One bunch of happy grapes

Half a pound of funny strawberries

Two funny bananas

Three quirky apples

One cup of hardworking yogurt

Mix it up and enjoy!

–Lorali M., Write On! Summer Camp student, in Ever and Ever and Ever

What’s the secret to growing an organization that supports funny, quirky, hardworking students? The right mix of ingredients! 826LA set an ambitious goal of raising $125,000 for our youth writing and tutoring programs this holiday season, and we hope you’ll donate. But that’s not the only way to show 826LA students that you believe they can write their own futures. Here are a few more–find the one that’s right for you!

1. Volunteer! Time is the most precious resource of all, so why not spend it in the most rewarding way possible? Read a book with a student, help with homework, or brainstorm a story. Volunteering is the gift that gives back!

2. Shop at Book Soup–at their fabulous store in West Hollywood–and select 826LA as your charity of choice.

3. Shop Amazon through 826LA’s AmazonSmile* site (details below).

4. And while you’re on Amazon, check out our Wish Lists! Help stock our centers in Mar Vista and Echo Park with great books and activities for Decompression Time during Tutoring.

5. Shop at Ralphs and link your Ralphs Rewards Card to Community Rewards for 826LA. Learn more about Ralphs’ Community Contribution program here, and find instructions to enroll your Ralphs rewards card here.

6. Double the impact of your donation by seeing if your company participates in a corporate match giving program. Find a list of Corporate Match Giving Programs in California here.

7. Download the RoundUp app and automatically give your “spare change” to 826LA! Once you select us as your nonprofit of choice, the next time you buy, say, Communist Soap for $3.49, the remaining 51 cents will go to 826LA.

8. Use the Time Travel Mart Tri-Dimensional Gift Guide to shop for your friends, family, and fellow time travelers. Shop year-round and through the centuries at the 826LA Time Travel Mart online and at our Echo Park and Mar Vista storefront locations.

*Register 826LA as your preferred organization on AmazonSmile, and Amazon will automatically donate 0.5% of your purchase to 826LA every time you shop. Here’s how:

1. Select 826LA: Log onto AmazonSmile using your existing Amazon account, and search for 826LA in the welcome screen. You only have to select 826LA once, and the system will remember your choice.

2. Save: Bookmark AmazonSmile and start your shopping from there every time. Here’s the key — 826LA only benefits from your purchase if you’re shopping through an smile.amazon.com web address, rather than an amazon.com address. But don’t worry if you forget to begin your shopping spree at AmazonSmile. Navigate to AmazonSmile at any point before check-out, and all of the items will remain in your cart!

3. Share: Once you register, AmazonSmile will give you the option to share via Facebook and Twitter so others can support 826LA, too.