Breast Cancer Awareness Month is officially ending tomorrow, and this year at Cool Mom Picks we decided to stay away from the “pinkwashing” products, the Facebook memes that don’t really help anyone, and the plethora of pink ribbon products, however well-intended.

(Pink ribbon liquor bottles? Sigh.)

For so many of us, the fight to find a cure for our mothers, our sisters, our friends, and ourselves never ends, not even on October 31. So instead, we wanted to offer up some organizations that tirelessly work every month to help wipe out breast cancer and support those still battling it.

If you want to do something good in honor of those battling breast cancer, our suggestion is to send donations directly instead.

Please lend your voice to the chorus wanting more than awareness. A great place to start is our post which outlines seven smart tips for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month the right way. From how to deal with those annoying memes that pop up from time to time (Go Bra-less for Breast Cancer? Really?), to how to make sure your donation is going to a worthwhile charity, we think there are some really helpful tips to consider whether it’s October or March.

Our favorites include:

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Cancer Research Institute
American Cancer Society
Breast Cancer Research Foundation
National Breast Cancer Coalition
Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Also consider donating directly to a top hospital with an excellent breast cancer treatment center. A few include the MD Anderson [Cancer] Center at University of Texas, and the Emory Breast Center in Atlanta. As a beloved friend of ours, Susan Niebur, said not long before losing her struggle with breast cancer, “Aren’t we already aware?”

Yes, we are. Time for action. –Christina and Liz

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month any day of the year with seven smart tips for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month the right way

Courage Strength Hope poster shown above, available at Magnolia Tree Paperie.