that that hospital in question will be willing to undertake a transfusion using that blood.

Donating cord blood.

Of course, money plays a part in any major decision of this kind and, unfortunately, it isn't always possible to pick the company you would ideally settle on in other circumstances. In fact, the cost may add up to prove to be more than you can afford. In which case, you should not feel guilty about it, but you should instead consider donating the cord blood.

For more information, visit cord blood banking.

Blood cord banking is the process of preserving blood from a new born baby's umbilical cord and placenta. The concept of blood cord banking starts immediately as soon as a mother gives birth, the blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is immediately preserved through freezing and kept in a depository until such time in the future as when that same baby, all grown up, will be needing, if ever, a transplant of the bone marrow or for treatment of leukemia or Fanconi's Anemia.

As the blood cord banking concept is still in its infancy stage, starting just in the mid 90s, research and studies on the subject have still to positively conclude its full medicinal benefits.

Despite of this however, many blood cord banks have come into existence since transplants of umbilical blood cord have been successful in the treatment of diseases of the immune and blood systems. Leukemia and Fanconi's Anemia are just some of the diseases treated by umbilical cord blood. In Fanconi's Anemia alone, 2000 patients have undergone this procedure.

Formerly viewed as birth medicinal waste, umbilical cord blood due to its high demand, is now a valuable commodity because it is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, progenitor cells that produce red blood cells, it also has white blood cells and platelets.

Umbilical cord blood is abundant in blood cells that are proven to restock the bone marrow. It is proven that blood cord is rich in stem cells that rejuvenate the bone marrow. Stem cells form part of our body's blood and immune system and they have the capability to rejuvenate the other cells in our body's system thus can be a potent cure versus the dreaded cancer diseases that wreak havoc on man. Blood cord banking is like a new blood for a new life for man.

Many parents have started banking their new borne children's umbilical cord, doubling in number every year. As a result, more and more blood cord banking companies have come into existence. Cord Blood donation is likewise medically safe, posing no risks to the health of the mother and the infant. Collection of the blood cord does not harm you or your baby since the process is done after you have given birth.

You as an expectant parent should weigh the choices you have, would you bank your newborn's cord blood? Or should you not? Do the long term medical benefits that you are even not assured of needing in the future far outweigh the reality of the current high costs of preserving and banking your child's cord blood?

You know, its not remote that scientists researching on its usefulness will discover more cures for cord blood for other diseases. The procedure of collecting cord blood is simple and painless for both you and your infant and likewise there are no health risks involved. There are many public blood cord banks that accept donations for use by the public, donated cord blood is lost to the donor forever. Private, for-profit blood cord banks however charge an average of $2,000.00 to collect and preserve the umbilical cord blood for possible use of the child or family in the future.

For more information please visit cord blood banking.

The Race Across America (RAAM) is a 3053-mile race across the country beginning in Oceanside, CA and ending in Atlantic City, NJ.

RAAM is known as the world's toughest event. Through deserts and over mountains, in conditions that will range from cold, heat, snow, rain, darkness and blazing sun, the finishers of this non-stop race across the United States will have climbed nearly 110,000 feet, equal to traveling a distance from the ground to the edge of space, four times the altitude of Mt. Everest.

Those few riders to reach the finish line will have traveled a combined distance equal to circling the earth at the equator four times.

There are solo riders, two-person teams, four-person teams and eight-person teams. The four-person team race begins at 2 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, June 13 and ends at 12 PM Eastern Time on Friday, June 23. In other words, the four-person teams have 9 days and 19 hours, or 235 hours to finish the race.

Dreams for Kids, a 501© (3), non-profit children's charity, which is volunteer based and raises it donations through community fundraising and special events such as RAAM, works primarily to improve the lives of kids with disabilities. I am racing for Dreams for Kids.

The Dreams for Kids cycling team, however, only has 8 days and 19 hours, or 211 hours of riding time to finish the race. This is because the Dreams for Kids team will not be riding on Sunday. As a member of the Dreams for Kids team, I am often asked, "Why aren't you riding on Sunday?" Let me explain.

I believe the Bible to be the word of God, and in the Bible it says:

(1) that God created the earth and its inhabitants in six days, that He rested on the seventh day, and that He blessed and sanctified the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3);

(2) to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8);

(3) if you keep the Sabbath day holy you will "eat your bread to the full" and that you will lie down with peace and not be afraid (Leviticus 26:2-6).

I believe that we are God's children, that He loves us, and that when we do what He asks us to do He blesses us abundantly.

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word shabbath, meaning day of rest.

Therefore, to keep the Sabbath day holy, I believe we are to rest from our labors, rest from our selfish interests, and rest from our self-absorbing activities.

The Sabbath is also the Lord's day, and thus while it is a day for resting from our labors, it is also a day for us to do His work. It is a day to pray and worship, a day to visit the sick and distressed, a day to perform acts of kindness, a day to read and meditate.

I truly believe that if I remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, I will prosper far more than if I was to labor on that day. Once again, I believe we are God's children, that He loves us, and that if we keep His commandments He will bless us in ways that bring everlasting peace and happiness.

I do not mean to be lofty or obnoxious towards those who do not believe as I do, but as noted above, I am often asked why I am not racing on Sunday, and for me, the peace I have and the blessings I believe will come from keeping the Sabbath day holy are far more valuable than winning a race.

If you wish to support our fundraising efforts for this incredible non-profit children's charity, Dreams for Kids, and choose to donate, tax deductible funds towards a better life for kids with disabilities, visit our website, and help make Dreams come true. Article Submitted by That Article Guy

If you have done any research into the area of used car donation programs then you will know that there are many charities that are able to receive your car as a donation. Many are eager to take your vehicle from you but you can't decide which one is right charity to donate to. After all you only have one car to donate and you want it to make a difference. So how do you choose which charity is going to be the worthy recipient? There are a few different approaches you can take. You could:

Pick a random charity

The dartboard approach may be as good as any, especially if you believe that all charities are equally deserving of the money and will all put it to good use. Then your only choice is whether you would prefer to select a national charity or one that is solely focused on the state or city you live in.

