Among others I give to Planned Parenthood, NPR, America’s Vet Dogs, an offshoot of Dogs for the Blind that trains and provides support dogs for veterans with PTSD and other disabilities. I also belong and contribute to a local women’s foundation that gives annual grants to non-profits in our area. Collective giving can be powerful. While grants are sometimes awarded to programs I haven’t voted for, I’ve learned more about various needs in my community. Women’s collective giving organizations exist in many states and cities.

Planned Parenthood, NPR, ACLU.
Locally, I support an arts non-profit that promotes visual arts all around town, called Evanston Made, and I’m on the board of a new non-profit literary and book arts center here called Artists Book House. We have been granted a 40 year lease on a gorgeous old mansion on the lakefront that we need to raise a LOT of money to restore/renovate/make fully accessible, so we can have our home. It’s fantastic! http://www.artistsbookhouse.org

Access Esperanza, who offer healthcare in the TX Valley. Also: local public radio, local public library, local pet shelter, local food pantries and the pantry in my hometown, and (accidentally) the food pantry in Washington, D.C. I got the wrong ‘capital’ in cap area food bank, but I’m very happy to be in a position to give. When I can, I support Skateistan, an organization that provides children with a safe place & equipment to skate. They closed their operation in Afghanistan this summer, but their mission is still very much alive.

Feeding America (the money goes to your local food bank) and Donors Choose, for local school teachers. If you like getting feedback on what happens to your money, Donors Choose is amazing. The teacher often sends photos of the kids with whatever books or musical instruments or equipment you helped purchase. It is shocking that our teachers have to go to this effort, so I’m glad to give to those who put themselves out.

So many worthy organizations named here, thanks ladies! I recently heard about City Living NY which helps kids in NYC who are transitioning out of the foster care system.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust which cares for orphaned elephants and prepares them for a life back in the wild.

My sisters and I give to Planned Parenthood in each other’s names. I give a small percentage of my salary to local causes through my employer. I used to volunteer in person at the local soup kitchen but the pandemic has put a stop to that for now.

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; Food Bank of NYC; my children’s NYC public schools; Girls Write Now (non-profit focusing on underserved female and gender-expansive youth). And every year I have my kids pick out organizations whose causes are close to their hearts and we donate to them. This year it’s to Toys for Tots and Community Food Advocates.

NPR, ACLU and various horse rescues.

As smart, strong, successful GOACA’ers, we really have the power of the purse. When we use our voices and back it up with money, I think we’re unstoppable! I regularly donate to PBS, SPLC, The Nature Conservancy, Surfrider, ACLU, Human Rights Campaign, my church, and of course, Democratic campaigns.

Lots of good ideas here!
I give to the library and parks & rec foundations in my city, SPLC, local NPR and the local food bank.
ALSO- I have listened to a couple of your podcasts and they are funny, smart, so thoughtful and very honest.

Lilith Fund, which helps those in Texas have access to abortion. I’ll also be joining the board of a local non-profit that provides emergency shelter to families escaping domestic violence. They get my money too.

I support organizations which help kids aging out of the foster care system. In my area of NJ it’s Roots and Wings.

The local secular food bank and the local LGBTQ center, among others. I’m in a red state.

Habitat for Humanity, Planned Parenthood, LEAP, a program to teach skills to post-prison women and Basset Hound rescue.

When possible, which isn’t that often, I give to support groups to protect journalists here and abroad. Press freedom is a big problem, even as close as Mexico, and really the business is in trouble here too, for other reasons. I give a little to a local radio station, and this year I think some to a local legal aid group. (I haven’t done it yet. I’m late!!) Also at times to groups that make grants in places I don’t know well, like AJWS or a group like Catholic Charities. … … … I think I will check out one of these groups Mimi A. is talking about. I like the collective aspect, as I am not in a position to give much or often, and I don’t know that it makes me feel that much better. Of course that isn’t really the point. But, it would be nice! Add your light to the sum of lights. Points to anyone who remembers that movie. Really I should join one of those groups, like the Rotary Club or Lions or someone. I don’t know which though. Or I could just go to church more too, I’m sure there is a group there. I am too hermit-y. It’s not good.

I’m donating to Women for Women International which helps women in war torn countries. I have also donated to the Y camp that my son has been going to since he was 7 and also to a local arts non-profit.

I donate to Read718, a nonprofit that is trying close the literacy gap in Brooklyn and to help ensure educational access and equity for all Brooklyn children. They’ve been around for 6 years and 97% of their readers have made measurable gains. They’re the best! https://www.read718.org/. And I donate to Vidiots, a cause after my own heart (movie preservation)!

Planned Parenthood, SPLC, ACLU (all since 2017). All my local public radio stations. My alma mater. My local LGBTQ+ center. I have set up automatic monthly contributions to all of these–I am definitely able to give more this way.

I make an automatic monthly donation to my NPR station, and this year blew the rest of my budget on refugee organizations following the debacle in Afghanistan. One of them was an animal shelter in Kabul run by an American with hundreds of dogs and cats. They had raised the money — about $800k — for a plane to get the animals and staff out but couldn’t cut through the US military’s red tape. On the final day, the general in charge of the evac ordered all the dogs in the crates turned loose at the airport (the cats had been sent back to the shelter a day or two earlier). It was harrowing. The woman who runs the shelter and her staff spent months rounding up as many of the dogs as they could and getting them back to the Kabul shelter (some were lost, awfully). Yesterday, they announced that they put 165 dogs and 145 cats and all the staff on a plane to Vancouver. Anyone looking to adopt???

Planned Parenthood every month since I was 19. (I’m 61) And a chunk at the end of the year when I can. Public Radio. Food Banks. My local library.

My current charities of choice include a local food pantry (I’ve been donating at least monthly since Covid hit) and the ACLU. Curious to see other responses.

Since I work in philanthropy, I try to focus on organisations that are less likely or just don’t receive a lot of institutional funding. For the past couple of years, it’s been the New York Abortion Access Fund (, which has seen a thousand fold increase in demand from Southern states, and Communities United for Police Reform.

The NY Times Neediest Fund is a big annual thing for my family. We are native to NYC and are confronted with so much disparity of wealth. Our kids are in public schools here so both of their schools get some as does our synagogue. I also give to 3GNYC as I’m a 2nd generation holocaust survivor and we have to keep telling the story. The Nature Conservancy, WWF, and NYRP are other regular ones for us too.

PBS, NPR two different food banks an animal rescue group and whatever charities my kids choose for their Xmas gifts (usually an animal rescue group for my daughter and a food bank for my son). I also donate to political campaigns––this year Beto for sure.