Maestra Pati, a leader in Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gordo’s conservation work, is well aware of the incredible odds climate activists must face.
 
“We know that we might not save the planet. Despite that, we have to keep hope and to try to fulfill this miracle of love. We hope to put enough will, love, sense of belonging, and action into the world so that maybe something better will arise from this.”
 
For Maestri, the key to building a better planet for future generations is simple: we all must do our part in the fight for climate conservation.
 
“My hope for the future, with all these bad things moving forward so fast, is to do my best until the very last minute I have here. That’s the very best I can hope for. A single person can make a difference. Do your best you can for your own land. That makes a difference.”
 

Warm Heart Foundation Worldwide, Thailand and Malawi

 

 
Michael Shafer, the founder of Warm Heart Foundation Worldwide, became a climate activist to protect the earth for future generations.
 
“I am not a ‘climate champion.’ I am a concerned parent. Like all parents, I want my children to have a wonderful future. For me, that means at the very least living in a world like the one I grew up in.”
 
This sense of responsibility goes back generations.
 
“My father’s father sacrificed to feed him. My father sacrificed to educate me. I can sacrifice to ensure my children a healthy earth. If not, I may have sacrificed them. I cannot allow that to be my legacy. Avoiding it does not make me a champion; it makes me human.”
 

Sadhana Forest, Kenya

 

 
Aviram Rozin, project leader for Sadhana Forest’s work in Kenya, shares that it is his deeply personal sense of ownership which drives him to be a tireless climate activist.
 
“It is easier for me to live without making compromises on my principles. As a leader of Sadhana Forest in Kenya, I live in a structure made from local, natural materials, eat organic food, and use only solar energy, as well as dry composting toilets. My motivation is sustained by the deep feeling that I am doing the right thing for myself, my family, people in our bioregion, humankind, all living beings, and Planet Earth.”
 
Ultimately, Aviram knows any sacrifice he makes is worthwhile.
 
“The goal is so big that any obstacle looks like a speck of dust. It can disturb us, but it cannot steer us away from our path.”

Corals for Conservation, Fiji

 

 
Austin Bowden-Kerby has been inspired by the beauty of coral reefs since he was a child.
 
“As a boy of eleven, my family moved to Saipan, just north of Guam, where I was able to snorkel on glorious coral reefs. Their sheer beauty and rich diversity awed and transformed me.”
 
As the reefs declined, Austin’s commitment to coral conservation grew despite numerous aquatic setbacks.
 
“Coral reefs are among the first ecosystems collapsing from climate change, so this is where we must now make our stand. We must save the reefs to save the planet.”

“It has been fun to be a part of saving the Blue Planet, but it has not been easy. I’ve had assorted close encounters with sharks and enterprising seagulls, suffered from coral abrasions and ear problems from too much time in the water, and had to sleep more times than I like to recount on the sandy bare ground or in dorm situations with snorers.”
 
However, none of these challenges have diminished Austin’s commitment.
 
”All these obstacles fade away in memory, but what remains is the legacy of imparting the knowledge of coral gardening. Seeing the excited faces of the younger generation as they take part in the miracle of regrowth brings me joy. These are truly ‘reefs of hope’⁠—a ray of brilliant light in these very dark times.”
 

Instituto Chaikuni, Peru

 

 
Permaculture Research Coordinator Alan Chumbe was born and raised in one of the most breathtaking parts of our planet: the Amazon Rainforest. As the years passed, shifts in the seasons reflected larger changes in global climate systems.
 
“As a child I looked forward to the beaches on the rivers and to harvest the fruits during the dry season. I also looked forward to the rainy weather. Both seasons always occurred the same months, each year with impressive accuracy. Over time, climate change forced farmers to get used to the new sowing and harvesting cycles, the fish were less and less abundant and smaller in size, and so many things changed for us.”
 
Nonetheless, Alan maintains his belief that humans can live in harmony with our planet.
 
“Despite all obstacles, we can still live in peace with nature, benefiting each other, if we just stop thinking about the superiority of man on Earth. She is our mother and teacher, who teaches us that the solution to this and future crises is in this new generation, is in ourselves.”
 

The fight against global climate change may seem daunting but together, we can protect our planet. Support local leaders making a global impact by joining our Climate Action Fund today!

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The post From Fiji To Kenya, These 5 Climate Activists Are Committed To Conservation appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Tapping tech in disaster relief

Crisis Response work at Meta has always prioritized connecting people who want to support local communities in times of disaster.

“Meta is committed to building community and connecting people from across the world, particularly during times of crisis, when recovery efforts led by responding organizations living and working directly in affected communities are often overlooked and underfunded,” Kylie Holmes, Head of Global Crisis and Disaster Response at Meta said.

In 2017, millions of people were already using Facebook to connect and support each other during times of crisis. Meta understood the potential that Facebook tools held to support communities responding to crises and launched the Crisis Response Hub, which allows users to find information about recent crises, mark themselves safe, and ask for or offer help. With this in place, Meta created the crisis donate button for hundreds of millions of people around the world to help their community by donating to crisis recovery efforts with just a few clicks.

Meta knew it needed a partner that supports local nonprofits during all stages of disaster response and sought a partnership to help people take action by donating in response to a disaster.

THE SOLUTION

A partnership that powers community-led responses

GlobalGiving met with the Meta Crisis Response team in 2017, and the crisis donate button partnership was launched.

Meta features a crisis donate button on Facebook that enables its users to donate in support of disaster relief efforts around the world. GlobalGiving directs 100% of these donations to vetted, primarily local nonprofit organizations that are responding to emergencies in impacted areas and supporting affected communities.

GlobalGiving and Meta work quickly to minimize the time between fundraising and getting the money into the hands of local organizations on the front lines of disaster response.

As soon as a disaster activation takes place on Facebook, the GlobalGiving team begins sourcing vetted, local organizations in its extensive nonprofit partner network. GlobalGiving receives the donations from Meta and quickly awards a flexible, trust-based grant to an organization responding to that disaster event.

After funds have been awarded, GlobalGiving provides quarterly impact reports to Meta that detail how the GlobalGiving nonprofit partners used the funding to support their communities in response to a disaster.

“We can always count on our partnership with GlobalGiving and its nonprofit partner network to support locally led disaster response efforts around the world.”
— Kylie Holmes, Meta

THE RESULT

Five years of impact

Since the launch of the crisis donate button partnership five years ago, Facebook users have aided disaster relief and recovery efforts for communities from South Sulawesi, Indonesia to São Paulo, Brazil. Through the partnership, Meta and GlobalGiving have driven substantial funding to more than 600 local organizations in at least 115 countries to address nearly 1,000 disaster events.

Local organizations understand the needs in their communities better than anyone else. In the aftermath of a disaster, they should never be overlooked and underfunded. The crisis donate button partnership sends a powerful message that Meta cares about local communities and can enable them to take action to support their community.

By directing funds toward local responders and organizations, these efforts to leverage tech in disaster relief have helped make a difference for survivors. Over the past five years, funds raised through the crisis donate button have supported community-led disaster response efforts like these:

• When heavy rainfall hit Kenya from February to June 2018, causing massive flooding after an intense period of drought, the team at Childline Kenya, a Nairobi-based nonprofit that protects children from abuse, had to act quickly. The flooding killed more than 100 people, and the Childline Kenya team knew that children, especially those living in poverty, would have the greatest needs in the aftermath of a disaster. With a grant from funds raised through the crisis donate button, the organization provided counseling services, legal support, and medication to protect children affected by the flooding.
• Community members in Uchiza, Peru experienced devastating floods and landslides in December 2019. DIACONÍA, a locally based organization in Peru, partnered with community leaders like Betty, to ensure survivors had access to clean water. With a grant through the Meta crisis donate button, the organization distributed 12 water filters to survivors most in need in Uchiza based on feedback from community leaders.
• Typhoon Haishen hit Kyushu, Japan in 2020 during an already fraught and dangerous time with the COVID-19 pandemic. Operation Blessing Japan used a grant through the Meta crisis donate button to distribute chlorine to disinfect drinking water and masks to halt the spread of COVID-19 among elderly people, people with disabilities, and patients in hospitals across Japan.
• Typhoon Rai/Odette devastated communities across the Philippines in late 2021. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, The Bicycle Scouts Project used a grant through the Meta crisis donate button to bolster its network of local Volunteer Bicycle Messenger teams to provide emergency supplies and essential life-saving information to isolated and hard-to-reach communities that were severely impacted by the storm.
• The Mosquito Fire was the largest wildfire in California in 2022. It burned more than 75,000 acres in northern California and displaced more than 10,000 people. The Latino Community Foundation, using a grant from the crisis donate button, activated its Wildfire Relief Fund and Just Recovery Partnership to provide critical financial assistance, rehousing support, and emergency translation for Latino and Indigenous families impacted by wildfires.

Want to learn more about incorporating a nonprofit partnership into your company’s crisis response strategy through GlobalGiving?

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The post How Meta Uses 1 Button To Help Communities Through Crises appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A war shocks the world

In 2022, Team USA was set to play Ukraine for the second time in tennis history in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Then, Russia launched its latest invasion of Ukraine, and everything changed. As millions of people fled Ukraine in Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II, people around the world rushed to provide relief.

Months later, Team USA took on Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers that served as a symbol of unity and support.

The tennis governing bodies took action to support the Ukrainian people. Together the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open), and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) donated and rallied to take action for humanitarian needs.

THE SOLUTION

The tennis community joins together

The Tennis Plays for Peace initiative was launched by the tennis governing bodies, with GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund serving as a central place for fans, athletes, and global tennis groups to give.

The four Grand Slams as well as WTA, ATP, and ITF provided extra support by hosting special charity exhibition matches featuring Ukrainian and global tennis players and donating proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorship money. They’ve also invited fans to give by including QR codes shared on the in-stadium video signage and displaying donation calls to action in television broadcasts.

THE RESULTS

Humanitarian help for Ukraine

To date, Tennis Plays for Peace has raised more than $2 million for responding nonprofit organizations providing relief in Ukraine and surrounding countries.

“As a global sport, we felt it was incredibly important to provide support to the humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine,” said Ann Austin, Vice President of WTA Community Development and WTA Charities. “We are grateful for the generosity of the global tennis community, and the power of sport.”

Does your brand want to help in times of crisis? GlobalGiving can support.

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The post How Global Fans Rallied For Ukraine: The Tennis Plays For Peace Story appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Use influence for action

In 2020, the outcry against systemic racism and social injustice was heard around the world. In the months following, shoe designer Christian Louboutin and his longtime friends, actors Idris and Sabrina Elba, felt compelled to use their platforms to take action. The Louboutin brand wanted to support charities around the world. It was important to them to support organizations in places where the founding trio had close ties, to ensure the proceeds had as much impact as possible, and to invite others to join them in giving.

THE SOLUTION

Creating the Walk a Mile in My Shoes Fund

The three friends created the Walk a Mile in My Shoes charity collection, a capsule of limited edition shoes, handbags, and accessories designed to raise awareness and funding for social and racial injustices. Building on its success, in the following year, they made a second collection with prints featuring the three national flowers of Somalia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, to honor the trio’s own origins and African cultural heritage. The collaborators agreed the collection and its support of causes would be “perennial like the flowers, coming back into bloom” each year.

After working with the Roc Nation philanthropy team to identify nonprofit partners, Louboutin Group partnered with GlobalGiving to fund grants with 100% of the proceeds of the collections and additional donations collected through a special giving page.

THE RESULT

Advancing social justice

By donating all proceeds from these special charity collections, the initiative has raised more than US$2 million for 10 organizations working to advance social justice in France, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each organization is using the funds to make strides within its own community.

Left, actor Idris Elba is greeted by a student in Be Rose International Foundation’s school breakfast program.
Right, model and IFAD Goodwill Ambassador Sabrina Dhowre Elba joins a Somali Hope Academy classroom.

The Gathering for Justice hired new team members to help advocate against the incarceration of youth in the US and planned a youth council program.

Immediate Theatre, a community organization that engages young people in theatre in the Hackney neighborhood of London, opened the doors of a new facility and expanded its programming.

“We’ve recently established our own theatre space for the company and our community and have ambitious plans for our youth theatre programs in Hackney in the year ahead,” Jo Carter, Artistic Director of Immediate Theatre said. “The multi-year funding from the Walk a Mile in My Shoes charity collections has also been instrumental in enabling us to produce a new schools tour of our impactful play, Pressure Drop.”

Be Rose International offered school breakfast in Sierra Leone communities where malnutrition is high and supported widowed women to develop livelihood opportunities through agriculture.

Purposeful, also working in Sierra Leone, reached out-of-school adolescent girls through a mentorship program centered on healing, joy, and collective action.

“With the Walk a Mile in My Shoes grant funds, we are building a movement of mentors who inspire one another and their communities to act against the injustice girls and young women face in Sierra Leone.”
— Rosa Bransky, Co-Founder, Purposeful

Somali Hope Academy Foundation, a high school, put the finishing touches on a well to support the community’s water needs and gave laptops to all of their graduates.

The recent graduates are now attending university, and the laptops will give them the tools they need to continue their education. As one Somali Hope Academy graduate said, “It is a dream come true.”

Want to explore cause marketing to advocate for racial justice?

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The post 3 Friends, A Fashion Brand, And $2M Raised To Fight Racial Injustice appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners are still working to ensure that as the Bahamas builds back, it builds back stronger and involves everyone in the community. See how their responses are offering glimmers of hope for the country’s future.

Rebuilding homes


Photo: Abaco Strong

It is impossible to imagine losing your home with all of your life’s valuables in it. Sadly, Hurricane Dorian made 29,000 people face that reality. Since then, community-led nonprofits, like St. Bernard Project (SBP), have been working diligently to help folks rebuild their houses and restore some stability in their lives. Material shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made that more difficult. But our nonprofit partners and their communities are ensuring that families once again have a safe place to call home.

“I started to become depressed over what had happened. For a while, it looked as if things were never getting back to normal… Now that my home is being repaired by SBP, I want to thank SBP for bringing smiles and joy back within my family. Being home with my family means the world to me.”

Fueling hearts, bodies, and minds


Photo: Abaco Strong

Families across the Bahamas, especially in North Abaco, have overcome a lot in the past three years. This has made it hard to ensure children are getting the nourishing foods they need to grow and thrive. Organizations like Abaco Strong know this. After Hurricane Dorian, their teams spearheaded school feeding programs that guarantee a healthy meal each day for children and allow them to focus on school. As Martha Fleury, of Abaco Strong said:

“Many families are still struggling to put food on the table due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian and a global pandemic in a tourist-driven economy.”


Photo: Lend a Hand Bahamas

Abaco Strong’s feeding programs complement the work of Lend a Hand Bahamas, a nonprofit founded to bring more activities, opportunities, and resources to socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the Bahamas. Since the storm, they have been distributing food in communities, offering training programs for adults, and craft activities for youth. As Lend a Hand Bahamas knows, recovery looks different for each person.

Restoring the environment


Photo: Perry Institute

Did you know that healthy coral reefs can absorb up to 97% of a wave’s energy, buffering coastal communities from storms, flooding, and erosion? Our partners at the Perry Institute understand this and the need to protect the natural landscape of the Bahamas. Perry Institute staff continue to conduct coral health surveys in areas that were in Hurricane Dorian’s path. This is vital to support a healthy coral system, promote eco-tourism, and reduce the impacts of future storms.


Photo: Friends of the Environment

Restoring the Bahamas’ environment is as important onshore as it is offshore—and getting the community involved is what makes an initiative sustainable. That’s why Friends of the Environment has led extensive beach cleanups and education activities for Bahamian youth. Almost 3.5 years after Dorian, Friends of the Environment has made a huge impact in ensuring children are protectors of the environment in which they live.

Preparing for the future


Photo: One Eleuthera Foundation

For some community-led nonprofits, the past three years were a time to reflect, identify ways to connect communities, and bolster disaster resources on the archipelago. One Eleuthera Foundation USA (OEF), for example, has been working with other nonprofits across the Caribbean to establish more Bahamian-led organizations and a civil society network that can support communities year round. OEF has also met extensively with government units to help assess which disaster preparedness projects are vital to support communities into the future. This includes establishing emergency facilities on all of the islands that hold critical supplies to allow for rapid response if another disaster strikes.

Even after debris has been cleared, coral reefs slowly restored, and houses rebuilt, the road to recovery in the Bahamas is long. But GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners remain committed to fueling critical community-led relief and recovery efforts.

Their work to create more resilient, sustainable communities will continue through 2023 and beyond. And their achievements will continue to be a source of hope and a testament to the power of community-led change.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s ongoing community-led disaster response work across the world.

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The post How Communities Build Hope: The Bahamas’ Recovery After Hurricane Dorian appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

 
The GlobalGiving community was challenged like never before in 2022. We saw war, famine, floods, and financial and political strife put pressure on people around the globe.

But we also saw our community show up like never before. Thank you. Our 2022 Year In Review, now live, is all about showing you how your support saved lives.

Two weeks before Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine, our partners’ requests for support prompted us to launch the GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. Within eight days of the Feb. 24 invasion, we sent the first emergency grants to nonprofit organizations whose home cities became the front lines of the conflict.

From Kyiv to Kherson, these organizations stood by their communities. And from Albania to Zambia, nearly 200,000 people like you rallied and gave more than $66.7 million to support them.

But the needs presented by war and other calamities persisted—and they extended far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

In the Horn of Africa, more than 20 million people faced the worst famine conditions in decades. HODI brought resources to people who were suffering from the drought and struggling to get ample supplies of food and water for their households.

In Pakistan, with one-third of the country submerged in floodwaters, Al-Mustafa Welfare Society fed and assisted families who lost homes, crops, livestock—nearly everything—in the floods.

And when hurricanes threatened entire islands and knocked out power grids, the leaders in their communities were there to relieve, rebuild, and restore.

For Ariadna Godreau, director of our longtime partner Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona was a lecture on the status of the recovery from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The impacts, especially on low-income, Black communities and single moms still waiting on 2017-era assistance, underscored the need for equitable access to recovery funds, housing, and policies to ensure climate justice.

“Despite the enormous challenges and the hills we have to climb, I feel hopeful that we’re starting to make real changes and can make more as we continue to work together,” Ariadna told us.

As the climate crisis makes compounding disasters the new reality, the community partners in our network keep working to prepare and respond. They have the courage, knowledge, and commitment. Our role is to trust in their expertise—and invest in it.

That’s the foundation of our mission: to fuel community-led change. And in 2022, we pursued more opportunities to share power, co-create solutions, and live up to all of our community-led commitments.

Learn more below in a reflection from our outgoing CEO, Donna Callejon, and a preview of the impact yet to come from our incoming GlobalGiving CEO, Victoria Vrana.

A Look Back

By Donna Callejon, Executive Advisor + 2022 Interim GlobalGiving CEO
 
In 20 years, a lot has changed.

GlobalGiving grew from an idea in our founders’ minds into an office with eight employees above a thrift shop in Bethesda, Maryland. When I first walked into that office nearly two decades ago, I didn’t know what to expect.

I was reluctant to predict what GlobalGiving would become: a truly global network that operates by the principle that communities know best and backs them in creating their own solutions to the challenges they face. It’s a network that mobilized $150 million in giving last year.

I definitely never could have predicted that I would spend my final year at GlobalGiving in the CEO role. Helping to establish and solidify our sustainable business model, which exists to serve community-led partners everywhere, was tough work.

Riding the waves of good years and bad years was a challenge. But through it all, we focused on our local partners and kept striving to change the way people think about and invest in social change. In the process, we’ve built a supportive, transparent, and agile organization ready to do more good.

This organization became a powerful force in the philanthropic sector, driving more than $785 million to local partners since its founding. Being part of that journey has been the highlight of my career and a true labor of love.

Having the honor to serve as CEO during this unique and record-setting year was like icing on the best cake ever. It was a true privilege.

As I pass the baton to our new CEO, Victoria Vrana, whom I’ve known and respected for many years, I am confident that GlobalGiving is in exceptional hands and will continue to fuel transformative change.

With gratitude for your partnership,

A Look Forward

By Victoria Vrana, GlobalGiving CEO
 
As we look forward to the next 20 years of GlobalGiving, our core will persevere even while we adapt to meet the challenges of the coming decades.

I am certain GlobalGiving will face rapid change and unexpected shifts in the world around us, and I am resolved to hold tight to our essential values and bedrock strengths as we evolve to meet our changing environment. The roots of this organization, which now span decades and continents, have helped us serve millions of people around the world. At the center of that service? The needs and the wisdom of communities. Trust in communities and change leaders is our foundation and will ground us as we head into the future.

I’m proud to say that I’ve known GlobalGiving since its start.

I’ve been a champion of its community-led philosophy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I’ve been a donor, choosing projects to support with my daughters on GivingTuesday and in times of crisis. I’ve been a peer, watching and learning in my previous role as a funder. GlobalGiving’s fundamental goal of transforming aid and philanthropy has been my own professional passion ever since I began working in the social sector as employee No. 1 of an international feminist network. I learned early just how hard it was to do good work and how the system to support change agents was inadequate and often misguided.

But ultimately, it’s GlobalGiving’s role as a connector that makes my heart sing. The challenges we face are too many and too mighty for any one individual, one donor, one community, or one nonprofit.

It is only through connection and community that we can change the equation and marshal forces mightier than the threats we face. GlobalGiving unites us together in a community of mutual support and change.

Honestly, I have always felt like a part of the GlobalGiving community, and it is a privilege to become even more deeply entwined with that network, including all of the individual relationships I’m already getting to build with staff, donors, and partners.

I’m ready to steer the way for its continued success and increased impact in the future, but I need your guidance and input.

This year, I’ll be doing a lot of listening and learning, striving to understand our greatest strengths and where we can better serve all members of our community. Thank you for trusting me to listen and follow your lead.

With gratitude for your partnership,

Thank you for your unwavering support. Read GlobalGiving’s 2022 Year in Review for a full look at your impact.

READ NOW

The post New Year, Renewed Resolve: Letters To You From Our CEOs appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Weeks before Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine, GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners in the region shared their concerns about the tensions building at the border. If the conflict reignited, they said, their communities would need assistance.

The Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, launched on Feb. 8, was a response to those concerns. Just days after the 2022 invasion, emergency grants from the fund were already supporting organizations responding to the crisis in their cities and towns.

Photo: Tabletochki Charity Foundation

As the conflict continued, everyday Ukrainians fought for their country. Meanwhile, hundreds of Ukrainian children were fighting cancer.

Children like 13-year-old Kyrylo.

He and his mother learned about his cancer diagnosis on Feb. 23. The next day, Kyrylo was undergoing his first chemotherapy treatment as air raid sirens rang. His mother carried him down five floors to the bomb shelter. She did all this while pregnant.

Photo: Tabletochki Charity Foundation

When the shelling began in Sumy, a city in Ukraine’s northeast, Danylo’s family decided to return to their hometown of Konotop farther west. His mother learned to administer chemotherapy herself in the basement of their house to continue Danylo’s treatment.

Mariya spent two weeks with her family in their basement in an occupied village near Mariupol, in the southeast corner of Ukraine. In March, the family braved Russian checkpoints and occupied territories to reach safety in the west.

Photo: Tabletochki Charity Foundation

Thanks to generous donors, Tabletochki Charity Foundation supported Kyrylo, Danylo, and Mariya. And they helped hundreds of children continue their treatment in European hospitals, along with their families who were able to leave the country.

Of the more than 7.9 million Ukrainians who have fled Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, at least 650,000 arrived in Moldova. Many of those refugees, whether they were planning to stay temporarily or resettle farther west, came with few belongings or resources.

Photo: Katalyst

Katalyst, Moldova’s first food business incubator, saw the tremendous need. They also saw an opportunity to serve the people who were uprooting their lives in search of safety. Katalyst’s focus shifted quickly, and they began delivering meals to the border, supplies to hospitals and refugee centers, and food to train passengers who were transiting through Moldova as they fled to another country.

Photo: Katalyst

Since Katalyst already had a mobile food pantry, they could rapidly scale up their delivery services. Eventually, the organization’s streamlined system allowed them to deliver 20-pound packs of fresh produce to 2,000 families who fled Ukraine and their Moldavian hosts in the city of Chisinau.

Photo: Katalyst

By the end of the year, Katalyst had delivered more than a million pounds of food to families across Moldova by partnering with local farmers and distributors. They met the needs of refugees in cities and in areas of the country where refugees took shelter in abandoned houses.

Photo: Katalyst

Katalyst had been renovating their own facilities, but when the crisis escalated, they switched to constructing dorm rooms to welcome refugees. And they started sharing their construction knowledge. The team taught Ukrainians staying with them about working with wood and other materials, open-source design software, and heating, plumbing, and electrical systems—skills they can use to help rebuild their country if they return home.

Within Ukraine, the conflict has displaced more than 5.9 million people. Odessa Charity Foundation Way Home and other organizations sheltered children and families who had escaped occupied cities.

But in those cities, many animals were left behind. As the winter chill set in, stray animals needed food, water, and especially warmth.

Photo: Happy Paw

Happy Paw rescued dogs and cats from Ukrainian streets amid constant shelling and focused on providing them with food and care. The organization bought firewood, heaters, and stoves for 84 shelters that were caring for thousands of abandoned animals.

But the devastating effects of the war in Ukraine extended beyond the country and the region.

Prices for food, fuel, and fertilizer soared globally. Wheat exports that East African countries depend on were blocked. And that made it even more difficult to access food in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, where severe drought and insecurity put up to 20 million people at risk of starvation.

Photo: Meseret Humanitarian Organization

Meseret Humanitarian Organization (MHO) saw the rising food prices hitting communities in Ethiopia’s north the hardest.

MHO searched for a sustainable solution, and they found it in a backyard garden. Behind the organization’s rehabilitation center in northwestern Ethiopia, they started growing maize, carrots, and other vegetables. The garden now provides more than 50 mothers with nutritious food for their families.

Photo: Meseret Humanitarian Organization

By creating more of these gardens on unused school property, MHO is working to create a sustainable food source and cultivate peace in communities affected by conflict and instability.

From Ukraine to Ethiopia, these incredible organizations responded to crises for their communities—and with them. They brought help and hope during a challenging year.

Read more about how community-led nonprofits offered support and solutions in GlobalGiving’s 2022 Year In Review.

READ THE REPORT

The post Standing Up, Spreading Hope: How 4 Nonprofits Responded To The Ukraine Crisis appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

An overlooked emergency

More than 7 million Venezuelans have left their home country since 2018 to escape a confluence of challenges, including hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages, persecution, and the COVID-19 pandemic. For those that remain, the situation is difficult. An estimated 32% of children in Venezuela suffer from chronic malnutrition, and 59% of households have insufficient income to buy food.

Despite these realities, community-led nonprofit organizations in Venezuela persevere. However, their efforts are severely underfunded and have been overshadowed recently by a surge in public donations for communities in Ukraine and other countries. Protracted humanitarian emergencies like the one in Venezuela rarely receive the attention they deserve, and responding nonprofits don’t get the support and funding they need to continue their work.

THE SOLUTION

Partnering to close the gap

Recognizing the importance of healthy communities and the challenges they face in Venezuela, the Simón Bolívar Foundation gave GlobalGiving a $1 million grant to fund Venezuelan nonprofits working on health, medicine, and nutrition programs in the country. From the start, listening to local nonprofits to determine how best to support communities in need was key.

The collaboration began by identifying organizations working in Venezuela that were vetted by GlobalGiving. Throughout the planning stages, nonprofit partners emphasized that flexible project funding was critical to adapt to changing situations in their communities, and they decided how they wanted to report on their grants. We honored their expertise and incorporated this directly into the grant program design.

Beyond the grantmaking, the program sought to build on the skills of our nonprofit community and meet their need for additional knowledge. To decide how we should lend our help, we used our co-creation process. GlobalGiving’s co-creation process invites the people closest to a challenge to develop new solutions. It’s a collaborative and creative process that benefits from multiple perspectives and different lived experiences.

To begin we asked, “How might GlobalGiving help Venezuelan nonprofits increase their visibility and capacity to raise more funds?” Six nonprofits that work in Venezuela came together during four days of workshops to answer that question. The participants crafted a vision for the support they needed: training sessions focused on improving their fundraising and storytelling skills and building and sustaining a network of donors.

They also wanted a way to apply the knowledge they learned in the training sessions. In the spirit of building community, they imagined a collective fundraising campaign where they would share in the effort to attract new donors, and all of the funds raised would be split evenly among the participants.

THE RESULT

Creating a better future together

Through the co-creation workshops, training sessions, and collective campaign planning, participating nonprofits built connections among themselves and learned from each other about running successful fundraising campaigns. One participant shared that it was enriching and transformative.

“I never imagined it would be so gratifying: us working together for a shared objective, standing in solidarity.”

Workshop participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on their experiences. And the collaborative fundraising campaign, jointly organized by 11 nonprofits, exceeded its goal. As a result of their dedicated work, the program participants brought more visibility to the situation affecting the Venezuelan people. They raised more money to ensure their own sustainability and to assist more communities in need.

With help from the Simón Bolívar Foundation, GlobalGiving was able to provide this range of support for Venezuelan nonprofits through grants, training workshops, and fundraising opportunities.

“The strategic relationship with GlobalGiving has assisted our foundation in maximizing our reach,” Mariela Poleo, President of the Simón Bolívar Foundation, said. ”Building upon GlobalGiving’s experience around the world, their robust vetting processes, and their experience in fundraising—which has been used to train and build capacity among Venezuelan organizations—aligned with the Simón Bolívar Foundation’s charitable objectives.”

As GlobalGiving’s partnership with the Simón Bolívar Foundation enters another year, community needs will continue to influence our planning. The rising number of Venezuelan migrants coming to the US, often after a harrowing trek through Central America, underscores the need to keep responding to the emergency and keep centering the voices of the people most affected by it.

Interested in using co-creation to shape your CSR programming?

CONTACT US

The post How Nonprofits Are Co-Creating A Better Future For Venezuela appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

THE CHALLENGE

A growing number of global disaster events

In 2021 alone, the Emergency Events Database recorded 432 disaster events related to natural hazards worldwide. Overall, these accounted for more than 10,000 deaths, affected nearly 102 million people, and caused an estimated US$252 billion in economic losses.

With so many events spanning the globe, Ball was confronted with the reality that it’s difficult to know when, where, and how to respond. Ball Corporation has more than 24,000 employees operating in more than 100 countries.

In the past, Ball has typically responded to natural disaster events, especially those that hit close to its Colorado headquarters. Ball has primarily relied on partnerships with large disaster relief agencies to support giving exclusively in North America. But as the climate crisis makes disasters around the world more frequent and more severe, more events hit close to home for Ball. Wanting to nimbly respond when disasters strike and meaningfully support affected communities, Ball found itself facing two ongoing challenges:

• An inability to engage employees outside of North America with local giving options in times of disaster; and,
• A lack of process or methodology to guide equitable and consistent disaster response efforts for its global community.

Without a framework to guide Ball in evaluating and responding, and with increased pressure from employees and others to act, Ball needed support.

THE SOLUTION

Strategic disaster response decisions

Ball knows that determining when, where, and how to respond to a disaster is foundational to a strategic response program that is also consistent and equitable. So, Ball partnered with GlobalGiving to develop a comprehensive approach to disaster relief and recovery. A program that supports high-impact, community-led organizations in regions where their global team members live and work and invests in the resilience and full recovery of those communities was the goal.

GlobalGiving facilitated a strategic brainstorming session guiding internal Ball decision-makers through detailed questions, including the type, impact, and severity of disaster event, need, impact on employees and customers, geographic and business alignment, and activation opportunities. The result enabled Ball to identify and formalize priorities for its disaster response approach:

• The ability to engage domestic and international markets consistently and equitably with employee giving, ensuring the global team knows Ball supports them and is showing up when disasters happen; and,
• The ability to receive actionable information and recommendations to proactively share with Ball leadership, highlighting areas of greatest need and communities often overlooked for disaster funding.

THE RESULT

A swift global response

With these clear priorities, GlobalGiving created a custom framework and turnkey tools for Ball. The tools help clarify and document Ball’s priorities and processes and also make it easy to consistently communicate activation decisions to employees and other important groups.

Flexibility and speed are critical in the wake of a disaster, and by leveraging these tools, Ball has been able to make faster, more targeted decisions and support local communities impacted by disaster events all over the globe.

Developing a disaster response framework—and partnering with GlobalGiving—has unlocked a new ability for us to analyze disasters consistently, respond globally, and align responses with our values.
— Jessica Leary, Global Community Relations Manager, Ball Corporation

Along with establishing key response criteria, Ball allocated resources to a disaster contingency fund designated to support rapid response efforts. In 2022 through its partnership with GlobalGiving, Ball donated more than $1M to support vetted, community-led organizations providing emergency response and recovery services in the wake of crises impacting team members and operations in Brazil, Mexico, Ukraine, and the United States. Through the partnership, Ball continues to explore ways it can support disaster risk mitigation and preparedness activities alongside relief efforts for a more holistic approach to disaster response.

“In the face of an increasing number of disasters, my team at Ball sought to be responsive to the needs of the communities where our employees live and work,” Jessica Leary, Global Community Relations Manager at Ball Corporation, said.