If this strategy appeals then bring up a list of charities that accept car donations for the region you're interested in and settle on the first name that jumps out at you.

Select one you have an affinity with

If your Aunty Betty died from cancer then you may feel that donating your car to a cancer research foundation to enable them to continue the ongoing search for a cure is a meaningful outcome for your used car donation. Or perhaps you have had a health scare yourself and would like to think that if you did happen to develop the disease that all available resources were being devoted to a cure or remedial medicine.

Or perhaps you have dabbled in drugs and know what a slippery slope that can be and so decide on a charity that runs drug rehabilitation programs.

Choose the used car charity donation program with the simplest conditions

If your vehicle is not running then that may limit the charities that you choose to donate your car to. You may want to check out their pickup service to see if it is going to be convenient to use the charity you've selected.

You could pick the charity that will handle your car in a way you feel comfortable with

Most charities will sell your car and use the proceeds for their organization's programs but some will use the car to give to others that are unable to afford a motor vehicle. If you like the idea of your car being used by someone else that needs it to get to work then look for charities that handle car donations in this way.

Unless you have a firm choice in mind then you are best to read up as much as you can about car donation in general, then focus on charities that accept car donations and come up with a shortlist of say 3-4 charities. Next get on the websites for each of the charities on your shortlist and narrow down the field to one based on their car donation program conditions, how you feel about the work that they are doing and your overall feelings about the organisation.

Donating your car to charity is a great idea but it can be difficult to know where to start. Get the best information so that you can be comfortable knowing you've made the right decision. For more information visit Car Donation Program

Next to wanting to contribute to charitable causes, perhaps your biggest motivation to donate your car is the substantial tax break it can give you. Don't be misled by information about your return, because the tax breaks you can get from a car donation may not be as big as you think.

If your car donation is worth more than $500, then you should read "Revenue Provisions" in Section 884 of Title VIII. This details the new restrictions on car donations value at more than the aforementioned amount.

In a nutshell, the provision caps the allowable amount of tax deductions to the gross proceeds received by the recipient (the charitable organization you donate your car to) from the sale of your donated vehicle. When you donate a vehicle with a claimed value of $500 or more, your tax-deductible amount will depend on how the charity uses the vehicle. For example, if the charity sells the car, then you can only deduct the amount of gross proceeds that the charity received from the sale. On the other hand, if the charity plans to use the car for tax-approved charitable work as approved by the law, you can claim the car's fair market value.

The same law also requires the charity to provide you with a written acknowledgment of the contribution within 30 days from the day you make the donation. If your recipient gives you a false or fraudulent acknowledgment, they will face a penalty.

In many instances the tax breaks you get from donating your car are enough to cover (or exceed) the amount you could have sold the car for. Remember that you usually do not have to pay for any paperwork or dealer fees when you donate your car. In the end it is still more sensible to donate you car rather than sell it. This way you don't only make a profit – you also help worthy causes.

Used Car Donations provides detailed information on Car Donations, Used Car Donations, Charity Car Donations, Car Donation Tax Deduction and more. Used Car Donations is affiliated with Donate a Used Vehicle.

Have a car or a truck that you want out of your garage? Want to get that heart warming feeling of having helped the needy? And last but not the least, want to pay less in taxes this year? Well, you can do all three at the same time! Just go ahead and donate that old car to a charity.

The charity can then go ahead and do any thing with the automobile – sell it, use it for 'not for profit' activities or even give it away to a needy individual. Whatever it does with the car, it has to be in accordance with the norms laid down by the IRS to benefit you (in terms of taxes). The organization has to justify the sale or re-donation of the donated vehicle. The donor has to be forwarded complete details about what the charity ultimately did with the car. This documentation has to reach the donor within 30 days of the donation being made. Thereafter the donor can submit the papers to IRS and claim a tax break.

Though this might look quite exciting, there are some ground rules that one has to keep in mind. First and foremost there is a threshold value of $500 set by IRS. What this means is that barring few exceptional cases, taxpayer can deduct no more than this amount from his taxable income even if the fair value of the car is higher. However, if the charity manages to sell the car at a price which is higher than the threshold price, all that the donor has to do is collect documents from the charity giving all the details and submit same to IRS and avail a higher deduction.

The $500 rule also states that if the fair price of the automobile is higher than the set threshold value but the charity manages to sell it at a price lower than $500, the taxpayer still gets to deduct $500 from his taxable income.

What happens if the fair price of the donated automobile is less than $500? In this case the taxpayer gets to deduct only the fair price amount from his taxable income.

What if the charity does not sell the donated vehicle within the stipulated 30 days and decides to use the same for humanitarian or public service activities for a couple of months and later decides to sell the car at a price that is higher than the threshold price? Here the donor can actually claim deduction at the fair market value as long as the charity is able to provide the donor with relevant documents pertaining to the selling price as well as how the auto was used for nonprofit works before the sale.

So, if you have a station wagon lying unused and unwanted in your garage after you bought your new shiny wheels, go ahead and donate it. Just make sure to follow the rules when you claim the tax deduction!

Brad Davis recommends that you visit http://www.specialkidsfund.org/donate_a_car.htm for more information on car donations.

Finding a source of primitive stem cells.

There are news reports about the positive impact that research on cord blood stem cells is having on the possible cure for numerous life threatening diseases. But with so many varying reports about it or even factions it is impossible to keep track of all its useful facts. Stem cells show a great level of plasticity which means they can generate and regenerate into many different types of cells and even organs within in our body. Potentially, if they can be removed from the donor and transfused into the patient then in the future, stem cells could be used to cure virtually any illness.

Stem cells are more frequently found in babies or even in embryos although it has been discovered that adult stem cells do exist. To date these have mostly been found in the brain but are dispersed freely amongst millions of other cells making the extraction incredibly difficult.

