Our favorite day of the year is FINALLY upon us! Today is Giving Tuesday, a day created in 2012 encouraging people to do good. Giving Tuesday is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
While Giving Tuesday has become a popular day to financially support local businesses and nonprofits, the day is truly about making the world brighter with a smile, an act of kindness, or showing up for the ones who need us to show up.
Fairly early on, we figured out that folks really want to donate to Positive Impact Organizations on Giving Tuesday, but often get overwhelmed trying to figure out where to donate. So, consider this list a solution to that problem.
Below, you will find a vetted list of incredible nonprofits who are working hard to make our communities a safer & more equitable place for us all and they deserve your support. If money is tight this year, don’t worry. Give these orgs a shout out on social media and share them with your network. Spotlighting the good work that these Positive Impact Orgs do helps too!
Positive Impact Orgs to support this Giving Tuesday
Cancer Kinship
When Founder and Executive Director Yoli Origel was transitioning as a newly-diagnosed cancer patient to a survivor, she discovered it is a complex process. Long-term health risks are top-of-mind and the fear of cancer returning never fully fades. Many patients report experiencing feelings of fear, dread, distress, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, isolation and loneliness even when they are surrounded by loved ones who support them.
Many resources are raised and expended on cancer awareness, prevention, and research, but little is being done to address the physical, emotional and psychosocial effects of cancer. With more than 16.9 million Americans alive today with their own personal cancer survival story, there is much work to be done to support this growing community. Cancer Kinship seeks to help patients adjust to their “new normal” lives as survivors. They believe that their programs and services will empower patients and survivors to take control of their health and future, resulting in the overall cancer community – our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends – living longer, happier and more impactful lives. Click here to donate to Cancer Kinship.
New Story
By 2030, the UN predicts 3 billion people will be living without safe shelter. New Story is working to change that. Global homelessness not only threatens human life but also stunts economic growth and limits the potential of families and communities. The housing crisis is an incredibly complex and expensive challenge to tackle, but the cost of not acting is even greater.
They are on a journey to house 1M people by 2030. 100% of your donation goes directly towards building homes for families who need them most. New Story has a select group of generous donors called The Builders who pay for their operational expenses – pretty amazing, right? Which means that you can be sure that every penny you donate is used for building homes. They are pioneering solutions to end global homelessness, then sharing those solutions so we can all build better. They build with local partners, local resources, and local labor. And unlike most housing nonprofits, they ask before we build. Click here to donate to New Story.
Living Advantage, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Living Advantage, Inc., a 501(c)3 is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth. The mission was to provide housing, therapeutic treatment, educational support, and independent living skills to wards of the court in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. After 11 successful years, LA, Inc. aimed for a larger social problem to address—foster youth. With this newfound mission, LA, Inc., discovered there is a staggering number of foster youth who needed help. According to childwelfare.gov, there are 437,283 children in the national foster care system. Statistics show that this group of children are at high risk for homelessness, incarceration, drug use, and other negative consequences from not having a stable family.
LA, Inc., offers services that help children attain academic standards that are grade appropriate. In addition, other programs such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Introduction to Robotics also known as “Intro to Robo,” were developed to inspire children with career opportunities they can look forward to after completing their education. LA, Inc., continued to extend its mission by offering services that help children with vital life documents. On average, foster youth move 7 times and will lose personal life documents along the way. These are essential when registering for school or receiving proper medical care. Later in life, the lack of vital life documents becomes even more problematic. Many of life’s necessities such as a driver’s license, employment, property rentals, etc. are not attainable without verifiable documentation. As a result, LA, Inc., developed eLockbox, a permanent solution by electronically storing vital life documentation. As adults, former foster youth can easily access their records. Click here to donate to Living Advantage, Inc.
Catalyst Project
Catalyst Project believes that everyone in the world deserves to live with dignity, safety, and access to resources that are in balance with the earth. They believe that racism is one of the fundamental forces keeping systemic injustice in place, and Catalyst Project is committed to building the leadership of white people to be part of anti-racist social movements working for fundamental change.
Catalyst Project does political education and leadership development with white organizers and majority white organizations to contribute to powerful multiracial movements led by Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color. Catalyst Project works across movements to help stitch together the mass movement it will take to dismantle racial capitalism and build towards collective liberation. Click here to donate to Catalyst Project.
Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based out of San Bernardino, California. Their mission is to promote, advocate and offer support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and questioning youth (ages 13-20 years old), their families, and their friends. It is an Inland Empire activity and support organization.
They offer a variety of services for their community, along with a robust resource section and youth group meetings. Visit their blog and calendar section & get involved! Click here to donate to Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance.
Outright Vermont
Outright Vermont is a 501(c)(3) non-profit under federal and state regulations. Since 1989, we have been building hope, equity, and power with LGBTQ+ youth in Vermont. Founded by a small group of queer adults, after a national survey discovered that queer youth were dramatically at higher risks of suicide than their heterosexual peers, Outright Vermont has built up programming that now includes:
- Queer youth spaces, that hosts a range of weekly peer-support groups, events, workshops, and more in all 14 counties of Vermont;
- Education & outreach work statewide for schools, communities, colleges, and organizations looking for support on preventing harassment, dealing with harassment, creating and supporting Queer/Straight Alliances (QSAs), and more;
- Annual large scale events for queer youth & the larger queer community including: 10 years of queer youth pride, a statewide queer & allied youth summit, the Fire Truck Pull, and the annual Outright Awards.