Many brands, like Ball, want to support their local communities in times of disaster. But with pressure from multiple influential groups and competing business needs, it can be difficult to decide when and where to respond, and how much to support. It’s increasingly challenging to plan for the unpredictable without clear priorities, strategic guidelines, and frameworks for decision-making.

Each disaster brings unique contexts and challenges. From hurricanes to earthquakes, the type of disaster and its severity will differ dramatically every time. But written processes and decision trees can be useful tools for making and executing disaster response decisions.

Learn how to enable faster, more equitable decision-making by developing your disaster response priorities and processes with GlobalGiving.

CONTACT US

The post How Ball Corp Commits To Disaster Recovery And All Its Challenging Decisions appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The next day, Joyce and Dave opened the newspaper to find the faces of their close friends—a family of four—looking back at them. The world had lost Norma, Leslie, Charles, Zoe, and Dana along with nearly 3,000 other people in the attacks.

A living 9/11 memorial

Gene, Joyce, and Dave first got to know each other as economists based in the Washington, D.C. area, crossing paths at national forums and panels. But their shared loss and worldview took their connection beyond discussions of taxes and social security.

They wanted to honor their lost loved ones by creating opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They believed this could make waves through communities harmed by the same terrorism that spawned the 9/11 attacks.

Rather than simply donating to an organization on their own, the trio sought ways to make a greater impact.

“Can we find other people like ourselves who want to create living memorials for our people?” Gene wondered. “Can we take that attention and make it an asset?”

Initially, Gene and his daughters devoted some funding they had received from the government to establish a nonprofit. Joyce and Dave joined as board members and got to know Gene better over dinner meetings. Along with other families, they worked closely to find ways to keep the memory of their loved ones alive and fill the void they left with good.

Then in 2009, Gene, Joyce, and Dave teamed up with GlobalGiving to launch their living 9/11 memorial: the Safer World Fund and annual campaign. Every September, they back a $40,000 campaign to support organizations working in Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially those focused on providing economic opportunity, education, and health care to women and girls. The campaign features nonprofits that train teachers, provide mobile literacy courses to women, dispatch community health workers, and improve hygiene and nutrition for mothers and their children.

Anyone can give, and their donation will be matched through the campaign. Even after the campaign ends, the participating organizations receive donations made to the Safer World Fund throughout the year.

Support women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan by giving to their 9/11 memorial, the Safer World Fund, and get matched 50% while funds last.

GIVE NOW

The campaign has already supported 30 different nonprofits working in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This year, while continuing to support partners in Pakistan, it will provide emergency support to organizations in Afghanistan shifting their work under the Taliban. While there remains great uncertainty in Afghanistan, the Safer World Fund’s nonprofit partners are still committed to serving their communities however they can.

“Since 2003, more than 2,500 students have graduated from [our] accelerated education program,” Enayat Nasir of Aid Afghanistan for Education wrote in a recent report.

“Nobody can ever take away their education, no matter what happens next in Afghanistan.”

A better world

Over the past 12 years, the Safer World Fund and campaigns have raised more than $2 million and inspired more than 6,800 people to support women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Two decades after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in the wake of renewed Taliban violence and control in Afghanistan, the need for the Safer World Fund is as clear as ever. And its virtuous cycle continues.

Organizations like Aid Afghanistan for Education, Dawood Global Foundation, and Afghan Institute of Learning have grown and sustained their programs thanks to thousands of people who gave to the fund. This money has helped thousands of girls stay in or return to school through scholarships and other education investments. And hundreds of mothers and their babies have received life-saving health care thanks to the Safer World Fund.

Gene, Joyce, and Dave sought to create the goodness their loved ones would have contributed to the world if they’d lived. When someone somewhere joins them in giving, they get a little closer to that goal.

Support women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan by giving to their 9/11 memorial, the Safer World Fund, and get matched 50% while funds last.

GIVE NOW

The post From 9/11 Loss, A Living Memorial: How One Campaign Raised $2M appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Making space for dads

When Brian became a father for the first time, he was awestruck. Holding his daughter, he felt the wonder and responsibility of fatherhood. He also felt the need for support from other fathers to create a world where his daughters could live and thrive.

He needed a community that could understand him. But as he searched for a father-led group that emphasized equity, support, and accountability, he couldn’t find it. So Brian and fellow father Christopher Lewis set out to create one. In 2018, that goal became the “Dads With Daughters” Facebook group.

Turns out, Brian and Christopher weren’t alone. Their Facebook community, fueled by connection, grew from 50 to 127,000 members. That inspired Brian and Christopher to take their group a step further and start a nonprofit, Fathering Together.

“We were at a point with our growth that we needed outside help,” Brian explained.

The need for outside help brought Brian and Christopher to the Facebook Community Accelerator. The program offers community leaders tailored training, new products to engage their members, and access to funds to support their next phase of development and impact.

THE SOLUTION

Growing together

The Facebook Community Accelerator helped the Fathering Together team expand its reach while sticking to its roots.

“Facebook had been so good to us on so many levels, and it made sense to keep working with them,” Brian said.

So he applied for the program and became part of a cohort of 77 tenacious community leaders from 13 countries in 2020.

The Facebook Community Accelerator program helped Fathering Together craft its messaging, amplify its voice, and meet other community leaders from around the globe. The group’s growth pushed Brian and Christopher to formally register Fathering Together as a nonprofit organization. And Brian was able to quit his day job to become Fathering Together’s first full-time employee.

THE RESULT

A platform for the future

Besides providing a path forward, the Facebook Community Accelerator program also introduced Brian to GlobalGiving.

Since 2018, GlobalGiving has partnered with Meta to support the grantmaking portion of the program.

As Brian and Christopher were wrapping up Fathering Together’s participation in the Facebook Community Accelerator, the GlobalGiving team introduced them and other leaders in their cohort to GlobalGiving’s fundraising platform. In 2021, Fathering Together joined GlobalGiving and posted its first project on the site.

Fathering Together has now received more than 100 donations from individuals, some from complete strangers with no connection to Fathering Together except for the desire to support their mission. For small community-led organizations, this funding is easy to receive and vital to their growth.

“I’m still the only full-time person, and there are times when I don’t have time to send out an ask or an appeal, but I get on GlobalGiving and I can see we received a donation,” Brian said.

That lets Brian look toward the future. Soon, he’ll post a new project on GlobalGiving that focuses on supporting fathers in their school communities. The project will help fathers become active participants and key community members who are seen as more than just people who drop off their kids at school.

As Brian, Christopher, and the Fathering Together community take more steps for fathers, Brian always keeps his children as his north star: “The more you accept your children for who they are, life will be a lot easier and a lot more fun.”

Want to support community leaders for the long run? Learn how GlobalGiving’s grantmaking services can help your company make a lasting difference for local nonprofits.

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The post These Fathers Are Creating The Families Of The Future appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Expanding employee volunteering globally

In 2005, Ford Motor Company and then president and CEO Bill Ford launched the Ford Volunteer Corps as part of the organization’s commitment to community. Overseen by Ford’s philanthropic arm, Ford Motor Company Fund, volunteerism quickly expanded to engage Ford employees around the world.

To leverage the collective power of Ford and its employees, the company designated September as Global Caring Month—a coordinated 30-day effort committed to volunteerism. In collaboration with local nonprofits, Ford volunteers develop, manage, and implement hundreds of volunteer projects each year through the program. Those projects range from planting gardens to stocking food pantries with organizations like JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh and Banco de Alimentos de Bogotá in Colombia.

To support Global Caring Month, Ford Motor Company Fund offers grant funding to cover the cost of supplies related to the projects. But to expand to projects outside of the US, Ford Fund needed support to vet potential nonprofit partners.

THE SOLUTION

Vetting nonprofit partners before volunteering

Ford Fund initiated the program by inviting employees to nominate nonprofit organizations in more than 40 global markets. To ensure these organizations met international standards equivalent to US-registered charities, Ford Fund partnered with GlobalGiving to vet each new organization before approving them for volunteering and funding. This helped Ford Fund feel confident in developing new nonprofit relationships around the globe and provided the participating nonprofits with even more value in the form of capacity building and access to support from GlobalGiving.

THE RESULT

A network of trusted organizations to support

Over the years, more than 500 international nonprofits have participated in Global Caring Month, all made possible by a robust global due diligence process. This vetting has supported Ford Fund’s ongoing program by reviewing each organization’s capacity, checking that they meet all regulatory and compliance guidelines, ensuring they align with Ford Fund’s corporate values, and lastly, confirming they do not pose any reputational risks to Ford or their volunteers. The impact of taking a holistic approach when reviewing an organization’s due diligence application has been two-fold. The due diligence process assesses risk factors and also highlights trust indicators that allow lesser-known community-led organizations to be supported.

In addition, the virtual and hands-on service projects supported by thousands of Ford volunteers have increased programming and services available in some of the most remote locations. The supported organizations have been able to leverage helping hands to address challenges in areas including education, economic and community development, health, and basic needs.

Learn more about how due diligence can expand your nonprofit partnerships.

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The post How Vetting Allowed Ford To Scale Its Global Volunteering With Trust appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

1. Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca, A.C. | Mexico

Story by Juan José Consejo, Co-founder

 
Years ago, lifelong farmer and Zapotec Indigenous man Don Pedro found himself unable to afford the synthetic fertilizers he needed to continue growing crops in Mexico’s Oaxaca watershed. Although he never finished elementary school, a lack of formal education didn’t stop Don Pedro from filling every important position in his town, from topil (community policeman) in his youth to president municipal (mayor) of Huayapam—and it certainly didn’t stop him from farming.

Don Pedro turned to Climate Action Fund leader Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca, A.C., which offers workshops on soil conservation and organic farming, to learn new techniques. He took these learnings far beyond the classroom, becoming a leader and mentor for other environmentalists—and one of the biggest organic tomato producers in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca.

Don Pedro just celebrated his 85th birthday with his huge and loving family, and he is still growing tomatoes.

Don Pedro with a harvest of organic tomatoes. Photo: Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca, A.C.

2. Instituto Chaikuni | Peru

Story by Milton López Tarabochia, Communications Coordinator

 
In the Peruvian Amazon, many farmers use slash-and-burn practices, an unsustainable way to quickly clear the forest to cultivate food. Leaders like Gimena, an Achuar Indigenous woman and a tourism student, are looking for a better way—and Climate Action Fund leader Instituto Chaikuni is ready to help them find it.

By providing education and other resources in rural Amazonian communities, Instituto Chaikuni is helping build environmentally friendly food systems called chacras integrales. These sustainable food systems, based on Indigenous knowledge and community wisdom, offer vital nutrition and medicines year round.

“What I like the most about chacras integrales is that they will be a great option to live in harmony with nature and the environment,” Gimena shared. “They also allow eating healthier, revaluing the biodiversity of the Loreto region, and having economic solvency.”

An Indigenous woman harvests beans in a chacra integral. Photo: Instituto Chaikuni

3. Reef Check Malaysia | Malaysia

Story by Theresa Ng, Program Development Manager

 
Faizal was born and raised in Mantanani Island, Sabah, Malaysia—an island that is known for its clear blue waters and biodiverse marine life. To protect his home’s natural treasure from the impacts of climate change and local threats like pollution and unsustainable tourism practices, Faizal joined community-based Climate Action Fund cohort member Reef Check Malaysia.

“The island we live on is our treasure, so we need to ensure its cleanliness and safety—not only for us but also for the environment,” he said.
⁠
Today, Faizal is helping run a waste management and recycling program, overseeing operations of a local community garden, and assisting in reef monitoring activities.⁠ ⁠
⁠
With dedication and hard work, Faizal has mobilized more people from the Mantanani community to join the movement to protect the island’s marine resources—and tackle the global crisis at the same time.⁠

Faizal on Mantanani Island's blue waters. Photo: Reef Check Malaysia

4. Sadhana Forest | Kenya

Story by Aviram Rozin, Founder and Chairman, Kenya

 
For Naisherua, sustainable food means more than economic stability or a climate solution: It means freedom.

After her mother died, Naisherua faced mistreatment and neglect from her stepmother. Eventually, she had to drop out of school to support her new siblings. A few years later, Naisherua fled from her alcoholic husband, becoming the sole provider for her own growing family. Thankfully, she had an ally in her corner: Climate Action Fund leader Sadhana Forest. The organization works to combat climate change and build financial security in Samburu, Kenya by helping community members plant fruit-producing trees.

By working with Sadhana Forest, Naisherua has been able to plant a small food forest that provides reliable, nutritious food for her children. She’s also learned to use power tools and tackle home improvement projects, building self-confidence along the way.

Today, Naisherua is providing for herself, helping to support her younger siblings, and sending her children to school. She shared that her dream is to one day have her own home—and that Sadhana Forest has made her feel, for the first time, that her dream is possible.

Naisherua. Photo: Sadhana Forest

5. EcoLogic | Central America

Story by Barbara Vallarino, Executive Director, Brazil

 
Don Juan lives and farms in northern Guatemala, where he raises cardamom, mahogany, and other crops.

For years, he and his neighbors have used slash-and-burn agricultural methods—that is, until Climate Action Fund member EcoLogic introduced agroforestry. Agroforestry, or planting food-producing trees, helps make farming less damaging to the soil and ecosystem—and easier for the farmers.

Today, Don Juan can tell that agroforestry is making a difference.

“Thanks to the techniques for reforestation, I am seeing the results, and this is working well,” he said. “I am seeing healthy cardamom plants and mahogany trees.”

Don Juan stands in his agroforest. Photo: EcoLogic

Support the Climate Action Fund today to help more local leaders save our home through community-based climate action.

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The post 5 Stories Of Community-Led Climate Action That Will Inspire You appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Photo: Handrez García

“Chaikuni” means “spirit of the forest” in Shipibo-Konibo, an Indigenous language spoken in the Peruvian Amazon. The Chaikuni are the guards of the rainforest—people like Milton López Tarabochia.

Milton protects the communities and natural wonders within the Peruvian Amazon as the Communications Coordinator for Instituto Chaikuni, and as part of the Indigenous cosmovision.

A three-time Climate Action Fund member, Milton and the Instituto Chaikuni team live up to their namesake by fostering environmental stewardship and Indigenous rights in close partnership with Native leaders, Indigenous youth, and local farmers. Whether they’re leading a permaculture training or developing a short film series featuring Indigenous women, reciprocity between human and natural communities is at the heart of Instituto Chaikuni’s work.

“The Amazon is vital for our health and survival, and Indigenous knowledge can help us protect it and use it in a sustainable way for a better quality of life,” Milton said.

Despite recent successes including a new regenerative agriculture workshop series and expanded permaculture training facilities, life on the front lines of protecting our planet isn’t easy. In the past few years alone, Milton has experienced unexpected shifts in the Amazon’s once predictable climate patterns, seen biodiversity decline, and watched as hectares of pristine rainforest were cut down—all at the expense of the Indigenous communities Instituto Chaikuni works to protect. Nonetheless, Milton remains hopeful for the future of our home.

“It is titanic work trying to change the world,” he said, reflecting on a career that has introduced him to groups and individuals that produced structural changes. “Those real cases are the ones that keep me standing in the fight for a fairer and greener world.”

Help Milton protect our home.

2. Alma is patching holes in emergency response.

Photo: Nuestra Comunidad

For 18 years, Alma Bowen worked as a 911 Emergency Service Dispatcher in Sonoma County, California. On the first night of the 2017 Tubbs fire—which killed 22 people and scorched thousands of acres, homes, and businesses—Alma was working the night shift.

Over the phone that night, she heard what it sounds like when communities are unprepared for disasters. She spoke with two migrant workers who needed to escape from the fire but didn’t know the address of the vineyard where they worked because they couldn’t read English. Alma tried to figure out their location based on letters they could recognize. But by the time she did, it was too late. The men had to flee, and she couldn’t send help.

“I really realized that first responders cannot possibly help everyone.”

So she took this momentary feeling of helplessness and turned it into a mission. Alma founded Nuestra Comunidad to ensure no community member has to think about anything except their safety during disasters.

The nonprofit shares disaster information, distributes “go-kits” packed with evacuation essentials, and provides rent abatement in the aftermath of destructive wildfires.

And Alma is determined to reach people in her community who fear being too visible if they ask for help or need information in a language other than English. Many Latino residents don’t even call for information or emergency assistance because they fear deportation.

“My position comes from 20 years behind the scenes learning where the holes are,” Alma said. “Now, we can help plug them.”

Help Alma prepare Californians for the next disaster.

3. Mrs. Najah is feeding her community.

Photo: Rebuilding Alliance

Mrs. Najah is a grandmother. She can proudly name all 19 of her grandchildren. And if she traces the family line back to her own grandparents, she remembers how they lived off of the oranges, olives, grapes, and figs they planted.

But in 1948, they were among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians forced from their homes during the Arab-Israeli war.

“When the people left their houses, they closed the door and took the keys with them, thinking they would return,” Mrs. Najah said.

“They thought it would be days—the days became 70 years.”

From Block J of the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Mrs. Najah saw the conflict over the land. She witnessed how the 14-year blockade Israel and Egypt imposed on Hamas-controlled Gaza limits Palestinians’ movement, stifles the flow of goods, and causes billions of dollars in economic losses.

And now, she’s watching COVID-19 strain what’s left of the struggling economy—but she’s also cooking.

As the Executive Director of the Women’s Programs Center-Rafah, Mrs. Najah manages a seven-woman team of cooks. In her kitchen, they make hearty meals of chicken and rice with pine nuts mixed in and limes for garnish.

With two-thirds of Gazans already struggling to get food regularly and unemployment at 45%, the pandemic and the 11-day war between Hamas and Israel in May 2021 made it even tougher for families to make a meal.

So Mrs. Najah serves anyone who needs to eat—cancer patients, people with disabilities, children—not only the refugees that make up most of Gaza’s population.

Since the project started through Rebuilding Alliance in 2020, her kitchen has fed thousands of people.

“When I go to a house, I ask the woman who lives there what she prepared for lunch,” Mrs. Najah said. “And I feel joy when I give her a good, hot meal after she says she did not prepare anything.”

Help Mrs. Najah provide more meals.

4. Jacqueline is keeping girls in school.

Photo: Jacqueline Audige

Jacqueline Audige always says she has six children. Five have left the house—her youngest son is now in college. Her sixth child is Aumazo Inc., a nonprofit organization working against the forces that pushed her out of school.

The village where Jacqueline grew up in Cameroon didn’t have a high school, so she had no choice but to attend a school in the city, away from her home and family. Eventually, she ran out of money and was faced with offering sexual favors to afford school supplies or dropping out.

Jacqueline dropped out.

“That’s my motivation: to give back and prevent any other girls dropping out because of financial issues and being coerced into sex,” she said.

After immigrating to the US with her husband and children in 1991, Jacqueline was eventually able to get her high school diploma. And a bachelor’s degree. And a master’s degree. During a trip back to Cameroon more than a decade later, Jacqueline saw that level of education was still out of reach for many girls in her childhood village.

Without access to a private toilet and sanitary products—and with the stigma surrounding menstruation—many girls were forced to stay at home. Some had to repeat middle school classes two or three times. The vast majority weren’t even making it to high school.

Moved by the challenges girls continued to face and unwilling to let history repeat itself, Jacqueline talked with the students to understand their needs and started the nonprofit Aumazo. From supplying period pads to coordinating a local peer-to-peer tutoring program, Aumazo gives girls more chances to complete their education and build brighter futures than Jacqueline had.

Before Aumazo’s tutoring program started, only 25% of middle school girls enrolled in the program passed their high school entrance exam. After its first year, that number climbed to 45%.

In 2021, 100% of girls in the program passed.

“People need to understand that there is a big need out there, and it doesn’t take much to make a difference,” Jacqueline said. “I’m running the organization on shoestrings, but those shoestrings have a lot of value, a lot of weight.”

Help Jacqueline make a difference for students.

5. Rima is building a team.

Photo: Jaron Johns

Rima Yacoub’s jiu-jitsu skills have earned her gold medals and gratifying moments around the globe. She’s a woman and professional athlete living in Jordan—two things that don’t always play well together.

“A girl, refugee, or Jordanian alike looking for physical activity in Jordan will face male-only gyms, fields that have never hosted women’s games, and a lack of programming and teams that they can join,” Rima explained.

This lack of opportunity and access adds to the challenges girls and women face as they build their lives in Amman, Jordan’s capital.

As Jordan Programs Director for Reclaim Childhood, Inc., an organization run by women for women, Rima works to open doors and fields. Reclaim Childhood creates safe and inclusive spaces for underserved girls in Jordan—many of whom are refugees—and uses sport to develop their confidence, leadership, and teamwork skills.

Reclaim Childhood staff members focus on helping girls form friendships across different national, economic, and religious backgrounds. And they help girls build their self-esteem and integrate into local communities.

“Reclaim Childhood gets girls out of the house and onto the field, providing a safe space to play, learn, and build community,” Rima said.

She wants them to know there is more to life than they thought—and then have the chance to go out and get it.

“I always dreamt of being an Olympian,” Rima said. And as she trains for another jiu-jitsu match, she teaches the girls she works with that: “There is no expiration date to childhood dreams.”

Help Rima encourage girls to find their path through sports.

Read about more changemakers in our 2021 impact report, “Community Forward: GlobalGiving’s Year In Review.

READ THE REPORT

The post From Forests To Fields, These 5 People Are Changing The World appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Put communities in the center of corporate philanthropy.

Hosts on Airbnb open their doors to travelers from around the world—and welcome them into their communities. As part of the company’s commitment to serving its community, Airbnb wanted to give to where their Hosts call home. Moreover, they wanted to give Hosts the opportunity to make the choices impacting their communities. It’d be no small task with communities spread around the world.

THE SOLUTION

Airbnb and GlobalGiving co-designed the Airbnb Community Fund.

Together with GlobalGiving, the Airbnb team dreamed up what became the Airbnb Community Fund. GlobalGiving supported with strategy and program design, providing guidance in areas such as nonprofit communication, grantee absorptive capacity, and flexible funding best practices.

Rather than require organizations to apply, Airbnb sourced grant candidates in partnership with GlobalGiving. First, Airbnb’s Host Advisory Board reviewed 500 of GlobalGiving’s trusted nonprofit partners. They chose those working in three strategic areas: COVID-19 relief, economic empowerment, and education.

Next, members of Airbnb Host Clubs reviewed the organizations’ work and voted for those they felt were most impactful in their community.

Together, they chose an impressive final roster of nonprofits to support—ultimately awarding grants to organizations in more than 40 countries and six continents.

Finally, each organization signed a simple grant agreement. Each received a grant of $10,000 or more, with zero required reporting or strings attached.

THE RESULT

In the inaugural round of funding, GlobalGiving sent millions in unrestricted grants to nonprofits around the world.

Thanks to Airbnb’s request for GlobalGiving to award unrestricted grants, 171 community-led nonprofits received flexible funding. Here’s how three grant partners invested in communities’ most pressing needs:

1. For refugees supported by Echo100plus, Airbnb’s grant arrived at a pivotal time.

“The past 18 months had been full of uncertainties, [but] we kept afloat and explored ever new pathways when COVID tried to cut us off from the refugee community we serve in Greece,” Catharina Kahane, co-founder of Echo100plus, said. “Now that the situation is slowly improving, the Airbnb grant is coming at the right moment to reboot our educational and international activities. We are incredibly honored and grateful for this!”

2. Entrepreneurs du Monde, which provides sustainable energy in West Africa, Haiti, and Asia, trained micro-entrepreneurs for more resilient communities.

“The Airbnb Community Fund’s contribution will allow our organization to connect 100 more vulnerable rural families to solar energy provided by innovative micro-grids,” Corinne Doncque, a fundraising officer at Entrepreneurs du Monde, said.

3. Grant partner The Freedom Story invested in scholarships, mentorship programs, and resources to end child trafficking in Thailand.

“We cannot express our gratitude enough for the partnership with the Airbnb Community Fund. It has helped families across Chiang Rai to find greater freedom and stability,” Chris Morgan, their operations officer, said. “We look forward to continuing to support at-risk families together.”

Through the Airbnb Community Fund, the company commits to giving a total of $100 million over 10 years to more organizations like Echo100plus, Entrepreneurs du Monde, and The Freedom Story whose work supports communities around the world.

Refugees, rural micro-entrepreneurs, and children at risk of trafficking are among those supported in year one of the Airbnb Community Fund. Airbnb’s future investments in community-led change will allow even more local organizations to strengthen their support of communities.

Discover GlobalGiving’s community-led grantmaking solutions.

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Prevent Child Trafficking Through Education by The Freedom Story, an Airbnb Community Fund grantee

The post How Airbnb Hosts Around The World Are Giving To Their Communities appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

1. Dogs can comfort veterans and service members.

Photo: Warrior Canine Connection

The Warrior Canine Connection trains and matches service dogs to veterans with physical disabilities. These working dogs help veterans and their families heal and return to daily life following their service to the country. The trainers who work with the dogs before they’re placed with their new families are veterans and service members who have experienced Post Traumatic Stress and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries themselves. So the dogs get to work helping people as soon as they start training. Upon graduation, the dogs become lifelong partners for veterans with disabilities, with the important job of providing mobility and social support. See these skilled working dogs in action.

2. Dogs can help people with disabilities.

Photo: Oknooshoon

Oknooshoon has created Armenia’s first therapy dog certification process, a tool they use to give rescue dogs a new life and help people in need. Oknooshoon turns rescue dogs into therapy dogs that work at facilities for youth and individuals with disabilities. After training and certification, these working dogs provide therapeutic interventions, including facilitated group activities. The Oknooshoon team also hosts educational visits with their partner facilities to teach communities how to safely interact with dogs. Through positive human-dog interactions, the organization helps combat stigma against mixed-breed and rescue dogs.

3. Dogs can detect landmines.

Photo: APOPO vzw

In Cambodia, experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of landmines litter the countryside after decades of war, forcing large land areas to remain deserted. That’s why APOPO vzw is training dogs to put their elite noses to work to detect landmines. The dogs are equipped with smart GPS backpacks that transmit images to and allow communication with their human counterparts. The dogs pause when they identify landmines, and humans record the positions so the landmines can be safely disposed of. These dogs with jobs are making the land safe for communities to drill wells and plant crops.

4. Dogs can prevent seizure complications.

Photo: Chelsea Hutchison Foundation

For people with epilepsy, trained seizure response dogs can alert others and summon help when (or even before) seizures occur. The Chelsea Hutchison Foundation (CHF) provides grants to match this kind of service dog with families of people affected by epilepsy. Besides detecting seizures and getting help, the dogs can carry medicine and even find a safe area for their partner to lie down if needed! Their work can save lives and prevent complications, including Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

5. Dogs can protect endangered cheetahs.

Photo: Cheetah Conservation Fund

Ranchers in Namibia have often blamed and killed cheetahs over lost livestock. The Cheetah Conservation Fund breeds and distributes special dogs with the job of protecting goats and other livestock from cheetahs. That keeps both livestock and cheetahs safe. The dogs bond with their human families and alert their herds to approaching predators. Usually, their bark alone scares off predators! See how these special working dogs are saving cheetahs.

Support dogs with jobs that are changing the world

Dogs truly are amazing animals with skills that allow them to serve in impactful roles beyond their family member statuses. And they need our support to continue their world-changing work. Help and celebrate working dogs by supporting one of the projects above, or explore other dog-related projects around the world to find one you love.

Explore projects to see how you can support an amazing dog.

FIND A PROJECT

The post How Dogs With Jobs Are Making The World A Better Place appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The date that Hurricane Maria made landfall as a massive Category 4 hurricane in southeastern Puerto Rico before cutting its way across the entire island. Ultimately, the storm killed nearly 3,000 people in Puerto Rico alone and led to an island-wide blackout that lasted almost a year for many communities. Hurricane Maria also devastated other Caribbean islands, like Dominica, where 85% of all homes were severely damaged or destroyed. On the day the storm made landfall in Puerto Rico, GlobalGiving launched its Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund.

12,421,948

The total amount of US dollars raised by the GlobalGiving community to support Hurricane Maria relief and recovery since 2017. Nearly 51,000 people gave to the fund and powered this long-term response.

152

The number of GlobalGiving grants made through the Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund to 65 vetted nonprofit partners serving communities in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean.

15,491

The total cost in US dollars for our partner Sol es VIDA to buy and install permanent mailboxes for the community members of Villas de Sol in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. As a community that has been historically targeted and neglected by the local government, many Villas del Sol community members did not have postal addresses that could be used to apply for federal and local aid after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. With these new mailboxes, community members had one less obstacle to overcome in their long-term recovery.

19

The number of solar power systems our partner APNI, Inc. (Support to Parents of Children with Disabilities) distributed and installed on the homes of families across Puerto Rico whose children are bedridden and dependent on critical medical equipment that needs reliable electricity at all times.

348

The number of children and adults in Puerto Rico who received psychological or psychoeducational support and services from Centro de Fortalecimiento Familiar de Puerto Rico, Inc. ESCAPE between January 2020 and June 2021. People need these services more than ever, especially given the layered impacts of the 2020 earthquakes in southeastern Puerto Rico and the ever-changing trauma and anxiety caused by multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019

The year our partner Juntes Somos Más Fuertes (JSMF) became a registered nonprofit based in the rural community of Sector el Hoyo in Río Chiquito near Ponce, Puerto Rico. As a community-led design collective, the organization worked hand in hand with its local community and used GlobalGiving funding to refurbish and restore an important common recreation area. The local basketball court there was one of the public spaces severely damaged by the hurricane.

25,000

The amount of matching money in US Dollars that Waves Ahead Corp received from a funder thanks to a GlobalGiving grant from our Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund. With the GlobalGiving grant and the matching funds, the organization rebuilt 22 homes in four municipalities in Puerto Rico. With a focus on serving elderly LGBT+ community members in the areas where it works, Waves Ahead continues to play a critical role in meeting the basic needs that remain unmet even four years after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.

164

The number of doses of Naloxone, a prescription medicine that helps revert a narcotic overdose and save lives, that our partner Intercambios Puerto Rico distributed in the first three months of 2020. As a local organization that rejects the stigma against drug users in vulnerable positions in society, like those experiencing homelessness, Intercambios Puerto Rico has faced a huge demand for its life-saving services since Hurricane Maria. The organization continues to serve more than 800 clients across seven municipalities in eastern Puerto Rico.

12

The number of updates the GlobalGiving team wrote and sent to every person who donated to the Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund. These reports described how all donated funds were used to support locally led disaster relief and recovery across the Caribbean.

4

The number of years that GlobalGiving’s Disaster Response Team issued grants to support local, vetted organizations based in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean. As we mark four years after Hurricane Maria hit, GlobalGiving is now closing the Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund. But our commitment to community-led, long-term disaster recovery continues.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s ongoing community-led disaster response work across the world.

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The post Building Back 4 Years After Hurricane Maria: From Mailboxes To Mental Health Care appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

But stressful situations can spark innovation, and tumultuous times can bring a wave of solidarity. Four years after Hurricane Maria, these eight organizations, fueled by generous people around the world who gave to the Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund, illustrate that. Here’s how they’re rebuilding the island’s foundation:

Welcoming residents home

Photo: La Maraña


After Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, Iris lost her house and all her belongings but received no government support. La Maraña hosted a participatory design workshop in collaboration with Iris’ family, the local community, and architects to plan for her new home. By 2019, La Maraña was able to rebuild her home, and together they celebrated with a delicious home-cooked meal Iris prepared herself!

Reconnecting the essentials

Photo: IsraAid


Barrio Real, a rural community located in Patillas, lost access to power and clean water after Hurricane Maria. The island-wide power outages disrupted the community’s water filtration system, leaving residents without a reliable source of safe drinking water. With the help of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico and El Real Water Committee, IsraAID constructed a slow-sand gravity-based filtration system and secured clean drinking water for more than 1,000 residents.

Giving relief to the creators

Photo: Craft Emergency Relief Fund, Inc


Arts and culture define puertorriqueñidad (Puerto Rican identity) and are a vital component of recovery. Many artists already faced economic hardships, and the challenges Hurricane Maria brought made them even worse. Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) provided emergency grants to artists like Carlos Rivera, a woodcarver from Orocovis. He used the grant to replace tools that were destroyed in Hurricane Maria. Since 2017, CERF+ has provided nearly $700,000 in grant assistance and donated equipment and materials to 396 artists across the island.

Powering and preparing for the future

Photo: Nuestra Escuela


Nuestra Escuela is an organization rooted in love, and their school is a place where students can realize their dreams. After Hurricane Maria, families faced unprecedented challenges, and Nuestra Escuela was determined to create a reliable space for them during emergencies. They transformed their cafeteria into a solar-powered first response center to provide meals, electricity, and satellite communications to the Caguas community when other storms or disasters hit.

Building safe shelter

Photo: Taller Salud


Miliam, the mother of two young girls, lost her home to Hurricane Maria. But she still managed to provide aid to others in her predominantly Afro-Caribbean community, Loiza. Most of Loiza is in a FEMA-designated flood zone, and the median household income is $7,000 less than the median for the rest of the island. One of the longest-running feminist organizations in Puerto Rico, Taller Salud, recognized the importance of supporting women like Miliam. They set a goal to reconstruct the homes of 10 women leaders in Loiza, and thanks to generous donations, they surpassed their goal and provided safe homes for 18 women leaders.