Cord blood stem cells, on the other hand, are very easy to remove. Because the process is completed after the child has been born and the umbilical cord cut and clamped there is no effect whatsoever on the baby, the parent or the birth itself.

How stem cells become T cells.

T cells are the cells that are responsible for fighting infection in children and are created when stem cells pass through the thymus gland. If the patient does not have an adequate number of effective stem cells in their blood then they will not be able to create the T cells. And subsequently they are much more likely to suffer serious infections. This, in turn, means that cord blood stem cells can be used to recreate T cells as well as other vital cells within the body of your child. The stem cells will then create an army of T cells to fight off infection and leave the body to function in a normal manner. As with a blood transfusion it is imperative to the operation's success that the stem cells transfused are of the same type as the patient's own blood. Using cord blood stem cells belonging to the patient themselves all but guarantees that this will be the case.

Stem cell testing.

The umbilical cord stem cell matrix is called Wharton's jelly and is rich in primitive stem cells. These cells are one that has yet to progress, transform or produce other cells. Primitive stem cells are the most effective type of stem cells that can be used in a transfusion on any patient.

Typically a lot of testing has been done on animals to prove the viability of using stem cells taken from cord blood of newborn babies and amongst the most prominent of these tests, according to the online journal "stem cells", have been tests carried out on pigs. In a human blood cord, similar to a pig umbilical cord, two arteries & vein are found and tests have shown positive results concerned with the storage and potency of the blood. The journal "stem cells" contains a lot of data relating to stem cells and articles on various related topics.

At present leukemia and anemia are the two most common diseases treated with stem cell transfusions although since stem cell research has grown in volume and results diseases such as Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and many different forms of cancer are also showing positive results.

For more information on cord blood, please visit

Many of us consider the opportunity to go to school and learn, or to have clean water and fresh food on your table something very normal, we can't imagine life without these simple things. But in many poor countries these things are considered a luxury. The children that are born in these countries have a dark future ahead of them, they won't be able to use a computer or to read a book, their only opportunity is to work as hard as they can, but their work will be hard labor.

Children in the poor countries have to work at very young ages. They usually begin working at around six or eight years, and because they don't have experience they start as beggars. Then they polish shoes and sell small things. At 13 years they start working more seriously, and at 15 hard labor begins.

But now, you can make something for these poor children! With the help of a charitable organization you can make a small charity donation or you can even sponsor a child. With only a few money from you can make a difference in someone's life and you can offer him/her a brighter future. By sponsoring a child you will give him the opportunity to learn, which is very important for his future. Charity donations bring books, tutoring services, educational materials and programs to the poor countries of the world.

The charitable organizations that support children use your charity donations to buy books from the local bookstores, and to hire teachers. The most important thing is to learn them how to read, so this is done first.

Also, each year some people volunteer to go to the poor countries and help the children there. These people make sure that your charity donations are used for a good purpose.

Sponsoring a child is the best thing you can do to help improve the life of a poor boy or girl. A special connection will be established between you and the child that you sponsor. He will send you letters in which he will thank you and tell you how the money you sent were spent. Probably your picture will stand in a special place in his house. If you want, you can visit the child and his family in person.

So remember that you can easily make a difference in someone's life with some money that to you may seem little, because money have different values in poor countries!

If you want to know more about how to sponsor a child check this links. Your charity donation could save his life!

You can donate your car to a wide range of charity organizations, but picking the most representative ones requires getting some previous information. So before actually donating your car, make sure you get some relevant info about the charity organization, its purposes, projects and usage of your car. You might find out that there are various organizations that have different goals and you will probably find, among them, a great cause and possibility to donate your car to something meaningful. Even more, make sure that your car is going to go to an eligible organization that is serious in its acts and has valid previous work. In order to be sure, speaking directly with the charity agents is the safest way to go. In fact, the IRS requests that the donors are aware of the type of the fundraiser society they choose. When talking to the charity representatives, the most important information regards the exact usage of your car, if it will be sold, fixed up, offered to the less fortunate people and so on. Besides these, you should check up if the charity organization is qualified and in order to know that for sure, you can review the organization's state registrations and financial situations, administrative costs and charitable programs.

Charitable donations and car evaluations

Another important thing before donating your car is evaluating it in a correct way. There are various guides on the market that offer elaborate instructions, in order to establish the valid value of your car, depending on its general condition, accessories, age and mileage. After making sure that you selected the correct charitable organization and the optimum evaluation, you should be aware of the fact that you are required to complete and attach an IRS form to your tax return, in case you are claiming a car donation that values 500 $ or above. Donating a used car to charity is a great solution if you are planning to purchase a new car or if you are simply willing to contribute to a charitable activity. Knowing and following some steps before the actual car donation avoids further worries, as it makes the process a safe and fulfilling one.

Are there any hidden facts about used car donation that I should be aware of?

First of all, not every used car donation programs are functioning legally. Before you make your used car donation, you should check with the IRS if the charity is a non-profit organization listed under paragraph 501 (c) (3) in the IRS Publication 78.

Secondly, check out if the used car donation program is run in-house by the charity itself or by a third party. If a third party is operating the used car donation program, you should ask what percent of the profit made by selling the donated cars actually goes to the charity. Often, third-party operated used car donation programs produce small amounts of money for the charity. Smaller charities do not afford the costs of transportation and storage for the donated cars, not to mention the costs involved in charity auctions. This is the main reason why charities accept to have their used car donation programs run buy third-party brokers.

About the author

Michael Rad is a web developer and internet marketer, with a vast experience in creating informative websites. You can find out more about car donations by visiting where you will learn how to donate a used car to charity

Coming up with the down payment for a home purchase can be a big hurdle. If you are straining to get the money together, be careful because the IRS is targeting down payment scams.

Down Payment Scams – The IRS is Hunting

Charitable organizations do not pay taxes. This occurs when an organization is qualified by the IRS as an exempt charity under section 501c3 of the tax revenue code. While most charitable organizations are legitimate, some are really just business that have strained and bent the rules to gain the tax exempt status. The IRS frowns upon such organizations and usually moves to shut them down.