They envision and practice their work as an organizational model built on youth-adult partnerships which create mutual opportunities for growth, learning, and skill development. A queer and allied community who invest in our mission through a variety of resources that include, but are not limited to, donations of skills, time, goods, and money. Outright Vermont is an organization that does not give up or back down from furthering our work as an anti-oppression organization. A state where all queer youth have access to all of the resources they need to live safe, healthy, authentic lives. They are an organization that actively creates intentional, safe, and vibrant queer space wherever they go, in whatever they do, and wherever they live. Click here to donate to Outright Vermont.
Wigs for Kids
When children lose their hair, they don’t just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To help heal the pain of these struggles, Certified Cosmetic Therapist Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs For Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1981. Wigs for Kids never charges families that are receiving these custom hair replacement systems.
Wigs For Kids brings together stylists and hair donors who want to help children suffering from medical issues and treatments like alopecia, trichotillomania, burns, chemotherapy or any other medical causes of hair loss. When the right connections are made, regular people can make real changes in these children’s lives every single day. All it takes is the right hairstylist with the right pair of scissors and someone willing to donate a ponytail! Click here to donate to Wigs for Kids.
Birthworkers of Color Collective
Birthworkers of Color Collective was born from the lack of diversity, visibility, and representation of doulas and perinatal care providers in Los Angeles County. They began as a doula training that was for People of Color to train in a safe space that was culturally relevant and representative. Their intention was not only in increasing representation but in advocacy. Black birthing people and infants are dying at disproportionate rates during childbirth and the immediate postpartum. Undocumented people, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those who do not speak English or it is their second language, marginalized communities overall have varying difficulties accessing prenatal care, having positive birthing and postpartum experiences, and receiving support. Teen mothers are largely struggling to find resources and have their parental rights respected in pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
We live in one of the richest countries in the world and yet we have one of the worst maternal/perinatal health outcomes and it is one of the worst developed countries to be a mother/birthing person, this is criminal. Their collective is in response to these overwhelming disparities that our communities face. Their purpose has expanded as their organization has expanded but their efforts remain the same – to reduce the perinatal and infant health disparities of communities of Color and be solution oriented by providing culturally relevant and competent support, which research has shown can positively impact the health outcomes of birthing people, infants, families, and the community as a whole. Click here to donate to Birthworkers of Color Collective.
California Re-Entry Program
Started in 2003, the California Reentry Program began with a single client who was interested in continuing his college education after paroling from San Quentin. Their mission is to assist people incarcerated in California prisons to a successful reentry by providing education and connect them to resources before release with the goal to reduce recidivism. CRP founder Allyson West was teaching algebra at San Quentin when a student approached her for information on college admission and financial aid. Once this student got help, he in turn told others he knew about help that was available, and those men also came to ask for help with college, and financial aid. The questions turned to housing, substance abuse treatment and many other needs.
It became clear that there was no systematic delivery of information about available services and opportunities to people in incarceration prior to their release. The program expanded to the Level I facility outside San Quentin’s walls in late 2003 and then to all the prison’s mainline residents in 2004. CRP incorporated in 2007 and received its nonprofit status in 2008. The CA Re-Entry Program is supported almost entirely by individual and foundation support. The program serves more than 200 men at San Quentin every month. They have access to volunteer advisors two evenings and one afternoon every week. The California Reentry Program recruits and trains almost 100 new volunteers from the community each year. Click here to donate to California Re-Entry Program.
Narratives of Hope
Narratives of Hope is passionate about changing the conversation around mental health. They believe in the power of sharing personal stories and connecting through our lived experiences. By discussing healing and recovery, we remind people that hope is possible and no one is alone. When we come together, we create an empowered community that speaks up and breaks down the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Read a story. Share your story. Own your story.
Narratives of Hope create a space to share personal stories about mental health. Their online platform empowers people to share their experiences with mental health, mental illness, or suicide loss. They welcome a range of experiences, offering insight into what it’s like to live with a mental health condition or to support a loved one who struggles with mental health. They host online mental health workshops and community circles because no one should suffer in silence. Their vision is to equip people everywhere with the tools they need to recognize when a friend or peer may be struggling with their mental health. They seek to empower people to speak up, share their stories, and find community. Click here to donate to Narratives of Hope.
Generation Green
Generation Green is an ecosystem that strives to foster an intergenerational network, community, and platform that fortifies the leadership of young people in the environmental liberation movement throughout the Global Black Diaspora. They envision a world where Black people are liberated through collective power building and collaborative ideation. This work connects a plethora of environmental and social justice movements that strive to reimagine a regenerative and abundant world.
Generation Green is 100% Black youth and womxn-led, whose founders and staff are Black, queer, and students and alumni of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They have all been personally affected by the discrimination and silencing of Black individuals, communities and experiences in the mainstream environmental world. The uprisings of 2020 created dialogue and an atmosphere of accountability for environmental spaces. Thus, opening doors for Black environmentalists to center identity in their work and further connect Black social justice issues through an environmental liberation lens. Click here to donate to Generation Green.
No matter how you choose to give today, thank you for participating in this global movement of generosity.
If you’d like some more Positive Impact Organization suggestions, click here to read our list from 2021 and our list from 2020.
Let us know who you supported this year in the comments below!
