As 2020 comes to a close I have been trying to understand what this year has been- a crashing wave, a dark hole, the air after rain, monotony, exhaustion, hope, a raging storm, silence, noise, an opening bud, ashes, subtle transformative growth, an explosion.
There has been so much terrible loss, and so many blessings.
While I spread many of my donations throughout the year, I appreciate the ritual of year end giving as a way to reflect and hone in on what matters most and how I can stand behind those who are creating transformative change.
My friend Courtney Martin wrote such a helpful piece a couple years about about year end giving that I always reread this time of year (and by the way you should subscribe to her newsletter which is one of the most steadying, mind-opening parts of my week).
In the article Courtney highlights the fact that those who give the most are the ones who have the least and shares that many world religions agree that 10% of your income is a good number to give away yearly.
Sharing with others where you plan to give can encourage more giving and multiply the impact. So in that spirit, below is a list of some of the organizations I have donated to this year. They are organizations that inspire me, address things that keep me up at night worrying, and bring beauty to the world.
- The Loveland Foundation A therapy fund for Black women and girls with initiatives that are collaborative, prioritize opportunity, access, validation and healing.
- The Revolutionary Love Project which produces stories, tools, curricula, conferences, films, TV moments, and mass mobilizations that equip to inspire people to practice the ethic of love. Current projects focus on racism, nationalism, and hate against Sikh, Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American communities.
- Thousand Currents funds grassroots groups led by women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples in the Global South. Supporting everyday people who are shaping proven and powerful local solutions to our shared and most urgent global challenges.
- Earth Justice wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change.
- Girls For A Change (GFAC) has a mission of empowering young women by inviting them to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods.
- Sogorea Te’ Land Trust Through the practices of rematriation, cultural revitalization, and land restoration, Sogorea Te’ calls on native and non-native peoples to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do.
- The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence an organization and public health think tank that identifies and implements evidence-based policy solutions and programs to reduce gun violence.
- Mural Arts is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 30 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives.
- Freedom for Immigrants a non-profit devoted to abolishing immigration detention and monitoring the human rights abuses faced by immigrants detained by ICE.
- Color of Change designs campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.
Here’s to the all the amazing people and organizations that bring hope in the world. Here’s to all that’s ahead. Happy new year to you all!