Currently, the IRS is looking at over 180 tax exempt organizations that provide down payment assistance to homebuyers. Specifically, the IRS is looking at a seller financing strategy that it deems to be questionable. The strategy works where a buyer does not have enough money to make the required down payment demanded by a lender. The seller agrees to give the money to a charitable organization in exchange for a tax deduction. The organization then makes a loan to the buyer for the amount required to fund the down payment. Specific strategies vary, but this is the basic idea.

The IRS views this strategy as an abuse of the charitable donation laws. It also appears to be working with HUD and lenders to identify such transactions because lenders are complaining the strategy is fraudulent. If the lenders knew that the buyer could not meet the down payment threshold, they supposedly would not be issuing the loan. With both the IRS and lender agencies unhappy, this strategy should be avoided at all costs.

At this time, it is unclear how the government agencies will treat the seller and buyer in such a transaction. The IRS appears to be primarily interested in the organizations acting as charitable middlemen. Undoubtedly, sellers will eventually be stripped of relevant tax deduction claims and face a higher audit risk. Any ramifications to the buyer are unclear, but the lenders may look to call loans or demand further security. Any way you cut it, these seller financed down payment strategies should be avoided.

Dan Lewis is with Great Western Mortgage - San Diego mortgage brokers.

Taking advantage of car donation services in New York is beneficial not only for the charity you choose and the beneficiaries of that charity's support but also for you. Driving and parking a vehicle in New York is a particularly hair-raising, and expensive, endeavor. Used car donation helps relieve you of the hassle of an unwanted car in an efficient manner. You also benefit from used car donation through the tax write-off that comes when you donate to charity. Finally, car donation gives you a sense of gratification, knowing that you are helping those in your local community through your gift.

Why car donation is particularly important in New York

Charity car donation is a service which is helpful to people all over the United States, but it is particularly important in New York for a number of reasons. The large population of New York City makes it a place which is, in many ways, overcrowded. This creates a two-fold problem which is eased through the car donation program. First, making use of unwanted cars alleviates the burden of waste which occurs when there are such unused large objects littering the city. Second, car donation allows charities to better serve the needs of the population.

How car donation serves you

The stereotypes that says that New Yorkers are all self-serving has never held true. However, it is human nature to want to know what you are going to get out of any given situation, because this helps you to weigh your options in decision-making. Car donation offers may benefits to the individual donating a car. Car donation relieves you of the hassle of towing an immovable vehicle or of advertising and negotiating sales of a used vehicle. In New York City, car donation is particularly useful in helping you to efficiently move a vehicle which may be accumulating parking fees and ticket fines. Car donation also makes you eligible for a tax deduction, reducing what you owe to the government and moving that money to the local community. Finally, charity car donation also allows New Yorkers to give to their community and to feel more connected to the people around them, despite the bustling, high-energy pace of New York.

Car donation isn't just for cars

Most people who participate in car donation are trying to get rid of their cars, but you should know that car donation can help you to get rid of many different types of unwanted vehicles. Trucks, vans, RVs and trailers are just some of the automobiles you can get rid of through used car donation programs. This information is especially useful for those people who have recently moved, or are considering a move, to New York City. Many people transport their belongings to New York, only to find that they are stuck with large vehicles which are debilitating in the city. Figuring out what to do with your vehicle is the last thing you want on your mind when you first move in to the city. Car donation will take away that burden.

Donating your car to charity is a great idea but it can be difficult to know where to start. Get the best information so that you can be comfortable knowing you've made the right decision. For more information:

People who are thinking of donating their cars for a variety of foundations or programs aimed at helping other people now have more reasons to think about donating their used cars. While the act of donating something should be done for proper motivations, the recipients of these car donations have just devised a way to cerate more motivations for future donors.

Car donors can donate their used cars and receive a receipt for tax deduction. Not only that, they can also donate their cars in exchange for a free vacation in any of the places identified by the recipient foundation or group.

Some people who want to donate their used cars hesitate because of the belief that there would be too much paperwork involved with the donation process. However, they should contact their identified recipient because there are foundation and group recipient that offer a hassle-free donation process for future donors.

Organizations that are accepting used car donations usually do all the work like picking up the used car to be donated. The only thing a donor has to do is to fill up the car donation form and take the accompanying benefits like the tax deduction certificate and the free vacation certificate. There are organizations that give out hotel and resort tickets in exchange for a used car donation.

These organizations accept car donations in all forms, including jet skis, recreational vehicles, trailers, boats or motorcycles. They also accept cars that are no longer running or in good condition for as long as the value of the car comes out greater than the value of towing the car from the donor's place. To emphasize the convenience of donating your used cars, there are organizations that will pick the donated car even if the owner is not at home, provided he leaves behind the necessary papers and the keys.

The used cars that are donated to these organizations will be used depending on the condition of the car. One thing is however sure; the donor gets a tax deduction equal to the value of the car with a maximum of $500 or in cases when the car is resold, he gets a tax deduction equal to the amount of the resell price of the car.

There is an even easier method of donating one's used car and this is through the internet. You just need to fill out the forms online and then the deal is closed.

The proceeds of car donations will go to different foundations or organizations that provide for the needs of children and other sectors. There are groups that take special care of distressed children. In most organizations, a hundred percent of the used car proceeds are used to fund their programs on unemployed youth, recovering youth or youth in hazardous situations. Other organizations used the proceeds to fund projects on genetic and clinical research and outreach programs. Some use the funds to provide supplies and other resources for doctors and their families.

So if you have one or more vehicle that have remained unused in your garage for a long time and which you have no use for , then better donate them to your favorite foundation or group and get more benefits in exchange.

The author regularly contributes to My Vehicle Donations where more vehicle donation information is available.

