My mom couldn’t say no to a cause that touched her heart and after she died, my sisters and I spent a good amount of time going through all the mail my dad collected addressed to her. It was a massive pile of letters from Save the Wolves, Save the African Elephants, Save the Florida Wetlands, Save Snooty the Manatee and hundreds of other worthy causes.

My dad knew my mom gave money to these organizations, but mostly he turned a blind eye to her donations. Maybe he had no clue how much she’d actually given them, because most of her donations were made in cash. Long before you could click a button on a screen and donate the amount of your choice, the only options back then were to write a credit card number on their form or send a check. She had the foresight not to write her card information on a piece of paper that would pass through many hands, and she really didn’t want my dad to know how much she was giving, so she’d slip a dollar or five into the organization’s prepaid envelope and send it off.

Today, we are bombarded with emails from some of the same organizations my mom gave to, but with so many groups doing so much good, how do we decide who to support or who to help? How do we even know some of these organizations are legit, and who knows if the money we donate ever makes it to the cause we want to support? Just like my mom’s five dollar bill, that money could end up anywhere.

So let ME make this easier for you… We have vetted a list of reputable organizations working behind the scenes to save our planet, and on this Giving Tuesday, we’re sharing it with you! Best of all, because it is Giving Tuesday, most of these organizations are matching donations and turning that five dollars into ten, fifteen and even twenty.

If only my mom were still alive to experience that! She’d be thrilled knowing her money counted as more and you should be too. Because all of these organizations have been working tirelessly to save animals on the brink of extinction, to take big industry polluters to court and to clean up our oceans and planet so future generations can survive and prosper.

Why does a clothing company care about Giving Tuesday?

At MAJAMAS EARTH, making clothing that has a lower impact on the planet is only part of our business model. We are on a mission to save the world, and we believe collectively, we can do it. That’s why we share as much information as possible through blogs like this and our CARE WHAT YOU WEAR & So Much More Podcast to help everyone learn how to lower their eco-footprint.

So check out these organizations or head to Charity Navigator to find others. Remember, giving is what the holidays are all about, and once you donate, you’ll feel great.

Seriously, donating to a cause you believe in has real health benefits that can include lowering blood pressure, increasing self-esteem, less depression, lower stress levels, a longer life, greater happiness and increased satisfaction.

We want to thank you in advance for donating what you can to any or all of the organizations below.

Now go bask in the joy of the season and start to Care What You Wear… and so much more, because together, we CAN change the world, even if it’s only five bucks at a time…

– Germaine Caprio, MAJAMAS EARTH Company Owner & Designer