Charities

In a lot of cases you might be in need of help from a charity instead of donating or volunteering yourself. That's just fine. Charities aren't only a "give, give, give" proposition. They exist to provide help to those who need it and if that's you, then they exist to help you. Let them.

Some scholarship opportunities I found

NAACP Scholarships

If you want to volunteer, here's a Volunteering page under construction

8/10/22 A charity idea: any tree nursery or tree-planting charity can buy a bunch of land, then ask for donations from the community. Then, said tree nursery can negotiate with the local hospitals in that area so the hospital can offer to parents of each newborn one food-bearing tree, such as pecan, chestnut, peach, or whatever. When little one gets to be in their teens, the tree will be bearing fruit, and they and their parents will be able to go visit the tree planted for them anytime. On a smaller scale, it is possible to offer this kind of thing to any new parents yourself if you've got space in a backyard or land somewhere they are welcome to visit anytime.

Quick and easy

Download and use any of the following apps: Libby, Overdrive, Axis360, Hoopla. Get a library card. Use ebooks and audio ebooks. With the money saved, donate to the local library instead of buying the stuff from a bookstore.
Make some seed bombs with local wildflowers, especially for pollinators. Deploy 'em.
If you have a career goal of some sort, donate your talents in that field and make them public for free. Get feedback. It's unlikely to ever pay you or be monetize-able, this specific work, but it's free, and it's still education for you. For instance, if you like to act, volunteer for Librivox and see how people like your work as a voice actor reading books in the public domain. If you want to get into construction with no experience, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Think about what you would like to do as a career and if this suggestion applies at all. If you aren't sure, maybe ask a librarian or someone you trust. Talent is good but skill takes education and practice, and to do a job well you have to have skills. Education is everything in work... in life.
Get ziploc bags. Fill with assorted hygiene supplies and/or snacks. Distribute to food pantries, homeless shelters, directly to homeless folks.
Bump yourself into a lower tax bracket by donating the correct amount to the charity of your choice and getting the proper documentation so you can claim it when filing taxes... ha! (Talk to a tax specialist about this, also see articles on nerdwallet)
Talk to friends, family, acquaintances. Anyone need anything or any help? Be the mom friend

