Kiva, the wonderful micro-lending website, has dedicated the month of June to helping out fathers and families specifically. You can give Dad a $25 Kiva card that he can use to loan to anyone on Kiva that he wants to help out. Like a regular loan, he gets the money back--and then he can use it over and over again to lend to entrepreneurs all over the world. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving.-

Help a Hero
Forget Iron Man and Captain America; what dad wouldn't want to support real-life heroes? In 2009, Tim Medvetz--who had suffered a serious accident but vowed that he'd someday climb Mt. Everest (he did it!)--started The Heroes Project, a foundation dedicated to raising funds to help wounded soldiers climb the highest mountain peaks in the world and find a renewed sense of purpose along the way. Right now, Medvetz is taking wounded veterans to the top of seven summits, and using the footage to inspire injured vets when they first wake up in the hospital. The next climb is on June 25, when Staff Sgt Mark Zambon (who lost both legs in Afghanistan) is set to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro. The climbs are expensive, so generous donations are necessary--and appreciated. 

Started by the band Jars of Clay (whose "Live Monsters" album is playing on my iTunes as we speak), Blood:Water Mission is a grassroots organization that brings together communities in order to work agains the HIV/AIDS and water crises in Africa. Since 2004, the organization has provided more than 1,100 clean water solutions for more than 700,000 people, and fully funded three clinics to treat people living with AIDS in Africa. This summer, the organization's campaign is Lemon:Aid: communities from all around actually set up their own lemonade stands, then donate the proceeds to the mission's clean water projects. A fun project for any dad and his kids, right?

Men are 24% less likely than women to visit the doctor; although I think I could have guessed that number based purely on my own dad's anti-doctor beliefs. The mission of the I <3 Dads campaign is to get all dads healthier--and give scholarships to their caring college-bound children. You just sign up at the site, take your dad to a drugstore and have his blood pressure taken, then send a pic to the organization--you'll qualify to win a $4,000 scholarship. Even the most doctor-averse dads have to agree that'd be a pretty sweet Father's Day gift. You can also send some Father's Day e-cards from the site.