Five or six-hundred point drops in the Dow are no longer out of the ordinary. Some days the market will bounce on news of a bailout vote or a drop in the Federal Reserve key interest rate. I've learned that there are some strings Congress and Ben Bernanke have at their disposal to hold the market afloat -- but they will not be able to recover the money lost with Bernard L. Madoff Securities, LLC.

This is one swing in the market that requires our help. Some nonprofits plan to close their doors and others will have to cut back given the sudden loss this December.

In response, a friend and EchoAlum, Matt Stempeck, established a list of nonprofits and foundations that could use our support this year and into 2009. Visit They Need Us Now for the most up-to-date list of affected organizations.