Charity Listing

COVAX AMC Here is where you can go to donate to the coronavirus vaccine alliance so the world gets vaxxed faster. This is possibly more important than all the others right now.
If you're not an ignorant jerk and want to seriously help a lot of people, seek employment at a suicide hotline. They are not properly staffed and demand is outstripping supply.
Special Olympics Added 6/21/23, can't say enough good things about this.
Bag Of Rice Project from A Thrifty Mom Dot Com Added 5/13/23. Nigeria is having some issues right now. Support at least one family with a bag of rice?
World Central Kitchen To feed folks
Ecosia Gift Trees Essentially, a continuation of #teamtrees done by a different organization. They plant trees and they do it well.
Rainforest Trust In theory, this charity helps preserve swaths of nature in rainforest areas around the world. It has already received billions of dollars in donations from some very rich donors. Does it do anything? I don't know. They claim to wish to protect at least 30% of the wild areas on this planet by 2030 Article. Needs more investigation to see that they're really up to scratch. Til I find it I will still donate to Ecosia, which is way more transparent.
Bikers Against Child Abuse You may have heard of them. They don't just show up to court proceedings of children testifying against their abusers, providing moral support. They show up to the child's home and give them a BACA biker vest and patch, and generally support the kids through the whole process. In short, these guys do exactly what QAnon pretends to do and literally save children. I stan this charity.
Heart to Heart Internation They seem to essentially do what the Phoenix Foundation did in MacGyver but without the glamor. Their emphasis is on health and wellness.
Relief International They seem to essentially run refugee camps. Which requires a heck of a lot of different stuff, from education to hygiene to healthcare to food. I have a feeling that the better these are funded the better the world will become, but that's just a hunch.
Charity: Water They seem to provide at least initial setups for clean drinking water in various places worldwide, and seem to be trying to make said water supply more reliable and consistent. They do not have any unfiltered reviews from the people who supposedly actually benefited from the water. Of all the international water charities I've seen, this is actually roughly less shady than Water Aid UK and Water First International. There are criticisms of this company that often subtly or not-so-subtly promote other Water Aid International or Water Aid UK, which is seeeeriously shady. Water First International did not meet the standards of the Better Business Bureau source. Water Aid UK has no unfiltered reviews online from the people who actually - supposedly - benefited from its services, and it doesn't have transparancy on its website about if the water sources it provides are really high quality, or not, because the tech used is kind of shady.
Scholarship America Can't afford college? Maybe you can.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Sends out free books monthly to children in participating locations in the US, UK, Australia, Republic of Ireland, and Canada.
World Central Kitchen They provide free meals in various large cities across the US.
NAACP The venerable giant in the civil rights field. It does a very good job at protecting the rights of Black Americans and therefore everyone else because in a system where only the privileged have rights, freedom and justice are only illusions. Currently helping youth in a new assortment of ways such as through scholarships, youth camps, internships, and fellowships
Islamic Relief USA Nope, I'm not Muslim, but charitable giving is literally part of the religion, and this organization has to do it right or get serious questions from the Muslims that donate.
ACLU They protect our rights.
YMCA I love the YMCA! It's the best place to work out and it's always chill.
Make-a-Wish They make dreams come true for children with serious, life-threatening medical conditions.
PBS Like a lot of lower-income and immigrant Millenials, I grew up on this stuff because we couldn't afford cable. Bunny ears all the way and we got Mr. Rogers, Cyberchase, Bob Ross (which I hated), and a lot more. I didn't appreciate it until I got older because I wanted Nickelodeon and cable. Damn, I was ungrateful.
Marine Toys For Tots Donates Christmas gifts to children who wouldn't be able to get them otherwise nationwide. Actually linked to the Marine Corps.
Alley Cat A charity that protects the lives of stray and shelter kitties nationwide
Red Cross Great place to get CPR certification and donate blood. By the way don't donate blood if you have low blood pressure. BTW if you've recovered from coronavirus, talk to your doctor about where you can go to donate your blood, which is called convalescent plasma. It can save lives.
United Farm Workers The organization that advocates for farm workers in the United States, most notably the really low-paid immigrant folks working the fields in California
The Hotline Help for domestic abuse victims
Strong Hearts Helpline Culturally sensitive help for Native American domestic abuse victims
Remote Area Medical Free medical care charity in the United States; heaven knows we need one
Ahmed Alwan Gives math challenges to customers at a convenience store and if they get the answer correct, they get a free product
Gulabi Gang Protecting women's rights and sovereignty in India. History of beating the shit out of abusive men, hell yeah.
The Trevor Project The place for LGBTQ+ teens to call or text if they are in mental health crisis
The Open Insulin Foundation Dedicated to making insulin cheaper for everyone
Doctors Without Borders Exactly what they say they are.
UNICEF Providing medical care worldwide.
No Kill Network A website listing no-kill animal shelters in many places
Lone Star Sanctuary A no-kill animal shelter
Habitat for Humanity They build the cheapest houses they can with the cheapest quality of materials, but hey, it's homes, and they seem to hold up just about as well as other homes in the areas they build at. Volunteer with them and you get free experience with construction, always a plus if you're looking for a job in a similar field
RAINN Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Generally a public advocacy organization and may also help victims, however since I don't directly know anyone helped by it, I do not know if it is legit. Approach with caution.
The Sewing Machine Project Gets machines to women in various places, so they can find financial sovereignty and so they can create positive change
Too Good To Go Helps restaurants sell foods that are leftover at the end of the night for far cheaper prices
Goodwill The best place to get cheap clothes. Do not use the online shop. The morons decided to use Fedex instead of USPS, doubling the price of your order, and they only tell you after you have bid on the auction and agreed to pay.
Protect The Sacred.Care Help Navajo elders and families fight the pandemic in NDN country
Project Evergreen Volunteers mowing lawns and shoveling snow for active duty military
Soldiers Angels Care packages and letters sent out to deployed troops
Soldiers Best Friend Pairing soldiers with PTSD with therapy dogs
VFW National Home A place in Michigan with free childcare and living space for families of soldiers who need a place to live
Veterans of Foreign Wars One of the oldest organizations advocating for soldiers and veterans in the US
Patriot Guard To protect funerals of soldiers from idiot demonstrators that would disrespect the fallen
Welcome Home Based in Columbia, MO; transitional shelter for veterans and an organization aiming to assist veterans in finding permanent housing and work
Operation Gratitude 5/31/23 Sends care packages to deployed troops and apparently also first responders now
Operation Paperback Sends paperback books to deployed troops
Team Rubicon Provides employment to veterans in cleanup of natural disasters
Vet Tix Gives free tickets to entertaining stuff to veterans and active duty troops, and their immediate families
1st Tix Gives free tickets to entertaining stuff to EMTs, police officers, retired police officers, nurses, 911 dispatchers and firefighters.
Homes For Our Troops Builds custom-built homes for severely disabled post-9/11 veterans and their families
Our Military Kids Funds extracurricular activities like sports and arts for military kids whose parent or parents are deployed
Eco Friendly Charities
LibriVox Has free audiobooks online
Project Gutenberg Has free books online

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