An extremely large number of children all around the world are in serious need of help. Sponsoring a child is a great way of helping these poor children live a better life, and by sponsoring a child with a charity donation you will feel a certain warm feeling of satisfaction when you will see that a child which had no hope is now grown-up and happy thanks to your help.

A recent research has proven that nowadays once at three seconds a child dies because of the lack of a home, food and water - things that we can't even imagine our lives without. Needless to say that for these children, schools and education is a luxury that they can only dream about.

If you decide to sponsor a child you will be able to choose the location where you want him to be, and then you can pick the special child you want to help from a list that also has the pictures of those children.

You will then be connected with that child, he will know your location and your name, and he will constantly write to you and tell you how he is feeling and what he is doing. If you want you can also send the child a picture of you and a letter where you introduce yourself to him, so that he knows who is helping him.

Your charity donation sponsorship can bring clean and fresh water, medication, treatment and also school and education to one of the many children in need.

You will be the only person that sponsors one child, because there are many of them and too little sponsors to assign more that one sponsor to one child. Therefore, you will be one of the most important persons in his life. If you want, after some time you can even visit that child and see how he's doing and in what way you've helped him. You're surely receive a warm welcome from the child and his family.

Child sponsorships are usually done through charitable organizations specialized in charity donations. These organizations also make investments with the money they receive so that every dollar you send is most likely multiplied. Besides providing the child you choose and his family with their basic need, a part of your investment is used to train volunteers that go directly at the heart of the matter and help the people there by providing vaccinations and nutritional programs. Also, with the money coming from the people's charity donations, some other major projects can come to life, like the building of schools with all the needed educational equipment, roads and bridges over the rivers so that children from a wide area can come to the schools, and also water and irigation systems - clean and fresh water is highly important for people's health.

So if you want to know more about how to sponsor a child check this links. Your charity donation could save his life !

Use Free Church Management Software - to save you time in the office

Are you looking for church management software that fits your ministry and your pocket? Would you like to try out the latest applications but don't want to commit yourself?

Whether you're looking a solution for a small church with just a few members or a sophisticated solution for a church with hundreds of members, there will be a software solution to match your needs.

Before you start surfing the net looking for a solution, consider what exactly you are looking for. Do you need it primarily to manage your accounting function, are you looking for something that will create your church website, or maybe you just want something to manage the task of creating your church directory (groan!). Make a list of the essential and desirables that you are looking for first.

Free Church Software

Many of the most reputable companies providing church management software solutions offer a free trial to enable you to try their system for yourself. This is an ideal way to try out, without risk, the latest softwares that may offer the solution that you have been seeking.

Traditional uses of church software include management of financial and accounting functions.

It is now possible to find software that will manage your membership, create a church calendar, keep records of donations, manage your church library, publish your church bulletin, update your church directory, integrate church music, worship songs and data projection.

In short, if there is something you need done in your church, there's almost certainly software that will do it for you!

For further information and reviews on all the free trials & church management software providers , visit Jen has been reviewing church software since 2005 and is herself an ICT manager in a busy office.

For further information and reviews on all the free trials & church management software providers , visit for free trials of Church Management Software

Do you feel like a pack mule carrying around a heavy load? It is no wonder we are always exhausted with the load most of us carry. It's not only the physical stuff we carry but also the emotional and mental load of the stuff we carry in our heads. Everyday when I go to work I see people burdened down by backpacks, briefcases, laptop cases, purses, bags, rolling carts and more! Why is everyone always carrying so much stuff? Maybe you job is such that you have to take all that paperwork home with you every night. But do you work on it or are you too exhausted? So then what happens? You carry it back to work the next day! We bring laptops home to work on them but do we? You carry your workout clothes, water bottle, cd's, books, extra shoes and a ton of other stuff "just in case". Ask yourself how you would feel if you didn't have all this stuff with you everyday?

How is your home? Lots of stuff there too? Are you a pack rat saving things for a rainy day? Magazines stacking up for the day you have time to read them? Clothes hanging in the closet that you haven't worn in years? Boxes of stuff packed away that you don't even know what is them anymore? Junk mail piling up on the counter?

Having lots of stuff around you clutters your mind. It starts to overwhelm you and you don't know where to start. You start to worry about it, what to do with it, where to put it. Pretty soon you can even think about it anymore and then it just continues to get worse.

Then there is the emotional baggage you might be carrying. Anger, depression, financial concerns, relationships, employment can all add to an already heavy load. If you start to deal with these issues you may find it is easier to deal with the other clutter in your life. At the same time you may find getting rid of the physical clutter will help your emotional and mental load.

Start to lighten your load by making a list. What is the number one thing you could do to lighten your load? Next outline the steps you need to take to start reducing the clutter in your life. Break it down into small steps such as cleaning out one closet, not the whole house. Sell off, giveaway or throw out the stuff you no longer need. Have a garage sale or sell off stuff on ebay. Use the money you earn for treating yourself to a day at a spa. Make a vow not to keep carrying the same stuff back and forth to the office.

Once you start to lighten your load you will feel like you have more energy, clearer thoughts and a happier outlook on life. You will no longer have to worry about all that stuff that has been cluttering your life. You will find you can travel farther in life with a lighter load.

To start to lighten your load and help others have a garage sale for charity. Visit Garage Sales for Charity for full information. Helping save the world one garage sale at at time.

It's that time of year again—Garage Sale Season! If you have started your spring cleaning and decided it is time to get rid of your excess stuff, having a garage sale is a great way to accomplish that. You can take it a step further and become part of the new grass roots movement taking off across the country, to raise funds for charity. It is called Garage Sales for C

A very simple effortless way for millions of individuals who have a garage sale to raise funds for their favorite charity. If you plan on having a garage sale you don't need to do anything special or different, all you need to do is commit to donating a minimum of $50 or 10% or your sales to your favorite charity. Any charity--your local food shelf, church program, local shelter, national charity, wherever you feel it will do the most good. It is entirely up to you.

