Happy Halloween, Greater Washington! Just doing a quick “In The News …” a couple days early this week, as we stumbled upon some ghoulish news items.

“Halloween Charity Treats For Those In Need” (Huffington Post): “When it comes to choosing your costume this Halloween, try this one on for size: go as a do-gooder. Even though Halloween typically takes the back seat to Thanksgiving and Christmas when it comes to charitable holidays, this festive day has plenty of potential to serve as an opportunity to help those in need.” The article highlights UNICEF, Operation Shoebox, and OneSight. What are your (perhaps local?) suggestions.

“As Halloween Approaches, Nonprofits Turn to ‘Undead’ Donors” (The Chronicle of Philanthropy): “Zombies often get a bad rap for their ghoulish ways. But it turns out that they also have a penchant for giving. A growing number of nonprofits are taking advantage of the recent popular fascination with zombies by playing host to “Zombie Walks” — events in which horror fans dress up in their undead best and gather for fund-raising walks that raise money for their favorite causes.” Awesome. Has anyone seen one (or fled from one?) in the DC area?

“Scaring Up Revenue For Halloween” (The NonProfit Times): “While many of the nation?s charities eagerly anticipate the holiday season as their peak time for fundraising, Halloween is prime time for some nonprofits. For Goodwill Industries International, Halloween has become a welcome opportunity to sell more merchandise and raise more money. ‘Traditionally, October is our highest retail month,’ said Charlene Sarmiento, a spokeswoman at the Rockville, MD, headquarters. [...] For charities that operate thrift stores, October has become one their busiest months as Halloween enthusiasts look for a more creative touch than just buying a costume at a superstore.”