Which Cause is Mine?

Now that another year of March Madness is upon us, the most common question I receive from people (and myself) is "What cause should I play for?"

Who do I play for this year?

I admit that in past years it wasn't so hard. First was the wanton disregard to human rights in Tibet. So I played for Students For A Free Tibet. Then I was touched on my Pediatrics rotation by the trials couples face losing a newborn, and I found Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a great organization that provides photographers - free of charge - to take professional-style portraits of families with their newborns before that young child passes away.

But this year I'm indecisive. So to help me (and any of you in the same boat) here are some resources:

First, a great website I've talked about before is Charity Navigator. You can search for charities there, and the site ranks these organizations based on how efficiently and productively they run.

Perhaps you want to give to an organization to help Haiti or Chile after the horrible natural disasters recently? Follow those links to lists of quality organizations working in those countries.

Also, here is a list of all the organizations represented the previous two years:

Heifer International (winner 2008)
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Students For A Free Tibet
Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (winner 2009)
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Autism Speaks
St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
American Cancer Society
Save Darfur

Remember, you have only until Thursday at noon to fill out your bracket. Do it now so you don't forget! Good luck!