Garage Sales for C does not handle any of the funds donated. They simply act as a central resource for ideas and promotion. The simplicity of this plan is what makes it so appealing. Effortless fund raising for charities during the slow summer months when donations are down. There are no ulterior motives or agendas to promote. There are no million-dollar budgets behind this, no expensive TV commercials, and no celebrity endorsements. They are not affiliated with any organization, charity or political group.

One person, one garage sale can make a difference. This is grass roots at its best. The potential over the next several months is huge! A mere 100 people participating every week in every state would raise $1,000,000 a month for charities across the country. This is money local charities would have otherwise never seen, during the months they may need it the most. Charities can hop on board by including web address in all their fund raising materials, giving the people who they count on the most, one more way to raise funds. Sell, donate, feel good! Saving the world one garage sale at a time.

For full information on having a garage sale for charity visit Garage Sales for Charity

The history of car donation stretches back a long way, if you are aware where to search you can easily find info on topics such as places to donate used cars, car donation charities in michigan and also purchasing donated vehicles, a multitude of people will probably need specific tax rules info. Imagine you are searching for advice on jewish car donations, clearly these sort of topics may not be freely available on that many sites, make sure you use your bookmarks button whilst you carry out this kind of taxation research, your precious search results should be treated with the utmost of care.

Car donation is a subject that has a long and exstensive history and spans many different areas such as car donation centers,tax and car donation and taxation. Experts on IRS will be able to give you some real niche articles on areas such as california car donations and even how to start your own blog on the subject of charity car donation, you could even specialise in related niches like taxation and money saving tips.

Although you are looking for tax advice on the world wide web you may have neglected your town library, they will unquestionably give you access to tax related books that will reveal to you the history of car donation. Carrying out tax donation research can be an exhausting thing, your search might have primarily been made for donating cars to charitable organizations but during your search you actually may have ended up learning about, charitable car donations, donating used vehicles and even car donation in california, you must try not lose track of the real purpose of your search.

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The tax code in the United States contains many provisions to promote certain behavior. One area of behavior is the promotion of giving to qualified charities.

Giving To Charities – Tax Deductions and Such

In the rush to get tax returns prepared and filed, many people absentmindedly forget to include deductions for contributions to charities. If you itemize deductions on your tax return, this can be an expensive omission.

Pursuant to relevant provisions of the tax code, you can take significant deductions if you donate money or goods to a qualified charity. A qualified charity is one that is registered with the IRS as a 501c3 entity. The 501 designation refers to the relevant section of the tax code.

Importantly, not all charitable organizations are qualified with the IRS. You can go to the IRS web site and search through a list to see if a particular group is included. If they are not, red flags should go be raised.

Before claiming your deduction for donations, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. Politics – You may feel strongly about certain political ideologies, issues or candidates. You can contribute to the causes, but you can't deduct the contributions as charitable giving.

2. You can only deduct contributions actually made for the year in question. If you forgot to claim donations on your tax return for the 2004 year, you cannot claim them on a 2005 return. Instead, you should go back and amend the 2004 return.

3. If you make a contribution for a good or service, you can only deduct the amount you contribute which is in excess of the fair market value of the good or service. For instance, many charitable groups will hold auctions to raise money. If your winning bid for a two night hotel stay is $800, you can claim a deduction for the bid amount minus the normal cost. You cannot just write off $800.

4. In general, donations of stock or property should assigned the fair market value, not an arbitrary figure based on your opinion. Big ticket items should be supported with an appraisal.

5. The rules for donating automobiles have changed. The charitable group should have sent you correspondence regarding the amount it was able to sell the vehicle for. This is the amount you can deduct, not the blue book amount previously allowed. If the charity has not sent you anything, call them to get written confirmation. They know it has to be done under new IRS regulations.

Donating to charities is positive moral step. Make sure to claim your deductions to reap savings on your taxes.

Richard A. Chapo is with the site - Business Tax Recovery - providing information on tax and taxes. Visit us to read more tax articles and our new tax credits page.

Need a new way to pump up this year's fundraisers at your nonprofit? These six fundraising ideas will definitely maximize your results.

1 - Auction off premium event seating

2 - Grab Google Grants for publicity

3 - Leverage eBay for donations

4 - Swell your revenue stream with credit

5 - Multiply donations with upfront requests

6 - Explode your results by going OTT

Auction Premium Seating

Heard about the Minneapolis church that auctioned off their three front pews for the Christmas Eve service as part of their school fundraiser? The bids topped $6,000 or $1,000 a pew. Not bad for something that went for free most other places. Just imagine what you can get for the premium seats at your own events.

Google Grants

Are you hip to Google Grants? The world's favorite search engine provides free advertising for registered 501c nonprofit groups. The Google Grants program is like Google's pay-per-click AdWords program without having to pay for the clicks.

To be eligible, groups must have a website, non-profit 501(c)(3) status and not be religious or political in nature. Google picks new grantees every quarter. To apply for Google's free advertising program, fill out an online application at

eBay Giving Works

Got eBay? Not in your fund raising plan? Then go to the world's largest market place and sign up your nonprofit group for online donations. eBay Giving Works puts the power of the eBay Marketplace to work for nonprofit organizations.

Anyone can sell items on eBay and donate part or the entire final sale price to your nonprofit organization. Donations from the sales of eBay Giving Works items will be collected and distributed to you, and tax receipts will be issued to the seller on your behalf. Find out more at

Increase Revenue With Credit

Did you know credit is better than cash? Not only are people more likely to honor a pledge backed by a credit card than an ordinary phone pledge (100% to 70%), they are also much more willing to give more if you split the amount into smaller monthly pledges.

Instead of asking for a $100 donation, ask for $10 a month. Make sure you set it up as a recurring billing where you can bill the monthly amount for periods up to 36 months. Find the monthly sweet spot of your donor base and explode your donations on autopilot.

Make It Easy To Donate

Shy about asking directly for money? A small Illinois nonprofit held a fundraising dinner for their supporters and raised $6,000. They prominently placed a big donation jar at the registration table and raised an extra $18,000.