Caring for everyone

Photo: Intercambios Puerto Rico


Although the entire island was reeling from the impact of Hurricane Maria, people experiencing homelessness, drug addictions, and sex work were the hardest hit. Long-standing prejudices against these communities have meant their needs are neglected in recovery efforts. But by providing access to medical services and life-saving harm reduction services—from mobile clinics to syringe exchange programs—Intercambios Puerto Rico has improved the livelihood of these communities.

Teaching legal language

Photo: Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico


As disasters continue to impact communities across Puerto Rico, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico is providing free legal education, advocacy, and support to low-income individuals who are affected. Puerto Rico’s history of informal construction has prevented tens of thousands of residents from gaining access to federal aid. With help from pro bono attorneys, Ayuda Legal’s disaster legal aid initiatives have helped hundreds of families on their road to recovery.

Renewing from the top down

Photo: G-8, Grupo de las Ocho Comunidades Aledañas al Caño Martín Peña


Nilda proudly stands next to her new, disaster-resilient home—she’s one of 114 participants in G-8’s Techos para el Caño (Roofs for the Caño) program. Their multi-tiered revitalization plan supported various home rebuild projects and helped relocate more than 600 displaced families. Members of the Caño Martín Peña community were involved throughout the entire process. Many have been inspired to offer their support as volunteers, continuing the recovery.

It’s been four years since the storm hit, and our partners’ long-term work for Hurricane Maria recovery continues. Although the Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund is now closed, our efforts don’t end here. We remain committed to fueling critical community-led relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and beyond.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s ongoing community-led disaster response work across the world.

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The post How Hurricane Maria Recovery Is Creating A Better Future For Puerto Rico appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Education Superhero #1: Grandmas

Photo: The Grandmother Project, Inc.

Grandmas in Senegal are empowered to be involved in their grandchildren’s education both at home and within the school setting through this innovative education program by The Grandmother Project. Since 2008, more than 1,500 grandmas have gone through grandmother-teacher workshops to be trained as teaching assistants. While the original goal was to infuse cultural values and traditional knowledge into school curriculum, involving grandmas has also resulted in higher school attendance and student performance, especially for girls. Read more about how The Grandmother Project is promoting education and preserving culture.

Education Superhero #2: Fruit Trees

Photo: Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is creating outdoor, edible classrooms for schools around the world. They do this by planting fruit tree orchards in school yards. Students and teachers use an environmental curriculum from FTPF that includes information about planting and caring for the trees. These orchards are an innovative way to provide schools with beauty, nutrition, clean air, and a shaded outdoor space for environmental education. See pictures from their orchards around the world.

Education Superhero #3: Animals

Photo: DAKTARI Bush School & Wildlife Orphanage

In South Africa, the Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage welcomes eight local students each week for hands-on environmental education. Students learn about their rich natural environment through lessons and activities, including caring for injured and orphaned animals, like a mongoose or a cheetah named Martin. Through their experiences, students are empowered to protect their environment and possibly to pursue careers in ecotourism. Learn more about Daktari Bush School’s innovative program.

Education Superhero #4: Trash

Photo: Long Way Home, Inc.

The Hero School in Guatemala engages students in 7th through 11th grade in community infrastructure projects that repurpose trash into structures that benefit local families. These projects have included dry compost latrines for safe waste management, water tanks to store water underground, and retaining walls to prevent landslides, to name a few. By participating in these projects led by Long Way Home, Inc., students learn problem-solving and community service skills, and communities have less waste and better infrastructure. See more projects using trash to fight the climate crisis.

Education Superhero #5: Yogurt

Photo: Special Families Saint Julie Billiart

The Special Families Saint Julie Billiart foundation in Nicaragua supports families with children who have disabilities. While their main operation is a school for these kids, another of their programs, Yogurt con Amor, produces yogurt, cheese, and granola to feed students and to sell to support their programs. Making and selling the yogurt teaches young people with disabilities about the workplace, giving some their first experience with a job and co-workers. Learn more about how they’re using yogurt as a force for good.

Celebrate education superheroes

Education changes lives—for individuals, families, and communities. In this way, educators are saving the world every day with every lesson. Celebrate these superheroes by supporting their initiatives.

Find a community-led education project you can support.

FIND A PROJECT

The post From Grandmas to Yogurt: 5 Unexpected Education Superheroes appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The community-led nonprofits that helped them (and shared their stories here) were fueled by people around the world who gave to GlobalGiving’s Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund. Here’s what they’re doing together:

Reviving livelihoods

Photo: Pro Ayuda a la Mujer Origen A.C.


Raquel Cruz Velásquez has a 15-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son, and she lives in Oaxaca, Mexico. She makes and sells totopos, fresh tortilla chips. “The earthquake of September 2017 destroyed my kitchen, and I lost the way to earn income, making it difficult to feed my family,” she said. Fundación Origen helped her recover emotionally and rebuild her kitchen so she could go back to selling the traditional totopos.

Making living art

Photo: MANOS QUE RECONSTRUYEN OAXACA A.C.


Na ‘Elba is one of the last traditional chain weaving artisans in Oaxaca. She is part of the educational workshops on traditional crafts in MANOS QUE RECONSTRUYEN OAXACA A.C’s Art and Heritage Route, a program created to remind them that the heart of their Indigenous Zapotec peoples was not in the walls they lost during the earthquakes of 2017 but in the people who preserve the knowledge and their cultural heritage. In this mural, the artist Irving Cano painted the gaze of Na ‘Elba, the stitches she weaves, and her 120-year-old machine.

Teaching Tlecuitl techiques

Photo: Investigación y Soluciones Socioambientales A.C.


José is resting after helping with the construction of the Tlecuitl (the local name for wood stoves). José’s family used various materials, such as mortar (a mixture of raw earth, sand, and lime), in order to use local resources. José is a curious child, always interested in learning everything—particularly the construction technique of the Tlecuitl. He shares what he learns from Investigación y Soluciones Socioambientales with his neighbors and relatives who were also affected by Mexico’s 2017 earthquakes.

Building back, traditionally

Photo: Marlena Hartz


Rosa and Ramón lost half their home to the Oaxaca earthquake in seconds. Although state engineers told the couple it needed to be demolished, they repaired their home brick by brick with help from Cooperación Comunitaria A.C., local masons, and traditional building techniques that can withstand the region’s powerful earthquakes and winds. They are among 63 other homeowners in the area that received support to rebuild and prepare for the next earthquake.

Instructing and reconstructing

Photo: Sociedad Mexicana Pro Derechos de la Mujer, A.C. (Fondo Semillas)


The State Association of Indigenous and Country Women, Xasasti Yolistli, gave a workshop on stove construction to women of a rural area in Puebla. This is one of 25 organizations that were financed by Fondo Semillas after the earthquakes of 2017. The goal was to support long-term earthquake recovery, led by women from the damaged communities.

Recovering for the next generation

Photo: Proyecto Impacto Consultores, AC


The earthquake of Sept. 7 affected many schools of different educational levels. At the Lázaro Cárdenas del Río school in Gustavo López, Pijijiapan, Chiapas, recovering the joy of the children and teenagers kept Proyecto Impacto Consultores, AC steady in the reconstruction process. They know the students will create thousands of opportunities to make a world where we are all agents of change. “We are convinced that the education of young people is a factor of transformation and strengthening of communities,” the team said.

Fueling the process

Photo: ALIANZA CÍVICA PINOTEPA NACIONAL, A.C.


Doña Sofía makes the “bread of life.” She is one of the bakers who still preserves the recipe and the method of her ancestors to make it in her wood oven, which is one of the more than 50 ovens that ALIANZA CÍVICA PINOTEPA NACIONAL helped rebuild by 2018 after the earthquake in the municipality of Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca.

On the fourth anniversary of the Mexico earthquakes, our partners’ long-term disaster recovery work continues. Although the GlobalGiving Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund is now closed, we remain committed to fueling community-led relief and recovery efforts.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s ongoing community-led disaster response work across the world.

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The post Meet The People Who Rebuilt Communities Hit By Massive Earthquakes appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The dates that hundreds were killed and countless homes, schools, and community buildings were destroyed after two devastating earthquakes struck central and southern Mexico. Within one day of the first earthquake, GlobalGiving launched its Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund.

4,386,241

The total amount of US dollars raised by more than 18,200 individuals in the GlobalGiving community to support Mexico earthquake relief since 2017. People from across the world—including award-winning actor Jaime Camil—joined together in solidarity to fuel this long-term response.

80

The number of GlobalGiving grants made through the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund to more than 30 different vetted nonprofit partners based in and working in communities in central and southern Mexico impacted by the earthquakes.

24

The number of grassroots, women-led organizations across Mexico our partners at Fondo Semillas supported through the Women Rebuilding Their Communities program. Read about their program’s incredible success here.

2020

The year our partners at Fundación Tosepan rebuilt 12 earthquake-damaged homes in the community of Santiago Mamalhuazuca near Ozumba, Mexico. Despite the immense challenges of the pandemic, the organization was able to partner closely with the local neighborhood council to design and rebuild the homes in a participatory, community-led way.

70

The number of people in San Pablo Hidalgo that now have access to clean drinking water because of rainwater harvesting systems installed by Investigación y Soluciones Socioambientales (SURverde). Learn more about the organization’s incredible work by watching this video (in Spanish).

15

The average number of women that attended AYOK’s workshops in Morelos focused on gender equity, life and business skills, and carpentry. The organization remains strongly focused on restarting economic activity in communities that were disproportionately impacted by the Mexico earthquakes in 2017 and affected by socioeconomic challenges before then.

436

The number of medical consultations Un Buen Grupo de Amigos completed in six days through its Mobile Medical Unit that serves the three municipalities of Tetela del Volcan, Jolalpan, and Tehuitzingo. While the physical rebuilding of homes and buildings has been vitally important since 2017, many earthquake-impacted communities also needed to rebuild their health care systems as access to services became much more limited after the earthquakes.

12

The number of updates sent to people who donated to the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund. These reports described how every dollar was used to support locally led disaster relief and recovery.

4

The number of years that GlobalGiving’s Disaster Response Team issued grants to support local, vetted organizations based in Mexico. As we mark the fourth anniversary of the deadly Mexico earthquakes in 2017, GlobalGiving is now closing the Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund. But our commitment to community-led, long-term disaster recovery continues.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s ongoing community-led disaster response work across the world.

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The post 10 Numbers That Show The Remarkable Recovery After Mexico’s 2017 Earthquakes appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The missing answer in the climate crisis? Local solutions.

Across the globe, teachers, farmers, and Indigenous environmentalists have risen to the challenge of becoming climate leaders in their communities. The GlobalGiving Climate Action Fund provides yearlong support to five of these innovative climate champions, elevating local efforts to create more sustainable communities across the globe.

Each cohort member was selected by GlobalGiving staff for their impact, thought leadership, and commitment to working with local families to protect our planet.

Without further ado, we’re thrilled to introduce you to our third annual Climate Action Fund cohort:

1. Protecting tropical ecosystems through community partnerships

ECOLOGIC | CENTRAL AMERICA

 
A multinational organization based in Central America, EcoLogic partners with rural and Indigenous communities to build economic stability, increase access to nutrition, and, ultimately, protect our planet. Their holistic approach includes offering training programs on sustainable agriculture practices, providing fuel-efficient stoves, training forest stewards, and more.

“Communities bearing the brunt of climate change, who often have the least financial means, are also often the guardians and stewards of forests and natural resources that are a key part of the climate solution,” Barbara Vallarino, Executive Director at EcoLogic, said.

“Over 28 years, we have created relationships built on trust, respect for local knowledge, and an understanding of local culture to create nature-based solutions that support local livelihoods,” Barbara added. To date, EcoLogic has helped over 700 communities in Latin America. Learn more.

2. Protecting coral reefs by reducing pollution

REEF CHECK MALAYSIA | MALAYSIA

 
For communities across Malaysia, coral reefs are a vital source of food and employment. Reef Check Malaysia is working to protect these natural wonders for people and the planet by reducing pollution in the area, rehabilitating recently damaged reefs, and promoting environmentally-friendly tourism practices.

Program Manager Theresa Ng shared that one of the most exciting aspects of Reef Check Malaysia’s work is engaging with the local community. In the short three years that Theresa has been working on marine conservation projects, she said local islanders have become more involved in managing their environment and natural resources. Learn more.

3. Restoring the Oaxaca watershed through environmental education

INSTITUTO DE LA NATURALEZA Y LA SOCIEDAD DE OAXACA, A.C. | MEXICO

 
In the Oaxaca watershed, unsustainable agricultural practices exploitation of local resourceshave caused severe erosion, habitat loss, and flooding. Instituto de la Naturaleza y la Sociedad de Oaxaca is working to restore natural resources in the region by educating community members on sustainable practices ranging from soil conservation to water storage to eco-construction.

When asked what gives him hope in the face of the climate crisis, Director Juan José Consejo shared: “More and more, I have found that small everyday victories such as a sudden resurgence of a dead spring in a creek or a beautiful family vegetable crop are what counts.”
Learn more.

4. Creating forests of food-producing trees

SADHANA FOREST | KENYA

 
A three-time Climate Action Fund champion, Sadhana Forest elevates sustainable solutions to deforestation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.Their project in Samburu, Kenya is creating forests of Indigenous, food-producing trees that will provide long-term food security for the entire community while simultaneously mitigating climate change.

“The goal is so big that any obstacle looks like a speck of dust. It can disturb us, but it cannot steer us away from our path,” Executive Director Aviram Rozin said when asked what gives him hope for the future of our planet.

“After over 7 years in Samburu,” Aviram said, “some of the trees we planted are very large and productive which gives huge credibility to our program and fills us with optimism that these programs will be possible in many other locations in Kenya and across the world.” Learn more.

5. Building environmental and economic stability through Indigenous knowledge

INSTITUTO CHAIKUNI | PERU

 
In the words of Sophia Rohklin, a nonprofit leader at Instituto Chaikuni, their innovative approach to conservation “bridges traditional, Indigenous land-management techniques and modern permaculture methods to develop sustainable, integrated alternatives to land-use.” This seamless combination gives committed, local farmers in the Indigenous and mestizo communities of the Peruvian Amazon the opportunity to both increase food security and curb the impacts of deforestation and climate change. With support from the Climate Action Fund for the third year running, Instituto Chaikuni will continue fostering an intercultural learning environment while protecting one of our planet’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Learn more.

With your generosity, these climate champions will continue protecting natural wonders and supporting sustainable communities for years to come.

Help them build a brighter future for our planet by signing up for a monthly gift to the Climate Action Fund, and we’ll match your generosity at 100% after four consecutive monthly donations.

COMMIT TODAY

The post From Mexico To Malaysia: Planet Protectors You Should Know appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Never has it been more important to support high-impact nonprofit organizations working tirelessly to make a gender-equal world reality.

Introducing the GlobalGiving Girl Fund, a group of five locally-led organizations from Argentina to Nepal, that are providing education, legal protection, health care, recreational activities, and access to training and job skills so that women and girls can thrive. GlobalGiving staff selects each organization in the Girl Fund annually for their incredible impact, thought leadership, and commitment to working with local communities.

We’re thrilled to introduce our 2021 Girl Fund leaders:

1. Creating safe spaces and new possibilities for women and girls

WOMEN INSPIRATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER | NIGERIA

 
Committed to advancing the rights of women and girls, the Women Inspiration Development Center (WIDC) originally set out to put an end to gender-based violence through services and activities in Nigeria. Through this initial work, it became clear that needs stretched beyond their founding purpose, and today WIDC provides vital support to improve the health, economic, and social well-being of women and girls in their local community.

Busayo Obisakin, Founder and CEO at WIDC, shared: “[It] is like we have gone 10 years backward as a result of COVID 19. The time is now to engage, mentor, and help girls regain back their confidence which is paramount to raising their voices in sensitizing their communities and policy makers to be more intolerant of sexual and domestic violence, encourage balanced power in relationships, and provide more legal, social, and financial supports for activists speaking out.”

2. Helping refugee women take ownership of their lives

IRIDA WOMEN’S CENTER |GREECE

 
In Northern Greece, Irida’s Women’s Center is dedicated to creating a safe and warm space for women and girls who are refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. From providing individualized psycho-social support and legal counseling, to protective services and language classes, their team is committed to eradicating the inequalities that typically leave women dependent on male family members.

When asked about the importance of their work and mission, Lydia Siapardani, Head of Media and Advocacy for the center, shared: “Despite the immense challenges they may face, we strongly believe that investing in the potential of the world’s women and girls is one of the safest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stability, and greater prosperity for all individuals across the world. Investing in women means investing in their entire families and communities. This is why we have chosen to work directly with women in creating a more inclusive community for all.”

3. Challenging gender stereotypes in Nepal

WOMEN LEAD | NEPAL

 
In Nepal, longstanding gender stereotypes and discrimination limit the ability of women and girls to carve out their own path in life. Women LEAD is working to create positive change that will see opportunities for women and girls grow through skills training, education, sexual and reproductive health, and much more.

Women LEAD Development Officer Dipasa Bista shared how the organization’s programs supported her: “My journey with Women LEAD started back in 2011 as a School Leadership Program (SLP) Participant when I was a 9th grader…Back then, I lacked self-confidence and subjected myself to constant self-doubts as a result of the bullying I faced in school. At Women LEAD, I found a safe space to express myself, explore my potential, and challenge my comfort zone along with my fellow program participants. I was given a nurturing environment at Women LEAD which helped me greatly to shape the life I’m currently living and the roles I am leading right now.”

4. Discovering strength and ambition through sport

RECLAIM CHILDHOOD, INC. | JORDAN

 
Run by women for women, Reclaim Childhood, Inc. (RC) creates safe and inclusive spaces for underserved girls in Jordan—many of whom are refugees— and uses sport to develop their confidence, leadership, and teamwork skills. RC believes that building friendships across different national, economic, and religious backgrounds can help build their self-esteem, self-efficacy, and foster their integration into local communities.

When sharing about the importance of their mission, Jordan Program Director Rima Yacoub said: “A girl, refugee, or Jordanian alike looking for physical activity in Jordan will face male-only gyms, fields that have never hosted women’s games, and a lack of programming and teams that they can join. This lack of access exacerbates the challenges girls and women face as they build their lives and futures in Amman. RC gets girls out of the house and onto the field, providing a safe space to play, learn, and build community.”

5. Supporting women and girls through COVID-19

FONDO DE MUJERES DEL SUR | SOUTH AMERICA

 
Fondo de Mujeres del Sur’s (FMS) is focused on contributing to building societies in which women, girls, and LBTIQ+ people can exercise all of their human rights and have access to equal opportunities to live happy, safe, and fulfilling lives. Their project in Uruguay is addressing the needs of survivors of gender based violence advocate by supporting grassroots organizations that provide legal and psychosocial support, deliver training courses, and run women’s shelters and hotlines.

When asked about their current programming, Rocio Alonso, Local Resource Mobilisation Head at the FMS, shared: “Our present challenges are located in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has exposed and accelerated the breakdown of our social institutions. It has disproportionately impacted women, girls, and LBTIQ+ people, combined with the shrinking of civic space and the rise of regressive governmental and societal forces, which has further pushed back progress on gender equality. The FMS’ Grantmaking Model of Philanthropy supports women and LBTQI+ rights organizations through direct grants from a horizontal and transparent partnership, based on the conviction that women, girls, and LBTQI+ people have enormous potential to be agents of social change.”

DONATE

The post Meet 5 Gender Equality Leaders Breaking Barriers For Women and Girls appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

February 2020: Lekuru Church food forest is planted

Early last year, Sadhana Forest Kenya implemented a two-acre permaculture project at the local church and community outreach center in Lekuru Market. The team planted hundreds of food-bearing trees and added a large kitchen garden. Within a few years, they expect a vibrant food forest to take root, providing vital nutrients to the community and surrounding villages.

March 2020: Agroforesty workshop brings new possibilities

Before COVID-19 lockdowns hit, Instituto Chaikuni offered a 10-day workshop that taught more than 30 community members the principles of agroforestry, a climate-friendly system of sustainable farming that mimics the growing patterns of the rainforest itself. By the end of the workshop, course participants and Chaikuni staff had planted three rich agroforestry plots in areas previously degraded by unsustainable farming practices.

April 2020: COVID-19 strains programming

When COVID-19 forced Iracambi to close to foreign students and researchers, the organization lost nearly 30% of its annual income, straining it to its limit. After an intense period of planning, budgeting, and fundraising, Iracambi shifted all of its education programs online and implemented remote monitoring by asking partner farmers to share their baby trees’ progress through photography.

May 2020: Waste turns into a climate win

Obrobibini Peace Complex completed the construction of three compost toilets. These facilities reduced the need for external fertilizers and are a crucial part of OPC’s hope to expand their site to accommodate future volunteers and staff members, ultimately allowing them to offer more training sessions and other resources to nearby residents.

June 2020: Striped friends are spotted

It was a thrilling day for the entire Sadhana Forest team when the endangered Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) was sighted within Samburu, Kenya! The populations of these magnificent creatures have been severely reduced due to habitat loss and competition with other grazers for resources like water, but Sadhana Forest’s interventions directly help support them in Samburu County. These zebras are in good company as the team has spotted a wide variety of wildlife in the area, some of which hadn’t been sighted for decades prior to Sadhana Forest’s work in the region.

September 2020: Real Trees App enters beta phase

After more than two years of design work, Camino Verde launched the test model of their revolutionary ‘Real Trees’ app, which provides traceability and data for each tree the organization and its collaborators have planted. This climate win was a vital step towards accurately tracking the team’s impact.

October 2020: Planting season brings seeds of growth

With inspiration from a fellow GlobalGiving partner, Iracambi upped their planting goal for 2021 from 10,000 to 55,000 trees. This ambitious goal pushed the team to expand and double down on planning efforts, including building vital connections with international volunteers who will return to the nursery in the coming months.

November 2020: Renewable energy brings fresh water

After replacing their gasoline generator with a solar system, Obrobibini Peace Complex began pumping water for their team and community from their deep well without the use of any fossil fuel! Since people in the area typically drink water from plastic bags and bottles, this drastically reduced plastic pollution within the community.

December 2020: “Talking maps” shed light on resource depletion

In yet another climate win, Instituto Chaikuni concluded their third communal land planning workshop with the San Pedro village. In order to communicate the urgency of sustainable land management, they asked the villagers to draw the past and present distribution of the natural resources on their territory on a “talking map.”

As one team member shared: “The decline of their resources over the years suddenly became very visual and helped the villagers to reflect on their current practices, how they would like their future to be, and what will need to happen so this vision of the future can materialize.”

Over the coming months, Instituto Chaikuni will work with local residents to transfer these realizations into an official proposal to help the San Pedro community manage their communal lands more sustainably.

April 2021: Real Trees App is completed!

By the time spring planting arrived, Camino Verde’s team had completed the Real Trees App and started field training. Now, the team will be able to track all the trees being planted and create more transparency for employees, volunteers, and donors!

Our team continues to be inspired by the creativity and dedication of the 2020 Climate Action Fund leaders. Even as we welcome a new cohort of climate champions, the nonprofits featured above will remain hard at work. Each of their GlobalGiving project pages will remain open, so if you would like to make a donation to one of these nonprofits, please click on their organization name above.

Help us welcome the next cohort of climate champions by setting up a donation to the Climate Action Fund today.

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Featured Photo: Ayni, Regenerative Food Forest in the Amazon by Instituto Chaikuni

The post 10 Climate Wins To Give You Hope For The Planet appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

April 7, 2020: Food certificates hit the market.

When the pandemic hit the Dominican Republic’s tourist industry, Mariposa DR Foundation stepped in by creating a food certificate program at the locally owned Supermercado La Rosa. They even pitched in upcycled sail bags to give families an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags while shopping!

“We trust that families need to make food decisions for themselves, while simultaneously supporting a locally owned and run market and injecting money into the local economy,” Aislinn Doyle, Development & Volunteer Relations at Mariposa DR Foundation, said.

Shopping with their food certificates. Photo: Mariposa DR Foundation

May 19, 2020: Marigold learns how to crochet.

Marigold, one of the students that Sheepcare Community Centre works with, learned how to crochet on Youtube and is now helping train her peers. Founder and President Luke Jakoywa told us that crocheting during the pandemic helped young students like Marigold overcome some of the mental health challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is proof that diversity is the mother of invention and the lockdown did not lock the mind,” Luke said.

A student wearing her newly crocheted hat. Photo: Sheepcare Community Center

June 26, 2020: Students receive COVID-19 relief.

When the team at Sheepcare Community Centre received the urgent call that some of the students enrolled in their programs lost access to food and other resources when schools closed, they knew they needed to act fast. Teen pregnancies rose rapidly during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kenya as some young women and girls exchanged sex for food and other resources typically provided by the schools. The community center provided clean water, food, sanitary napkins, and other essential resources to hundreds of households.

Aug. 4, 2020: More than 20,000 menstruation kits are distributed.

After an enormous explosion tore through Beirut, Lebanon, 300,000 people were displaced. Days for Girls Lebanon Country Leader Khayrieh Al Asaad and the broader Days for Girls International community came together to make sure no menstruator was left behind, providing dignity and comfort to those most affected by the explosion.

Delivering menstruation kits. Photo: Days for Girls International

Aug. 26, 2020: The first peer health education session takes off.

This was a huge breakthrough for Adolescent Health Champion’s ongoing work developing a youth-led health education model and mobile application. Once the app is launched (scroll down to see when!), 5,500 female students in India will be positioned as health leaders and be able to provide essential health education to 60,000 students across India.

Here’s what Tuba, a high school student and member of Adolescent Health Champion’s Youth Advisory Board, said about the project:

“These programs should be encouraged and made available to as many students as possible because, in my experience, it focuses on developing crucial skills and motivating students to think out of the box.” – Tuba, Youth Advisory Board member Adolescent Health Champions.

Sept. 2020: Ambiya expands her home.

On the one-year anniversary of their project, Rural Entrepreneurs Livelihoods Support Project, the local team at Generation for Change and Development (GENCAD) visited Ambiya’s recently renovated home. Ambiya, a widow and mother of seven, used to live in a cramped one-bedroom home. But after Ambiya’s business took off with the help of funding and skills training provided by GENCAD, she was able to construct a new room for her family.

“Seeing her and her children beam in excitement was a sight to behold. As an organization, we are extremely happy with what she achieved and we are most grateful to our donors,” said Abdirashid Ali, the Executive Director of GENCAD.

Oct. 1, 2020: The virtual fundraising benefit Ndajee at Home shatters records.

On this date, Women’s Global Education Project raised $205,714 (making it their largest fundraiser ever) to support adolescent girls in rural Senegal and Kenya through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. This money will go toward scholarships, tutoring and mentoring services, and leadership programs that are helping young girls thrive.

Oct. 11, 2020: Watersports resume!

After six months away, Mariposa DR Foundation restarted their watersports programming again on International Day of the Girl. These trips help the girls maintain their mental health and stay connected during these otherwise isolating times.

“Many of us can relate to the need to be near water to center us, to offer us a respite from the world, to give us perspective, and to move our bodies. Now more than ever it is essential for their mental health to get the Mariposa students safely to the beach and out on the water surfing, SUPing or swimming,” Aislinn Doyle of Mariposa DR Foundation, said.

Surfing lessons. Photo Mariposa DR Foundation.

Oct. 29, 2020: A heartwarming site visit takes place.

The monitoring team at Generation for Change and Development (GENCAD) visited the Wargadud Village, where the nonprofit helps connect women like Sadia to financial and business opportunities. Sadia chose to start a mobile veterinary shop with support from GENCAD, selling animal medications to nomadic pastoralists.

I can’t measure my level of happiness. I now have the business skills and knowledge to assess what business investment to make. I keep my records well and have a dream to open a wholesale shop,” Sadia said.

Working with a local veterinarian. Photo: Generation for Change and Development.

Dec. 2020: Water collection time is cut from three hours to 45 minutes.

Global Water Challenges is continuing to reduce the burden of lengthy water collection trips on busy Rwandan women and girls. This new water access point will serve roughly 850 households and 1,456 students at a nearby school for the long haul.

Collecting water. Photo: Global Water Challenges. Photo: Generation for Change and Development.

Dec. 4, 2020: Emergency menstruation kits are delivered after two devastating hurricanes.

The Days for Girls International (Dfg) team traveled to Santa Maria Cahabon after Hurricanes Eta and Iota and helped 750 women and girls receive the tools and education they needed to handle their menstruation.

April 28, 2021: Girls start the school year focused on their studies, not their periods.

The team at Women’s Global Education Project distributed bags of menstrual supplies to more than 200 scholarship recipients in Tharaka-Nithi county, Kenya. The scholarship recipients also get access to community-led programs and workshops like the one shown below.

Attending a gender-based-violence workshop. Photo: Women’s Global Education Project.

April 30, 2021: The youth-led mobile health app is launched!

Using an innovative, evidence-based peer education model to build a network of young health champions, Adolescent Health Champions co-designed the mobile app shown below alongside students and health experts.

The mobile application. Photo: Adolescent Health Champions. Photo: Generation for Change and Development.

April 31, 2021: A day of listening to the stories and challenges of young mothers.

When the Act4Africa team visited a village in Mayuge District, Uganda, they met a young girl who had just given birth hours before, at home, with no medical assistance at all. They spoke and surveyed 225 adolescent mothers in the district to learn how best to support their mental health and wellbeing.

March 2021: At-home family planning sessions are held.

Due to pandemic lockdown restrictions, the Bright Future team at Global Water Challenges got creative with their plans to deliver training. They conducted home visits to deliver family planning workshops to 30 couples as well as job creation and revenue generation workshops for 30 couples in Bugarama Village, Rwanda.

May 19, 2021: The first cohort of adolescent mothers arrives.

The first cohort of adolescent mothers came to Act4Africa’s community and education center in Mayuge town to begin their training and support. With support from the Girl Fund, Act4Africa employed mental health professionals to train and support their program team, increasing their ability to deliver high-quality mental health sessions for young mothers.

Self esteem building. Photo: Act4Africa

Our team continues to be inspired by the impact that the 2020 Girl Fund cohort had on women and girls—and their communities—around the world.

As this chapter of the Girl Fund closes and we welcome a new set of gender equality champions, the nonprofits featured above will remain hard at work. Each of their GlobalGiving project pages will remain open, so if you would like to make a donation to one of these nonprofits, please click on their organization name in the copy above.

Help us welcome the next cohort of gender equality champions by setting up a donation to the Girl Fund today.

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The post 12 Months, 16 Gender Equality Wins appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Advance scientific information and tools to fight a global pandemic

Less than one month after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, 3M announced their commitment of $5 million of grantmaking for COVID-19 research. That included $3 million to institutions in Asia, Europe, and South America in partnership with GlobalGiving, and another $2 million in the United States.

At the time, no vaccine existed. American cities were just starting to adopt mask mandates, the science was unclear about what activities were riskiest, and few treatments had been tested. The idea of making a dent in this global challenge felt nearly impossible.

But 3M and other companies stepped up by pledging significant funding to COVID-19 research efforts around the world.

“It’s important that 3M holds true to its core values during this pandemic by supporting our communities and improving lives. Throughout this global crisis, we will continue to look for ways to help in the fight against COVID-19,” 3M Chairman and CEO Mike Roman said.

THE SOLUTION

$5 million in grants for COVID-19 research at leading institutions around the world

As a science-based company that prides itself on research, 3M wanted to support the scientists and doctors seeking critical knowledge about the virus.

3M worked in partnership with GlobalGiving to identify and recommend grant recipients for a wide range of research projects from studying whether people who contract COVID-19 experience long-term immunity to developing a nasal vaccine and testing existing drugs that might be effective against the new disease. GlobalGiving identified universities and education institutions around the world focused on this important work, and 3M provided funding for some of the projects they found most promising.

THE RESULTS

Faster vaccine and treatment research with the potential to save lives

Universities in Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, Japan, and South Korea, along with the University of Minnesota near 3M’s headquarters, received the funding needed to take on vital new research. While much of the work is still underway, there’s exciting progress to report.

One research team at Imperial College is diving into a project focused on RNA extraction and detection for COVID-19 testing. They are developing a new method to prepare samples for testing using magnetic beads rather than electricity. It could be used to diagnose the disease in low- and middle-income countries where laboratory testing can be inaccessible.

The second group of researchers from Imperial College is looking at how inflammation contributes to the severity of COVID-19. They seek to understand the immune system response at a cellular and molecular level. They hope to determine whether two groups of drugs are effective at preventing symptoms from worsening.

“We’re honored to support these global researchers through our partnership with 3M, a company whose products have been critical to safety amid the pandemic,” Kristina Joss, Senior Director of Business Partnerships at GlobalGiving, said. “Grants for COVID-19 research around the world paves the way for the faster and more equitable path to recovery we all hope for.”

Looking to make an impact with grantmaking for COVID-19 research? Learn more about GlobalGiving’s grantmaking services.

LEARN MORE

Featured Photo: Science: our power to defeat COVID-19 by Asociacion Apadrina la Ciencia

The post A Commitment To Vaccine Development: 3M’s Grantmaking For COVID-19 Research appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

When Sharon was 25, she got married. Her husband was a carpenter, and together, they started a small business. She put everything she had into it.

