After all the gifts are unwrapped, decorations boxed up, and holiday music wound down, what are we left with? In these tough economic times, millions of charities are left feeling the squeeze with an incredibly challenging year ahead.

Yahoo! launched Cyber Giving Week three years ago to encourage people to donate to their favorite causes during the last week of December -– when people typically scramble to get their tax deductions before the end of the year. Since then, we’ve helped raise millions of dollars for good causes because Yahoo! users like you stepped up to the challenge. And this year, more than ever, your generosity is vital to helping our communities’ most needy.

In that spirit, we're promoting Cyber Giving Week all over Yahoo! this week.

For those who need an extra dose of inspiration, check out a tag cloud of this year’s most popular causes that link back to our Do Good Flickr group. Or upload and tag your own photos to raise awareness about issues you’re passionate about. Whether it’s a photo of a favorite charity in action, a portrait from the developing world, or a picture of some piece of nature you want to preserve, these images will motivate others to make a difference, too.

For the fourth year in a row, we’ve partnered with Network for Good to make it easy for you to donate to your favorite charity. So as the holiday season winds down, I hope you will keep the giving spirit alive by supporting a cause you care about. I, for one, will be making a donation to my local food bank. It’s simple, really -- make a donation, upload and tag inspirational photos on Flickr, and tell your friends and family to do the same.

Connie Chan
Associate Manager, Yahoo! For Good