This month, British Vogue’s cover features the stunning Natalia Vodianova, as shot by Nick Knight. Natalia rose to fame more than a decade ago with her Calvin Klein campaigns, and she used to be everywhere. Ever since she got married and had three children, though, she has slowed down (who wouldn’t?) and is now more selective about which projects she takes on. Which now basically means that if you see her anywhere, first, you’re in for a treat — photographs of her tend to be the kind that burn into your mind for years — and second, she’ll generally be promoting a good cause.

Once again, she hasn’t disappointed. British Vogue’s feature is titled “Under her Spell,” and throughout the iconic shoot (iconic photography being something of a Nick Knight specialty), Natalia wears a series of dresses she asked 40 designers to create based on a “fairy tale” theme. The shots — and the dresses — are stunning (Prada, Chanel and D&G were among the contributors), and in April all 40 will be auctioned to benefit a great cause: The Naked Heart Foundation.

Naked Heart, which provides playgrounds for children in Russian cities, is a charity I’ve loved for a long time, and I’m always overjoyed to see it receive any press (with a supermodel at the helm, of course, that’s inevitable). I’ve traveled all over Russia — Natalia’s native country, which makes her the perfect ambassador for Naked Heart — and among the many things the country desperately needs are safe places for children to learn, play and be inspired. Although most of the play areas are in public parks, some can be found in orphanages, children’s hospitals and child rehabilitation centers.

Natalia’s shoot for British Vogue is an incredible pictorial for a wonderful cause, so please take a moment to look at the Naked Heart Foundation here.

In memory of the passing of Adam Goldstein (better known as DJ AM), Undefeated and Creative Visions have joined forces to create an auction of his treasure trove of sneakers — and it’s all for a good cause! You’d be hard-pressed to have missed the relentless media coverage that surrounded the passing of DJ AM, who lost his battle against addiction earlier this year. His foundation lives on, however, and this auction serves as a reminder of Goldstein’s tireless campaigning and fundraising to aid recovering addicts. 

The money raised will go to his memorial fund, set up to support drug-recovery programs across the country (a cause I believe does not get nearly the attention it deserves). The auction of these kicks is even more poignant given DJ AM’s well-deserved reputation as a sneaker fanatic. His collection of rare and hard-to-find items (more than 900), which he amassed over the last decade, has become nearly as legendary as his crowd-stomping sets. I find myself wishing desperately that I were a size 12 so I could sport a pair, but it looks like I’ll just have to make do with ogling the spoils of my (hopefully) winning bid before keeping them safely tucked away in my closet. The auction started on November 15 and runs through December 14; new pairs will be added daily. Good luck!

Click Here For DJ AM Sneaker Auction

It’s always gratifying to do something for a good cause, but the charities I find most appealing are those where you can see exactly where your money is going. Kiva, which specializes in micro-lending to small enterprises in developing countries, is one such organization. It’s fulfilling to see success stories in which money has been able to make a change for the better, especially when those stories are so personal. You know the loan has the ability to change someone’s life. 

Kiva partners nominate individuals who run small businesses or have projects in the works; their stories are posted on Kiva’s Web site. Nominees explain why they need the loan and what, specifically, they’ll spend the money on. Most loans total roughly $400, and the lender chooses the recipient. Once the funds have been repaid, the lender can withdraw the cash or put it right back into Kiva to be loaned once again. Such micro-loans make an enormous difference for developing-world entrepreneurs, and the payback rate is an astounding 98%. So far, Kiva has made more than 130,000 loans. Please help to make that number grow.