The holidays are still several months away, but it's never too early to acknowledge the gifts that many local charities bestow upon our community throughout the year. The fifth annual San Francisco's Favorite Charities Contest presents the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on the top do-gooders who make the Bay Area a better place to live. Now, we need your help to kick off the nominations. From human rights activists to eco-friendly crusaders, we want to hear about the organizations that you believe matter the most.

Each year, we receive thousands of nominations and votes in support of the myriad charities that call the Bay Area home. Once we have your nominations in, we'll narrow the running to the top 49 charities before another round of your votes help us settle on a final top seven. As the holidays approach, we'll call on you for one final vote to determine SF's all-time favorite charitable organization. All seven finalists will receive $2,000 from PG&E, while the winning charity will net a cool $10,000 and serious props at a festive event held in their honor at a SF hot spot this holiday season. 

To get your inspirational juices flowing, check out our very deserving 2013 and 2012 nominees, and learn more about last year's winner, The Princess Project. We're accepting entries through October 1, 2014, so go forth and nominate!