‘Tis the season to cultivate generosity and an open heart. I feel very fortunate that we have a little extra money to give to those in need and to causes I believe in. It’s hard to choose which ones though. I’m sure your mailbox is similar to mine; around this time of year every charity that has your mailing address is requesting you make an end-of-year donation.
How do you choose which ones to support?
I like to reflect on what matters to me most and find charities that are aligned with those values.
I always donate to our local no-kill animal shelter and food bank. But I also appreciate larger organizations that have a bigger impact on national policies and global efforts.
If you share my interests/concerns about environmental pollution, traditional whole organic foods, lifting people out of poverty, medical freedom, parental rights, empowering women in business, protecting children from predators, and supporting the efforts of alternative medicine, then you may want to check out my favorite charities below.
“The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children’s health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation’s estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers…”
“The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.
We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
We work for you. Do you know what’s in your tap water? What about your shampoo? What’s lurking in the cleaners underneath your sink? What pesticides are on your food? How about the farms, fracking wells and factories in your local area? Do you know what safeguards they use to protect your water, soil, air and your kids? Which large agribusinesses get your tax dollars and why? What are GMOs? What do they do to our land and water?
More than two decades ago EWG set out to answer these questions, and more, and to empower you to get to know your environment and protect your health.”
“A Voice for Choice, Inc. is a tax-deductible non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which:
-
Promotes people’s rights to be fully informed about the composition, quality, and short- and long-term health effects of food and pharmaceutical products.
-
Educates people about these issues and their rights to be informed consumers and control what they put in their bodies.
-
Supports large-scale primary and secondary research into these issues.
-
Works with doctors, nutritionists, researchers and other professionals to ensure the information we share is the most up to date.”
I’ve been to many parental rights rallies with AVFC’s founder Christina Hildebrand and was honored to speak sitting next to her in the only meeting our Senator, Jerry Hill, was willing to have with opponents of SB277, the CA law that removed a parent’s right to refuse vaccinations for their schoolchildren based on philosophical and religious beliefs. She is also the owner of Real Food Bay Area, our local community supported agriculture program in our community. I love all the work that she’s doing and will continue to support it annually.
“We believe strong women build strong nations.
Since 1993, Women for Women International has helped more than 462,000 marginalized women in countries affected by war and conflict. We serve women in 8 countries offering support, tools, and access to life-changing skills to move from crisis and poverty to stability and economic self-sufficiency.
We bring women together in a safe space to learn life, business, and vocational skills. Once enrolled, each receives a monthly stipend – a vital support that enables her to participate.
Women increase their ability to earn an income with new skills that are in-demand. They learn about their legal rights, and they become knowledgeable about health and nutrition. The result: stronger women, stronger families, and stronger communities. This ripple effect is profound.
Women for Women International delivers our programs through the generous support of individual, corporate and foundation donors, partners, and governments. Our work is regularly featured in international media, including BBC, CNN, MSNBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, 60 Minutes, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Recognized for our global impact Women for Women International was honored with the prestigious Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2006, and receives favorable ratings from independent charity groups.”
dōTERRA’s Healing Hands Project
“Having experienced the life-enriching power of essential oils, a group of health-care and business professionals collaborated with a common goal of creating a new standard of essential oils that would influence individuals and communities around the world. In the spring of 2008, their vision became a reality and doTERRA, meaning “gift of the Earth,” was founded. Since the company’s beginning, high-quality essential oils sourced and distributed by doTERRA have spread throughout the globe, enhancing many lives.
In addition to sharing essential oils with the world, doTERRA aspired to serve people and communities with the resources they had. Initially, this meant donating to charities, fundraisers, and community projects, but it eventually grew to be much more. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation was created in June 2012 as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The foundation is one of the ways doTERRA reaches out and serves communities in need. They do this by partnering with organizations and doTERRA Wellness Advocates to offer hope to millions around the world. Through the foundation’s efforts, lives are freed of disease and poverty, and communities are empowered with the tools needed to become self-reliant.”
DōTERRA has numerous projects it leads in countries where their oils are sourced that help to support the communities like: providing clean water sources, creating jobs, and building medical centers & schools. These efforts are one of the biggest reasons I love being a dōTERRA wellness advocate & distributor.
Operation Underground Railroad is one of their biggest undertakings, to rescue children from sex trafficking. See video below…
Acupuncturists Without Borders
“Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) provides disaster relief, recovery and support for building resiliency – to communities affected by disasters, human conflict, environmental devastation, poverty and social injustice. Unresolved trauma affects not only the health of individuals, but the well-being of families, communities and entire nations. Trauma often has repercussions for generations, preventing cooperation, co-existence and peace among the world’s people.
AWB’s mission is to interrupt the devastating effects of trauma by reducing suffering and helping individuals and communities find greater balance and resiliency. We use community-style ear acupuncture as a powerful, simple, safe way of helping people “reset” their nervous systems to a greater state of calm, quiet and clarity. When a group experiences this relief from chaos, hope, determination and resiliency can begin to be restored, which allows communities to move forward.
AWB is committed to collaborating with local community-based organizations and treating all who have been affected by traumatic events – survivors, first responders, emergency personnel and other care providers. We offer services and training in local communities with the goal of creating long-term, sustainable benefits after we leave. Our intention is to empower each community we serve in a way that best supports their particular needs for rebuilding and recovery.
Acupuncturists Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.”
“The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is your source for accurate information on nutrition and health, always aiming to provide the scientific validation of traditional foodways. People seeking health today often condemn certain food groups — such as grains, dairy foods, meat, salt, fat, sauces, sweets and nightshade vegetables — but the Wise Traditions Diet is inclusive, not exclusive.”
Do you have any charities you’d like us to consider supporting? Please tell us about them in the comments!