But when Sharon left that unhealthy marriage behind, she lost the business, too. She had no place to live. She was suddenly alone and struggling to cope with buried mental health challenges. ⁠

“I cried a lot because I didn’t realize that my life had fell apart,” she said. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket, and I did that. I did put all my eggs in one basket, and then I found myself homeless.”

But she also found GlobalGiving partner N Street Village.

Through the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, she was surrounded by an incredible network of people dedicated to putting structure and stability back in her life.⁠

N Street Village’s vocational programs helped Sharon find employment, and the mental health care she received helped her prioritize herself and her health for the first time in years.

Today, she lives in Permanent Supportive Housing and is working full time.

⁠Sharon shared:

“Despite everything, I feel a sense of stability. With the support of N Street Village, I recently got a promotion at work and have been fortunate enough to work remotely through the COVID-19 pandemic.”

N Street Village provides housing and services to help women experiencing homelessness like Sharon or working to make ends meet with low incomes. Of the nearly 1,400 women they support, 86% are managing a mental illness, a substance use disorder, or both.

Help women experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. by supporting N Street Village’s mission.

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Original story by Ann McCreedy, Grants Manager at N Street Village.

The post How One Woman Found Hope And A Home In Washington, D.C. appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The earthquake—record-breaking for Japan and one of the five most powerful earthquakes ever recorded globally—triggered 647 aftershocks. Some of the aftershocks could be felt around the world, and many came with tsunami warnings. Only 15 minutes after the quake hit, the first tsunami wave crashed into Japan’s coast. The waves—some as high as a 12-story building—engulfed entire towns and flooded more than 500 kilometers of coastal land.

“Our life changed drastically due to the tsunami at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011,” Suzuki Eiji wrote in 2015.

Suzuki lived in a coastal village named Kitakama in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture. About 400 people, mostly farmers, lived in 100 residential houses. Fifty-five residents lost their lives in the tsunami, and farms were destroyed.

“We lost our living…just in one day,” Suzuki said.

The damaged Natori coastal forest. Photo: OISCA International

The tsunami alone claimed more than 15,800 lives. And on top of this catastrophe, the giant waves also overwhelmed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, sending radiation through the countryside and the ocean. More than 470,000 people fled their homes, not knowing if they would ever return. Many did not.

It’s now been 10 years since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan’s Tohoku region, but for many, that devastating day continues to take a toll on their minds, hearts, and sense of security.

The tsunami and the soil

Before the disasters on March 11, Mr. Hitoshi lived a comfortable life growing vegetables in his garden near the coast in Natori City. But he lost both his home and his source of income that day.

Mr. Hitoshi was determined to rebuild his livelihood, but he struggled to grow high-quality crops on his salt-saturated farm. The salt was from the tsunami’s initial waves and the sandy winds that now blew from the coast to the farms with ease. A coastal forest of Japanese black pine trees once protected the towns, but after the tsunami uprooted the trees, there was nothing to defend the farms against the sea’s daily attacks.

Mr. Mori, a community member living in Natori City more than 2 kilometers from the coast, said the coastal forest was an important part of the landscape:

“We did not realize how the pine trees on the coast have guarded our lives from the sea—from its wind, tide, and sand—until they were gone.” —Mr. Mori

Aerial images show the coastal degradation the tsunami caused. Photo: OISCA International

Salt significantly decreases the agricultural production of most crops, affects the soil’s physicochemical properties, and disrupts an area’s entire ecological balance. Given that more than 80% of Natori City residents engaged in agriculture, the salty ground was a disaster in itself.

The loss of the trees also resulted in a more fundamental challenge: fear. Without trees separating the towns from the coast, the ocean—and all the pain it caused—felt closer than ever.

Mr. Mori told staff at OISCA International—a Japan-based nonprofit that focuses on environmentally and culturally sustainable development—about this fear. “Because of the former coastal forest, the sea seemed far away. Mr. Mori did not expect the tsunami would come to his house 2 kilometers away. Without the vegetation, Mr. Mori was constantly in fear that big waves would come and cause even more destruction,” Project Coordinator Ma. Grazen Acerit wrote.

The team at OISCA International knew they needed to do something to help people like Mr. Mori and Mr. Hitoshi.

The path to rebuilding

Just seven days after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, OISCA International established a local project with a big goal: restore 100 hectares of coastal forest in Natori City.

And they wanted to ground their work in community needs. OISCA International focused on restoring livelihoods. They paid Mr. Hitoshi and other farmers to help plant local vegetation, providing urgently needed economic relief.

“Mr. Hitoshi and the rest of the tsunami survivors felt the need to restore the coastal forests for the immediate recovery of their community. Although still suffering, Mr. Hitoshi and other survivors are working in collaboration with OISCA, the local and national government of Japan, forest experts, and funding agencies,” Ma. Grazen said in a 2014 report.

OISCA International has employed more than 8,448 tsunami survivors like Mr. Hitoshi to plant more than 370,000 Japanese black pine trees since 2011.

And for the local team at OISCA International, Mr. Hitoshi, Mr. Mori, and their neighbors are not beneficiaries or victims—they are the heart and operations of the restoration.

Mr. Mori and other Tohoku earthquake and tsunami survivors in the greenhouse. Photo: OISCA International

“This approach encourages a sense of ownership and guarantees a sustainable, long-term involvement of the tsunami survivors like Mr. Hitoshi. They are actively involved in the decision-making and actual project implementation,” Ma. Grazen said.

For Mr. Mori, the project was an opportunity to reconnect with his lifelong friends and neighbors after a year of isolation. Mr. Mori and many of his neighbors weren’t able to return to Natori City to rebuild their homes because of safety concerns. The survivors were relocated to different areas, often away from their friends and relatives.

Mr. Mori, who also lost his wife in the tsunami, returned to the village one year later. He was unsure of what the future would hold. That’s when he was asked to join the coastal restoration project.

“I feel grateful for the project since it is helping me find a new purpose in life. Since I am working with the people whom I have known since I was a kid, communication is not difficult, and work here is a lot of fun,” Mr. Mori told Moeko Shinohara, a GlobalGiving Field Coordinator, in 2014.

Mr. Mori waters seedlings before transplanting them. Photo: OISCA International

A truly global aid response fueled OISCA’s work. People from all over the world gave to GlobalGiving’s Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund, which sent unrestricted funds to the project in Natori City. OISCA International raised an additional $14,000 through its GlobalGiving project to restore the coastal forest.

Creating a citizens’ forest

Even with the support of global donations, restoring an entire forest was no easy task. So, the nonprofit mobilized more than 11,000 volunteers to help their local team accomplish this massive undertaking. Many of the volunteers returned to the region year after year, including Izumi Kazuko, who drove 10 hours from Osaka City to help monitor the planted seedlings.

But it was the local survivors like Ms. Shukuko who cared for the seedlings like children. Ms. Shukuko was in charge of weeding and watering the seedlings at the nursery, according to local Project Coordinator Kazuyo Suzuki. Ms. Shukuko would notice immediately when something was wrong, like the sudden wilting of seedlings, for example. Kazuyo said that, among other factors, was part of the success of their seedling production.

“It may not be scientific, but we believe the love of the more than 10,000 people who get involved with the project helped in the steady growth of the black pines.” —Kazuyo

The volunteers and community members developed a sense of camaraderie and belonging as they worked together, Kazuyo said. That stood in direct contrast to the isolation they felt after being relocated in the tsunami’s aftermath.

Ms. Shukuko watering the seedlings. Photo: OISCA International

From seedling to forest

For seven consecutive years, OISCA had a 99% survival rate for the Japanese pine trees. Their secret? Grow the seedlings at a nursery for two years before transplanting. That gave the young trees enough time to develop in a controlled, salt-free space. They also saw great results by using polymers to support regeneration.

Japan ranks highest on the Global Climate Risk Index, and as the warming climate leads to more frequent disasters like the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, projects like OISCA International’s coastal forest restoration are vital and deeply beneficial. OISCA International estimated their site will likely absorb more than 900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions within 15 years. That is equivalent to removing 198 passenger vehicles from the road for an entire year.

Aerial shot of the coastal forest after ten years of restoration. Photo: OISCA International

With tiny seedlings and 10 years of care, OISCA International’s local team turned a huge pile of dead branches and debris left by disasters into a lush forest.

Mr. Mori, Mr. Hitoshi, and Ms. Shukuko happened to be impacted by a series of tragic events. But they’re now protecting future generations from the same tragedy through forest restoration.

The OISCA Director in Charge, Toshimichi Yoshida, expects to keep the project going until at least 2040. “We will continue until the 370,000 black pine trees become a resilient forest that will protect the lives of the Natori citizens from tsunamis and storm surges,” Toshimichi said.

“It’s said that tree planting is not the end of reforestation, but rather it is the start.”

A black pine seedling in 2018 that was planted in 2016. Photo: OISCA International

Support OISCA International’s work to protect people in Natori City and restore the coastal forest after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Donations up to $50 will be matched at 50% from March 8-12, 2021.*

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*Terms and Conditions apply.

The post 10 Years After The Tohoku Earthquake And Tsunami, Survivors Restore A Coastal Forest appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The ecosystem itself is in danger after companies extracted everything from palm oil to rubber. As the forest disappears, animals die or are forced to search for food on new frontiers. The more than 4 million people who live in the area get closer.

And that poses another threat: the next pandemic.

Deforestation and COVID-19

A growing body of scientific evidence links deforestation to the increased spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19.

And people are felling forests at an alarming rate.

“The spread of oil palm plantations into critical orangutan habitat is the single greatest threat to the species,” Panut Hadisiswoyo of the nonprofit Sumatran Orangutan Society wrote in a report in 2012. The nonprofit works to protect forests and the orangutans that live in them at the Cinta Raja site and across Sumatra’s Gunung Leuser National Park.

While the Sumatran orangutan nears extinction, animals like rats and bats can survive deforestation. But they’re more likely to carry infectious diseases, and as the barriers between humans and wildlife erode, those viruses are more likely to jump into people.

The World Health Organization’s report about the origin of the coronavirus that has killed millions across the globe over the past year says the most likely chain of transmission was from bats to another animal and then to humans. COVID-19 is among the 61% of known infectious diseases in humans that can be transmitted by animals (called zoonotic diseases).

We know the symptoms of the virus: cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, runny nose.

We should also know that COVID-19 is a symptom of the climate crisis.

The cure

Addressing the drivers of rising global temperatures, changing weather patterns, and dwindling biodiversity can also address the threat of future pandemics.

Solutions to the climate crisis—including reforestation and conservation—are already firmly rooted in Indigenous approaches to the environment. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization recently highlighted Indigenous people as the guardians of the world’s forests.

People like the local leaders of the Sumatran Orangutan Society’s reforestation projects.

They’re working to repair damaged forests with hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings, restore habitats that have been stolen from the orangutans and other native species, and protect these environments into the future.

“Restoring degraded land so that it can become a thriving habitat for orangutans and other wildlife takes a lot of hard work, and planting seeds is just the beginning,” Lucy Radford, Sumatran Orangutan Society’s Engagement Manager, shared.

Tree planting is exactly how the team started in June 2017 with 75 hectares of land that used to be devoted to illegal oil palms. They replanted 16,500 seedlings from 22 different species to cover 15 hectares. That quickly became 30 hectares, and they’ll continue until all 75 hectares are recovered.

Across their restoration sites in Sumatra, the nonprofit has helped plant 2 million trees.

“At SOS, we’re thinking big picture, trying to bring about fundamental changes to the way that the rainforest ecosystem is valued, managed, and protected,” Sumatran Orangutan Society Director Helen Buckland said in 2019. “But we’re also celebrating small steps—the trees planted, communities engaged, and orangutans’ lives saved.”

In February, three years after their replanting began at the barren Cinta Raja site, Restoration Manager Rio Ardi was walking through the forest. He looked up. And he saw, with fruit in her hand and a baby at her side, an orangutan.

You can support people who are protecting endangered species and restoring forests by donating to the Sumatran Orangutan Society.

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◊ This article is part of our Big Questions, Better World content series. Click here to tackle more pressing questions about society’s biggest issues. ◊

The post How Could Saving An Orangutan Help Prevent The Next Pandemic? appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

1. Grandmas and teachers unite to keep kids learning.

In this rural area of southern Senegal, widespread school closures halted learning for students without access to remote classes or textbooks. Rather than let the children in their community fall behind, these grandmas joined forces with local teachers to organize an innovative summer learning program through The Grandmother Project. The grandmas guided students with traditional teaching methods, such as stories, games, and songs. Meanwhile, the teachers offered reading and writing topics related to the elders’ knowledge, along with French and math lessons. Learn more.

2. This circus’ new act: social distancing.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Mobile Mini Circus for Children transformed from a circus program for Afghani kids into a full-fledged COVID-19 response. By producing face shields, painting social distancing markers with old circus props, and hosting a “social circus” to educate people about the coronavirus, this nonprofit is putting creative minds together to keep their community safe. Learn more.

3. Need a hands-free way to destroy the virus? Meet the Tippy Tap.

Have you ever wondered whether you touch germs on the faucet after washing your hands? This Tanzanian nonprofit found a way to prevent that. Twende has created 130 foot-operated handwashing stations for public places that had to remain open during the pandemic, including orphanages, hospitals, and markets. They hope this locally made device will keep hands clean and help curb the spread of COVID-19 in their community. Learn more.

4. Planting the seeds of COVID-19 recovery.

What happens when COVID-19 lockdowns prevent communities living in the mountains from traveling to larger cities to purchase seeds? Land goes uncultivated, and people go unfed. To make matters worse, the hybrid seeds sold in city markets often fail to produce abundant harvests or new seedlings. To break this cycle, the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development is putting seeds back into the hands of farmers through a seed distribution system. The nonprofit will work with communities to provide locally sourced, organic seeds directly to indigenous farmers. Learn more.

5. Bringing a crucial resource to the Navajo Nation.

Before the pandemic hit, the Navajo Nation was already fighting a chronic housing and water shortage. At least 15% of Navajo Nation homes do not have access to running water, which makes COVID-19 hygiene practices nearly impossible for a significant portion of the population. The pandemic worsened these conditions and made necessities like drinking water, milk, and eggs scarce. Thankfully, Can’d Aid has provided more than 228,000 cans of drinking water to communities across the Navajo Nation since the onset of the pandemic. One truckload can provide 1,000 households with clean drinking water for two weeks. Learn more.

6. Branching out from the Zoom cycle to revolutionize rural education.

The global disruption of education hit rural areas like northern Morazan, El Salvador hardest due to existing challenges affecting internet connectivity and access to healthy foods. That’s why the Perkin Educational Opportunities Foundation is teaching students remotely and addressing their nutritional needs. The organization helped feed 120 students and their families during the crisis by cultivating family gardens and providing healthy recipes. Once the gardens were growing, students created ecological solutions to protect the crops and conducted at-home experiments based on real-world issues, such as decontaminating water supplies. The nonprofit hopes its COVID-tailored education model will serve as a revolutionary prototype for rural schools long after the pandemic. Learn more.

7. Keeping kids dancing from a distance.

After spending months away from their friends, the ChezaCheza Mission Foundation welcomed its students back to the studio for some much-needed, socially distanced dance lessons. At the beginning of each class, the instructor asks the students to check in with themselves emotionally. Then the instructor encourages them to express their emotions to the beat of the music. Every class ends with a reflection, a warm meal, and a food package to bring home to their family. Learn more.

8. Goats and gardens are paving the way for a sustainable future.

Alarmed by the predictions of global food shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebuilding Alliance launched new efforts to support Palestinian families during the pandemic and into the future. This nonprofit is giving families in Gaza and the West Bank gardening supplies or goats, chickens, and rabbits so they can produce their own food and start a home-based business. Not only is this a lifeline for families, but the local environment will also reap the benefits of more sustainable food production. Learn more

9. Feeding furry friends during the lockdown.

As India’s once-bustling city streets cleared out during one of the world’s strictest nationwide lockdowns, stray animals struggled to survive without their usual scraps of food from pedestrians. Tree of Life For Animals jumped into action and established a street feeding program to keep stray dogs and cows alive. Despite obstacles caused by the lockdown, the organization managed to respond to nearly 95% of the 3,495 animal rescue calls they received between March and June. Learn more.

10. Providing quality comfort food for those who need it most.

When nearly every restaurant in Daegu, South Korea closed due to the lockdown, A-PAD Korea paired up with local restaurant owners to prepare hot meals for children’s centers. The organization delivered meal boxes to 2,846 children who relied on their schools for meals or were unable to access food for other reasons related to COVID-19. By ordering students’ meals from local restaurants, the effort also brought economic relief to 67 business owners struggling to make it through the shutdown. Learn more.

Support innovative solutions to fight COVID-19 in communities around the world through the Coronavirus Relief Fund.

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Featured Photo: Beating COVID-19 through evidence-based science. by Asociacion Apadrina la Ciencia (Association Sponsor Science)

The post Meet 10 Nonprofits With Ingenious Innovations To Combat COVID-19 appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

1. Alex and his wife, Olga, donate their coronavirus stimulus from the US government to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund.

“We are lucky not to need any relief, unlike many other people,” Alex said.

2. Lifelong conservationist, zookeeper, and animal lover Bindi Irwin protects wildlife all over the world.

Bindi backed the all-women Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit, which focuses on protecting precious rhinos in South Africa.

3. The Union of Relief and Development Associations responds to the Beirut port explosions.

Our partner jumped into action (and inspired thousands to help) with a project to provide relief after the blasts that killed more than 200 people and sent the Lebanese capital reeling.

4. And Newsweek highlights their incredible work.

The magazine recognized URDA’s efforts to provide humanitarian services such as shelter, healthcare, and emergency supplies to people affected by the tragic blasts.

5. Magawa, a landmine-detecting rat wins a British charity’s top civilian award for animal bravery.

Our partner APOPO led the giant African pouched rat to the achievement by training him to find landmines.

6. Random acts of kindness continue despite the distance.

During the pandemic, Alysha couldn’t buy a coffee for the person behind her in line, so she instead donated that money and encouraged her friends and family to do the same!

7. The pandemic becomes the mother of invention.

The Tanzanian nonprofit Twende created 130 foot-operated handwashing stations for public spaces that couldn’t close despite the coronavirus, including orphanages, hospitals, and markets.

8. Jacksepticeye lends his platform to benefit Australia wildfires relief.

The well-known Youtuber and actor rallied his fans to support survivors of the wildfires and the billions of animals, like the grey-headed flying fox, that were affected.

9. Women support women with more than 1,000 grants to female entrepreneurs in need during the pandemic.

Our swift partnership with Sara Blakely and the Spanx By Sara Blakely Foundation delivered much-needed aid to small, women-owned businesses across the United States and encouraged others to give to The Red Backpack Fund, too.

10. Products promote wellness and a cause.

The travel company Away donated proceeds from a new product to GlobalGiving and said, “[W]e know that taking care of ourselves is just as important as taking care of others.”

11. A famous doctor fuels a fundraiser for clean water and sanitation.

Spurred by friends, family, and Chris van Tulleken, 204 incredible people contributed to provide water and hygiene assistance for migrants at a camp in Leros, Greece.

12. Vicki says if we can give, we should give.

She gave to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund because “we are all in this together.”

13. The Try Guys raise awareness with a song.

These famous YouTubers’ at-home parody video of “Party in the U.S.A.” was a memorable music moment, and we had fun with a video of our own.

14. Liza Donnelly brings people together in a time of social distancing.

The famous artist’s drawing was shared thousands of times on social media and compelled people to give to the Coronavirus Relief Fund. “Love is the answer, and we can love each other in infinite ways,” she said.

15. PBS shares how to help after Hurricane Laura.

When Hurricane Laura hit near the border of Louisiana and Texas in August, coverage directed people to GlobalGiving’s Hurricane Laura Relief Fund as a safe, quick way to get emergency aid to where it was needed.

16. And Yahoo! Life adds to the list.

The outlet highlighted organizations, including GlobalGiving, focused on responding in communities devastated by Hurricane Laura.

17. Sheepcare Community Centre joins the GlobalGiving community and brings a record-breaking 551 donors with them.

The Kenyan nonprofit is on a mission to help disadvantaged communities access quality education and health care.

18. Jaime Camil gives shout outs for COVID-19 relief.

The actor sends his fans birthday wishes, pep talks, and simple greetings on Cameo and sends the money he earns to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund.

19. 18-year-old Ari raises funds from friends and family when explosions rock Beirut.

Ari rallied their network to give after the massive explosions in the Lebanese capital.

20. TIME cites the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund as a top way to help early on in the pandemic.

That helped GlobalGiving surpass the goal of raising $5 million to send health care workers, frontline responders, and crucial PPE to virus hotspots.

21. #GivingTuesdayNow makes an impact.

Donors channeled the generosity of the giving season in May to help nonprofits navigate the pandemic.

22. Safer World Now activates for COVID-19.

Donors stepped up to assist with pandemic-specific needs through a special campaign supporting organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan that coincided with #GivingTuesdayNow and the month of Ramadan.

23. The GlobalGiving Girl Fund cohort shares successes and struggles.

Our first webinar introduced donors to the nonprofits that continue fighting for gender equality amid the pandemic.

24. Ali raises $3,181 for Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

As an aspiring wildlife conservationist who has volunteered at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Ali inspired others to help save Kenya’s northern white rhinos through their donations.

25. Good Housekeeping names GlobalGiving one of the 50 best charities to give to.

GlobalGiving made the list as a way to support everything from education and animals to ending hunger and responding to wildfires.

26. Microgrants give nonprofits a lifeline.

One hundred microgrants to help nonprofits handle pressing needs during the pandemic grew to nearly 500 thanks to tremendous donor support.

27. An anonymous donor helps people deal with the pandemic on top of natural disasters and a warming planet.

This generous donor contributed more than $245,000 to COVID-19 relief.

28. The second Climate Action Fund cohort forms.

From Peru to Kenya, these five nonprofits inspired donors and their sustainability peers to earn a spot in GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund.

29. Donors like Brooke give what they can to help others cope with COVID-19.

“These are difficult times for many, and I believe we should all do what we can to help others come out of this crisis,” she said.

30. #GivingTuesday breaks records.

In response to our $1 million incentive fund, GlobalGivers moved well over $3 million to their favorite causes on #GivingTuesday 2020.

31. And all that giving gives partners a huge boost.

GlobalGiving partners ended #GivingTuesday with impressive results. One nonprofit reached an all-time high: “We raised the most in a single day since we started using GlobalGiving. For a small organization with limited resources, we were really pleased with our achievement.”

32. Sanitizing has a social impact.

Phone case company CASETiFY launched a new UV phone sanitizer and donated 100% of proceeds from initial sales to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

33. A circus starts a social distancing act.

Mobile Mini Circus for Children shifted from providing a circus program for Afghani kids to making face shields, painting social distancing markers with old props, and educating people about the coronavirus in energetic circus fashion.

34. The New York Times says there’s no shortage of ways to help people affected by the pandemic.

And giving money through GlobalGiving is one that will provide medical supplies to hospitals and essentials to families in need.

35. Ford offers flexibility.

Communities received much-needed support thanks to general operating support grants from the Ford Motor Company Fund.

36. Rachel sustains the organization that stole her heart.

“It is my happiest place when I am there contributing personally, but when I can’t, it gives me some comfort to provide in whatever way I can.” Rachel said about her monthly donation to African Angels.

37. Football fans mobilize.

City Football Group, best known for its ownership of Manchester City FC, asked its staff, players, coaches, and fans to donate to response efforts near each of its nine clubs around the world.

38. Office budgets become nonprofits’ fuel.

With employees working from home, companies used GlobalGiving to donate the money they would have spent on food and other in-office perks.

39. Gamers get together to give.

The Halo game franchise raised more than $450,000 for GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund through in-game sales of a “Relief and Recovery” REQ Pack that provides players with access to rare virtual items and sales of Halo branded T-shirts.

40. And give.

EA eSports donated $1 million to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund and partnered with FIFA to bring a livestream fundraiser to fans.

41. And give some more.

Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends, hosted an in-game promotion and also made donations to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

42. Artists create for frontline responders.

Artists from around the world launched a new collection to support essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. All proceeds from the collection through Design Miami went to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

43. Logitech matches employee gifts.

Donations made by global Logitech employees were matched with the launch of a new program in May, and the company and leadership gave $200,000 to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

44. Medical research moves forward.

Together, GlobalGiving and 3M made grants to universities around the world doing research to support COVID-19 treatments and vaccine development.

45. Charms sell for charity.

Starting in March, jewelry brand T. Jazelle raised more than $42,500 for five GlobalGiving projects by donating the proceeds from bracelet sales.

46. Soccer fans suit up.

Retired American soccer player Jimmy Conrad fundraised for the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund by selling pandemic-themed jerseys to support frontline workers and those doing their part to curb the virus’ spread by staying at home.

47. Gucci stands with women.

The luxury fashion house helped GlobalGiving #StandWithWomen by promoting a handful of nonprofits working toward gender equality and against the increase in gender-based violence since the onset of the pandemic.

48. The Ethos solution becomes a step toward more ethical, responsible giving.

Platforms like GlobalGiving are getting stuck when making decisions about who should be on the platform and who should be off (what we call the Neutrality Paradox). The Ethos process lets us address the dilemmas and make decisions with integrity.

49. Apps help us do everything—including fight a pandemic.

Flowly, an app that helps people manage pain and anxiety, pledged to donate $0.50 for every completed app session to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

50. 2020’s buzzwords become a product line.

Jared Leto and the Thirty Seconds to Mars crew donated the proceeds of their AMERICA merchandise (featuring words like “Purell,” “Zoom,” “Tiger King,” and a social distancing warning) to GlobalGiving.

51. Pete Buttigieg gives action-oriented people options to help during the pandemic that go beyond staying home.

In his list of active ways to keep communities safe and healthy, the former South Bend, Indiana mayor noted donating to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund.

52. Elizabeth Warren says the COVID-19 crisis requires all hands on deck.

The senator named the emergency response fueled by the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund along with initiatives to stock food pantries, care for seniors, and shelter individuals without homes as efforts to support.

53. Online stars amplify appeals for California.

As fires raged across the state, Katherine Cole, host of the national food and beverage podcast “The Four Top,” pointed to the California Wildfire Relief Fund as a way to help.

54. Maria Shriver rallies her network to help firefighters and people affected by the California fires.

“My beautiful state is on fire…We can all make a difference, and we can all help!” the former First Lady of California said in a post.

55. RT @DeVonFranklin.

Hollywood producer DeVon Franklin said GlobalGiving is a way to help people affected by the fires in Oregon and Washington, too.

56. The devastating California wildfire season inspires Ruby to give.

After seeing the damage in Southern California, Ruby decided to give a huge part of her annual charitable contributions to wildfire relief efforts through GlobalGiving.

57. Ronda Rousey games for good.

The professional wrestler played the game “Katana Zero” with fans to support disaster relief in the Philippines.

58. LA Weekly gives Southern Californians a way to combat the coronavirus.

Before the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic on March 11, the newspaper mentioned the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund as one way Angelenos and other California residents could aid response efforts in China.

59. Activist and writer Julissa Arce encourages people to respond to needs beyond US borders.

An episode of her show, “Las Noticias” in November highlighted the damage Hurricane Eta left in Central America and opportunities to offer help.

60. Photographers shoot to curb the coronavirus.

Wasim and Kristen use their images to benefit causes they care about (including GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund).

61. Rahat recognizes the strength and resilience of acid attack survivors.

Although he couldn’t leave his home and physically help people recovering from violent acid attacks, Rahat supported hospital care for 350 survivors in Bangladesh. “We can share some of our resources and hope that that makes a difference,” he said.

62. Funko celebrates frontline heroes.

To honor doctors and nurses providing vital healthcare, Funko released new collectibles with a $30,000 donation to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

63. Local leaders fuel community-led research.

The Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) and GlobalGiving researched the concept of “community-led change” with 73 community leaders from six countries who co-created community-led tools.

64. VF brands unite behind a shared purpose.

The VF Corporation, a global apparel and footwear company with 12 unique brands, united to provide more than $750,000 for COVID-19 relief through cause marketing in partnership with GlobalGiving.

65. Nonprofit leaders share the world through photographs.

Although the pandemic made travel almost impossible, our partners let us tour the world through their eyes during the 2020 Photo Contest.

66. Mark Ruffalo revives the #PayItForwardChallenge.

The actor and environmental activist gave 50 lucky people the chance to pay it forward with a GlobalGiving Gift Card that could go toward COVID-19 relief or any other cause close to the winner’s heart.

67. Troubled times make Yekaterina realize that she can give back.

“…the least I can do is share my resources with others who aren’t as lucky,” she said when donating to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund.

68. Jesse Thorn shares a memory.

The Bullseye host shouted out a scholarship program for doula and midwife education for women of color created in the name of his late aunt Claudia.

69. Dancer and choreographer Simone Sobers teaches lifelong lessons about giving.

Simone showed her son, Rory, how to share and give by helping to close the gender gap and keep girls in school in Sierra Leone.

70. Facebook users click to donate after disasters.

Facebook’s crisis donate button brought $524,000 to local nonprofits responding to emergencies in their communities around the world.

71. And Facebook pledges to match those donations.

The social media giant promised to match up to AU$1 million (nearly $687,000) in donations made to GlobalGiving through its platform.

72. Meanwhile, friends mobilize through Facebook Fundraisers.

Donors contributed to fundraisers for 156 disasters through the platform.

73. BBB Wise Giving Alliance gives GlobalGiving a thumbs up.

The organization noted GlobalGiving as a trusted place to send donations to support people and wildlife affected by the Australian wildfires.

74. Generosity fuels recovery in Australia.

Nonprofit partners working in Australia raised $1.7 million for fire relief in their communities.

75. Jeffrey invests in the future.

His monthly donation for Raymond, a child at The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission, covers food, clothes, and care that Jeffrey believes everyone needs to thrive.

76. Buzzfeed helps people who want to donate their stimulus check with, of course, a list.

For those eager to assist during the early days of the pandemic, Buzzfeed offered a handful of options—including the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund—to provide food, water, and health care to people in need.

77. New Balance commits to curbing the coronavirus.

The company’s foundation pledged $2 million to help fight the pandemic, with $200,000 granted to GlobalGiving.

78. Popsugar gives readers ways to respond to one of the most powerful storms to hit the US

After Hurricane Laura devastated Gulf Coast communities, the outlet noted GlobalGiving as a means of supporting first responders and getting emergency supplies to the storm’s survivors.

79. Roberto gives back when others need it most.

“We are not alone, but rather, we are here as a community to stretch our hand and lift each other up when needed,” the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund donor said.

80. Très Rasche makes giving trendy.

The innovative clothing brand launched a “stay positive, test negative” campaign and donated 15% of the proceeds to GlobalGiving.

81. A powerful series with Alliance magazine sparks discussion about platform neutrality.

Nonprofit, platform, and philanthropy leaders exchanged ideas about this Neutrality Paradox, which GlobalGiving has solved with the Ethos process.

82. Disaster Feedback Fellows raise awareness and raise the bar for disaster response and recovery.

These 10 leaders put the communities they serve at the center of their recovery and resilience work and learned from each other during their yearlong fellowship.

83. NBC reporter Melissa Adan gives the gift of reading to children in the US

Melissa supported a project to provide books and encourage quality time in families to boost literacy.

84. Grandmas become teachers to keep kids learning in Senegal.

The Grandmother Project warmed hearts with its solution to enlist grandmas to guide students with traditional teaching methods while schools were closed due to the pandemic.

85. Wild Barn Coffee celebrates National Coffee Day.

As historic wildfires raged in the western US, the Colorado-based coffee company celebrated their beverage of choice on Sept. 29 and donated profits from the day to GlobalGiving’s California Wildfire Relief Fund.

86. Linda takes action IRL.

Travels to Africa left Linda with a love of elephants, so when she saw a GlobalGiving Instagram post about an organization working to protect the animals, she had to give them funds to continue.

87. Spireworks lights up the New York City skyline.

The interactive lighting installation in New York City could be controlled remotely by anyone in the world via mobile phone—and with a donation to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

88. Givers take 10 for thanks.

During a year of loss and hardship, we partnered with #GivingTuesday to devote 10 minutes to finding gratitude.

89. Fast Company rounds up pandemic-safe virtual gift ideas.

When social distancing made gifting a little harder, FastCompany gave readers fun digital gifting suggestions like GlobalGiving Gift Cards.

90. And people run with the idea.

Generous GlobalGivers gave millions in GlobalGiving Gift Cards that support projects around the world.

91. Corporate gift cards support and surprise.

Companies gave their employees and clients the gift of giving during the holiday season. The donations from gift cards were an unexpected bright spot for many nonprofits, including Develop Africa, which had to say thanks.

92. NBCUniversal helps employees give more than $1 million.

The company gave $50 GlobalGiving Gift Cards to employees so that they could give back to their favorite project during the holiday season.

93. Giving becomes a habit.

Our community recognized nonprofits’ serious needs during the pandemic and started 978 new monthly donations during the December Monthly Donor Drive.

94. Partners surpass their goals.

Organizations like the Voice for Asian Elephants Society aimed to earn 20 new recurring donors during the December Monthly Donor Drive, and they ended the week with 27, giving them ongoing and sustainable support!

95. The Project of the Month Club gets hundreds of new members.

The group of monthly donors grew to 782 by December.

