CEDAR FALLS - Times might be tough, but nonprofit organizations still need donations.

That's why, as millions of Americans resolve to tighten their belts this year, two women with connections to the Cedar Valley plan to spend 2009 promoting charitable giving.

Tara Sagers, of Cedar Falls, and Kimberly Price, a Waterloo native now living in West Des Moines, will tackle a new fundraiser every one to two months. Their first project is selling lip gloss to raise money for the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign. The pair hopes to raise $10,000 for the organization by the end of February.

"Research still needs to be done, regardless of what's going on economically," said Sagers, 33. "It's a need, not a want."

Order forms for the lip gloss, available in six shades, are in the process of being stocked at area medical offices and businesses. Each tube, from f.y.i. Arbonne, costs $10 with 35 percent of the profits going to the Go Red initiative. Lip gloss customers will receive an informational pamphlet from the national organization, which was launched in 2004 to educate women that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

"The focus isn't the lip gloss," said Price, 34, who also works as an independent consultant for Arbonne. "The focus is heart awareness and taking the necessary steps to prevent heart disease."

Sagers and Price hope their projects will encourage others to start their own fundraising campaigns. By next month, they plan to have a Web site where they will blog about their projects and offer resources for others who want to raise money for a worthy cause.

Jessica Palmersheim, owner of Purse-N-ality, was one of the first to agree to promote the Go Red fundraiser at her Cedar Falls store. She thinks that the lip gloss will be a hit with her customers.

"It's a foundation that's close to my heart because I have family members who have struggled with various heart diseases," Palmersheim said. "So many women come in and out of my store, and when it comes to fundraisers, they are always willing to help.

"Especially, like in this case, where they get a cute little lip gloss out of it."

After the Go Red project is completed, Sagers and Price plan to raise money for a cystic fibrosis foundation. But for now, the pair is busy getting their lip gloss stocked around the community. The women, both mothers, said they hope their year of philanthropic work shows their kids that giving is a part of living.

"I want to leave a legacy for my children," said Sagers, who has four kids. "I want them to know how to help people and focus on things beyond themselves."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.