Today is Giving Tuesday! With the holiday season quickly approaching, we thought we’d feature a few our favorite international-focused non-profits! #GivingTuesday is “a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Observed on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.” #GivingTuesday is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year!
“Join the movement and give – whether it’s some of your time, a donation, gift or the power of your voice in your local community. It’s a simple idea. Whether you come together with your family, your community, your company or your organization, find a way to give back and then share your idea. Don’t forget to explore ways to maximize your gift including employee match programs with your employer! Here are a few non-profits we love!
REFUGEE WOMEN’S NETWORK
Refugee Women’s Network (RWN) is a non-profit organization located in Decatur, Georgia and we both serve on the Board as volunteers. RWN inspires and equips refugee and immigrant women to become leaders in their homes, businesses, and communities through three programs. For more than 20 years, RWN has continued to be the only organization in Georgia that specifically serves refugee women. RWN’s spectrum of services meets women where they are; whether they’ve been in the US for three months or three years. Whether they need help enrolling their children in school or they’re preparing to open their own business, we help women on their journey to become independent and self-sufficient.
Social Adjustment services are provided to help refugees assimilate into their new lives in the U.S. and to encourage self-reliance so that individuals and families can successfully navigate similar situations in the future. Leadership Training gives refugee and immigrant women the skills and confidence to be advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. Women’s Economic Empowerment services are provided to equip refugee and immigrant women with the knowledge and resources to become economically self-sufficient through employment, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Donate here!
THE CARTER CENTER
Source: https://www.cartercenter.org
Meagan has been working for The Carter Center for over three ears now, but as an international affairs grad from Georgia Tech, she has admired and followed the organization for almost a decade now. The Carter Center has two main divisions: Peace and Health. Peace programs include human rights, election monitoring, and the newest program: Mobilizing Action for Women and Girls Initiative.
The Carter Center’s health programs are world famous. The organization has been leading the fight to eradicate Guinea Worm since 1986, and it’s poised to be the second disease ever eradicated! There were an estimated 3.5 million cases when The Carter Center started its program back in 1986, and there are currently only 19 so far in 2016. Health programs at The Carter Center focus on neglected tropical diseases including river blindness, schistosomiasis, and trachoma, but there’s also a mental health program that is working to reduce stigma and discrimination. Donations go a long way! $15 will cover the cost for 50 pipe filters used to eradicate Guinea Worm, and $30 pays for river blindness elimination for more than 100 people.
CARE
CARE has been a organization Stephanie’s admired ever since first hearing about it in college, especially because of its focus on empowering women and girls. She’s been working there a little over two years! Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading
humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and working to achieve social justice. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We believe that, when equipped with the proper resources, women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education, health, and water; create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger.
Donations to cover general operations are always needed but if you are planning on donating as part of a holiday gift, consider giving a Gift of Lasting Change. These gifts are a way of filling a symbolic CARE package with items including school uniforms for girls, Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) kits, and a goat. Watch this video celebrating the 25th anniversary of VSLA to learn more about CARE’s economic development work. In honor of #GivingTuesday, CARE’s board of directors will match every dollar you give to go three times as far – but just until midnight on Tuesday!
What’s your favorite non-profit? Tell us about it in the comments below!