96. Annie becomes one of those people who regularly contribute to projects that make a difference.

“There is so much to change in this world, and I want to make a small contribution for good,” she said.

97. The community stays connected.

Although in-person site visits and other events were canceled, GlobalGiving found new ways to check in with partners across the globe. Virtual social hours helped strengthen our network.

98. Leaders learn together—but from a distance.

As nonprofits adapted to the new normal of the pandemic, more than 1,000 leaders connected through collaborative GlobalGiving training programs, including the Peer Learning Network, the Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program, and the Online Fundraising Academy.

99. GlobalGiving grows its nonprofit family.

We welcomed 529 inspiring nonprofits from 95 countries in 2020 through our virtual onboarding program.

100. GlobalGivers care for one another.

The growing GlobalGiving team supported one another through the loss of family members, the arrival of babies (including the four-legged kind), and all the challenges of the pandemic—while remaining committed to our mission and our partners around the world.

Thanks to all of these moments and millions more, GlobalGiving helped raise $105 million for urgent causes and broke records in 2020.

Help us continue supporting people in need around the world.

GIVE NOW

The post 100 Moments That Helped GlobalGiving Raise $100 Million appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

1. GlobalGiving reached a major milestone in 2020, raising more than $105 million for our nonprofit partners in a single year.

2. Donations came in from far and wide: more than 314,897 donors contributed to this incredible wave of generosity.

3. The outpouring of support reached 8,688 projects working across 169 countries on causes from COVID-19 relief to ending hunger.

4. GlobalGiving launched the Coronavirus Relief Fund 44 days before the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.

5. GlobalGiving’s swift response to the viral outbreak made it possible to distribute $525,000 in emergency grants before the end of March.

6. By Dec. 31, 23,021 donors contributed more than $11 million to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.

7. Speaking of incredible action, GlobalGiving partnered with the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation in March to award $5,000 grants to more than 1,000 female entrepreneurs across the United States and its territories.

8. For every disaster that 2020 brought, a vetted nonprofit was there to support people in the aftermath. From the Australian bushfires in January to the back-to-back hurricanes in the fall, local recovery efforts were fueled by more than $46 million contributed to disaster response through GlobalGiving.

9. Amid the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, GlobalGiving welcomed 529 new nonprofit partners from 95 different countries to the family through our virtual onboarding program.

10. GlobalGiving’s corporate partners stepped up like never before to help solve the countless challenges communities faced last year. Our corporate partners donated a record-breaking $66.6 million, which resulted in 2,066 corporate grants awarded to nonprofits in 86 countries.

These numbers reflect real people who were impacted by the events in 2020—and supported by our community. The numbers in GlobalGiving’s Year In Review, and the stories they represent, will propel us forward in 2021.

To hear the stories of the people behind the numbers, check out GlobalGiving’s Year In Review, “Together, Apart: How The GlobalGiving Community Confronted 2020.”

READ THE REPORT

The post GlobalGiving’s Year In Review: 10 Numbers That Inspire Us appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Founders Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle quit their jobs at the World Bank, convinced that the world’s most pressing problems would only be solved if local communities were in the lead. Today, GlobalGiving is accelerating community-led change around the world, making aid and philanthropy work for ordinary people with extraordinary vision.

We’re honoring that at “Community Forward: Celebrating 20 Years Of GlobalGiving.”

Join us: March 23, 2022 | 11 a.m. to noon ET | Online

Learn more about our virtual anniversary celebration.

Patricia Velásquez, an award-winning actress, model, and founder of GlobalGiving partner Wayúu Tayá Foundation, will host the event. Join us for performances from GlobalGiving partners and conversations with inspiring changemakers.

You can also witness the world premiere of three #CommunityForward films that will let you feel the power of community-led change in Kenya, Portland, and Puerto Rico with Hope Foundation for African Women, Seeding Sovereignty, and La Maraña.

REGISTER NOW

The post Community Forward: Celebrating 20 Years Of GlobalGiving appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Here’s how six nonprofits are meeting the year’s challenges with a community-led response:

1. Laying the foundation of long-term recovery

Puerto Rico earthquakes | Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico

 
Chaos and destruction marked the early days of 2020 for Puerto Ricans after a series of powerful earthquakes shook the small islands. The quakes displaced more than 7,500 people as communities were still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017 without promised disaster aid. Over the past three years, Ayuda Legal Puerto Rico has worked tirelessly to urge the housing department to reconsider rules that slow recovery. After ramping up efforts in light of recent disasters, the team celebrated a series of legal wins this fall. One success was an executive order that waived title requirements for people waiting to rebuild their homes. Amid COVID-19 restrictions, Ayuda’s team still managed to provide direct legal support to more than 2,800 people and gave 1.2 million legal education. Learn more.
 

2. Giving wildlife a second chance

Australia wildfires | Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife

 
Relentless fires burned through every state in Australia, destroying up to 40 million hectares of land and killing at least 33 people since the start of the fire season in July 2019. Experts estimate that as many as 3 billion koalas, kangaroos, and other native Australian animals were killed or displaced by bushfires in 2019 and 2020. Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife jumped into action to restore scorched ecosystems. After initially focusing their efforts on wildlife rescue, the team moved into the second phase: complete restoration and regeneration of every fire-impacted state. The foundation is directly investing in community projects to conserve native plants, expand nest boxes for wildlife to thrive, and investigate the impact of climate change on local ecosystems. Learn more.
 

3. Rebuilding after the blasts

Beirut port explosions | Anera

 
The Beirut port explosions topped the list of most damaging disasters in 2020 and the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history. The blasts tore through buildings for miles, killing more than 200 people. To help the residents of Beirut recover after the blasts, Anera focused on their immediate needs like medical supplies and food. Although the organization initially struggled to secure medical supplies due to the unusable port and high air transport costs, donors chipped in to deliver life-saving medicines to families in need. Anera also used their team’s knowledge of construction and social work to support some of the hardest-hit communities, including Karantina and Borj Hammoud. Learn more.
 

4. Fueling first responders and survivors

California Wildfires | World Central Kitchen

 
The 2020 wildfire season was the worst recorded in California’s modern history, with more than 9,200 fires, 31 fatalities, and 4 million acres—roughly 4% of the state’s land—scorched. Exhausted first responders and impacted families sought support from World Central Kitchen, which quickly established relief kitchens and food delivery programs across northern California and Oregon. In the span of 24 days, WCK served 1 million meals in 82 cities. The organization intends to build on this momentum and continue working with local restaurants and meal delivery companies to provide affordable meals to those who need them most. Learn more.
 

5. Providing essentials in the aftermath of a powerful storm

Super Typhoon Rolly/Goni | Citizens Disaster Response Center Foundation

 
On the last night of October, the strongest typhoon of the season brought torrential rains, violent winds, and mudslides to the Philippines’ largest island, Luzon. Some 82,900 people remain displaced amid the coronavirus pandemic. Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation is working around the clock to deliver food packages, sleeping mats, blankets, and hygiene kits to 600 affected families in the municipalities of Tiwi, San Narciso, and Mulanay. The foundation also gave every family a two-week food package that provided all of their daily nutrients so families could focus on their health and recovery instead of finding their next meal. Learn more.
 

6. Lending a hand amid back-to-back hurricanes

Hurricanes Eta and Iota | Fundación Fondo Unido Honduras

 
Hurricane Eta left a devastating trail of widespread flooding and damage across Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, and other Central American countries before inundating roads and knocking out power in Florida. As the death toll rises, it’s becoming clear that Indigenous communities are bearing the brunt of Eta’s blow. Hurricane Iota hit Honduras just two weeks later as the 29th named hurricane of the season. When Iota made landfall, Fundación Fondo Unido Honduras was already on the ground helping survivors of Eta access food, hygiene, shelter, and other essentials. The team extended their efforts to survivors of Iota and will continue supporting those communities as the floodwaters recede and the recovery continues. Learn more.
 

Support people who survived the most damaging disasters of 2020 through GlobalGiving.

DONATE NOW

The post Meet 6 Nonprofits Responding To The Most Damaging Disasters Of 2020 appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Jeffrey, his wife, Sara, and their three kids who were 5, 10, and 11, also called the mission home when they volunteered there for nearly two months.

“We fell in love with this place and felt deeply connected to the efforts the staff puts in to providing the most incredibly loving and supportive experience for these children,” Jeffrey said.

“We could not leave without having a way to continue to stay connected and to provide further assistance.”

Now, from Wisconsin, Jeffrey’s family is still connected. They donate monthly to the nonprofit to cover food, clothing, and resources for Raymond, one of the kids at the mission.

Why I donate monthly

“Everyone needs a foundation of love, compassion, and caring to thrive. We are honored to have an opportunity to support the mission and to sponsor a child,” Jeffrey said.

“We hope that our small act can help the mission continue its vital efforts and provide opportunities for all its children to realize their full potential in this world.”
— Jeffrey

Why monthly donations matter

Clifton Shipway, Deputy Director of The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission, knows many of his 51 monthly donors like Jeffrey.

“Monthly donations are so much more to us than just a source of funding we can rely on,” Clifton said. “They are a sign that people believe in our work—that they are ready to not just support what we are doing, but actually become an active part of it.

“Our monthly donors become a part of the project, investing in the lives of the children in our care.”
— Clifton, The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission

Over the years, our sponsors not only feel a connection to our project—they take our cause on as their own! More people working together to achieve good in this world can only be a great thing!”

Select a cause that matters to you and start to donate monthly to a nonprofit today. Your donation will be matched at 200% up to $200 from Dec. 14-18, 2020.*

GET MATCHED

*Terms + conditions apply.

The post Meet One Monthly Donor Who Is Fueling A Mission In India appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Give consumers the opportunity to help during a global pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has upturned lives everywhere. At many retail companies, employees were grappling with the concern that they might lose their jobs amid slow or no foot traffic to stores and supply chain disruptions. VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel and footwear companies, eliminated this fear by continuing to pay its retail employees in North America even while stores were closed. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, government programs helped protect employee pay. Meanwhile, VF’s CEO and executives took 50% and 25% salary reductions, respectively.

These people-first leadership decisions let VF and its brands think about how to serve others. It helped that in the past few years, the company had been intensifying its commitment to “bettering people and our planet.”

VF’s brands practiced this principle by donating products and offering discounts to frontline workers, manufacturing personal protective equipment, and supporting small retail businesses. But the biggest assets of any brand are its name, reputation, and community. With this in mind, VF’s philanthropic arm, The VF Foundation, launched an enterprise-wide COVID-19 relief effort that leveraged the synergies of the corporation, the foundation, and the VF family of brands through an array of cause marketing activations.

THE SOLUTION

Unique brand activations for a unified response

At a company with more than 12 apparel brands, one size does not fit all.

“While we’re all united under one purpose, how we bring the purpose to life is very individual,” said Gloria Schoch, director of The VF Foundation and Global Impact.

With custom-tailored social impact initiatives, The VF Foundation was able to help engage each brand’s audience authentically.

Smartwool launched a buy-one-give-one campaign. The North Face brand partnered with Supreme on an exclusive limited-edition T-shirt sale. The Timberland and icebreaker brands launched mega social media campaigns. Each effort was designed to both connect with the respective brand’s consumers in a meaningful way and scale the social impact.

The VF Foundation also made commitments, starting with a $200,000 grant for relief efforts in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia. They wanted to support the communities that are home to many of the workers who make their products.

“These workers live in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world,” said Schoch. “We knew, working together, our collective funds could have a tremendous positive impact for people who had limited access to support.”

All this was achieved rapidly to reflect the growing need for a global COVID-19 response. Part of what made VF’s unified approach possible was its collaboration with GlobalGiving. The VF brands were able to support efforts around the world, launch giving pages in a matter of hours, and even receive help to identify charitable projects that aligned with their philanthropic goals.

We value our partnership with GlobalGiving. We get guidance, collaboration, and thought partnership. We can trust the organizations we give to with GlobalGiving’s vetting support. Thanks to GlobalGiving’s footprint around the world, we can better help the communities in which we do business.
— Gloria Schoch

THE RESULTS

Unprecedented success from combined efforts

Thanks to the efforts of these brands and the support of thousands of consumers, VF, The VF Foundation, and the VF brands have provided more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief support, including more than $750,000 in partnership with GlobalGiving for COVID-19 relief through cause marketing.

Some brands blew away expectations. The running shoe brand, Altra, one of VF’s smaller brands, raised $120,000, thanks to their percentage-of-sales cause marketing campaign. For a limited time, they donated 10% of the proceeds from sales of a top-selling road running shoe.

The pandemic has highlighted the purpose that unites VF and its brands.

“We are more than an apparel company. We are an enterprise of people who are committed to making a positive impact for people and the planet,” Schoch said. “We see it as both our responsibility and opportunity to be a force for good in this world.”

Launching a global cause marketing campaign? GlobalGiving makes it easy.

LEARN MORE

Featured Photo: Sewing machines for girls for self-reliance by Azad India Foundation.

The post COVID + Cause Marketing: How This Retail Group United For Good appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Continue supporting nonprofits when volunteering isn’t possible

The Ford Motor Company Fund has a long history of supporting nonprofit partners in more than 50 global markets where Ford Motor Company operates, both with grants and employee volunteer hours. Every year, Ford Fund provides support to nonprofit partners for in-person volunteer projects. During the Global Month of Caring in September 2019, 17,000 Ford employee participants volunteered with more than 1,400 global projects.

But in 2020, faced with the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ford Fund knew they would not be able to host in-person volunteer events. Yet, they recognized that many of their nonprofit partners were counting on their support and facing a challenging year with staff shortages, fundraising limitations, and tight budgets.

THE SOLUTION

General operating support grants that put organizations’ needs first

Ford Fund took an innovative approach to the pandemic’s challenges, redirecting their volunteer project budget into 80 general operating support grants of $5,000 each to their global community partners through GlobalGiving. General operating support grants fund a nonprofit organization’s mission rather than specific programs or services and provide the working capital needed to sustain daily operations.

Instead of receiving project-based grants to support in-person Ford volunteering events this year, participating nonprofits can apply the funding to their urgent needs—whatever they are.

“We trust our partners to use the funding as they see fit in order to move their important work forward during this time of limited funding happening around the world. We value our partnerships and understand the importance of their sustainability in order to make a difference in our communities,” said Benna Deese, Manager of Global Initiatives at Ford Fund.

THE RESULT

Critical funding for 80 nonprofits around the world

By offering general operating support grants during times of crisis, Ford Fund and GlobalGiving created a program that would:

1. Provide flexibility.

Many Ford nonprofit partners run their organizations on very slim budgets. During challenging economic times, they may not be able to sustain fundraising at the same level. By providing open-ended grants, Ford and GlobalGiving are empowering organizations to use the funding to manage expenses as they see fit. That could mean paying rent, keeping staff on contract, or investing in technology and infrastructure.

2. Respond quickly.

By funding general operations instead of projects this year, the Ford Global Gratitude Grant application process will be much quicker, with less paperwork to complete and fewer requirements for the participating organizations to meet. The typical Ford grants process usually takes four to six weeks, but on average, general operating grants can be approved within one to two weeks. That will allow grantees to receive funding faster, scale up their operations as needed, and be as responsive as possible this year.

3. Ensure sustainability.

By providing general operating support, Ford is committed to helping their nonprofit partners improve strategic planning, program management, human resources, technology, and other capabilities that strengthen and sustain their organizations over time. It will also allow nonprofit leaders to focus on making their organizations the most effective they can be, once they know they have the financial resources to meet basic organizational needs.

4. Demonstrate trust.

By being sensitive to the needs of their nonprofit partners during times of disaster and crisis, Ford continues to build trust with their grantees. For a large majority of their partners, Ford has been a funder and dependable partner for many years. For Ford Fund grantee the Greater Boston Food Bank, that trust is critical and mutual, according to the organization’s Senior Vice President of Advancement Arlene Fortunato. “We so appreciate the support during this challenging time,” she said.

Learn more about Ford Fund’s innovative general operating grants by watching our webinar, “Innovative Grantmaking in Times of Crisis,” featuring a conversation with Ford Fund team.

Watch the webinar recording.

WATCH NOW

Featured Photo: COVID-19 Relief by Ford grantee, Boys and Girls Club of the South Coast Area

The post How Ford Responded To The COVID-19 Crisis With Innovative Grantmaking appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The Red Backpack Fund is an initiative of The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation, who teamed up with GlobalGiving to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19.

The first four rounds of Red Backpack Fund recipients were announced on May 14, June 12, July 17, and Aug. 24. Each cohort is 200 recipients, all of whom receive a $5,000 grant, an all-access pass to MasterClass, and a “lucky” red backpack. The $5,000 is significant—it’s the same amount Sara started Spanx with. The “lucky red backpack” has meaning, too. Sara carried hers with her in the early days of Spanx, and it’s become a symbol of starting small and dreaming big. From now through September, GlobalGiving will in total grant 1,000 women-owned and led organizations $5,000 each to help them weather the pandemic.

Learn more about how Red Backpack Fund recipients are overcoming adversities and looking ahead to the future:

Afriqiyah and Loraine keep fellow New Yorkers healthy by providing highly individualized physical therapy.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are two African American women who started Revolution Physical Therapy NYC two years ago with a vision to optimize patient care within the New York City area. Our business has been successful because of the highly skilled ’boutique’ individualized services provided by my partner and I for one hour in a one-on-one setting… This grant will assist in allowing us to provide care to both patients affected directly by the coronavirus and patients who continue to need care due to injury or surgery, as well as help us advance our technology for improving our telehealth communication resources.”

— Afriqiyah Nana Woods and Loraine Antoine, Co-Owners of Revolution Physical Therapy

Amy is building a network of good.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a small, woman-owned business that installs network cabling. The bulk of our business (90%) is from nonprofit organizations, such as The Salvation Army and AIDS Healthcare Foundation. We love our work. We love the people we get to meet all over the country. We love their stories, their passion, and their commitment to helping others. We love being able to give our all to our clients and to help in small ways. Sometimes it’s providing a great service for a reasonable price, other times it’s cabling someone’s home or buying desks for a kids’ summer camp program. We will use grant money from the Red Backpack Fund to meet payroll and re-stock supplies that we normally use, as our warehouse is down to almost no cable.”

—Amy James, Owner of Cablemaids

Angelina unlocks the potential within her community.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Our neighbors are resilient, hard-working people who face many obstacles, and we seek to work alongside them through our education, health, food, and housing programs. COVID-19 has greatly disrupted how we serve our community. Since the start of this crisis, we have distributed over 300,000 pounds of food to over 8,000 households. This grant will help us continue to distribute at least 400 food boxes a week for the duration of the crisis, pay for our staff, and make up for losses from past weeks. We want to unlock our neighbors’ potential because we know them, care for them, and have faced many of the same difficulties they have.”

— Angelina Iliana Zayas, CEO & Co-Founder of GAP Community Center


Aubre is redefining the status quo of sleepwear.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a Black-owned company that helps men and women feel good again by providing luxury sleepwear that bridges the gap between heterosexuality and homosexuality. Before the pandemic, I operated only at concerts, fundraisers, and pop-up shop events. Our marketing was strictly through customer feedback photos and word of mouth. After the pandemic hit, everything came to a screeching halt for Myers Legacy. This grant money will help us transition to an e-commerce-based business, upgrade our current website, security certificate, and inventory, and establish a digital marketing budget.”

— Aubre Myers, CEO & Founder of Myers Legacy

Audrey is paving the road from college to Congress.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“College to Congress provides pathways for college students from low-income, under-represented, and disadvantaged communities to kickstart their careers in public service through training and funded internships in Congress. Due to COVID-19, we have drastically changed our training model and created an online career preparation platform to continue serving students across the nation by connecting them with virtual internships. However, College to Congress’ revenue and fundraising prospects have significantly declined due to the economic impacts of the pandemic, leading to immediate effects on our ability to continue supporting and empowering in-need college students across the country. With the support of the Red Backpack Fund, College to Congress can continue empowering the next generation of public servants across the country through COVID-19 and beyond.”

— Audrey Henson, CEO & Founder of College To Congress

Calle puts sustainability at the center of her mission.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a social impact company determined to make a sustainable lifestyle more affordable and accessible to all. During COVID-19, the combined financial losses from closing our four-month-old storefront and our wholesale stockists shutting down have put a significant strain on our already-limited budget. The Red Backpack Fund’s $5,000 will allow my employees to continue paying their bills and feeding their families, regardless of their current work situation.”

— Callee Allen, CEO of Bestowed Essentials


Carmen is bringing communities together through this tasty South American beverage.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Porteñas brings the Argentine culture of friendship to the United States through the spicy Yerba Mate beverage. We believe in the power of strengthening the diversity of our local community in Brooklyn and empowering the immigrant and LGBTQ+ workers of Brooklyn. Due to COVID-19, we had to modify our sales strategy to focus on online sales and catering services for frontline workers. These funds will help us hire workers to grow our business. We see these challenging times as an opportunity to make the changes that are necessary to grow stronger.”

— Carmen Ferreyra, Founder of Porteñas


Carolina is making waves in a predominantly-male industry.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a Latina-owned architecture and design studio. The grant will help us continue to provide building design services that in turn requires hundreds of trade workers to build, many of them with Spanish as their native language. We are able to communicate with these workers to facilitate a project well done. My dream is to keep empowering women in our field and show what we are capable of.”

— Carolina Pena, Founder of Parallel Architecture Studio LLC

Chaunda and her team provide affordable and safe transportation to school children in Atlanta.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“The Red Backpack fund grant will be instrumental in keeping our business afloat… Our parents and community, particularly parents with special needs kids, are counting on us to weather this so that we can eventually re-open and continue serving the schools and the community. Until schools re-open, we are seeking to partner with them to deliver meals, education packets, and school supplies to children who need them.”

— Chaunda Brock, Co-Founder of Atlanta Kruzin Kidz

Divitta is fulfilling the basic need for affordable housing.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a law practice that specializes in affordable housing and community development law. While affordable housing development was ultimately deemed essential, many projects were unable to proceed as planned due to the adverse effects of COVID-19. The Red Backpack Fund grant money will provide the cash flow needed to ensure the ability to meet future payroll and operating expenses and support technology infrastructure that working remotely requires.”

— Divitta Alexander, Owner and Managing Member of Divitta Alexander PLLC

Elizabeth’s mission is fresh, affordable produce for all.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Forty Acres Fresh Market is a Black woman-owned social impact grocer with the mission of increasing access to fresh produce in Chicago’s underserved communities. We strive to provide quality produce at affordable prices and support education and economic development by providing sustainable jobs in the communities we serve. The Red Backpack Fund will help us ferment the permanence of a brick and mortar store and ensure our longevity beyond the global pandemic. This funding would be immediately used to secure a site for construction for our grocery store.”

— Elizabeth Abunaw, Founder of Forty Acres Fresh Market


Fran’s app will make clean restrooms more accessible.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Our product and services are designed to solve restroom accessibility challenges for everyone, including those experiencing homelessness. Our business has been paralyzed by the shelter-in-place mandate, yet we offer a valuable ‘touchless technology’ solution to help businesses and cities recover from the global health crisis. As businesses and customers are seeking healthier and more sanitary access solutions, the demand for our touchless technology will become mainstream. The Red Backpack Fund will allow our company to stabilize, offset our expenses, and rehire our team so we can present our idea to more businesses.”

— Fran Heller, Founder and CEO of Good2Go


Gisele challenges the status quo in construction.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“I opened this company because there was a need for affordable small job services that most contractors wouldn’t even bid on, particularly for seniors and single women… I’ve proven you can build a business on integrity and excellence without exploiting your customers, contrary to industry standards. I will overcome this crisis, as I have others along my path of entrepreneurship, just this time with a little assistance from programs like the Red Backpack Fund.”

— Gisele, Founder and CEO of Strongman Services LLC

Helen’s free harp lessons create new opportunities for students.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We provide free harp lessons for the lowest income students in Philadelphia’s public schools. We will use the emergency funds to pay our teachers, maintain our harps, and provide the best programming we can during this trying time. Our programs provide executive functioning skills, leadership opportunities, and emotional development. We also teach “harp gigging” skills and job-training as a sustainable way to be self-employed. Through our various programs, our students have access to mentors, development tools, college preparatory materials, summer camp scholarships, and other resources that will help them succeed later in life.”

— Helen Gerhold, Executive Director of The Lyra Society


Karla prioritizes the voice of indigenous women in the fight against climate change.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“The Climate Justice Initiative is not only the first Indigenous climate change organization in the US, but also the first that is led by a founding board of Indigenous women. CJI is designed to empower indigenous peoples, notably indigenous women, to transform the narratives and lives of those affected by climate change and is in a position to have an outsized impact on global climate change mitigation. CJI is an organization with the experience and expertise to provide capacity-building programming led by and serving those most impacted by climate change. This grant will help us support native peoples and communities in the face of both COVID-19 and climate change.”

— Karla Brollier, Founder and Director of Climate Justice Initiative


Katie and Taylor’s coffee shop highlights ability over disability.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“COVID-19 hit us right in the mission. Our mission is to employ and empower individuals with disabilities. Closing our doors during quarantine took away our ability to continue payroll for our staff, as well as our staff’s sense of purpose. We currently have 17 employees, but our waitlist for employment is over 40 people long. That is just in our small community, this is a nationwide need. This grant money will allow us to give our staff the hours they desire and reignite that sense of purpose and being that employment provides.”

— Katie Holyfield and Taylor Ann Matkins, Co-Owners of Lucky Ones Coffee


Katie and Lindsey value their patients like their own family.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a privately-owned, all-female dental practice that treats our neighbors as if they were our family… With changes to our required PPE, we’ve seen a significant increase in our supply costs. We feel our community as a whole has been greatly impacted financially by this pandemic and we do not feel it is in our business standards to pass on the costs to patients or employees. This grant will help us to maintain our loyal employees with our payroll expenses as well as cover the costs of our newly implemented PPE requirements.”

— Katie Stuchlik and Lindsey Wendt, Co-Owners of Dentistry of the Oaks

Katy helps homeless cats find forever homes.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“A $5,000 grant would be a game-changer for getting us back into the swing of things just as soon as we possibly can! We also have staff that we treasure, and we would love to give them some assistance as well. Mainly, we just want to get back to business so we can serve the ameowzing cats and customers of our coMEWnity!”

— Katy Poitras, Co-Owner and Manager of Cat Tales Cat Cafe

Michelle is building a fitness community for everyone, everywhere.



Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a boxing and yoga studio located in Orange, New Jersey. Our goal is to drive camaraderie and community with a fitness studio that is diverse and welcoming to all. Due to the pandemic, we have continued to offer online and outdoor classes. However, we charge significantly less for our online formats, and we have limited access to outdoor classes. We will use flexible funding to keep operations going and continue to pivot to new fitness formats and ideas”

—Michelle Swittenberg, Co-founder of BRWL Studio

Myra prepares her community for jobs that lead to careers.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for their business:

“These funds will help us re-employ the members of our multicultural female staff that were laid off due to COVID-19. Our services are greatly needed right now as more and more jobs are being lost due to COVID-19. Many people have contacted us to prepare for interviews, resume assistance, resources for interview clothing, job search tools, and more. We work in the community to bring these services to the masses…We truly prepare people for long-term employment by creating plans to minimize personal issues that might negatively impact work-life.”


— Myra Brown, CEO Co-Founders of NWON Opportunities


Quinn and Sara teach women how to take control of their safety.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for their business:

“COVID-19 has not solved sexual assault and safety—in fact we know there will be a higher need for our product once people are able to socialize again and go on dates… This funding will enable us to stay in business through this tough time… The rates of online dating have increased significantly during quarantining and people are lining up their in-person dates for when it lifts—we want to be able to be there for them in that time.”


— Quinn Fitzgerald and Sara de Zarraga, Co-Founders of Flare

Renee helps women overcome obstacles and build stronger relationships.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“We are a Women Wealth Wellness Hub that empowers women to overcome obstacles and build better relationships through financial literacy, health and wellness, and fashion and beauty. Making the shift to online events during the pandemic came with a learning curve and many canceled events. This grant will allow us to continue providing programs, summits, and positive reinforcement to help women during this pandemic…Specifically, we will use the funds to improve our wellness hub from the online portal to improve marketing and have more empowerment sessions weekly.”

— Renee Knorr, Founder of Global Women Wealth Warriors


Roxana and the artists at A.I.R Gallery are making waves in the art world.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Artists in Residence, Inc., also known as A.I.R. Gallery, was established in 1972 as the first not-for-profit, artist-directed and maintained gallery for women artists in the United States. A.I.R. has functioned as a space for self-identified women artists ever since, developing a unique cooperative model through which scarce assets have been shared and women’s issues have been raised. Like all other small nonprofit organizations that depend on public participation and support, A.I.R Gallery has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A.I.R. has been changing the art landscape in the US since the 1970s, and we hope to continue doing so while not only surviving this crisis but growing and expanding from it.”

— Roxana Fabius, Executive Director of A.I.R Gallery


Secily helps fellow women overcome adversity.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Without the opportunities we provide to break the negative cycle, women remain trapped in a life they may not have chosen… But the impact of your funding will allow WOW to continue addressing women’s health, education, and economic empowerment. Investing in women and a program improving income-generating activities, like Fall into Fabulous, yields a large return on investment.”

—Secily Wilson, Founder of WOW Legacy Group

Sheerine and Karla envision a future free from gender-based violence.



“Our mission is to end gender-based violence by building the leadership and collective power of the communities most impacted. Healing to Action achieves its mission through survivor-led community organizing of grassroots campaigns, leadership development, and capacity-building partnerships with grassroots social justice organizations. Our model is vital during the pandemic, with survivors of gender-based violence more isolated than ever before. Lost income replaced by the Red Backpack Fund will support program expenses such as staff time, program meeting expenses for survivor leaders, campaign expenses, and general operating expenses for Healing to Action to carry out its mission.”

—Sheerine Alemzadeh, Co-founder and Director of Healing to Action

Sprinavasa runs a one-of-a-kind camp experience.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“Camp ELSO provides culturally-specific outdoor science camps, leadership development, and community-centered programs that empower children of color to Experience Life Science Outdoors (ELSO). Our mission is to frame science and place-based education through a lens that centers the stories, individual needs, and lived experiences of Black and Brown communities. The Red Backpack funds will have a strengthening impact during the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring we emerge in a position to continue on a trajectory of growth, authentically serving the communities most affected by this pandemic.”

— Sprinavasa Brown, Co-Founder of Camp ELSO

Whitney is healing mind + body with her holistic chiropractic approach.


Here’s how the grant will make a difference for her business:

“My main goal is to live a life of love, purpose, and influence. I realize that it is not always so easy for people to realize the greatness that they have stored inside of them, especially if a person is suffering from a physical ailment. This is where my gift comes in, using chiropractic. I will use these funds to invest in new marketing tools that would allow me to connect with new patients differently. I would use video telehealth for taking care of patients and use other video/social marketing methods. Another way I would like to use grant money is to invest in new material for the center.”

— Whitney Burton, Owner of Perfect Balance Healing Center

With a little help from The Red Backpack Fund, these women are “making magic happen,” as Sara Blakely likes to say. Learn more about The Red Backpack Fund.

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The post Meet The Women Of The Red Backpack Fund appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

COVID-19 exacerbates challenges in rural India

Across India, non-essential businesses and services closed as the government tried to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the country. For women like Nathi, who recently lost her husband and primary source of income, every day brings new challenges to her and her family.

Nathi’s priority is her children, but caring for them became more difficult once the pandemic hit India’s Rajasthan state.

“COVID-19 has brought havoc to my life. Every day is a struggle to feed my family.”

“I’m a widow with five children to care for, and no one hires widows here,” she said.

Nathi lives in Kumbhalgarh, a rural community in southern Rajasthan. Access to basic services there is limited, and the COVID-19 lockdown made it even harder for people to get food and sanitation supplies.

Families of non-migrant workers are also struggling as the loss of wages makes it tougher for them to access food and proper nutrition. Government-sponsored COVID-19 relief in India is on the way, but delivering emergency resources to every remote community in the country is no easy task.

THE SOLUTION

Access to basics is key to stability

The nonprofit Seva Mandir is providing COVID-19 relief in India by partnering with families like Nathi’s to ensure everyone has the essential supplies they need to survive the lockdown and avoid contracting the virus. One way Seva Mandir is serving its community throughout the crisis is by distributing sanitation kits, which contain enough soap and detergent to last a family of five for up to two weeks.

“A lady who works for Seva Mandir came to my home with a sanitation kit,” Nathi said. “She explained to me and my children how to use the soap and detergent properly.”

Now, Nathi has one less thing to worry about during the COVID-19 crisis.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Partners make recovery possible

Once COVID-19 subsides, Seva Mandir will not pack up and leave—they will continue to support their neighbors in southern Rajasthan to achieve long-term financial security through education, agricultural solutions, and equality-based initiatives. Learn more about Seva Mandir’s lifechanging work.

There are lots of ways to help families like Nathi’s cope with the coronavirus and its devastating impacts through GlobalGiving. Hundreds of our trusted partners around the world are working to stop the spread of the virus and protect us all. It’s quick, safe, and easy to find and support an array of COVID-19 focused projects with GlobalGiving—start browsing projects here.

