Medical Charities All Carry “Humane Charity Seal of Approval”

WASHINGTON—Just in time for the holiday giving season, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) announces its first-ever Top Ten Best Health Charities list. The health-advocacy group has selected organizations that offer a diverse array of needed services but that don’t offend donors’ ethics by funding or conducting animal tests.

All the charities included in PCRM’s Top Ten list carry the “Humane Seal Charity Seal of Approval,” a new designation developed by the Council on Humane Giving, a coalition of physicians, animal protection groups, and other organizations concerned about animal testing. Administered by PCRM, the Council certifies those health charities that provide vital patient services or conduct cutting-edge research without the use of animals.

Top Ten Best Health Charities 2002

American Association on Mental Retardation
800-424-3688; www.aamr.org

American Kidney Fund
800-638-8299; www.kidneyfund.org

Birth Defect Research for Children, Inc.
800-313-2232; www.birthdefects.org

Caring for Children and Families with AIDS
323-931-9828

Disabled American Veterans
859-441-7300; www.dav.org

The Garland Appeal (Breast cancer research)

Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry
800-682-7426 (1-800-OVARIAN); www.ovariancancer.com

Lymphoma Foundation of America
703-875-9800; www.lymphomahelp.org

National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314; www.nfb.org

PRIDE Youth Programs (Drug and violence prevention)
www.prideyouthprograms.org

Charities are not ranked; they appear in alphabetical order. More information about each one, along with a full list of all certified charities, can be found at HumaneSeal.org. PCRM does not charge for its certification process.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.