Don't be shy about asking for help and don't be shy about making it as easy as possible for supporters to give financial support at any event. Just be upfront about your needs and give them high visibility.

Explode Results By Going OTT

Know the secret of OTT? Over the top is what you want your fundraising event to be, the must attend occasion topping the social calendar. Pull out all the stops to add glitz and glamour. Be sure to provide multiple attractions that encourage participants to join in the fun (and open their wallets) wherever possible.

Silent auctions, live auctions, raffles, door prizes, entertainment, sponsorships, celebrity presenters, and glamorous settings work wonders by boosting turnout through free publicity and word of mouth. By going "over the top" with your fundraising event, you'll magnify your donations mightily.

Put these fundraising ideas to work for your nonprofit group and make 2006 your best year ever.

Greg Reynolds writes about ideas for fundraising and other non-profit fundraisers at FundraiserH Browse the site today for hundreds of great fundraising tips.

First responders arrived at the home initially, followed soon thereafter by paramedics. We picked up the dispatch over the radio scanner and prepared our minds and equipment in trauma room one. This one was a long time coming which surprised us all since the scene was within five minutes of the ER by car. 45 minutes passed before the call came telling us they were inbound.

The ambulance pulled up to the doors and he was brought in on a stretcher. He was SOA- smurfed on arrival, or perhaps I should say cyanotic for the sake of the purists, which really means that his skin was a most unappealing shade of blue. No IV line had been started, and the rescue team were bagging as they hurried him into the ER. 45 minutes on scene, four paramedics accompanying him - the focus of the time on scene had been concentrated on CPR alternating with unsuccessful attempts to intubate.

My heart leapt into my throat as the stretcher was rolled into place beside where I stood waiting, under the saucer shaped overhead exam light, with IV catheter in hand & fluid hung ready to get a line started. With his face partially obscured by venti-mask this bare-chested man lying on the stretcher was the spitting image of a man I deeply cared for- was it... ? No time to pause to know that instant- other things took priority and the IV was started, the ER doc tried to intubate, the parameds kept up CPR and the theater became a whirlwind of fast working professionals, some drawing blood for lab, taking x-rays, connecting the lines for cardiac monitoring etc...

Very quickly I became busy pushing medicines through the IV line, atropine, bicarb, epi, we drained the crash cart in short order and had the house supervisor dashing for more. As I paused between each administration I was able to see the man more distinctly and know he was not the person I thought him to be at first glance, although he could surely have been the man's brother.

All efforts to intubate were unsuccessful as were the medicines we were giving and the jolts from the defibrillator The patient's wife had arrived and we learned that he was on the waiting list for a new heart. With sadness, and after an hour of all out effort in the ER we knew his name would be off that list that night.

The doctor called the code. The patient was pronounced. We removed the signs of our interventions and made him presentable. His wife grieved. The ER physician returned to his call room and the nursing staff began the mountain of tasks and paperwork that follow an unsuccessful code.

My partner had recently been certified for organ harvest and she noted on his driver's license that he had agreed to be a donor and so after providing his wife a bit of time to cry, we had the task of approaching this subject with her. I remember how his wife handled it- she was a hero that night. We watched the time and let her know when we would have to begin at the latest. A wonderful trooper, she departed leaving her husband in our care. It would be the last time she would look upon his features as he was to be cremated.

"K" and I studied the manual closely, assembled all the necessary items and got started. We worked together and by carefully retracting, snipping and cutting delicately, removing first one eye, and then the other, being sure to get as much optic nerve as possible, pin it, cage the specimens and pack them properly. It's a highly emotional feeling, the first time you actually perform an organ harvest, and as emergency nurses, a scientifically interesting change of routine as well. "K" and I remained high on our experience the remainder of our tour of duty.

That was the first time I participated in an organ harvest. There have been others since that night, but no matter how many chance and circumstances will bring me to participate in or perform over the course of my nursing career I will never forget Mr. "S" or his brave wife. I am left filled with awe every time I think about the contribution Mr. "S" made.

If I were to write a blockbuster movie or a best-selling novel I would never come close to leaving a more meaningful contribution than that of Mr. "S" and all those who like him donate their organs. My mother had cataracts from an early age and her quality of life was greatly improved by being able to have lens implants. My father, still flying his private plane at age 82, recently had a lens implant done and passed his FAA flight physical. I hope it comforts Mrs. "S", as it should, to know that her husband gave of himself so that others would be able to lead better lives. What finer contribution can any of us hope to make? I remember Mr. "S" with great respect and every once in a while speak quietly and smile while telling him ... Mr. "S", you're a hell of a man. Somehow I think he looks down and smiles back...

I hope that the next time you renew your driver's license, or otherwise come across the question of whether or not you would like to become a designated organ donor you will remember Mr. "S" too and all of the fine people like him and consider checking the box that says yes.

Written as I smile, remembering Mr. "S"

Sara Ellis RN, BSN has extensive background in nursing at all levels with over 20 years experience in NICU, ICU, and ER (both civilian and military). To learn more about Nursing visit Medi-S , a site that offers nursing career resources, online nursing degrees , and continuing education for nurses.

Looking for tips on writing a better fundraising letter? Use these quick tips

to craft your next donation request letter. Feel free to modify the sample

letter below to fit your specific needs.

-Good news - Always start the letter with a series of good news

-Use bullets to build momentum and make entire letter entertaining and informative

- Use foreshadowing to tease your reader and keep him or her reading.

- Create a widow at the end of the first page (a thought that's finished

on page two)

- Make your reader turn the page

-Describe what you want to do next

- Tell what you're going to do.

- Why you're going to do it.

- How you're going to do it.

- What results you expect.

List suggested contribution amounts

- Use even numbersin graduated amounts

- Offer a monthly auto charge credit card option ($10 a month is $120 a year)

- Include a blank line for write-in amounts

-Remind readers that their contribution is your budget - Your successes have been possible because of their past contributions

- Thank them!

