ThisAbled has made a comprehensive list of charities that make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in the United States and abroad.  This list includes those organizations that have a proven track record of direct or indirect service to people with disabilities.  The goal is to have you, our readers consider making a donation to one of these worthy organizations.  Please remember that all these organizations are not-for-profit groups and depend on you to continue their mission of service and research.  In order to claim your gift as a tax-deductible contribution for this year, your donation must be made by December 31, 2010.

We hope that in these dire times for people with disabilities and their families you can give a gift that makes a difference.  ThisAbled thanks you in advance for supporting the cause and sharing our list.

Canine Companions for Independence
Help is a four-legged word.

Founded in 1975, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. Headquartered in Santa Rosa, CA, CCI is the largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs, and is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. The result is a life full of increased independence and loving companionship.

Donate now:  Canine Companions for Independence


Michael J. Fox Foundation

MJFF is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today.

Donate now: Michael J. Fox Foundation

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SCI Net.USA
Working Towards a Cure for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

Every 41 minutes another person sustains a spinal cord injury. Once thought incurable, researchers now have reported many therapies that restore walking in animal models. It is time for these treatments to be tested in clinical trials. The trials must provide credible data that therapies are safe and beneficial so that they can be applied to many people. After interviewing the lead researcher Dr. Wise Young we believe the promise for a cure will one day be a reality.

Donate now: SCI NETUSA Just A Dollar Campaign


The Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation is the only national not-for-profit organization that supports the more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions.  Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country. The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $380 million in research grants since 1948. The foundation helps people take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis.

Donate now:  The Arthritis Foundation

VSA
The International Organization on Arts & Disabilities

VSA is an international nonprofit organization founded more than 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts.
VSA and its name have evolved since the organization was founded. The organization was and continues to be a pioneer in the field of arts and disability. VSA has played a significant role over the years in changing society’s attitudes toward people with disabilities. With that change, the organization has regularly looked at its own identity to ensure it is consistent with current attitudes and language used by the disability community.


Donate now: VSA

Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.

Donate now: Shriners Hospitals for Children

AAPD
American Association of People with Disabilities

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Donate now: AAPD

DRA
Disability Rights Advocates

DRA is a non-profit legal center whose mission is to ensure dignity, equality, and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities throughout the United States and worldwide.
DRA's national advocacy work includes high-impact class action litigation on behalf of people with all types of disabilities, including mobility, hearing, vision, learning and psychological disabilities. Through negotiation and litigation, DRA has made thousands of facilities throughout the country accessible and has enforced access rights for millions of people with disabilities in many key areas of life, including access to technology, education, employment, transportation and health care. DRA also engages in non-litigation advocacy throughout the country, including research and education projects focused on opening up access to schools, the professions and health care. DRA publishes a variety of reports that provide information and guidance on disability rights and obligations of entities as well as statistics that address the status of people with disabilities.

Donate now: DRA

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Wounded Warrior Project

To honor and empower wounded warriors.

To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history.

Donate now: Wounded Warrior Project

NAMI
National Alliance on Mental Illness

From its inception in 1979, NAMI has been dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. For three decades, NAMI has established itself as the most formidable grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country. Dedication, steadfast commitment and unceasing belief in NAMI's mission by grassroots advocates have produced profound changes. NAMI's greatest strength is the dedication of our grassroots leaders and members.

Donate now: NAMI