If I Was a Millionaire by Lynn Lovegreen

If I Was a Millionaire: That’s our theme this month. What a fun concept to ponder….

For my first reaction, I came up with the usual ideas—things or experiences I could buy for myself, family and friends. And if this really happened, I’d certainly do some of that. But I’m lucky enough to have what I need already. What I should do, what would be more meaningful, is to give at least some of that money to people and causes that really need it.

Here’s my list; you can compare it to your own list of favorite causes. I included the websites in case you want to learn more about any of them.

Nonprofits that work internationally:

The Carter Center https://www.cartercenter.org

The Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org

Peace Corps https://www.peacecorps.gov

UNHCR: the UN Refugee Agency http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/

U.S Nonprofits:

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) https://www.aclu.org

ALA (American Library Association) http://www.ala.org 

American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org

Planned Parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org

Alaska Nonprofits:

Anchorage Museum https://www.anchoragemuseum.org

Food Bank of Alaska http://www.foodbankofalaska.org

Great Land Trust http://greatlandtrust.org

I could go on, but you get the idea. And if we do end up with a little extra money this year, let’s donate it to help the world become a better place. The future begins with each of us and the decisions we make every day. So let’s use that for good. That’ll make us feel like a million bucks! ;-)

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for almost fifty years. She taught for twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.