Use P.S.'s for skimmers

- May titillate skimmers and get them to read the entire letter.

- To create a sense of urgency.

Sample Donation Request Letter

Date

Dear Name of sponsor,

On (date of event), I will join hundreds of others to help end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis by (riding/walking/skating) in the MS (event name). By making a pledge on my behalf, you are supporting research and local services to those affected with this unpredictable disease.

Give details - Tell your story: I have a personal stake in this particular event. My (dad, aunt, sister) has MS. Not only do I want to help him/her, but also the many others diagnosed with MS. MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. Some symptoms of MS may include loss of balance, impaired vision and hearing, fatigue, muscle weakness and, in some,

paralysis. Even simple everyday living skills become increasingly difficult.

Everyone is affected differently by these symptoms.

My goal is to raise at least (specify dollar amount) this year, which represents $1 for every person with MS registered with our local MS Chapter. Please help me reach that goal with your pledge. Your donation is tax deductible. If you wish, you may mail all or part of your payment amount today in the self-addressed stamped envelope enclosed with this letter.

Otherwise, I will collect your pledge after the event. Please make your check

payable to the National MS Society. My deadline to get my pledges in is (deadline date). Following the event, I will send out a brief recap of the MS (event name) to all my sponsors.

Thank you in advance for your support. Please call me if you have any questions or comments about the MS (event name). I can be reached at (phone number).

Sincerely,

Your name

Kimberly Reynolds writes about fundraising and advice on writing donation request letters. Find more fundraising letters on her website FundraiserH

Donating a car to charity is not that difficult. However, you need to be aware of the tax regulations before you donate your car to a non-profit organization. The IRS provides some general rules of thumb on car donations:

Starting in 2005, if the claimed value of your donated car exceeds $500 and the item is sold by the charitable organization, your tax deduction is limited to the amount of money the charitable organization actually receives from selling the vehicle.

The charitable organization must provide you (the donor) with a written acknowledgement within thirty days of the sale, specifically stating the net amount they received for selling your donated car.

As an example, let's say you make a car donation to a non-profit charity, and the fair market value of that car is $5,000. The charity then sells the car without "significant use" or "material improvement", for a total sale price of $2,500. Your deduction is limited to $2,500, not the $5,000 fair market value.

This is substantially different than earlier years when you could deduct the entire estimated fair market value instead of the amount that the car donation actually raised for the charity.

Another caveat is that many non-profit organizations use a third-party administrative service to handle the pick-up and auction sale or your car donation. The resulting administrative fees are often 20% or more of what the car sells for at auction.

Your tax deduction is correspondingly lowered by the amount of third-party fees because the net amount the charity receives has been reduced. In the example above, your car donation deduction would be reduced from $2,500 to $2,000.

There are a few exceptions to these car donation tax deduction rules of thumb that are recognized by the IRS.

Car Donations: Significant Use & Material Improvements

If the charity significantly uses or materially improves the vehicle, they must certify that in the form of an acknowledgement to the donor (within 30 days of the contribution).

In the case of significant use or material improvement, the donor may usually deduct the vehicle's market value ($4,000 in the example above).

To be considered "significant use":

An organization must use the vehicle to substantially further its regularly conducted activities.

The recipient organization's use of the vehicle:

1 - Must not be insignificant

2 - Must not be intended at the time of the donation

Significance also depends on the frequency and duration of use by the non-profit organization.

"Material improvement" includes major repairs or other improvements that significantly increase the vehicle's value.

Cleaning the vehicle, minor repairs, and routine maintenance are not material improvements.

Make sure you don't get misled by a car donation sales pitch claiming higher tax deductions than the IRS allows.

See IRS Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property

Greg Reynolds writes about fundraisers and fundraising events for schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations. Signup for the free monthly newsletter at and get free samples from top suppliers.

"I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act."

Bill Gates

Think about it and I know you'll agree that Bill's statement is true. Charities have used tv and film to make sure that we know the problems. They also show us how we can make the lives of the people who need help better. It may not be just money either. For example, charities donations can be tinned foods or warm clothes for bitterly cold nights, or spectacles to help people see. You can even make a charity car donation to be used or sold by the charity. Things we don't have a use for any more but are still too good to throw away. This way we can make a difference easily and feel that we are helping in a way that doesn't mean we have to give money.

If you like to give money, do you give charity donations regularly or just when you see a disaster has happened on the news? If you donate money to charity regularly, I expect you have already decided on the area that is most important to you, such as homelessness or Aids. I also expect you have discovered the tax benefits too. The tax that you have already paid on charities donations can be reclaimed by the charity. With minimum tax in the UK at 22%, that can make a big difference to how much they raise. If you have not filled in the forms, ask the charity for more information on how to do it.

If, like me, you don't have a 'favourite' charity, it is a good idea to plan your budget for the year and then decide who to help. Charities like the Red Cross, Oxfam, Cafod, etc. are known worldwide and are often first at disaster scenes. Then there is the charities set up as 'one offs' to help rebuild communities after disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami. Searching the Internet will help find details of those. The support in charities donations for these last two areas means that the people who have lost everything can receive help to start again.

Perhaps you think that it is better to help with charity donations closer to home. Sometimes the best and most satisfying things to do is be involved with fund raising at a local level. When I had a young family we used to help raise money for the local school. This meant giving time as well as money or goods and through it we made new friends. We lived in a country village and the children enjoyed celebrating harvest festival by giving fresh vegetables and fruit. When the festival was over the food would go to a local charity for the homeless.

Now the children have grown up and we have moved away from the village. That doesn't mean I have stopped helping. It just means that I do it differently. I work full time now so I can't help out with my time easily. In recent years I have chosen two areas to support. One is cancer research as it affects my family. The other is children's charity, local, national and international. In this way I get the satisfaction of believing my financial help to the charities donations makes a better future.

You will find more articles and information relating to Charities Donations at

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