You can also promote COVID-19 relief and recovery around the world through a single donation to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund. Our team will make sure your donation reaches communities in need.

Learn More

The post How One Organization Is A COVID-19 Lifeline In Rural India appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Last year, we created the GlobalGiving Climate Action Fund to provide yearlong support to five innovative community climate leaders elevating local efforts to create more sustainable communities across the globe. Each member of the cohort not only successfully organized hundreds of donors but also proved their impact to their peers in the climate sector to earn their spot in this year’s fund. Without further ado, we’re thrilled to introduce our second annual Climate Action Fund cohort!

This year’s cohort is working to create a greener world by:

1. Regenerating the Amazon Rainforest with endangered tree species

Camino Verde | Peru

 
Camino Verde works in Tambopata, Peru—a biodiversity hotspot deep in the Peruvian Amazon that is threatened by migratory agriculture, illegal gold mining, and timber harvesting. Camino Verde’s goal? Conserve the ecological richness of Tambopata by planting 1000 Amazonian trees each year on deforested land and expanding their existing conservation area, which stretches across more than 1000 acres of pristine rainforest.
Executive Director Robert Van Loon shared, “Since we all face the effects of climate change and habitat loss, it becomes more important to understand how we can collectively work to conserve and regenerate what we are losing.” Learn more.

2. Teaching vital agricultural skills and climate resilience

Obrobibini Peace Complex | Ghana

 
Led by Christian Andres, Obrobibini Peace Complex is simultaneously improving individual livelihoods and building sustainability in Ghana by setting up an eco-friendly vocational training center. This center will elevate the importance of climate resilience and give community members the opportunity to develop vital agricultural skills— increasing food security, financial independence, and overall well being. Learn more.

3. Partnering with indigenous farmers to increase food security and fight deforestation

Instituto Chaikuni | Peru

 
In the words of Sophia Rohklin, a nonprofit leader at Instituto Chaikuni, their innovative approach to conservation “Bridges traditional, indigenous land-management techniques and modern permaculture methods to develop sustainable, integrated alternatives to land-use.” This seamless combination gives committed, local farmers in the indigenous and mestizo communities of the Peruvian Amazon the opportunity to both increase food security and curb the impacts of deforestation and climate change. With support from the Climate Action Fund for the second year in a row, Instituto Chaikuni will continue fostering an intercultural learning environment while protecting one of our planet’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Learn more.

4. Creating forests of food-producing trees to promote self-sufficiency

Sadhana Forest | Kenya

 
Another two-time Climate Action Fund leader, Sadhana Forest elevates sustainable solutions to deforestation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss under the leadership of Aviram and Yorit Rozin. Their project in Samburu, Kenya is creating forests of indigenous, food-producing trees that will provide long-term food security for the entire community while simultaneously mitigating climate change. Despite the many challenges their organization faces, Aviram is confident in its mission: “The goal is so big, any obstacle is like a speck of dust.” Learn more.

5. Combating biodiversity loss by planting trees

Iracambi | Brazil

 
One of the quickest and most efficient methods of reducing carbon in our atmosphere is planting trees―and Iracambi has taken this fact to heart! Led by Alielle Canedo, this volunteer-based organization has planted nearly 120,000 trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest since 1990. With each tree planted, Iracambi stores carbon, stabilizes soil, controls flooding and landslides, and provides habitat for regional wildlife. Learn more.

Support local climate solutions: donate during the Climate Action Campaign! Donations up to $100 will be matched at 100% from April 19-23, 2021.*

DONATE NOW

When you give monthly, your donation will be matched!*

*Terms and Conditions apply.

The post Meet 5 Climate Champions Leading Their Communities To A Greener Future appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Global climate change complicates food security

As climate shocks intensify, the proportion of people facing food insecurity is rising. Malnutrition rates are highest in arid and semi-arid lands, where people can quickly become dependent on aid relief during major droughts.
Globally, there are over 130 million malnourished people living in arid and semi-arid areas, who own private land and are currently not using it to grow food due to lack of water and agricultural knowledge. The planet needs more trees and many of its inhabitants need more food.

THE SOLUTION

Local ownership leads to long-term success

The solution implemented by Sadhana Forest Kenya is very simple: The people who are suffering from hunger and have never farmed before are supported as they plant indigenous, drought-resistant, and food-producing trees that foster food security and at the same time mitigate climate change.Since the trees are planted by local people in order to grow food, they water them and protect them effectively.

The project provides local people with the knowledge, skills, and resources to practice sustainable agroforestry. Sadhana Forest Kenya hosts trainings in dryland tree planting and water and soil conservation, followed by cooperative planting of food-bearing trees around local homes. Ultimately, long-term food security and disaster resilience will be achieved through sustainable ecosystem transformation.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Healthy people build a healthy planet

The project, when completed, will ensure that at least 2,500 Samburu households (12,500 people) have long-term food security, which will improve their health status and livelihoods and reduce their dependence on food aid. In addition, ecosystems of the region will be transformed with increased rainfall, less frequent droughts, and higher underground water levels. This solution can be scaled up to address the food insecurity of around one out of every five hungry people in the world and bring 150 million hectares of the world’s degraded and deforested lands into restoration.

GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund supports grassroots activists like Aviram who are tackling the climate crisis from the ground up. Explore their efforts to build sustainability today!

Learn More

Featured Photo: Long-Term Food Security for 4000 Samburus in Kenya by Sadhana Forest Kenya

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Deforestation is threatening the Amazon

Across the Peruvian Amazon, pristine rainforest—and the incredible biodiversity within—is threatened by widespread deforestation and commercial resource extraction. Sophia Rokhlin works with Chaikuni Institute, an intercultural grassroots organization combating unsustainable agriculture in the heart of this ecological wonder by elevating techniques based in traditional knowledge.

“The Amazon basin is the world’s most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem; in 2 hectares of land, we find more plant and animal species than we find in the entire continent of North America,” she shared.

However, this astounding biodiversity faces an uncertain future.

“Amazonian communities rapidly integrating into the market-economy opt for an unsustainable agricultural method called slash-and-burn or swidden farming, where a piece of pristine forest is razed to the ground, burnt, and replaced by one or two crops,” Sophia said.

The more farmers adopt slash-and-burn farming, the more widespread its impact. “This method is largely responsible for the frequent fires and loss of wildlife habitat we find in the Amazon basin,” according to Sophia.

THE SOLUTION

Traditional knowledge is key to biodiversity

“The Chaikuni Institute’s approach bridges traditional, indigenous land-management techniques with modern permaculture methods in order to develop sustainable, integrated alternatives to land-use,” Sophia shared.

Through a series of permaculture design workshops, the Chaikuni Institute is revitalizing an agricultural method based in traditional knowledge, which is called the chacra integral, or ‘holistic garden.’

“The chacra integral encourages communities to plant a great variety of different edible fruit trees, hardwood trees, and other useful plants in highly biodiverse plots of land,” Sophia explains. “This agroforestry method functions like a food forest, producing year-round abundance for communities to sell in the marketplace or consume for themselves.”

The renewal of the chacra method gives indigenous leaders and local farmers an opportunity to collaborate, with traditional knowledge acting as a bridge between economic prosperity and environmental protection.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Healthy forests combat climate change

Already, more than 30 farmers have learned the chacra integral method, transforming the local landscape. In partnership with Chaikuni, six new hectares of chacra integral agroforestry systems have been created in four communities located near the Nanay River by the jungle city of Iquitos to date.

These agroforestry plots are already attracting significant attention from families in the surrounding area, and the Chaikuni Institute plans to more training workshops in the future—thanks to generous GlobalGiving donors..

“Healthy forests and ecosystems are a key to mitigate climate change,” Chaikuni’s Executive Director Stefan Kistler shared. “The feedback and testimonies of participants in our workshops and activities have been highly positive, extremely inspiring and motivating to continue our efforts and create a movement to regenerate degraded parts of the Peruvian Amazon.”

GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund supports grassroots activists like Sophia who are tackling the climate crisis from the ground up. Explore their efforts to build sustainability today!

Learn More

Featured Photo: Ayni, Regenerative Food Forest In The Amazon by Chaikuni Institute

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Luke Jakoywa

Founder and Director of Sheepcare Community Centre

Who He Is:

Luke Jakoywa is the Founder + Director of Sheepcare Community Centre, located in Nairobi, Kenya. A life-changing encounter with children in his neighborhood affected by HIV/AIDS led him and other community leaders to start Sheepcare Community Centre in 2002. Sheepcare helps alleviate poverty by providing quality education, access to health care, water, and sanitation services. In Luke’s eyes, true change comes not only from access to resources but by believing that growth is possible for, and within, all of us.

 
Sheepcare Community Centre is a Kenyan nonprofit on a mission to help disadvantaged communities—particularly children—get access to quality education, health care, and more.

A recent graduate of the GlobalGiving Accelerator, Sheepcare was able to attract 551 donors to its fundraiser in Kenya in just 31 days—a new record!

Sheepcare Founder and Director Luke Jakoya shared five steps he thinks all nonprofit leaders can take to achieve crowdfunding success in Kenya and beyond:

Step 1

Gain support from within your organization

Support starts from inside of your organization. I started by explaining the crowdfunding goal to my organization, and I made sure to highlight the benefit of becoming successful crowdfunders. Once they understood the goal, there was a shared responsibility to reach it. This meant that identifying our donor base and fundraising outreach was now a group effort.

Step 2

Create a list of potential donors

Each person in my organization made a list of people that they know. The list consisted of close friends and relatives, mentee/mentor relationships, acquaintances, and previous supporters. This is how our first list of potential donors was created.

Step 3

Develop an outreach plan

Our initial outreach consisted of a group text message to all potential donors. This initial text was a brief alert that gave them an explanation of the upcoming opportunity to help a child in need. This created an online community in which our donors could interact.

After the initial outreach in the group chat, everyone was tasked with reaching out to each person in their network. We would either do this over text, phone, or in person, with more personal communication methods such as a phone call being favored. We only sent emails when contacting previous fundraising supporters from outside of Kenya. Furthermore, we asked each potential supporter to spread our message with their network.

Step 4

Build a donor community

Our online donor community existed in a WhatsApp group. After we added our initial donor base to the group chat, we saw supporters adding their own network to the group. This was essential for growing our donor base. Whenever there was a new donation, I would post the person’s name in the group chat to thank them. I would also ask others in the group chat to thank them. Not only did donors feel appreciated, but once people in the group saw that others were donating, they, too, wanted to donate.

Step 5

Share powerful messaging

We used these tactics to make our messaging to donors stand out:

• Emphasized important events: We kept our donors informed by letting them know when the campaign started and how many days were remaining. For Bonus Day and the final day of the campaign, we scheduled hourly content to be posted on our social media platform.
• Used available data: We used the Accelerator leaderboard to our advantage. We looked at the numbers and realized that we were ranked #1 for the most number of unique donors. We took a screenshot of our position to show that we were in first place among the 705 competitors. This positive and success-filled message inspired our donors to continue giving in order to sustain our #1 position.
• Leveraged local giving options through GlobalGiving: GlobalGiving has a partnership with M-Changa, a popular mobile giving platform in Kenya. This made donating convenient for our Kenyan supporters. Additionally, M-Changa does not require a minimum donation amount. This made it easy to engage our donor base since they only needed to donate 10 Kenyan Shillings to count as a supporter. Essentially, donors only needed a phone and a minimum of 10 Kenyan Shilling to support us, which was key to us ranking #1 for attracting the highest number of unique donors during the Accelerator.

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In communities affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises, gathering and using feedback in program design can be particularly challenging.

GlobalGiving understands the importance of feedback in development and humanitarian initiatives, which is why we are partnering once again with Feedback Labs to support community leaders centering feedback in their work across the globe through the Feedback Fellowship.

This year-long fellowship will connect 10 fellows to each other and notable practitioners in feedback collection and management. These amazing nonprofit leaders were selected out of hundreds of applicants—and nine of 10 are project leaders in the GlobalGiving community. [See a full list of fellows.]

Five fellows will participate in the second annual Disaster Feedback Fellowship, hosted by GlobalGiving’s Disaster Recovery Team. The Disaster Feedback Fellows will come together for workshops at GlobalGiving’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 20-21, 2020. They will also attend the 2020 Feedback Labs Summit in Puerto Rico.

Meet GlobalGiving’s 2019-2020 Disaster Feedback Fellows:

Farah Al-Wazeer | Communications, Partnership, and Knowledge Officer | Small & Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS) | Yemen

Farah remains persistent and optimistic even while her team works in what is considered the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. She believes that strong awareness campaigns are vital to building resilience to future disasters. Her day-to-day work focuses on creative communications through video, in-person visits, posters, and social media. SMEPS is a young development agency established as a subsidiary of the Social Fund for Development in Yemen in 2006. It seeks to build and facilitate the economic and technical capacities of market-driven private-sector parties and has created thousands of jobs in Yemen.

Piter Panjaitan | Director | Yayasan Bukit Kehidupan Ungasan (Bali Life Foundation) | Indonesia

Piter believes that capacity-building activities—such as education, training, and partnership programs—should be better adapted to suit local needs, geography, culture, and climate conditions. Culturally appropriate programming will improve communities “ability to withstand and recover from disasters.” Piter founded Bali Life Foundation alongside his wife Lyna. The foundation is focused on educational empowerment for underprivileged children, and restoring hope, dignity, and purpose to families. Piter is proud of Bali Life’s work and their ability to respond to disasters—after the last Indonesia tsunami, they were able to help 2,000 people in partnership with GlobalGiving. Piter is excited to share his specific expertise about disaster response in archipelago landscapes as a Disaster Feedback Fellow.

Yvonne Petrasovits | Executive Director at Doorways of Northwest Florida | United States

Yvonne is focused on ending homelessness in a six-county area of rural Northwest Florida. Hurricane Michael hit her community in 2018, displacing 2,000 residents. Doorways has been collaborating with seven other nonprofits to assist survivors in putting their lives back together through shelter, relocation, counseling, and rebuilding programs. Yvonne believes education and awareness building is key to disaster resilience in Florida. “Many people have no idea where to go for help,” she said. Yvonne also calls for improvement in coordination and outreach by local nonprofits and government agencies.

Muhammad Rayhaan Ismail Sooliman | Operations Director at Waqful Waqifin (Gift of the Givers) Foundation| South Africa

Muhammad is focused on disaster response and management, search and rescue, and humanitarian relief for Gift of the Givers, which works in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine. Muhammad believes disasters in South Africa can sometimes be “a blessing in disguise” because they can raise awareness of hidden or ignored problems, particularly for “people already living in challenging conditions, neglected by authorities.” Muhammad believes activism has a large role to play in helping people access basic services and better political representation.

Mohammad Jawad Zawulistani | Managing Director for the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy | Bamyan Foundation Board Member | Afghanistan

Jawad is interested in initiatives that promote youth-led peace, foster dialogue and understanding, and empower youth and war victims to make societal contributions. He wants to prioritize protecting human rights in conflict-affected contexts and promoting inclusive conflict policies and approaches. He believes global empathy and solidarity are important factors in building disaster resilience in Afghanistan. “Communities need to believe that their views and feedback matters,” he said, especially in Afghanistan, which is prone to natural disasters and shaped by decades of conflict.

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Maxvine lives in Kibera, one of the most impoverished and densely populated communities in Kenya.

A radiant 13-year-old with a passion to lift those around her, Maxvine is an ambassador for the nonprofit Polycom Development Project at her local school.

Polycom Development Project mobilizes the power of Kibera girls and women to take charge of their future. It has established programs in partnership with local institutions which include educational discussions—around sexual health, menstrual hygiene, and more—sanitary pad distribution, sports engagement, and mentorship opportunities. In her role as an ambassador, Maxvine acts as a point person for other young girls to approach for guidance on challenges they face and to gain access to the personal development opportunities, sense of security, and the plethora of resources offered by Polycom. She enjoys inspiring other young girls in her community to rise above their circumstances, she told GlobalGiving Field Traveler Isabelle Hall.

“When you encourage someone like you, you feel empowered yourself,” she said.

Chronic absenteeism from school is common in Kibera as a result of menstrual shame. Since the presence of Polycom in schools there has been a reduction in girls’ absenteeism. Girls now feel they have access to proper education and materials, and a safe space in their community.

Donate to Polycom to support more girls like Maxvine.

— Story by Isabelle Hall, who spent six months as a GlobalGiving Field Traveler in Kenya in 2019

He guards and preserves the environment he used to destroy.

 
Cristian used to be a farmer, just like his father.

Once the soil wasn’t rich enough to harvest potatoes, he would burn or cut down a new piece of land in the Colombian jungle. His way of life changed when a local conservation nonprofit, ProAves, established a bird reserve in the vicinity and was looking for park guards. Cristian decided to give it a try.

“I thought that the organization worked with chickens and poultry as the name had something to do with birds. It was a whole new world for me to start saving, guarding, and taking care of things that I used to destroy and consume. I had to change my way of thinking.”

Cristian was a quick learner. In a year, he was promoted to be the main ranger of a bigger parrot reserve near Santa Marta. He followed his new passion and moved to a new region, far away from home. After five years here, he knows all the names of local bird species and their habits. He is also responsible for the reforestation program as big plots of the reserve were used as coffee plantations or cattle-grazing land.

It’s hard work, but Cristian feels as assured as never before:

“My wife and I have a daughter now, and I want to be an example for them and others. Education plays the most important role as people are ignorant of global detrimental effects that their work can cause. I was the same but I had a chance to learn.”

When asked about his future plans, Cristian doesn’t want to change anything.

“I am where I want to be. I’ve found my place and a perfect job for me and my family. I will continue working in conservation, and I hope that we can save more land and more endemic Colombian bird species that are on the brink of extinction.”

Donate to ProAves to save more more land.

— Story by Viktorija Noreikaite, who spent six months as a GlobalGiving Field Traveler in South America in 2019

She sees libraries as seedbeds for social change in Ghana.

 
Helena first proposed the idea of an Africa-wide library association at a conference in South Africa in 2013—and her African colleagues agreed on the need.

One year later, she became the Executive Director of the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions, a nonprofit based in Ghana that trains librarians to lead projects addressing social issues in their communities and also works with African governments and institutions for better policies for libraries.

“I want people to really know that what we are doing is to improve the lives of people and communities,” she said.

“One of the projects educates the community to reduce teenage pregnancy. There is another whose project takes books to prisoners so that by the time the person comes out of prison, they have some sort of education and become useful to the community. There is someone who went and started training fish farmers on access to financial support to help them increase their yield and another project that recycles plastic waste into something useful,” Helena explained. The librarians’ are taught to formulate goals around the Sustainable Development Goals.

One of Helena’s main challenges is funding and ensuring the organization’s sustainability. Fortunately, she understands the importance of foreplanning and a diverse portfolio of funding and is also thinking of ways she can innovate the program. This year, her nonprofit will be piloting remote digital training for librarians in order to keep costs down and amplify their impact.

Donate to African Library and Information Associations and Institutions to support more social change.

— Story by Catrin Cooper, a former GlobalGiving Staff Member

She wants to save the rainforest of her childhood.

 
Olivia recalls how she became aware that something wrong was happening in Peru.

“I used to fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado to visit my family and was used to the green carpet of the Amazon jungle below. About 10 years ago, I started seeing empty patches in that carpet and they grew bigger and bigger every time. I couldn’t recognize the rainforest of my childhood anymore. I had to do something.”

Camino Verde, the nonprofit where Olivia works now, is trying to link Amazon restoration activities to the production of non-timber forest products that offer an improved livelihood for Amazonian communities. She is the main farm coordinator and actively manages the implementation and monitoring of agroforestry systems and oversees the production of non-timber forest products.

Olivia knows every plant on a 20-hectare farm and nothing goes unnoticed under her watchful eye. It’s not an easy job but the most rewarding one, she says:

“The Amazon rainforest is a totally different world. We have to learn to co-habitate and treat it with care and respect. We owe a lot to our forests. It’s time to give back.”

Donate to Camino Verde to help Olivia save the rainforest of her childhood.

— Story by Viktorija Noreikaite, who spent six months as a GlobalGiving Field Traveler in South America in 2019

She quit her job to start a nonprofit devoted to abandoned children.

 
Nicolette left her comfortable job as a labor inspector to start a nonprofit after meeting an 11-year-old girl breastfeeding a baby in the streets of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

After a brief conversation with the pre-teen mother, Nicolette was then taken to the girl’s squatter settlement where she was living with other boys and girls who were left behind by their communities. She found drugs scattered around the house and a 14-year-old boy lying on the ground with an abscess on his foot.

“I learned a lot in university about human and child rights so I asked: How can I contribute to my community?”

That experience led her to become a child rights activist and start The Center Marembo Organisation. The center helps girls and young mothers get back on their feet by providing them with medical rehabilitation, educational opportunities, vocational training, community reintegration, and legal representation. You can see Nicolette proudly posing with her organization’s registration with the Ministry of Health in this portrait, taken by GlobalGiving Field Traveler Leena El Seed.

Donate to The Centre Marembo Organisation to support children in need.

— Story and photo by Leena El Seed, who spent six months as a GlobalGiving Field Traveler in Rwanda and Uganda in 2019

These stories were collected through the GlobalGiving Field Program. Learn more about the program—one of the many ways we make it easy and safe to give to local organizations anywhere in the world.

LEARN MORE

Featured Photo: Dalila Sumani spent six months visiting more than 55 GlobalGiving organizations in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 20919. Learn more about the GlobalGiving Field Program by visiting our webpage.

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Led by climate activist Austin Bowden-Kerby, Corals for Conservation operates off islands across the South Pacific, where the IPCC predicts that more than 99% of corals will die by 2050 if conservation efforts aren’t implemented.

“We live in a time of crisis,” Bowden-Kerby said. “The Earth certainly has a fever, clearly caused by climate change. In this ‘coal mine’ we have two canaries: the polar regions, and our coral reefs. These two ecosystems are collapsing first. Corals for Conservation’s mission is to save the paradise that is a diversely populated coral reef ecosystem.”

The Solution

Corals for Conservation tackles these seemingly overwhelming odds through an unstoppable mixture of perseverance, ingenuity, and community involvement. After developing a strategy to grow heat resistant corals in meticulously maintained coral gardens, Austin helped incorporate coral conservation into the local economy and culture by training community members and members of the region’s tourism industry. Now, this innovative preservation technique has taken off, and Austin looks to future generations for both inspiration and a path forward:

“Luckily, like Greta in Sweden, I have young men and women who deeply and care and want to pitch in and help. Recently, I was able to teach a group of young surfers in French Polynesia who had risen up to the challenge of saving their reefs. They learned how to identify super corals which are resistant temperature changes. Then, we started creating garlands of coral mini-fragments, which we have planted into a new coral garden of hot water adapted super corals.”

The Result

“In early October, we completed a hands-on workshop in my adopted home country of Fiji for 25 trainees from the Pacific islands and across the globe. During that workshop we created a new ‘super coral’ nursery. I was so moved listening to Greta’s ‘How Dare You’ speech before the UN that the we decided to name this wonderful community achievement the ‘Greta Thunberg Coral Nursery’—a super coral nursery named for a super human being,” Austin said.

With support from GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund, Corals for Conservation will create four more coral nurseries and further educate local communities on coral conservation. Coral gardening is a temporary solution, but is ensures the survival of these natural wonders while individuals, local climate activists, and global policy leaders work together to mitigate climate change.

“We continue to plug away in an ocean paradise, inspiring change and giving hope with each coral micro-fragment planted. Reefs have been telling us they are stressed for 30 years. Let’s listen to be sure the canary is still singing and save this treasure upon our blessed planet.”

GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund supports grassroots activists leading innovative conservation projects across the globe. With your support, we can build a brighter future for the entire planet!

LEARN MORE

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CASE STUDY 1: Unselfies for Parkinson’s (Michael J. Fox Foundation)

You may know Michael J. Fox as the star of the “Back to the Future” franchise. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 29. However, he didn’t reveal his diagnosis until 1998, at which point he began working to spread awareness about Parkinson’s disease. This led to an ongoing campaign to increase funding for Parkinson’s research as well as the creation of the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000.

Take an #unselfie and let us know why you're supporting #Parkinsons research this #GivingTuesday! pic.twitter.com/rvwdtuY8dU

— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) November 28, 2016

The Michael J. Fox Foundation participates in the popular #Unselfie campaign around #GivingTuesday every year. The foundation encourages followers to post unselfies, or unselfish selfies, with the hashtags #Unselfie and #GivingTuesday to showcase how they’re contributing to the foundation’s Parkinson’s campaign.

In the first year, the Michael J. Fox Foundation was tagged in 107 unselfies. While that may seem small, those unselfies generated 5,000 word-of-mouth endorsements and led to donations totaling nearly $400,000, not including a $100,000 matching donation from foundation supporter Terry Weinberger.

Why it was successful

Use of the #Unselfie hashtag is very high in November. The Michael J. Fox Foundation—and by extension, Parkinson’s disease—gets a major boost in visibility by participating in the trend. The Michael J. Fox Foundation #Unselfie campaign for #GivingTuesday is a great example of using an existing trend to increase awareness.

Another reason the campaign has been a success for the foundation is because people who participate in the campaign are recognized for the time, effort, and/or funds they’ve donated. After all, most people who donate like to receive recognition for their contributions, and in this campaign, that’s achieved by having participants post their selfies.

How to replicate it

You don’t always have to create an elaborate social media campaign from scratch. Find a relevant popular hashtag or trend around which to build your #GivingTuesday campaign. When you can tap into an existing community that already participates in the trend, you basically have a captive audience. And when the goal is to boost donations, tapping into an audience of people who are more inclined to donate will likely result in more contributions.

CASE STUDY 2: The Book Bowl (Enoch Pratt Free Library)

The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, has run a very unique #GivingTuesday campaign each year since 2015. The campaign is called #BookBowl, which was created to raise funding that would go toward maintaining and improving the library. It’s unique because the campaign combines locals’ love of the Baltimore Ravens NFL football team with the friendly competitiveness of sports and traditional fundraising.

In the days leading up to #GivingTuesday, Pratt Library holds a fundraising competition. To mirror the week’s Ravens game, Pratt Library competes with a library from the same town as the team the Ravens are playing. Whichever library loses the #BookBowl has to have its executive director dress up as a character from a book written by a local author and perform a reading of that book at the library.

Everyone wins when supporting public libraries. Still, there must be a winner in the #BookBowl. Results: us $39,340, @cincylibrary $41,037. pic.twitter.com/VVwHyukkuw

— Pratt Library (@prattlibrary) November 30, 2016

Pratt Library raised $39,340 from 165 donations in just the second year of the #BookBowl, beating the Cincinnati Public Library. Since then, Pratt Library has also won against the Houston Public Library (2017) and the Oakland Public Free Library (2018).

Why it was successful

The #BookBowl is tailored to the community in which it takes place. Since many Baltimore residents are fans of Ravens, the #BookBowl gives Ravens fans the chance to feel like they’re playing for the home team. In this way, leveraging the local Ravens fandom for an annual #GivingTuesday fundraiser is quite brilliant.

Another reason the #BookBowl has been a success is because many people are inherently competitive. If Baltimore residents want their library to win, then they must donate; so the desire to help Pratt Library win the #BookBowl incentivizes donations.

How to replicate it

Find a way to tailor your #GivingTuesday campaign to the community or demographic you’re targeting. There are many ways to make a campaign more relevant and interesting to the community where it takes place; Pratt Library does this by mirroring the week’s Baltimore Ravens games. You may need to do some research, but it could result in stronger turnout and a more successful campaign.

Similarly, the Pratt Library campaign plays to the competitive streak many people have. If you can find a way to introduce the element of competition in a way that makes sense contextually, it could boost participation and donations.

CASE STUDY 3: Community ambassadors (Wisconsin Singers)

The Wisconsin Singers are an award-winning show choir and nonprofit entertainment organization based at the University of Wisconsin. When they aren’t performing, they’re promoting the musical arts and helping to create arts programs for youths.

Each #GivingTuesday, the Wisconsin Singers have a one-day fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise funds to start performing arts booster programs in communities that wouldn’t otherwise have these programs available. However, while the campaign itself lasts just one day, the Wisconsin Singers begin recruiting ambassadors months in advance.

The ambassadors are temporary, honorary members of the Wisconsin Singers. They are assigned key roles in the campaign such as social media reporters, commentators, and donors who will match a portion of total #GivingTuesday donations. The main purpose of the ambassadors is to spread awareness and promote the campaign. But by recruiting locals to help, the Wisconsin Singers’ #GivingTuesday fundraising campaign is inclusive and highly visible in the community.

This model has been a huge success for the Wisconsin Singers. On #GivingTuesday 2018 alone, the troupe raised over $40,000 which consisted of $22,000 in actual donations and donation matching arrangements. That figure doesn’t include proceeds generated by performances and further boosting funds raised.

Why it was successful

The Wisconsin Singers #GivingTuesday campaign works because the group gives so much to the community as entertainers. Because of the performances, attendees are more likely to donate as a token of gratitude and appreciation.

While many fundraising initiatives leave donors feeling only as valuable as the amount of their donations, the Wisconsin Singers have created a more communal campaign. Ambassadors get to really be involved with the campaign by helping to raise funds with the Wisconsin Singers. It’s also a great way to get people to care about their initiatives instead of just donating and immediately forgetting the campaign.

How to replicate it

Turn to your community and recruit volunteers to play active roles in your #GivingTuesday campaign. Even having people promote your initiative on social media can go a long way to increase visibility and donations.

People are more likely to engage in your #GivingTuesday campaign when they see your organization is a real part of the community and makes an effort to better the community. In the case of the Wisconsin Singers, the group is actively involved in the community, performing locally, and creating booster programs to generate more opportunities in the performing arts. 

CASE STUDY 4: Hope Kits (World Vision with Thirty-One Gifts)

World Vision is a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to helping impoverished and underserved communities. In the fall of 2014, World Vision partnered with Thirty-One Gifts in a #GivingTuesday campaign to create and distribute Hope Kits which are tote bags containing hygiene products like toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and soap.

The campaign offers participants multiple ways to contribute. First, they can give a direct donation to sponsor a Hope Kit. Alternatively, they can host a kit-building party. The host and his or her friends get together to build (and sponsor) Hope Kits. World Vision also sets up booths in larger cities throughout November so the public can participate. Then on #GivingTuesday, World Vision distributes the Hope Kits and funds raised through donations, to women in need.

In 2018, there were 2,500 Hope Kits produced and distributed, making it such a success that it became an annual event. Additionally, Thirty-One Gifts matches donations with an equivalent amount of product (which is added to the kits). More kits have been created in the wake of the Hope Kit’s success including Promise Packs and SchoolTools for children and Hygiene Kits for US and international families.

Why it was successful

World Vision and Thirty-One Gifts Hope Kits give participants the chance to make a direct and positive difference in someone’s life. It’s a tangible record of impact!

Another great feature of the Hope Kits campaign is that there are multiple ways to donate. Participants can donate a small amount, sponsor a Hope Kit, or give their time and energy to hosting a kit-building party.

How to replicate it

When donations have a direct, quantifiable, and positive impact, participants will feel like they’re making a bigger difference and are more likely to donate.

The Hope Kit program lets participants contribute in a few different ways. When your participants have multiple ways to contribute (or there are multiple levels of donations), people are more likely to donate because they can give in whatever way they prefer. 

CASE STUDY 5: GivingTREEvia (Trees Forever)

Trees Forever is an Iowa-based nonprofit organization emphasizing environmental awareness through the planting and care of trees. The organization aims to inspire passion for and interest in the natural environment. One way Trees Forever does this is with tree trivia (#GivingTREEvia) fundraiser parties.

Trees Forever #GivingTREEvia is a cross between a standard trivia party and a miniaturized fundraising event. For a #25 registration fee, the host orders the #GivingTREEvia toolkit which contains the trivia questions and recipes for snacks. When it’s time for the actual TREEvia, every player sets his or her donation amount for each question missed. Then at the end of the evening, the host collects donations from the players and sends them to Trees Forever.

Initially, #GivingTREEvia parties were meant to be held on #GivingTuesday, after which the hosts would post photos of their TREEvia party attendees along with their scores and the requisite tags (@TreesForever, #GivingTREEvia, #GivingTuesday). But over the last couple of years, Trees Forever began to encourage TREEvia parties throughout the year.

This initiative has been quite successful for Trees Forever. On the first #GivingTuesday the event was held, Trees Forever raised enough money to buy a new watering vehicle needed for the Trees Forever Growing Futures program.

Why it was successful

Most charity work tends to feel like, well, work. But Trees Forever overcame this issue with gamification which is when you take something that’s usually not very game-like and introduce the mechanics of gameplay. So you could say that #GivingTREEvia puts the “fun” in fundraising.

Besides the gamification, #GivingTREEvia offers a level of flexibility that isn’t usually associated with charity work. While the game was originally intended to take place on #GivingTuesday, TREEvia can be held whenever it works best for the host. This eliminates the inconvenience that’s sometimes associated with fundraising and makes TREEvia less disruptive to a person’s schedule.  

[Get researched-based fundraising ideas in GlobalGiving’s “Generosity in Practice” series.]

How to replicate it

By making your #GivingTuesday campaign fun, you may appeal to those who aren’t normally enthusiastic about donating or fundraising. This gives your campaign a much broader appeal which means more participation, more donations, and making a bigger difference.

