Top Ten Unusual Ways to Give

1. What Wood You Do?

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the most intense of the 2005 Hurricane Season. The KatRita Wood Project was founded to help displaced people rebuild their property and restart their lives. The organization commissions chainsaw artists to create art and furniture from salvaged trees that fell during the storms. The pieces are then sold or auctioned off, and the proceeds go to hurricane victims. How You Can Help: KWR needs able-bodied volunteers to assist in moving and hauling fallen trees or in selling finished pieces and contacting corporate sponsors. Artistic types can volunteer for KWR as wood and chainsaw workers to create the items that will be sold. Or you can support KatRita by purchasing a finished piece.

5. Calling All Bookworms

One new charity is encouraging you to clear your bookshelves instead of your pockets. Operation Bare Your Bookshelf, an arm of Christian Resources International, encourages Christians to donate excess bibles and Christian books for distribution to chaplains, pastors, and Christians working on overseas missions. Those donating books are able to make direct contact with the recipients of their packages to exchange letters and prayers. How You Can Help: Donate bibles and books here. Many other organizations and religious groups sponsor book donation programs as well. The National Yiddish Book Center, for example, accepts donations of Jewish books for its vast collection and library in Amherst, Mass. And Books for Soldiers distributes books to military stationed overseas.

7. A Sight for Sore Eyes

The Gift of Sight provides free vision care and eyewear to underprivileged individuals in the U.S. and the developing world. Sponsored by Give the Gift of Sight Foundation and Luxottica Group, the organization runs vision clinics throughout the world, sponsors "Vision Vans" that provide eye exams to children, and helps recycle millions of pairs of used eyeglasses. How You Can Help: Gift of Sight hopes to help seven million people by 2008. You can assist in three ways: drop off your used eyewear at companies like LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut; give a personal or corporate financial donation; or partipate in e-fundraising. Need an incentive? The Gift of Sight pledges to give a special gift to anyone who raises more than $1,000.

8. Bear Essentials

Teddy bears are warm, fuzzy, and the perfect companion for a baby, young child, or even an adult. Give the gift of "cuddle" and donate a bear to someone in need of love and caring. Founded in 1969, Good Bears of the World was created to provide comfort to people that have suffered great loss. Since then they have given bears to the victims of floods, hurricanes, domestic violence and more catastrophic events such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the events of September 11th.

How You Can Help: There are many ways that you can contribute to this bear-y good cause. Interested donors can make financial contributions toward a bear, adopt a bear, or become a member dedicated to spreading the good news about GBW.

9. Ready to Wear

Instead of letting a used wedding dress hang untouched in the closet or in an attic, recent brides can donate their gowns to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation's Brides Against Breast Cancer program. The gowns are sold at a "nationwide tour of gowns" sale and the money raised goes to both women and men diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. The foundation has also expanded its efforts to include a Grooms Against Breast Cancer program in conjunction with a popular tuxedo rental chain.

How You Can Help: Preparing to walk down the aisle? Attend one of the Brides Against Breast Cancer sales in a city near you. Already wed? Donate your gown for use in the "nationwide tour of gowns." Making Memories is currently promoting an emergency appeal for dresses or donations after more than $3 million worth of dresses was stolen while en route to a sales event in Los Angeles.

10. Computer Rx

Computer Troubleshooters is the charity that charities themselves depend on. The organization, with locations throughout the country, provides discounted or donated services like web site design, Internet security, and spyware/spam protection to qualified non-profits. Each participating Computer Troubleshooters location reserves a set number of service hours each month for charitable work. How they can help you: Computer Troubleshooter's services make it easier for charitable organizations to give back to others. If you work for or run a qualified non-profit or charity, contact the Computer Troubleshooter nearest you. The website can connect you to other organizations, like Tech Soup and the Cristina Foundation, that provide tech support to charities.

How You Can Help

Charities to donate to and other ways to aid the hurricane victims Read next feature >