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Dr. Kurt Amplatz invented a cardiac device that closes abnormal holes in children's hearts. Now, his daughter has donated $50 million to close a gap in the budget for the new University of Minnesota Children's Hospital.

Just in time for the holiday online shopping rush, aGoodCause.com allows shoppers to make donations to their favorite charities while they shop. Already, organizations including Action Against Hunger; The Parkinson’s Institute; ASPCA; SOS Children’s Villages; and The Climate Group, the world’s first international NGO focused exclusively on the solutions to climate change, are reaping the benefits. The site’s co-founder, Mads Ellegaard, says it’s a simple way for consumers to help charitable causes while purchasing things like books and plane tickets. And it costs nothing for an organization to become a part of the site’s network of charities. “Our purpose is that we

A U.S. Marine in his dress blues remains stone-faced as a young boy looks up and asks him if he’s Santa Claus. “Heard you might be him,” the boy says. “If you are him, here’s my list.” Finally, the serviceman acknowledges the boy, opening his white-gloved hand to take the list. Walking away, the boy says, “He is Santa Claus.” That public service announcement for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has been melting hearts and opening wallets for 10 years, continuing the tradition that has allowed the 60-year-old organization to bring more than 386 million shiny, new toys to

With just the click of a mouse, shoppers can buy nearly any product online — from groceries to cars, from insurance policies to home loans. And potential donors can form intimate relationships with the nonprofit organizations of their choices — getting information, registering for events and responding to other calls to action, and, ultimately, making donations or, better yet, signing up for automatically deducted monthly giving programs.

Can a dozen dogs find shelter in a leather briefcase? They can if the briefcase was purchased through Benevolink.

No, the Atlanta-based company isn’t in the business of selling amazing expandable briefcases. Rather, it allows consumers to direct corporate dollars to the causes of their choice just by shopping online at more than 200 retailers such as Gap, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Harry and David, and Staples.