Give if you can.

As the holidays roll around (Merry ChanuKwanzmas!), thoughts inevitably turn to gift-giving. While we realize that many, many people are in a difficult financial situation given the current economy, if you have some $$ to spare and are looking for a suitable charity for your donations we have a few ideas.

First up is the Horse Rescue and Outreach run by USWNT legend Michelle Akers (Olympic Gold Medalist, 2-time World Cup winner; 105 goals in 153 matches, all while dealing with the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome). Her organization, based in Atlanta, recently suffered devastation at the hands of torrential downpours and although she did not lose any of her animals, the property suffered over $50,000 worth of damage.

In order to raise money, Akers has decided to sell much of her soccer memorabilia, including such items as the ball used to score her 100th goal and the boots she wore in the winning match of the 1999 World Cup. She is receiving support from former coach Tony DiCicco and WPS, although I can’t find any links to the actual auction so you may have to do some investigative work.

Other charities to consider:

Football for Good – seeks to develop world-class youth academies in Africa

Hollywood Unites for Haiti (warning – autoplay video on their main page) – bringing sports culture to kids in Haiti to build a sense of community

Grassroots Soccer – using soccer to fight against HIV/AIDS

The Steve Nash Foundation – our favorite footballing NBA player does a lot of good work for a variety of causes

A few things to note:

1. Feel free to use Charity Navigator to investigate charitable organizations so that you can be confident of your giving.

2. These charities are all national/international – please use the comments for any other suggestions, including organizations that may be more local to you.

3. If you have $$ to spare and are looking for the perfect holiday gift, may we suggest a UF T-shirt?