Versatility is another strength of #GivingTREEvia that can be replicated. Due to the way the TREEvia kit was designed, participants have a lot of flexibility in how they host the event and can work TREEvia into their schedules.

GlobalGiving can help you create your own #GivingTuesday Campaign

#GivingTuesday is a day that unites us in our care for others, offering many opportunities to turn generosity into real change and benefit. With a well-crafted #GivingTuesday campaign, you can inspire positive influence. In fact, we created this list to inspire #GivingTuesday ideas for your own campaign, so you can become the next #GivingTuesday success story.

GET MORE #GIVINGTUESDAY TIPS

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The Challenge

Corn is becoming the dominant crop of North Thailand. It’s grown on the slopes of mountains after local farmers burn the native forests. Corn is an especially “dirty” crop—20% is the edible kernel, 80% is waste that farmers burn. Why do they burn their fields? They have no alternative. The agricultural equipment needed to clear the steep mountainside fields is far too expensive. A simple match, however, is all that’s needed to start a fire.

The resulting fires are devastating. Not only do they generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of 5,626,327 cars driven for a year, these fires also pose a significant threat to local health. The amount of smoke generated by these fires is equivalent to the smoke of 4 trillion cigarettes.

The Solution

We found this totally unacceptable for the global climate, local environment, and the farmers who had to live with the smoke. Our solution? We found an alternative to burning that is cost effective, simple, and sustainable. We introduced the farmers to biochar, a super charcoal that they could make themselves using a simple trench in the ground. This cut climate change gases to a minimum and eliminated the smoke. Better still, farmers can make the biochar during the dry season, when there are few jobs and providing for themselves and their families can be extremely difficult.

The Impact

The overall impact of this project can be seen in individual stories like that of Loong Ai, often called “Uncle Ai.”

Loong Ai was considered too old to help with the corn harvest. At the end of December, when Warm Heart set up its first biochar demonstration, he came to watch. While the others picked corn, Loong Ai quietly made biochar from dawn to dark. By the time the harvest was finished and the rest of the villagers came to make biochar, Loong Ai had made so much money that he bought himself a pair of big water buffalo that he named “Oon” and “Jai”—Thai for “Warm” and “Heart.”

Today, Warm Heart is testing a new program that goes one step further. Rather than having farmers make just biochar, Warm Heart is setting up equipment so they can produce value-added products such as briquettes, which are worth four times as much as plain biochar. Villages will operate as coops and distribute dividends at the end of each year. Warm Heart hopes that these dividends will inspire more people to join the coop and make biochar, reducing burning still further.

If this model works this year at our test site, Mae Chaem, we will take it across North Thailand and then to our new sites in Ghana and Malawi, helping these communities reduce harmful emissions, build sustainable lifestyles, and, ultimately, mitigate the root causes of global climate change.

GlobalGiving’s Climate Action Fund supports grassroots activists leading innovative conservation projects across the globe. With your support, we can build a brighter future for the entire planet!

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Featured Photo by GlobalGiving

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Sneha Mishra

Founder, Aaina

Who She Is:

Born in 1966 in Bhubaneswar, Sneha Mishra is the founder of Aaina, an organization that has been promoting the rights of children, women, and persons with disabilities as well as prioritizing disaster response and disaster risk reduction in Odisha, India for the last two decades. In addition to serving with Aaina, Sneha is committed to training individuals on gender equality and has served as an independent member of the Internal Complaint Committees in many government and corporate settings. She has also served as a board member of the National Trust under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment within the Indian government.

When Cyclone Fani hit eastern India and Bangladesh in 2019, millions of individuals were forced to evacuate their homes to flee the destruction caused by the strong winds and torrential rains. The 10 million individuals in the five coastal districts of Odisha were the most affected, with many left homeless or without livelihoods. One nonprofit organization, Aaina, has been working to change that. With the help of GlobalGiving and the Facebook crisis donate button, the organization was able to provide life-saving support to the most vulnerable survivors of Cyclone Fani.

This is how. When money is donated through the crisis donate button on Facebook’s website, GlobalGiving ensures those funds reach the organizations that are already working on the ground to bring solutions to their communities. This was exactly what happened earlier this year. GlobalGiving was able to send that money safely to Aaina to provide more than 4,200 families with food, sanitation kits, psychosocial support, and more.

Here’s what the organization’s founder, Sneha Mishra, has to say about her experience on the ground and her plans to build resilience moving forward.

Q. Tell us about a post-disaster experience at Aaina that inspired you.

A: During our operation in Brahmagiri following Cyclone Fani, we came across many cases that still continue to haunt us, but also highlight the importance of our mission.

For example, 15-year-old Pratibha from Puri district in Raipur is a bright student who aims to become a doctor. During the Cyclone, Pratibha and her family had to move into the local cyclone shelter. When she was finally able to go back to her house, she was in shock. The rooftop was missing, as well as all her clothes and books.

After hearing of all she had been through, Aaina responded with immediate relief. We provided her family with essential household and sanitation kits, and are now providing psychosocial therapy to Pratibha and many of her fellow friends. We also provided her with an educational kit to enable her to continue following her dream of becoming a doctor!

Q. What do you wish more people knew about how your community was impacted by this storm?

A: Cyclone Fani resulted in widespread devastation⁠—destroying people’s houses, farms, boats, ponds, and community spaces. Apart from financial and livelihood losses, people were also affected by a more discreet but even greater form of suffering⁠—that is, psychological trauma.

All over the world, there is a tendency to rate a disaster on the basis of the loss of human life. But this often undermines the ongoing suffering of people who have survived the disaster.

Soon after the 1999 Super Cyclone Odisha, the government began investing significantly on disaster preparedness. This resulted in massive evacuations before Cyclone Fani, which saved people’s lives, but many still suffered the devastating loss of their homes, property, crops, and hard-earned savings. The damage assessment revealed that 50-55% of the houses in the cyclone-affected-area were damaged, and nearly 35% of houses were completely demolished. People had to wait for the government to complete assessments before getting their houses repaired or rebuilt. Since there was just one month between Cyclone Fani and the monsoon that followed shortly, there was little time to rebuild.

There was almost 90% crop loss as it was the start of the harvesting season and many people had not yet harvested their crops, causing severe food shortages and loss of livelihoods. The problem was further exacerbated by the fact that many people couldn’t go out into the workforce in the absence of a proper shelter for their families. They wanted to rebuild their houses but did not have the resources to do so. This led to women, children, and the elderly being the most vulnerable populations following this disaster.

Q. What are the greatest unmet, long-term needs in your community?

A: Having a housing scheme with homes built according to disaster risk reduction measures is the greatest long term need. Odisha is a disaster-prone state and has only become more vulnerable due to climate change. We can improve safety and security for people as well as their property by making the living structures more disaster resilient. For people who have already lost their homes or whose houses had significant damage, these updates will decrease the time it takes for them to recover and resume a normal lifestyle post-disaster. Moreover, education will not be interrupted as community structures like schools will not be crowded by people searching for shelter.

Q. What is it about your local community’s response to this storm that makes you most proud?

A: Our community is resilient. Odisha has earned a global reputation for disaster preparedness. We reduced the loss of human life from 10,000 individuals during the 1999 Super Cyclone Odisha down to 65 during Cyclone Fani!

Q. How have the funds you received from Facebook and GlobalGiving made a difference in your community?

A: The funds received from GlobalGiving and Facebook contributed to the temporary shelters built for the most vulnerable families. These funds were used to provide educational kits for the children.

Looking Forward…

In the future, Sneha and Aaina volunteers will continue to work towards improving disaster resilience and holistic recovery for survivors of Cyclone Fani. Thanks to Facebook’s crisis donate button, donors from around the world are empowered to positively impact hard-to-reach communities. The continued partnership between Facebook and GlobalGiving will ensure that community-led organizations can persevere in their work to assist those who are most vulnerable.

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s Disaster Recovery Team and get connected to community-led organizations like Aaina.

LEARN MORE

Featured Photo: Cyclone Fani aftermath - Help rebuild Odisha by Aaina

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Eryn Wise

Communications and Digital Director, Seeding Sovereignty

Who She Is:

Eryn Wise belongs to the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Pueblo of Laguna. She is the Communications and Digital Director at Seeding Sovereignty, the creator Seeding Sovereignty's Storytellers project, and is a co-founding mentor to the International Indigenous Youth Council; a group founded during the #NoDAPL resistance in Standing Rock, ND. Ensuring a future for generations to come is a duty and responsibility to her, and she focuses the traditional teachings of her predecessors on the intersectional challenges faced by the youth and organizers she works to build community with. She aims to do all her work in homage to her ancestors whose resistance ensured her existence. She is a human being, just like you.

Q: Tell us about Seeding Sovereignty, and how crowdfunding fits into your overall goals?

A: In a time of climate crisis, Seeding Sovereignty, an indigenous women-led collective, works on behalf of our global community to shift social and environmental paradigms by dismantling colonial institutions and replacing them with indigenous practices created in synchronicity with the land.

Our work is primarily focused on land, body, and energy sovereignty and finding ways to amplify stories of indigenous brilliance and resilience that challenge antiquated and stereotypical narratives about our community.

Crowdfunding allows us to support critical programming that directly impacts indigenous communities. We are responsible for what many consider “unconventional” work, but this work ultimately allows us to reclaim our traditional indigenous ways of knowing while empowering community members to join us on our journey towards environmental and social justice and equity for all.

Q: Why is this work important to you personally?

A: This work deeply impacts the communities I am honored to represent. As a Two Spirit, self-proclaimed Indigequeer who was raised both on the reservation and in urban settings, I found navigating walking in two worlds extremely hard. When I wasn’t on the reservation, I was very ornamental and often times, I deferred to the opinion of my peers because it made life easier.

The older I get, the more I want to reach into the past and tell my younger self how important her stories are, and that she’s worthy of being invested in.

I have struggled with many of the residual effects of colonization and historical trauma that indigenous communities and communities of color have begun to heal from, and wish only to help young folks that I truly believe in see the value in themselves that I see when I look at the work they’re capable of. This work and our fundraiser is an ongoing call-to-action for anyone looking to empower the generations that will be inheriting a world dealing with the impacts of the Anthropocene.

Q: How were you able to rally an impressive 180 donors—raising more than $11,000—in just three weeks?

A: It’s really incredible and to be honest, our team was blown away. We have a strong network of support who we’re proud to say believe in the work we’ve done and an online community that’s willing to invest in our commitment to inspire more positive change within indigenous communities. We’re also lucky enough to have a team that is dedicated to relentlessly doing outreach to whoever as often as is needed. If every member of our collective wasn’t so invested in the power of our young people and hellbent on seeing their dreams come to fruition, it may have taken us a little longer.

Additionally, we created a media kit for this “campaign” of sorts and, when doing outreach, provided language, imagery, and support for anyone amplifying on our behalf. Being prepared to assist with a clear ask is definitely a cornerstone of building community at Seeding Sovereignty!

Q: Describe your most meaningful experience with a donor during the Accelerator program.

A: Our team was blessed by a person who gave their entire savings to our fundraiser citing that they believed in what we were doing, believed in our youth, and really wanted to uplift them as indigenous, LGBTQIA+ people. Seeing such a clear message of, yes—the youth matter—and it’s beautiful that they’re Two Spirit!—and I want to give all that I can! Wow. It just really hit home because we’re doing the same thing. Every bit of support counts and the generosity of our donors truly blew us away.

Q: What advice would you share with other small, indigenous-led nonprofits participating in the Accelerator?

A: I would recommend that everyone reach out to their communities and networks first! Tell your friends and family about your exciting programming and have them be your hype people! I would also recommend, as aforementioned, creating a media/press kit of sorts for your fundraiser. Treat it like a campaign. With clear visuals, defined asks, and ways to support, you provide those interacting with your fundraiser the ability to engage on the easiest level.

Join Seeding Sovereignty on GlobalGiving by applying to join the next Accelerator.

APPLY NOW

Featured Photo: Turn Indigenous Women into Women Entrepreneurs by Fundacion Mexicana para el Desarrollo Rural A. C.

The post Accelerator Spotlight: They Raised $11,000 From 180 Donors To Empower LGBTQIA+ Youth And Fight Climate Change appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Wylie Yeo, Hong Kong Pride Parade

Like many cities around the world, Hong Kong has no legal protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. By hosting an annual celebration, Hong Kong Pride Parade fosters an inclusive society where people who identify as LGBTQI+ can experience safety and equality.

“Being the only city in China that is still able to have a lawful parade, we have strived to increase visibility, to build solidarity, and to empower participants while they exercise freedom of expression during the march ever since our first Pride Parade in 2008,” says Wylie Yeo, director of the Hong Kong Pride Parade.

Wylie can attest to the impact the parade has had on attitudes in Hong Kong: “We see the society now leans toward acceptance. We have grown from 1,000 participants to 12,000, and from being rejected to rent a bus for the parade to having advertisements in metro stations. Being able to hold a pride parade in Hong Kong is what makes us proud.”

Support Hong Kong Pride Parade’s project on GlobalGiving with a donation today.

Robin McHaelen, True Colors

In the United States, 4 in 10 LGBTQI+ youth say they live in a community which isn’t accepting of their true identity. True Colors, a nonprofit based in Connecticut, saves lives and builds understanding through advocacy, education, and direct service to LGBTQI+ youth and their caregivers.

“Last year, True Colors served over 12,000 LGBTQ youth, families, educators, and allies. But, our successes are measured one person at a time,” explains Executive Director Robin McHaelen.

True Colors has touched people in the LGBTQI+ community in an incredible variety of ways. “J* was a gender fluid 11-year old who was failing in school and in trouble at home. His True Colors mentors walked this difficult road with him. Last year he graduated from high school.”

Robin also shared that working with the LGBTQI+ community can be only half the battle. “We spent the afternoon with a frantic mom whose 11-year-old daughter came out as bisexual, “Thank you! Talking with you helped. I feel so much less scared.” By offering support for families and allies, True Colors helps to build an inclusive community where youth who identify as LGBTQ can flourish.

Support True Colors’ project on GlobalGiving with a donation today.

Real Raymond, Founder, Mbarara Rise Foundation In Uganda

According to a survey conducted by the Mbarara Rise Foundation, more than 70% of members of the LGBTQ community in Uganda have faced arrest, police brutality, or eviction due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They’re working to change this statistic by offering people who identify as LGBTQ safety training for both daily life and online activity.

“Our Safety and Security Project is making a big impact. In December 2017, we documented 18 insecurity cases under the Gender-Based Violence program, compared to December 2018 when we only documented four insecurity cases,” reports Real Raymond, Mbarara Rise Foundation’s founder and executive director.

The goal of the project is to educate 120 members of the LGBTQI+ community. Real shares that, so far, “80 rural LGBTQ persons have successfully been able to acquire knowledge, information, and skills which have enabled safety and reducing insecurities in rural Uganda.”

Support Mbarara Rise’s project on GlobalGiving with a donation today.

Discover more projects making progress for LGBTQ individuals around the world.

EXPLORE PROJECTS

Featured Photo: Hong Kong Pride Parade 2019 by Hong Kong Pride Parade

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Expand Dell EMC’s existing employee recognition programs

Dell EMC, previously known as EMC, is a global leader in information technology as a service. The company employs 70,000 people worldwide and is represented by approximately 400 sales offices and with its partner network, operates in 86 countries. As a leadership company, Dell EMC understands the importance of employee engagement. Dell EMC has been recognized by the Great Place To Work Institute as a top 25 global Great Place To Work. To expand with its corporate social responsibility goals, Dell EMC wanted to:

• Provide employees with more opportunities to be engaged in its philanthropic efforts.
• Enhance its existing service anniversary recognition program and welcome new employees to the company.
• Align employee appreciation with its support of education, food, water, and disaster relief causes.

THE SOLUTION

Empowering employees to give back and stay engaged

Dell EMC and GlobalGiving partnered to build custom solutions to engage employees and ensure a successful program. GlobalGiving:

• Created custom gift cards for Dell EMC employees. Each month, new hires and employees celebrating a service anniversary are sent a $25 Dell EMC-branded eCard with custom messaging and instructions for redeeming the eCard. Dell EMC provides the email addresses, design assets, and messaging, and GlobalGiving takes care of the rest.
• Built a customized Dell EMC giving page with nonprofit projects from around the world. GlobalGiving not only recommended partner organizations, but also vetted and onboarded Dell EMC-nominated organizations to be featured on a custom Dell EMC-branded landing page. The page features projects that employees can choose from when redeeming their gift cards, as well as key program statistics such as top projects and countries funded.
• Provides gift card redemption reports and employee feedback. To measure the impact of the program on employees and nonprofits around the world, GlobalGiving provides quarterly redemption reports that detail the allocations made by employees. GlobalGiving also curates feedback provided by employees as part of the giving process.

THE RESULT

An employee engagement program with a global impact

Since the start of the program:

• More than 50,000 Dell EMC employees have redeemed more almost $2 million in eCards. Giving employees the power to choose which projects to support helped them get engaged with the program.
• Employees have supported more than 5,000 projects from 2,500 organizations in 153 countries have received funding. The program’s impact has truly been global, as employees have chosen to allocate their funds to organizations around the world in support of a wide range of project themes, from education to disaster recovery.

Here’s what one Dell EMC employee has to say about the program:

“I am really proud that [Dell] EMC has this opportunity. It is far better to make a monetary donation for a worthwhile cause than receiving a trinket. It’s wonderful to work for a company that cares about not only its employees but the world around us!”

Looking to start a gift card program? We can help.

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You Can Give Kids in India Clean Water, a project supported by Dell EMC employees and managed by Splash

The post How One Company Shows Employees It Cares About Them And The World appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Support long-term local recovery efforts and build resilience for future storms through disaster cause marketing

In 2018, St. Croix, the home island of Beam Suntory’s Cruzan Rum brand, was devastated in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Cruzan Rum wanted to do something to support the community and recognize the resiliency of the people of St. Croix.

To ensure no one weathers a storm alone, they recognized the need to support long-term relief and recovery efforts across the United States and its territories, rebuilding and renewing communities impacted by hurricanes.

Cruzan Rum pledged to raise $10 million by 2022 by donating $1 per case of rum sold, but they needed a trusted and experienced grantmaking partner to make the disaster cause marketing program happen.

THE SOLUTION

A fund to support organizations on the ground

Cruzan Rum turned to GlobalGiving to launch the Island Spirit Fund. GlobalGiving first recommended nonprofits working in the US Virgin Islands on long-term recovery efforts. Five initial nonprofit partners working in areas such as housing and environmental rebuilding in the US Virgin Islands were selected to participate. As Cruzan Rum expands the program, additional organizations in other hurricane-impacted communities like Florida and North Carolina receive support as well.

GlobalGiving created a designated fund where Cruzan Rum, its distributor partners, and individuals could donate. Every three months, the Island Spirit Fund grantees post reports with photos and stories of the work they’re doing and provide data to quantify their impact. GlobalGiving collects funding from Cruzan Rum and its distribution partners and disburses it regularly to Island Spirit Fund organizations. By partnering with GlobalGiving, Cruzan Rum streamlines its communications and paperwork—and only needs to work with one charity as its commercial co-venture partner for its cause marketing promotions.

THE RESULTS

Lasting partnership with community-led organizations

In a typical month, thanks to the Island Spirit Fund, local organizations and their volunteers complete more than 4,000 hours of work on the ground, help 300 individuals, build or improve 6 homes, plant 100 trees, and host 20 events.

“GlobalGiving has played an instrumental role in getting Cruzan’s Island Spirit Fund off the ground, helping us identify and liaise with the local organizations that best bring our recovery and resiliency efforts to life. Thanks to GlobalGiving’s expertise, the Island Spirit Fund has grown from an idea to a multi-million dollar grant program.”
— Clement Reid, Marketing Director Vodka & Commercial Brands, Beam Suntory

Island Spirit Fund’s impact grows with each passing month of Cruzan Rum’s ongoing disaster cause marketing commitment. According to Imani Daniel, Executive Director for the St. Thomas Recovery Team, one of the Island Spirit Fund organizations, “The Island Spirit Fund has really raised morale on St. Thomas, as well as on the other two islands.”

The post Cruzan Rum Is Committed To Hurricane Recovery appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Why? Studies show that preteens who are engaged in sports are less likely to consume alcohol and drugs, have conflicts with parents, engage in violent behavior, and more.

My team and I turned to crowdfunding to raise money for this important trip. Here are five actions I took to beat our crowdfunding goal to raise $5,000 from 40 donors in less than three weeks in the GlobalGiving Accelerator:

1. Involve your board of directors.

Invite your board to donate, share your campaign with their friends and family, and ask for donations on your behalf right at the beginning of your campaign or before it starts. You will never be able to reach a crowdfunding goal alone!

2. Have a daily plan for social media.

Throughout the duration of your crowdfunding campaign, you should be sharing a call to action with a link to make a donation. Share your progress toward your goal on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, or whatever social networks your donors use. In my crowdfunding campaign, I tweeted every day—and shared my content with famous athletes and people in Venezuela. I continually shared the same photo on Facebook but changed the overlaying message on it to catch donor’s attention.

3. Challenge and excite your donors.

I gave away prizes for donations, including a signed baseball hat and sweater from a famous baseball player.

4. Always keep your goal in sight.

This is important to keep both your team, including staff and board members, and your donors motivated. I broke down how much we’d need to raise every day to meet our overall goal and shared frequent progress updates internally and externally.

5. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone.

With only one week left in the campaign, at one point, I was afraid we wouldn’t meet our crowdfunding goal. So, I made personal calls to people in our network. I challenged each person to raise $120 from two donors. It worked, and we raised $1,000 in a single day!

I hope you find my tips useful. I’m so proud of our foundation’s success in crowdfunding for sports and youth.

The post Accelerator Spotlight: How Healy Foundation Hit A Crowdfunding Home Run appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Three years ago, Self-Help International realized we were missing a critical opportunity to work alongside our partner communities to break the cycle of poverty in Ghana. Working with women leaders in these communities and micro-credit programs, we developed the Teen Girls Club, a space for girls to support each other, receive tutoring, and hold relevant discussions. Additionally, our staff went through training to ensure the leaders of our pilot programs could provide appropriate support and developed a model of implementation centered around the club motto: Girls Stand for Education, Empowerment, and Fairness.

From the onset, incorporating the community voices of women was paramount. The coordinators come together quarterly to reflect on programming and work through dilemmas. Staff also hear from each community to help direct the programming or address specific issues. Through these ongoing conversations, we have tailored the tutoring program to address needs not met in the classroom. For example, school class sizes are large and teachers cannot provide one-on-one support. In our after-school groups, there is more time for individual instruction which has shown great results. In one community, just one year after the inception of the Teen Girls Club, the number of girls attending senior high school jumped from 3 to 12. One mother shared how she didn’t think her daughter would attend senior high because of the struggles young girls face in pursuing education. However, when she checked the test results she was elated to see that her daughter passed the qualifying exams and received a scholarship.

In addition to academics, we are committed to building girls’ confidence, educating them on their changing bodies, advocating for autonomy, and helping to empower them in their choices. We achieve these goals by offering opportunities for public speaking, skills development, and hygiene education. “I know very well that the Teen Girls Club is making a great impact in the lives of the girls. It is building their confidence levels. They are able to speak freely with themselves and with others in the community,” shared Victoria, the Teen Girls Club Manager.

The parent coordinators and SHI staff were encouraged by the Teen Girls Club success. Mothers from neighboring communities sought out the community coordinators, hoping to bring this program to their communities. However, before we were prepared to expand the program in partnership with the GlobalGiving Girl Fund, we wanted to be sure we had evaluated the model. Through reflection, we realized that we needed to make changes in our club membership policy.

Act

The Teen Girls Club membership policy was originally developed to ensure commitment. In order to participate, girls had to a have a consistent record of attendance at school. However, once we listened, we heard from girls that the policy wasn’t truly reflective of members’ commitment. Some girls who were in school were only attending group on sports or activity days; meanwhile, other girls who were not enrolled in school were advocating for their eligibility to enroll and participate in the group on a regular basis. Victoria took a step back to evaluate if the policy aligned with the group goals—to break the poverty cycle. She had seen so many examples of girls who were not able to attend school. How do we support girls whose circumstances are creating barriers for their education in continuing to ensure a life of possibility for themselves and their future families? Of course, listening to the Teen Girls Club participants themselves provided the answer.

Farida and Elizabeth* are two girls who demonstrated a commitment to participating in the Teen Girls Club but also had barriers preventing them from receiving a formal education. Farida had experienced pregnancy and left school to care for her child. Elizabeth had a learning disability and could not communicate clearly and was unable to participate in regular classes.

There are many barriers for young women in rural Ghana’s education, but Elizabeth and Farida are two examples of young girls demanding a future filled with opportunity. While formal education was not a possibility for either of them during that time, they knew they wanted to keep learning, keep growing, and they found a space to pursue that in the Teen Girls Club. Our policy needed to be able to accommodate these demonstrated barriers.

Elizabeth, Farida, and other girls facing similar challenges taught us that while our Teen Girls Club programming can work in tandem with the public education system, it can also meet young girls where they stand. We have seen that girls not attending school but are consistently participating in the reading and tutoring groups are able to stay up to speed with their peers at a comparable level in school. We have the ability to be flexible in our approach and support the whole girl in her journey.

Learn

Following the lead of Elizabeth, Farida, and other determined young women in our pilot communities, we have shifted the eligibility policy of the Teen Girls Club. Moving forward eligibility will be defined by attendance at the group, not enrollment in school. Girls will be allowed three unexcused absences throughout the year and are able to work with their coordinators and SHI staff if longer or frequent absences are necessary. We have seen this policy create a more inclusive environment for all girls in our partner communities.

Repeat

As we continue to expand the reach of the Teen Girls Club, we know there will be more learning experiences. As we evaluate the best way forward, we know that engaging in the cycle of actively listening and refining is the only way to find solutions and ensure that we are consistently providing the most appropriate and impactful programming alongside our partner communities.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

The most successful nonprofits Listen, Act, Learn. Repeat. They listen to the people they intend to help. They act on what they hear, making feedback a part of every project. They learn from their actions, and they continually repeat the process—strengthening their impact with every cycle. Read more Listen, Act, Learn. Repeat. stories in the Learn Library.

The post Why A Girls Club In Ghana Changed Its Membership Policy appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Combating climate change requires a wide range of strategies—advocating for legislation, launching social enterprises, raising awareness—all of which are vitally important. Unfortunately, solutions led by the communities most affected by climate change are often the most overlooked. And with the impacts of climate change being felt differently around world, it’s imperative to invest in the local leaders most familiar with the challenges facing their communities.

That’s why we launched the GlobalGiving Climate Action Fund this year to provide steady, monthly support to five, highly effective local leaders seeking climate justice. Say hello and join the 2019 Climate Action Fund cohort in:

1. Bringing forests back to the Samburu tribe.

SADHANA FOREST KENYA | KENYA

 
Sadhana Forest Kenya is led by husband-wife duo Yorit and Aviram Rozin. The organization works to sustainably bring back water, forest, and wildlife to degraded lands and helps Indians, Haitians, and Kenyans achieve food self sufficiency. The Climate Action Fund will support the Samburu tribe in Kenya in creating forests of indigenous, food-producing trees that will provide long-term food security while simultaneously curbing climate change. Learn more.

2. Generating economic incentives for farmers to abandon open field burning for greener alternatives.

WARM HEART WORLDWIDE, INC | THAILAND

 
Around the world, agricultural burning is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Warm Heart Worldwide launched a “Stop the Smoke!” campaign in rural northern Thailand. What excites Evelind Schecter, the project’s leader, is that “this project is globally replicable. It expands the village co-op model producing biochar products, improves health outcomes, reduces global warming.” With support from the Climate Action Fund, a group of villages in northern Thailand will be able to reduce their impact on global warming while improving farmers’ incomes, the soil, and community health. Learn more.

3. Planting second-generation, climate-adapted corals.

CORALS FOR CONSERVATION | FIJI

 
The rainforests of the sea, coral reefs play vital roles in the health of the ocean. Unfortunately, approximately 75% of coral reefs worldwide are currently threatened by a combination of local and global stressors. In and around Fiji, where Corals For Conservation works, over 90% of the corals have bleached and died. Luckily, project leader Austin Bowden-Kerby reports, “We have developed coral gardening techniques that are both effective and low cost.” With support from the Climate Action Fund, the communities Austin works with will restore patches of healthy corals to reefs by planting second-generation, climate-adapted corals of diverse species. Villages in Fiji, Vanuatu, Moorea, Christmas Island Kiribati, and Tuvalu will benefit. Learn more

4. Cultivating regenerative food forests in the Amazon.

INSTITUTO CHAIKUNI | PERU

 
The Chaikuni Institute works to revitalize ancestral practices in rural Amazonian areas, combining permaculture design and traditional knowledge to train committed local farmers in the indigenous and mestizo communities of the Peruvian Amazon. Executive Director and political ecologist, Stefan Kistler, says, “The philosophy of Akinananti—working together and unity through thoughtful actions in community—is the motivating inspiration behind this program.” With support from the Climate Action Fund, Instituto Chaikuni will bring communities together to engage in an intercultural learning environment while revitalizing ancient practices. By promoting local, regenerative permaculture projects, Stefan looks forward to “transforming communities’ lives and inspiring a new approach to small-scale farming by communities, for communities.” Learn more.

5. Supporting environmental youth leaders to spearhead local adoption of climate solutions.

GRUPO ECOLOGICO SIERRA GORDA I.A.P. | MEXICO

 
The Sierra Gorda is an alliance of organizations working towards conservation, restoration, and sustainable development of the Sierra Gorda region. Group leader Pati Ruiz Corzo tells us the region “suffers from deforestation, biodiversity loss, trash mismanagement, and unsustainable agriculture.” The Climate Action Fund will support Sierra Gorda in providing young environmental leaders with leadership training, environmental education, guidance, and a community of fellow young activists through a regional network of EcoClubs. “When youth lead initiatives such as ecosystem restoration and reforestation, they increase community environmental awareness and local resilience to climate change,” says Pati. “The hope is that, as youth become leaders in their communities, they will guide the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve towards sustainable development, holistic land management, and biodiversity conservation.” Learn more.

Support local climate champions. Make a donation to the Climate Action Fund today.

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When you give monthly, your donation will be matched! Terms + Conditions apply.

Featured Photo: Support Regenerative Food Forests in the Amazon by Institute Chaikuni

The post From Ocean Floors To Mountain Tops, These Local Leaders Are Dedicated To Climate Protection appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Special Families Saint Julie Billiart has always been a project led by mothers of children with special needs. We have developed programs in Matagalpa, Nicaragua that support these mothers and their children. Our programs specifically address the violence to which they are often subjected. Two years ago, we did an investigation to determine if we were effectively combating this issue. There was little research on this topic, so we hired an outside consultant to help us research and evaluate our programs.

We realized the incidents of violence were rising in our city and surrounding communities, especially among girls with disabilities. Our investigation showed girls with disabilities face the greatest danger, but their challenges are invisible to most. We pinpointed three reasons, which our team felt we could address:

1. Mothers are often in their own cycles of violence
2. Mothers are unable to emotionally process that their daughter is disabled
3. Mothers have difficulty processing their emotions

As a result, mothers become overprotective of their daughters, so the girls are never allowed to fully develop and mothers have another level of stress. Some mothers have 45-year-old daughters who they still consider girls because they never had the opportunity to develop as adults (a result of being overprotected) and lack of resources to deal with their disabilities.

We also learned that in comparison with disabled boys, girls with disabilities are the least developed because they stay at home while the boys (who are generally not overprotected) have more freedom. We realized the number of boys active in our programs is twice that of the girls, with the exception of our life skills classes.

Act

Based on our research, Special Families started an intensive three-year program to learn how to work with the problem of violence that persons with disabilities face. We started to integrate the issues associated with violence into our different programs. For example, we started a program for boys with severe disabilities in life skills. But until we had more staff training we did not know how we could work specifically with girls. We thought because we had girls in the life skills program and are a mother-led program, we were helping the girls. We realized that was not enough. We needed to be doing more.

We went back to our research and our baseline. How were we working with girls? We were shocked to discover our emphasis had actually been more on boys than girls. We were unknowingly perpetuating the cycle by thinking the life skills program was addressing the issues. This year, we are implementing more permanent programs specifically working with the girls and their mothers.

Learn

We believe the mother-daughter relationship is key to stopping the cycles of violence that exist for them. That’s why we created a new program called Magical Shoes, which works to affirm mothers and girls with disabilities. Through the program, they can walk in each other’s shoes to become more empathetic and aware of each other’s needs. We are using a new concept of affirmation groups, where we will build community between mothers with girls with a disability, between girls with a disability, and most importantly between each girl and her mother.

The program subjects include education, health, relationships, parenting skills, recreation, abuse and prevention of violence, and overprotection. The groups are led by a psychologist, as well as interdisciplinary staff.

After our initial assembly, we were flooded with calls from mothers wondering when we were going to start and how they could participate. Our hope is to make it a permanent program and to develop awareness of this problem in our communities. What we’ve discovered is that when you connect mothers to mothers, it’s like magic.

