National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — 8 Ways to Donate Now Sponsored by Pandora

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when health care experts, cancer survivors and research supporters pull out all the stops to make everyone aware of the need for proper breast cancer screenings, better detection tools and more research aimed at finding a cure.

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer in American women (behind skin cancer). There are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., and about one out of every eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. In 2012, the American Cancer Society predicts that 226,870 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women and about 39,510 women will die from the disease.

If you are looking for a unique gift idea that also helps fight breast cancer, check out the pink beads from Pandora. A portion of every sale goes toward the battle!

You can also help (even if you don’t look great in pink). If you want to step up and support the cause right now, we found seven ways you can click through and donate without leaving your chair. (You can find an exhaustive list of respected charities here.) When you find a cause you want to get behind, check them out at Charity Navigator to see how exactly your money will be spent and how your charity ranks among others with similar missions.

• National Breast Cancer Foundation: Their mission is to save lives through early detection and to provide mammograms for those in need. They increase awareness through education, by providing diagnostic breast-care services for those in need and by providing nurturing support services. Your $100 donation can provide a mammogram for a woman in need. (4-star ranking on Charity Navigator)
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer: This organization was founded in 1991 by oncologist Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., and aims to empower all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life. (4-star ranking on Charity Navigator)
• Breast Cancer Research Foundation: According to their site, the mission of this foundation is “to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health.” Founded by Evelyn Lauder, of Estée Lauder fame, they assure donors that 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed toward breast cancer research and awareness programs. (4-star ranking on Charity Navigator)
• Breastcancer.org: This group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete and up-to-date information about breast cancer. Their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer so they can make the best decisions for their lives and families. (4-star rating on Charity Navigator)
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure: The vision of this well-known organization is a world without breast cancer. The foundation began as a promise by Nancy Brinker to her sister Susan Komen that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. It has since become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. And October is a big month for races, so you may still be able to get involved with your feet as well as your wallet. (3-star ranking on Charity Navigator)
• Pink Ribbon International: This charity organization is committed to raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research and aims to create a global community to support breast cancer patients, survivors and their families. (not yet rated on Charity Navigator)
• Breast Cancer Awareness Association: The philosophy of this group, which is largely run by volunteers, most of whom are breast cancer survivors, is to serve women and men in the community by providing easy access to support and information about breast cancer and to enhance the quality of life for survivors, family and friends. (not yet rated on Charity Navigator)