Thanksgiving has passed. December is here. It is officially the season of giving. As some may be looking for ways to squeeze in a little charitable giving before the end of the year, and others may be looking for a non-traditional gift for family and friends, we’ve decided to pull together a list of 12 ways you can support The Cure Starts Now year-round.

Traditional Giving:

Probably the easiest and most traditional way to give to The Cure Starts Now is a simple donation. But did you know there are several ways to make a monetary donation?

1. Donate Online or Via Check:
   We’ve updated our online donation to support both credit card and e-check payments, but if you’d prefer to mail a check, we’ll take those too. You can also mark your donation to be in support of your local chapter or in tribute of a hero whose story touched you. Visit donate2csn.org

DID YOU KNOW?
Many companies will match the donation you make to a non-profit organization. See if your company matches donations.

2. Stock Donation:
   For the financial savvy out there, you also have the option of donating stocks. Donating stock allows more money to come to the charity and gives you a larger itemized deduction than a traditional donation. It’s a win-win. Contact us to initiate the process.
3. Combined Federal Campaign:
   The CFC was created to provide all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all through philanthropy. Federal employees are offered a unique opportunity to make donations through automatic payroll deductions. Get started at https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/ and enter CFC# 74602

Tangible Giving: Give a Little. Get a Little.

Sometimes a simple donation may not be your thing. Maybe you’d like to see a direct result from your giving. Well, we’ve got you covered.

4. Monkey In My Chair:
   This program supports children currently battling cancer. A child is sent a backpack with a large stuffed monkey that goes to school for them while they are out for treatment. It provides a way for cancer patients to stay connected to their classmates. You can sponsor a kit for just $75.00.
5. Cure Starts Now Swag:
   Want to support CSN and show others that you support too? Head over to our online store and pick up CSN branded merchandise – everything from popsockets and Yeti-style tumblers, to shirts and jackets. Visit our shop!
6. Kroger Community Rewards:
   Did you know that every time you shop at Kroger you can support The Cure Starts Now? It’s true. Just head to Kroger Community Rewards and enter "The Cure Starts Now" or "BG043" With every dollar you spend a percentage will go toward funding Homerun Cure research. Get a little something for yourself, and automatically give a little to us.

Involved Giving: Event Support

The Cure Starts Now holds a variety of events across the country, year-round. And there is no shortage of ways that you can get involved and give back at the same time.

7. Volunteer:
   Our events are successful in large part to the volunteers who help us out. From event setup and tear down, to helping with registration and all points in between – a simple donation of time can go a long way toward helping us raise funds for critical research. Check out our current volunteer opportunities.

DID YOU KNOW?
Some companies will actually donate money to an organization based on volunteer hours from their employees. To date, Allstate has donated over $167,000 to The Cure Starts Now for their agents and employees volunteering at CSN events.

8. Facebook Fundraiser:
   Giving Tuesday this year showed us just how effective Facebook fundraisers can be – raising over $130,000. Set one up in lieu of gifts. Visit our Facebook page to see how easy it is to get started.
9. Host an Event:
   Maybe you want to be a bit more hands on. You want to personally get the community involved in something bigger. Why not host your own event or fundraiser? From school soup night to fun runs and golf scrambles, we’ve seen successful events all over. Contact us to get started.
10. Get Your Kids Involved with Fundraising:
    Show your children the true meaning of the holidays. Host a hot chocolate stand in a busy shopping area and sell cookies or candy canes, or check out these other ideas.
11. Corporate Support:
    Do you work for a company that does community outreach? From coin jars at Panera and Jersey Mike’s to free cone days at Graeter’s, there are several ways businesses have helped CSN fund research. Contact us to get started.
    
    While volunteers play a large part in the success of our events, so do our event sponsors. Events generate a lot of dollars for research, but they also cost money to put on. Sponsors have a huge impact on the amount of event-raised money we can funnel toward research by offsetting the general costs of hosting an event.
12. Donate an Item:
    Many of our events have silent auctions and/or raffles. You can help raise money, by simply donating an item for a basket. But think outside the basket too. Do you have a vacation home? Donate a week-long vacation. Work for a unique business (sky diving, rafting, etc.)? Donate a service.