The holiday season us upon us and the end of the year is coming soon, and that means it’s the second year of #GivingTuesday, highlighting charities and the need to support them through donations (which often are tax-deductible). December is usually the most important fundraising month for charities. Graphic Policy is asking you to support two worthy causes, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) and Reading With Pictures.

The CBLDF receives more than a quarter of their annual budget in the year-end gifts from supporters like you. If you are still finalizing your charitable giving plans, we ask you to please consider our worthy efforts. Donations to CBLDF are fully tax-deductible in the year they are given.  Please help CBLDF continue our important work by making a donation today, either by giving a holiday gift of a signed graphic novel, becoming a member, or making a tax-deductible cash contribution.

In 2013, the CBLDF successfully stood up to every First Amendment emergency they faced.  They also made serious contributions to education with publications, articles, lectures, and appearances that reached communities around the world.  Read the full Annual Report to learn what CBLDF has done to protect your freedom to read comics this year!

The CBLDF is participating in the first ever #GivingTuesday and Mashable Google+ Hangout-a-thon on Tuesday, December 3. This 12-hour live Hangout on Air will take place from 9am – 9pm ET, with CBLDF going live at 5:30 pm ET.

Their segment will feature Bone creator and CBLDF Board Member Jeff Smith alongside American Born Chinese author Gene Luen Yang  in conversation with CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein and PEN American Center’s Freedom to Write Fellow Deji Olukotun about the censorship comics authors face, and how you can make a difference.  Viewers will have the opportunity to interact with the conversation and to donate directly to CBLDF directly from the hangout.

Last year after the tragedy of Sandy Hook, Reading With Pictures launched an emergency comic book drive to donate family friendly comic books to the families of that community.  They were able to coordinate over 500 unique donations toward this drive.

This year, they are building upon that success while also joining in #GivingTuesday.  Today, the organization is accepting donations for their holiday comic book drive that will be donated to the children at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL. The drive runs through January 3.

Please donate so these two worthy organizations can continue their good works.