The holiday season is a time for giving, and rightfully so. But with so many amazing organizations out there doing incredible, necessary work, you might not be sure which to donate to (or donate to in a friend’s or family member’s name). We’re here to help. We’ve polled our favorite Raging Feminists to see which organizations they support and why.
What organization are you supporting this year?
“I support Lady Parts Justice, ‘a cabal of comics and writers exposing creeps hellbent on destroying access to birth control and abortion. Inclusive. Intersectional. Fun as F***.’ LPJ was started by comedian Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of The Daily Show.” — Caissie St.Onge
“So I haven’t actually been able to give lately financially, but when I do, and when I urge people to give, it’s to abortion funds — in NYC, where I live most of the time, and Texas, because holy hell, they need it. Also, independent media — Black Girl Dangerous and Colorlines, because it’s a good way to practice intersectionality instead of just yelling about it on the Internet (which is also good and valuable). And bail funds/legal support for protesters.” — Chanel Dubofsky
More:How to volunteer without ever leaving your living room (or writing a check)
“I may be biased since I founded it, but I’m a huge fan of the work Homeless to Higher Ed is doing. Started with a hashtag designed to crowd-fund college costs for one homeless boy in crisis back in 2013, the viral blog-turned-nonprofit now serves four bright homeless college students while refining its pilot program for large-scale assistance. This is no small feat, considering that 9 out of 10 homeless students drop out without graduating. Driven solely by donations and volunteer efforts, Homeless to Higher Ed is my life’s dream: I grew up homeless myself and escaped poverty through education. Poverty is inherited, just like wealth, and H2H gives young people the strength and resources they need to break that cycle.” — Jessica Sutherland
“Brave isn’t born, it’s built. I started Girls Leadership 15 years ago to give girls skills to speak up, know who they are and change the world. This year I’m giving to support scholarships for new research on the gender gap and confidence.” — Rachel Simmons
“I’m on the board of PAWS, Pioneer Humane Society/Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter in Pendleton, Oregon. Here I am with Maybelline, comparing our smoky eye skills:
“I encourage everyone to “like” PAWS on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter. If you’d like to donate to the shelter, please PayPal donations to [email protected]. We’re a small shelter in rural Eastern Oregon and appreciate our donors wherever they are! Of course, donating to any reputable, no-kill shelter is awesome by me!” — Shaindel Beers
More:4 Ways to give back this holiday season
“I give to Bitch Media because they publish writers who are critical yet thoughtful about the media we consume. Conflicted about loving The Hunger Games and the violence it showcases? Bitch has it covered without making you feel bad about loving it.” — Veronica Arreola
“I loveCode.org because ‘every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.’ We need more diversity in tech so that we ensure our technological revolution is going the right direction. We also need the ability to build our own websites, databases, apps, etc., and the more #Womenintech, the closer we are to closing the wage gap.” — Alex Blank Millard
“Oh my gosh, I just love Isabel! This sweet little girl has been drawing pet portraits for donations in order to raise money for her local animal shelter for years, and she is only 7! Order one — I promise you will not regret it. Makes a unique gift too.” — Emily Comeau
“I have the immense honor of serving on the board ofThird Wave Fund, which focuses on giving money to the organizations that need it the most while also getting the least amount of philanthropic dollars: feminist, trans and queer groups [led] by people of color and low-income folk. They are truly a ‘for’ and ‘by’ organization, which I feel is so rare to see in the nonprofit world. Many amazing nonprofits have become the amazing forces they are today because Third Wave breaks from funding norms and has no problem giving grants to groups that haven’t gotten institutional funding before, which then opens the doors for them to get money from other foundations. Third Wave’s work is absolutely necessary and transformative.” — Wagatwe Wanjuki
“GeekGirlCon is an amazing convention celebrating the contributions of women in science, technology, the arts, literature and games. It’s also a nonprofit organization that engages with the Seattle-area community year-round in smaller events like game nights. Full disclosure: I’m a member of the board. Because that’s how strongly I believe in what this organization is doing. I’ve attended the convention every single year, and I intend to be there for many more.” — Laura Lucas
“I’m currently working on a project to build a computer lab for the kids in a local community of indigenous Wichi people. It’s a challenge because only one room in their small village has electricity, and we’re looking to find someone to pay for the electricity. Mostly we’d love donations of laptop computers and digital cameras.” — Leigh Shulman
“The Clinic Vest Project provides free vests and support resources to clinic escort groups across the country and in Canada. At last count, we had sent over 1,800 vests to 85 groups in 26 states just since filing our nonprofit paperwork last year. With the current political and cultural climate targeting abortion providers, we have seen a significant uptick in requests from Planned Parenthoods as well as independent providers. Donations (tax deductible!) are always welcome, as we are a small, all-volunteer board. People interested in finding a local group to volunteer with can also contact us through the website, and we will connect you!” — Katie Klabusich
“I give to Hampshire College. Why? Well, there’s CLPP, and if you’ve been to their conference, you know it’s the reason a certain number of activists become activists each year x nearly three decades. Right there, that’s a lot of social good. (And hey, consider this a suggestion to try to attend sometime if you can; the next one is in April 2016). Beyond CLPP and activism, I give to Hampshire because to nurture places that nurture learning and growth matters to me.” — Sarah Buttenwieser
“Spread some media justice cheer this year, and support organizations working for better, more diverse, more independent media for a healthier democracy. In Boston, Press Pass TV trains youth (especially low-income, youth of color and queer youth) in media literacy and production and gets them paid freelance video work for companies and nonprofits. In Philadelphia, FAANMail is a women of color-led media literacy and activism program that deconstructs media bias and teaches media training. In Seattle, Reel Grrrls teaches girls to write, cast, act in, film, edit and produce their own movies. In New York (as well as India), Breakthrough uses media as a social justice and community engagement tool, with an emphasis on ending violence against women. National organizations such as Women In Media & News, WAM!, Color of Change and the National Hispanic Media Coalition fight for better gender and race representation in media content and within the industry as well as [advocate] for the needs of women and people of color in media policy battles.” — Jennifer Pozner
More:Ask a Raging Feminist: What are you thankful for this year?
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