Some of my favorite

Year End Charitable Donations

If I didn't spend all my money on Christmas presents. Google these yourself-
They all rely upon and need your contributions because philanthropy took a whopping with the recession of late. It's all tax deductible to you.

Please consider donating to these worthy causes:
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS. A progressive Think Tank with solid scholarship.
John Podesta, a Prince among men runs a brilliant ship. I hear he is also a brilliant Italian cook but I have yet to get his recipes. He should write a book of his favorite fare and sell it on the CAP website for kicks (or next year's Christmas presents. I offer to taste test:-))

Other think tanks I like because I like to think on all sides:
THE HUDSON INSTITUTE (squarely on the other ideological side, but you have to know what they think and why. A bit scary to find yourself sitting next to Scooter Libby or that CIA guy who helped Cheney fabricate the pretext for a war, but they are friends of Israel and so am I-we just disagree on methodology I suppose)

THE CATO INSTITUTE
Good scholarship on things like racial profiling of 'illegals' in Arizona and facts on the immigration debate among other great studies on the over-reach of government, that didn't reach far enough to clear the snow in New Jersey this week.

OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE- George Soros doesn't need the money but it's a great effort on all fronts.

BROOKINGS INSTITUTE- especially their new effort on Religion in the Public Square with that pistol of a free thinking catholic E.J.Dionne. Great programs.

NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION-Hill refugee Steve Clemons brings thoughtful Foreign Policy debates to the commoner and brings both sides together to discuss Israeli-Palestinian, US-Middle Eastern Relations, and other such thoughtful courteous debates.

THE RUMI FORUM- Best hidden secret in Washington. They serve up Turkish lunches over panel discussions on everything touching on religious reconciliation and geopolitical peacemaking. Blessed are those Peacemakers. I hope to see more of the Turkish Constitutional scholar at St. Mary's in Maryland who recently gave a presentation to a few Judges and attorneys at their downtown DC Headquarters. http://www.rumiforum.org/

CONFLICT SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL- The All Volunteer org of Pro Bono attorneys, advocates and international peacemaker types founded by George D'Angelo, a former UN Legal Counsel from Italy who did mediation time in Bosnia, (raised in Rome and attended the American School in Rome in his youth) who is a practicing attorney in the greater DC area and even slogging away admirably in Immigration Court in Baltimore once in a while. Very insightful putting together of panels on discussions such as the Iranian issue, Cuban Five and the hostage situation with a USAID worker currently held with Cuban political prisoners, and speakers who would never come together, reporters from major papers and journals such as the Economist, and London Financial Times.

ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE. They are about Justice. Need I say more? They are also about confirming enough Judges who are not out of their minds so we actually have a Rule of Law. It also appears to be run predominantly by a woman, so major Kudos there to Nan Aron. We need more things run by a woman. Like the White House. Just not that woman whose name rhymes with Pained Limbs.

Then there are hundreds of worthy orgs. of every religious persuasion, pick yours. The ones to the right of this blog always get my attention- especially that repose of sometimes sanity Saint Matthews Cathedral in the heart of working schlephood in DC and Holy Trinity because Jesuits, the Society of Jesus, are smart people- and run one of my Alma Maters Georgetown (where I did my law degree.) Especially fond I am of those Jesuits because they allow one to think freely even when it rails against the orthodoxy. Fides et Ratio. Faith should not be divorced from reason if we take seriously that one must worship with one's whole mind as well. The Dominicans seem to have enough money in their palace and trust fund but feel free to give money to them in Bari Italy where they are guarding Santa Claus (the relics of the Real Saint Nicolas from what is now modern day Turkey.)