Did you know that when you buy a cute and cuddly soft toy at IKEA stores from now until December 24, you are helping to give a child a brighter future? For every soft toy sold during the holidays IKEA will make a donation of 1 euro (approximately $1.39) to help support UNICEF and Save the Children’s education projects around the world, including UNICEF’s innovative “Schools for Africa” initiative.

With holiday season gearing up, U.S. Fund for UNICEF corporate partners are offering a varied range of gifts that give back.

Want to give a present that also makes a difference for children? From bracelets to luxury goods and accessories, writing instruments to soft toys, several corporations have created dedicated items that will help UNICEF. Gucci, IKEA, Montblanc and Cartier have joined this year in support of UNICEF’s mission, and will make a donation for each purchase of dedicated items this holiday season to support UNICEF’s lifesaving programs. Click here for details of each company’s offer.

This holiday season, there is LOTS going on at IKEA stores to support UNICEF!

For the 5th year, IKEA will hold its annual soft toy promotion. The campaign has raised $16 million for UNICEF and has benefited 7.6 million children so far!

For each soft toy sold at stores around the world between November 1st and December 24th, IKEA will make a donation of 1 Euro (approximately $1.47) to be split between the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Save the Children. The 2009 campaign will support UNICEF’s “Schools for Africa” program and will help provide vital education programs for children in Niger, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Mali, Ethiopia and South Africa.

There’s a fun new way to participate in the campaign this year. Everyone is invited to join IKEA soft toys in an attempt to create the world’s biggest choir! You can record your own singing with just a few simple clicks and can select which soft toy character you want to be, and make it dance, all by going to IKEA.com/softtoysaid.

As you head out to do your back-to-school shopping, a desk lamp may be on your list. If so, consider this: purchasing a SUNNAN solar powered lamp at IKEA at a cost of $19.99 will not only provide you with light but also light-up the life of a child. In a unique new initiative, IKEA (a long-time partner) has teamed up with UNICEF to enable children to play, read, write and study at night, even if their homes have no electricity.

Nearly everyone I know owns IKEA furniture. I’ve had mine for five years! It was the perfect purchase for me: beautiful, good quality and affordable.

So it makes me proud to see that IKEA has supported UNICEF since 1988 though grants, greeting card sales, in-kind product donations and cause-marketing programs.

One of IKEA’s programs that benefits the world’s children is going on in IKEA stores