Repeat

Thanks to support from the GlobalGiving Girl Fund, we have had the opportunity to meet with different community leaders in Matagalpa and to bring about more awareness. We were really surprised at how many people recognized the significance of Magical Shoes and the need to do it with affirmation. Mothers need to face issues within themselves so they can support their daughters. They need support from other mothers facing the same situation. Our continuous goal is to help mothers move forward in their own environment and grow along with their daughters because their relationship is very special and can make all the difference in the world—another bit of magic.

The most successful nonprofits Listen, Act, Learn. Repeat. They listen to the people they intend to help. They act on what they hear, making feedback a part of every project. They learn from their actions, and they continually repeat the process—strengthening their impact with every cycle. Read more Listen, Act, Learn. Repeat. stories in the Learn Library.

The post Mom-To-Mom Magic: An Inside Look At A Pilot Program For Girls With Disabilities appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Each year, the GlobalGiving Girl Fund provides steady, monthly support to six, highly effective projects that break down barriers for girls.

From Africa to India to Central America, these organizations are helping girls reach their full and brilliant potential. Say hello to the GlobalGiving 2019 Girl Fund winners! They’re:

1. Helping girls explore science, technology, engineering, and math.

Timeout for Africa Education and Sports Foundation | Nigeria

 
Timeout for Africa is led by husband-wife duo Jonathan and Yovonda Kolo. They founded the organization to enrich the African childhood experience through education and sports. The Girl Fund will support their STEM camp for girls in Minna, a city in west-central Nigeria. “Basic school materials and equipment like desks and chairs and science and technology supplies are often missing from the class environment,” Jonathan explained. With support from the Girl Fund, girls in the camp will not only have access to basic supplies, they’ll be able to explore science, technology, engineering, and math with discovery kits, laptops, lego blocks, and more. Learn more.

2. Making space for girls to discover their independence.

Polycom Development Project | Kenya

 
Polycom Development was founded in 2005 in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Its mission is to empower women and girls from Kibera to take charge of their futures. “Girls in many situations have no one to give them hope, and they keep all these frustrations to themselves,” explained Jane Anyango, a Polycom project leader. With support from the Girl Fund, Jane hopes to help 1,000 girls from Kibera graduate from high school. She and her team will provide a range of resources, from scholarships to sanitary napkins, to help girls confront the challenges that threaten their education and wellbeing. Learn more.

3. Dispelling taboos, myths, and misconceptions about periods.

International Association for Human Values | India

 
Social taboos, myths, and misconceptions about periods are still strong in parts of India. International Association for Human Values is combating the negative misconceptions around women’s menstruation and health in rural areas of the country. The Human Values team has quickly grown to operate in 24 states across India. In one year, they trained 1,490 volunteers who in turn provided menstrual educational services to 19,500 girls. With support from the Girl Fund, their reach will continue to grow. Learn more.

4. Ending child marriage through higher education.

Shadhika Project, Inc | India

 
“Shadhika” means “a girl with aspirations” in Bengali. It’s a fitting name for a powerful initiative. With support from the Girl Fund, the Shadhika Project will cover all the costs associated with college—including tuition, books, transportation, nutritious meals, and housing—for at-risk girls in India. Focusing on education allows girls to break the cycle of poverty, earn an income, and provide for their future families, according to Kim Burnett, Shadhika’s project leader. “In the long run, we hope to challenge the rigid cultural norms that promote gender discrimination and child marriage in India,” she explained. Learn more.

5. Combating violence against girls with disabilities.

Special Families Saint Julie Billiart | Nicaragua

 
Rebecca Trujillo and Marlena Hernandez lead Special Families Saint Billiart, a nonprofit dedicated to the development of children with disabilities in Nicaragua. As they evaluated their programs, they realized that boys were twice as likely to participate than girls, yet girls were disproportionately at risk of sexual abuse and violence. With support from the Girl Fund, they’ll be able to deliver a new program called Magical Shoes. The program will provide education, health, parenting, recreation, and violence prevention services to 25 Nicaraguan girls and their mothers. “We want mothers to see their daughters as human beings not as a handicap,” Rebecca said. Learn more.

6. Hosting girl-led clubs to reduce sexual exploitation.

Self-Help International | Ghana

 
Girls in rural Ghana want to stay in school, but it’s not easy. It’s a struggle to afford school supplies, let alone sanitary supplies. Without supplies, they miss a few days of school each month. Their grades drop. Many girls never receive any sex education, and they suffer sexual exploitation and high teen pregnancy rates. Self Help International hosts Teen Girls Clubs in three Ghanaian villages—and club members’ junior high and high school graduation rates have improved. Women volunteers from the community lead the clubs and girls set their club’s learning agendas. With help from the Girl Fund, the clubs will expand to new communities. Learn more.

BECOME A GIRL FUND SUPPORTER

Featured Photo: End Child Marriage through Education by Shadhika Project

The post Meet 6 Organizations Ensuring Girls Reach Their Full + Brilliant Potential appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Flash flooding leads to lost income

After experiencing higher than average levels of rain in the 2018 rainy season, Nan Province in Northern Thailand was hit by further flash flooding. Unsustainable farming practices led to soil erosion, which compounded the issue. Homes and lives were lost, the bridge to the nearest city was washed out for over a month, and a Hmong village in the Pua District lost a year’s income due to the ruined corn crop. The community struggled to recover, with many forced to move to Bangkok in search of work—a situation that put them at risk of trafficking and exploitation.

The Solution

Local staff coordinate rapid response

The Freedom Story was founded in 2008 to help prevent child trafficking and exploitation in Northern Thailand. With a grant from Facebook and the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving, The Freedom Story was able to implement a relief and recovery program in Nan Province in partnership with a local staff member from the impacted village.

The Freedom Story assisted in rebuilding some of more than 400 houses that were impacted in the village. They also helped provide support for villagers to buy necessary appliances, blankets, and medicine.

One of the students in this village has lived with their grandparents there since becoming orphaned at a very young age. This vulnerable family used the funds to replace things that had been lost in the flood: clothes, appliances, and other essential items for their home.

The Freedom Story also organized a training and workshop on sustainable farming practices, including how to prevent landslides and how to take action to protect your house if they happen again.

The Long-Term Result

Sustainable support for future growth

Providing relief and support, combined with learning and development, has given the community the chance to recover while also learning how to protect themselves in the future. This leads to more resilient communities, with lower risks of flooding, and reduces the pressure to engage in risky migration.

The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving has advanced a model of community-led relief and recovery since 2004.

LEARN MORE
 
Featured Photo: In northern Thailand, Freedom story also runs an afterschool program for children at risk of exploitation. Photo by Freedom Story.

The post How Freedom Story Fostered Resilience To Flooding In Thailand appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Louise Batty

Manager Director and Co-Founder of Keep The Dream196

Who She Is:

Louise Batty came to South Africa from Australia in 1999 and returned as a volunteer with the Department of Health. She later co-founded the nonprofit Keep The Dream196 with Elizabeth Mabuza. She loves seeing the excitement on people's faces as they grasp new ideas, skills, and information. That 'light bulb moment' and knowing she is making a difference in the lives of children, families, and communities keeps her motivated.

Q: How do you acquire new donors during the year-end season and inspire their continued giving?

A: We cultivated 300+ new donors in our year-end campaign. We have a strategy of focusing on our impact rather than asking. I am building relationships through our GlobalGiving reports and Facebook so that people can understand more about who we are, what we do, how we do things, and why their support is so important. We constantly recap what the donors’ support has enabled us to achieve. Again, it comes back to inspiring, educating, informing, and acknowledging the donors’ gift.

Q: Share some of your year-end key messages.

A: I focus on the impact we have in the communities we serve. For example:

• Reduced teenage pregnancy from 13% in Limpopo to 0.07% in our program.
• Matriculation pass rate is 62% in Limpopo, in our program it is 92% for ten years.
• Nationally 10% of all deaths amongst children are suicide; we have had zero suicides in our program.
• All of our children must go to school to be a part of our program; children actually drop back into school to take part in our program.

I try to inspire, educate, and inform the donors about what we do, how we do it, why we do it, and what the outcome are. I try to create a sense of community so that people are open to ask questions, find out information, generate relationships, and feel like a larger part of the work we do. We can only do this work with our supporters, our partners, our collaborators, and our donors.

Q: What is the most successful way you’ve found to break through the noise during this busy and generous time of year?

A: I keep our donors engaged through regular GlobalGiving reports and Facebook on a daily basis. I also keep in contact with our potential donors that are not on GlobalGiving through monthly mail-outs. Our communication revolves around stories, testimonies, facts, and impact to educate, inspire, inform, and acknowledge donors. We always link our funding to what we’re doing.

Q: Impressive! Tell us more about these tactics.

A: In addition to regular GlobalGiving reports and stories that explain the impact, we share stories from the children themselves, testimonies from visitors who have seen the project in operation firsthand, and good quality photographs.

Also, if someone has already given during the year-end season, minimize asking for donations. I inspire, educate, and draw them closer into an ongoing relationship with KTD196.

Many of our donors are not in South Africa, but I will invite those who are to come and see firsthand the work that we do. Engage deliberately with those who are geographically closer. It’s important for me to develop trust between the donor, myself, and KTD196.

Q: Describe your most meaningful experience with a donor during your last year-end campaign.

A: A number of donors are friends that have either been to KTD196 or who know me and have decided to donate. These friends have continued supporting us and are giving regularly. We have hosted a number of international volunteers who have given over the year-end period because they know KTD196 and me. One was a Peace Corps volunteer who decided to donate a huge amount to us because she has seen and experienced our program, who knows me personally and trusts me. This is very rewarding. It is difficult to develop that sort of relationship through online mediums alone.

Featured Photo: Keep The Dream196 has been fundraising on GlobalGiving for six years by Keep The Dream196

The post How A Nonprofit In South Africa Raised $20,000 In Its Year-End Campaign appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A: To be honest, fundraising online is a bit new to us and certainly #GivingTuesday. Last year, we didn’t do any outreach on that day because we didn’t know how to! But since joining GlobalGiving we are getting braver and more informed about all these fundraising opportunities.

Q: There are so many crowdfunding options out there! Why did you choose to raise your #GivingTuesday funds through GlobalGiving?

A: Because they help you and hold your hand along the way. They give you tools and advice, etc. It’s just brilliant and such an easy set up. We love GlobalGiving at Ol Pejeta!

Q: Tell us how your organization used graphics to promote your project on #GivingTuesday.

A: We tried our best to make our emails short, to the point, fun, and relevant. I had done the GlobalGiving online training, and there was a training that explained a lot about using graphics and relevant photos. So, we used those tips and also used the graphics that were provided by GlobalGiving. Our email opening rates definitely went up, so we are really happy about it.

Ol Pejeta’s #GivingTuesday Graphics

Q: #GivingTuesday is all about peer-to-peer fundraising. How did you involve donors in your fundraising campaign?

A: We have a very loyal following at Ol Pejeta. Some people donated 5 or 10 times during the year. So, we used our current database and also made great use of social media. Finally, we have some of our staff that are really popular on social media, so we asked them to share on their own platform. This was a very successful strategy!

Q: What’s the No. 1 piece of advice you would share with other nonprofits raising funds on #GivingTuesday?

A: Don’t be scared. I was so scared last year that I didn’t even put a campaign together. But it’s just about trying different things, letting GlobalGiving help you a bit and being brave. If you don’t ask, you will not get.

Q: Describe the best part of your #GivingTuesday experience.

A: Seeing those numbers go up in our donation portal. It’s so very satisfying and so rewarding. We are going to be able to build a dormitory for children who have very little and I am so proud of this achievement.

Q: How do you plan on making the most out of #GivingTuesday next year?

A: Start early! Start planning, start thinking, start innovating.

Featured Photo by GlobalGiving

The post This Nonprofit Raised Over $8,000 On #GivingTuesday To Support Kenyan Youth appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A: In order to identify with our community, Garden of Hope Foundation used the hashtags #GivingTuesdayKibera and #KiberaStories. We looked for a form of communication that the community could identify with online and offline. This is because we are located in this community and we wanted the people to be part of this campaign. Additionally, we wanted to encourage the community to share their giving stories. This was also the first #GivingTuesday event being held in Kibera, so the hashtags also helped in raising awareness about different people who are committed to supporting the community.

Q: Online and offline, how did Garden of Hope make #GivingTuesday their own?

A: Online, we shared stories of local, ordinary people committed to supporting their community via social media. By sharing these stories, we want to feature ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Offline, we organized an event where residents came to read stories of locals  who are supporting the community. This promoted community philanthropy.

Q: #GivingTuesday is all about peer-to-peer fundraising. Tell us how you incorporated your community into your #GivingTuesday campaign.

A: We incorporated the community on two levels. One: We looked at opportunities for our volunteer and staff to offer their services to local businesses. In return, they would share the work we do with customers. We also asked the local businesses to support us in fundraising. Two: We involved the community by selling the items our students had made.

Q: Describe the most exciting aspect of celebrating #GivingTuesday in Kenya.

A: The most exciting aspect of celebrating #GivingTuesday in Kenya was partnering with local businesses. We offered services to these businesses and asked them to support us as best they could. The partnership offered us an opportunity to share #GivingTuesday with a wider audience and share the work we are doing. We also introduced the aspect of community philanthropy by encouraging the local residents to volunteer their skills and resources to various projects in their community.

Q: What’s one thing you would like people to know about #GivingTuesday?

A:  I had a conversation with a few organizations about #GivingTuesday and asked them what they wanted on this day. Most of them said they wanted to raise more money for their charities. While this is a good goal, I would like people to know that #GivingTuesday is an opportunity for your organization to encourage community philanthropy, as well as target those members of your community who don’t have money, but can volunteer their skills. #GivingTuesday is also about partnerships. I would like to encourage people to leverage the partnerships by co-hosting events with other community organizations available in your country or community.  

Q: There are so many crowdfunding options out there! Why did you choose to raise your #GivingTuesday funds through GlobalGiving?

A: We fundraised through GlobalGiving because it offers various options to raise money. For example, in Kenya people donate through mobile money which is available on GlobalGiving. In addition, GlobalGiving has a user friendly platform for both nonprofit partners and donors.

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Featured Photo: Educate 500 Youths from Kibera Slum In Kenya by Garden of Hope Foundation

The post How One Nonprofit Made #GivingTuesday Hyperlocal appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Anupam Sarkar

Senior Manager for Partnerships + Communication at Mission Smile

Who He Is:

Anupam is a passionate social worker helping donors come closer to the causes they love and support. At Mission Smile, he raises funds and mobilizes donors to help children and adults born with cleft palates in India receive surgeries and get their smiles back. In his spare time, he advises orphanages and schools in fundraising best practices and volunteers as an English teacher in an orphanage in India.

Q: What is Mission Smile’s No. 1 tip for planning a successful year-end fundraising campaign?

 
A: Properly thank your donors throughout the year to build an engagement base when you ask for funds in December. I believe the best way to have a successful year-end fundraising campaign is to prepare for it from November onwards. Calling up donors and just saying thanks—highlighting the impact of the donations and gifts they already made—is good engagement and prepares the donor before the next ask at year end. In summary, an engaging thanksgiving is a precursor to successful year-end fundraising.

Q: Everyone wants to know the secret to attracting new donors. What yours?

 
A: Personalized communications is our secret. Before we can attract new donors, it is essential to understand the characteristics of existing donors who support your cause. Once you understand your donor profile, you can match it to leads and prospects, and start an engagement cycle to cultivate prospects into donors. The secret to attracting new donors lies in understanding where to find individuals who match the donor profile that works for you.

Q: Share a fundraising story from your team that makes you proud.

 
A: We were able to successfully implement peer-to-peer fundraising in a GlobalGiving Accelerator to raise around $33,000 in 10 days. This year, we replicated the same tactics and did much better. We raised around $25,000 in two days during a GlobalGiving Bonus Day [where GlobalGiving matches donations to projects]. Doing it one time, could be luck—but replicating it makes us mighty proud as it points to the effectiveness of the system we follow.

Q: Sometimes the best learnings come from failures! Did you try anything that didn’t work in past year-end campaigns? How did you change your approach as a result?

 
A: At Mission Smile, we learn so much from our experiences in failure. For instance, after experiments with paid advertising to targeted audiences on Facebook and Twitter, we finally found that Twitter gives Mission Smile better ROI than Facebook.

We also learned that our fundraising campaigns do best when we have active fundraising advocates, recruited from among our donors to lead peer-to-peer fundraising, and a large donor base.

We failed in three attempts at the Accelerator, but didn’t give up. When we had a critical mass of donors—and more importantly campaign leaders among donors with sizable networks—of their own, we succeeded. And, we didn’t even have to invest in social media.

Q: How do you vary your donation appeals based on your history and relationship with a donor?

 
A: For initial engagement, we use appeals related to short-term projects. After the successful completion of reporting cycle for a short-term project, we shift to appeal for donations to long-term projects and ask for annual donations from our most engaged donors. For donors who are not interested in supporting our long-term projects yet, we continue appealing for donations to our short-term projects until the relationship matures to support annual giving.

Follow Anupam’s lead and download your free guide to building a network of peer-to-peer fundraising advocates.

Download Guide

Featured Photo: Nourish 1,000 Malnourished Children 4 Cleft Surgery by Mission Smile

The post Why A Nonprofit In India Thanks Donors Year-Round For Year-End Success appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Q: Tell us about your connection to Uganda.

A: As tourists, a chance encounter with a local student who needed help spawned the entire effort that has matched sponsors to students for nine years. The US dollar can accomplish so much in this impoverished country. Projects, where the Bwindi Community Program students attend school, are a natural development of that connection.

Q: Why did GlobalGiving and crowdfunding make sense for your program?

A: Our network of donors is only increased by word of mouth—sponsors and donors recommending our organization as being honest and capable. We have no paid marketing people. We are staffed by volunteers. Without a credible organization representing a project, we are very limited in outreach.

Q: How did you build your network of donors to meet the goal for Accelerator graduates—at least $5,000 from 40 donors?

A: By contacting current donors/sponsors and asking them to contact friends, we developed a significant emailing list. The enthusiasm grew. [Learn more about how to build a network of fundraising advocates.]

Q: What surprised you about the Accelerator?

A: The acceptance by our donors of the use of this type of vehicle. They knew BCP was working on grant writing and trying every other way to raise funds. They tolerated the increased volume of emails and donated!

Q: How has your approach to crowdfunding in Uganda changed after the Accelerator?

A: As a non-marketing person, I have learned to talk more about the projects and involve our personnel on the ground more. This project became a team effort of school alumni, BCP donors, GlobalGiving donors, and matching funds. It worked!

Q: What is your No. 1 tip for future Accelerator participants who are crowdfunding in Uganda?

A: Assemble the best possible list of people you want to target and be judicious about the timing and length of email blasts.

Learn how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. Apply now to be part of our next Accelerator.

APPLY NOW

Featured Photo: Connect Rural Uganda School to the World by Bwindi Community Program

The post Accelerator Spotlight: Email Marketing Was Key To Crowdfunding In Uganda appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A: We wanted to learn about and experiment with new fundraising strategies. GlobalGiving’s training webinars, online resources, and time-sensitive Accelerator structure provided a way to accomplish those goals. GlobalGiving also provided a prize structure that got us excited to participate!

Q: Tell us about how you selected the name and theme for your first crowdfunding project on GlobalGiving.

A: We wanted to focus on a very specific project, so we took the business plan submitted by one of refugee partners and transferred it into a GlobalGiving project. We took the advice of GlobalGiving and used specifics in the name of our project, hence “300+ South Sudanese Refugee Women” … but we also wanted to include something positive and inspirational—that’s why we used “Give Hope” as well.

Q: What specific tactics were important for your crowdfunding success?

A: We made good use of the fundraising advocate strategy that GlobalGiving promoted in the training webinars, which allowed us to expand our reach much farther than our traditional donor base. We recruited about 10 advocates and gave them a fundraising goal with an incentive prize (a tapestry made by the women’s collective from our project).

Q: How did you keep your fundraising advocates motivated?

A: We coached advocates all along the way and every few days provided them with images and social media text to reach their networks. GlobalGiving’s Bonus Day was also a huge motivator for our donor base—we reached over $10,000 that day! We promoted all day and used the competitive structure of the prizes to incentivize our social media followers to give.

Q: How did you stay motivated during the Accelerator?

A: We continuously tested different outreach strategies, for example: creating different types of posts on social media, reaching out personally to targeted donors, encouraging advocates, and creating a raffle prize for all donors. This helped keep us stay motivated by giving useful information about the effectiveness of a bunch of different tactics.

Q: What was a surprising challenge you encountered while crowdfunding? How did you solve it?

A: We realized early in the campaign that there would be a natural ebb and flow related to giving. We solved this challenge by practicing acceptance! We focused on increasing our fundraising target slowly and steadily as the total donation amount increased, and kept using our strategies (mentioned above) to reach our goals.

Learn how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. Apply now to be part of our next Accelerator.

APPLY NOW

Featured Photo: Give Hope to 300+ South Sudanese Refugee Women by One Light Global

The post Accelerator Spotlight: She Raised More Than $15,000 To Support South Sudanese Refugees appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

 
A: Figure out the primary message you want to pass on to your donors and readers. Your year-end communications are the driver of the connection between you and them, so make them as meaningful, informative, and fulfilling for the donor as possible.

Q: You inspired 143 donors to give to your Year-End Campaign. Tell us about your strategy for attracting new donors to your mission to serve the elderly in Russia.

 
A: It was a range of factors, which worked well because of their integration. First, it was right time; the end of the year is always an emotional and fulfilling period for nonprofits. Second, we shared the right value proposition with our donors. That means knowing what touches, interests, or worries your donors at the moment at hand. Third, content. Back to the point above, make sure your primary message is clear. Fourth, feedback. It is so important to build both a short-term dialogue for your year-end campaign and a long-term relationship with your donors.

Q: What was the most successful outreach method you used to engage donors, and why do you think it worked so well for you?

 
A: Feedback methods, like reports on donor impact, and immediate thank you letters. Simple, but true !

Q: Is there anything you wish you had done differently as you look back on your last year-end campaign?

 
A: We learned the importance of preparing plenty of high-quality content for a year-end campaign, far in advance of a deadline. Last year, we actually created our content hand, by hand, last minute. It wasn’t the quality we would prefer to appear in our donor communications.

Q: After your year-end campaign ended, how did you communicate with your new donors in order to ensure you could create new, long-lasting relationships?

 
A: Immediate thank you letters in response to each donation, followed by regular reports and news, proves to be the most useful means of retention for our team. [Get nine simple tips for writing donor thank you communications.]

Featured Photo: Through fundraising, Enjoyable Aging is able to hire more staff members to spend more time with patients in nursing homes for senior citizens and disabled people in Russia. by Enjoyable Aging

The post How A Nonprofit In Russia Raised $23,000 In Its Year-End Campaign appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

One year ago, José lost his seaside restaurant and his livelihood in the blink of an eye when Hurricane Maria made landfall just a few miles from his home in Puerto Rico, lashing the island with 155 mph winds.

One year ago, Rosa and Ramón’s home in Mexico collapsed under the pressure of the most powerful earthquake to hit their country in a century. Engineers told the couple they’d tear down their house, and Rosa and Ramón were on the brink of homelessness.

2017 was one of the most deadly and damaging years for natural disasters on record, with severe weather and climate events taking thousands of lives and causing more than $300 billion in damages in the United States alone.

The GlobalGiving community responded swiftly, and with your help, we supported more than 100 urgent relief projects in the hardest-hit communities.

Gordon and Tiana gutted and replaced mold-infested walls and installed new appliances. José held on to hope despite all he lost and developed a plan for his future. Rosa and Ramón received locally-sourced construction materials and a crew of volunteers to rebuild their collapsed walls.

On the anniversary of these major disasters, GlobalGiving is celebrating awe-inspiring progress toward recovery—and asking for your continued help to support long-term, local projects in the communities devastated by these disasters.

The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving is matching all donations to disaster recovery projects at 100% for Hurricane Harvey, Hurricanes Irma + Maria, and the Mexico earthquakes now through Dec. 31, 2018 while funds last.

Together, we’ve already accomplished so much—and we can do more.

Make a donation to a vetted, community-led project for Hurricane Harvey recovery.

Make a donation to a vetted, community-led project for Hurricanes Irma + Maria recovery.

Make a donation to a vetted, community-led project for Mexico earthquake recovery.

With your continued support, people like Gordon, Tiana, José, Rosa, and Ramón will be able to rebuild their lives.

The most vulnerable communities in Texas, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and beyond will become more resilient to future disasters.

And recovery efforts led by people who live and work in affected communities, which are historically overlooked and underfunded, will receive the resources they need to go on.

Thank you for powering community-led disaster relief, recovery, and resilience with GlobalGiving.

Learn more about the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving.

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Featured Photo: Build a School for the Children of NPH in Mexico by Fondazione Francesca Rava NPH Italia Onlus

The post One Year Later: Why GlobalGiving Is Matching Donations For Long-Term Disaster Recovery appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A small, indigenous community on the isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca felt the brunt of its power. Tehuantepec is a famously matriarchal society, and many families who live there make a modest living by farming, fishing, or selling arts and crafts.

The quake toppled half of Ramón and Rosa’s home in seconds. Theirs was one of more than 153,000 homes damaged in Oaxaca and Chiapas.

State engineers determined Ramón and Rosa’s home was too dangerous to live in—and would need to be torn down. For the couple, and many other families on the isthmus, recovering from the loss of a home felt impossible.

Ramón and Rosa—and 63 other homeowners—never had to face that reality, thanks to the generosity of the GlobalGiving community and the hard work of our partner in Mexico Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C.

The nonprofit is reconstructing damaged homes for the most vulnerable homeowners in the region, including elderly and single women. The new homes are being built by local laborers. They’re using materials and long-lost, traditional building techniques from the region, which are naturally resistant to the notoriously powerful earthquakes and winds of Mexico. They’re also helping earthquake-affected homeowners build traditional comixcal ovens. Made of bricks, the square ovens are perfect for baking a regional favorite, tortilla toast.

Meet Rosa, Ramón, Hilda, Heriberta, and Blanca, five homeowners who partnered with Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C to rebuild what the earthquake took.

Rosa and Ramón

 
The verdict from state engineers shocked Rosa and Ramón.

“They told us that our home was damaged and that it needed to be demolished,” said Rosa.

Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C. renewed the couple’s hope.

“When you came, you told us that it was not necessary—that the house was still good. They came to us twice to demolish the house. We told them ‘no.’ Only half of the home, nothing else, was damaged,” Rosa said.

When the engineers came the second time, Ramón confronted them. “If you demolish it, you will be responsible,” he told them. “Better not touch it.”

Together with masons from Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C., the couple worked from morning through night to rebuild their home. In two months time, the job was finished.

“We are happy because I didn’t want it to be demolished,” Ramón said.

Hilda

 
Hilda and her husband rebuilt their home, brick by brick, sometimes competing to see who could accomplish more in a day.

Hilda makes a living sewing. During the reconstruction, she traded threads and needles for pants and sneakers. On one productive afternoon, the couple laid 70 bricks.

“We were able to rebuild half our home with the bricks we received,” Hilda said.

Heriberta

 
In this photograph, Heriberta stands next to the comixcal oven that a team from Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C. constructed for her.

“We are grateful because there is support. We support others when someone is supporting us. We support in giving food, as much as possible,” Heriberta said.

Traditional comixcal ovens are perfect for baking a regional favorite, tortilla toast.

Blanca

 
After the earthquake, 12 days passed before Blanca felt safe entering her home. Then, heavy rains followed and soaked all of Blanca’s things.

Engineers determined her home had sustained too much damage to be safely inhabited.

“They told me it was a total loss,” Blanca said. “But I believed it could be recovered.”

In partnership with Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C., Blanca’s belief came true.

When masons from the nonprofit came to lay her new foundation, Blanca wanted to feed them.

“Here I had nothing,” she recalled. “I borrowed a pot, a casserole, a pan, and so on. I went on planning it. I borrowed a table, as well.”

Thanks to Blanca’s determination, the meal was a success. Her home reconstruction is a success, too.

“It’s the first time that I’ve seen this kind of foundation, but I like it. Mine is better than others I’ve seen,” said Blanca.

Help meet remaining earthquake recovery needs in Mexico.

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Featured Photo by Cooperación Comunitaria A.C.

The post Tehuantepec Rising: How Rosa and Ramón Saved Their Home From Demolition After Mexico Earthquake appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

It is now the the largest and most densely populated refugee camp in the world.

Hardship and uncertainty is a daily reality for the Rohingya who now find themselves in an unfamiliar country, in crowded and risky conditions. The monsoon season in Bangladesh is now in full swing, which has made living conditions in the Kutupalong settlement and adjacent camps all the more treacherous. The risk for cholera and other infectious disease outbreaks is high in the camps, where there is a shortage of toilets and safe drinking water.

More than 1,300 GlobalGiving donors have answered the call to help Rohingya refugees over the last year, making it possible for the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving to be a reliable partner to community-led nonprofits addressing some of the most urgent needs in and around Cox’s Bazar.

So far, we’ve awarded eight grants totaling $225,000 to six vetted, high-impact nonprofits that are serving Rohingya refugees. As the political leaders of Bangladesh and Myanmar struggle to arrange for the safe, secure, and dignified return of the Rohingya people to their country, GlobalGiving and its partners remain committed to working hand in hand with Rohingya people for a better life.

Here is a closer look at how your donations to the Rohingya Refugee Relief Fund are making a difference:

Protecting mothers and children

Dr. Iftikher Mahmood was born and raised in Cox’s Bazar. And he’s now determined to help Rohingya mothers and children stay healthy. His nonprofit, HOPE Foundation for Women & Children of Bangladesh, operates a hospital, health centers, and a small fleet of ambulances in Cox’s Bazar. When Rohingya refugees were pushed from their homes into refugee camps, it was a natural fit for the organization to provide lifesaving maternal care in the Kutupalong settlement and nearby areas.

The foundation serves more than 1,500 Rohingya patients every day.

“We have been there for a long time, and have a solid team of dedicated, passionate people who moved very quickly. We know the community, the local people, and the language,” said Dr. Mahmood. “No one else is doing what we’re doing—maternal health, building a maternity hospital, training midwives—we have a huge responsibility to stay engaged.”

Learn more about Dr. Iftikher Mahmood and his team.

Delivering critical information

Bala-bura means good-bad in Rohingya. In conversation, it’s similar to saying “how are you: good or bad?” The phrase is also the name of an audio program for Rohingya refugees.

A team of 20 Rohingya refugees produce the program in partnership with Internews. The nonprofit is dedicated to providing Rohingya refugees with reliable access to lifesaving information. Rumors and misinformation spread quickly in the camps, where tensions between refugees in cramped, dirty conditions, as well as between refugees and Bangladeshis, can easily flare.

The refugees who produce Bala-Bura address issues in the camp, like how to deal with monsoon season, and interview fellow refugees in order to pass along their concerns to humanitarian organizations.

“I feel happy that you ask how I’m doing. I don’t get to share my thoughts and ideas often,” a Rohingya mother of seven recently told Internews.

Bala-Bura is one of several information sharing programs that Internews is working on. They also distribute a paper bulletin to keep data flowing in the camps and fund a radio program that brings together 12 correspondents—half of whom are Rohingya, half of whom are Bangladeshi—to discuss issues affecting refugees and host communities.

Learn more about how you’re bringing essential services to Rohingya refugees.

You can help meet urgent needs with a donation today to GlobalGiving’s Rohingya Refugee Relief Fund. Your donation will be sent to GlobalGiving partners on the front lines of the crisis.

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Featured Banner Photo: More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh over the last year to escape violence in Myanmar. Photo by Humanitarian Aid for Rohingya Families

The post Radio For Refugees: How You’re Helping One Year After Rohingya Crisis Flares appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

María, Paula, and Delphine

Mi Valedor Crowdfunding Team

Who The Team Is:

Mi Valedor is Mexico's first street newspaper, and sales help people who are homeless or at risk earn a living. Meet the team behind the nonprofit newspaper's first crowdfunding success in Mexico. María, middle, is the paper's director and editor-in-chief. Paula, right, is the sales director and editor, with a knack for marketing. Delphine, left, is the social impact and photography editor.

Q: Tell us about something unexpected you learned about crowdfunding in Mexico through the Accelerator.

A: Something that truly impressed us was the audience’s capacity to empathize with our cause. Even if they couldn’t donate a lot of money, people would still help with small amounts. We also didn’t expect WhatsApp to be such an effective tool for sharing content, everything from videos to GIFs.

Q: What three major tips would you give to nonprofits participating in a future Accelerator?

A: The first one would be to have all your campaign material calendarized and ready to go. Any communications you use need to be attractive and easy to share, as well as showing your project’s mission in a visual way. We would also recommend using certain donors as catalysts for other donations.

The second tip would be not to be shy in any way! Truly show what you dream to accomplish with this campaign and don´t be afraid to use a compelling title. Along with this, try to thank your donors in creative ways. Recognition is very human, and it is key to accomplish your goal.

Lastly, we would recommend being aware of social and political factors so your audience can identify with the campaign. For example, in our calls to action we used phrases,such as “even if Mexico doesn’t score, you can,” referring to the World Cup.

Q: Which are the main obstacles for an organization starting an online crowdfunding campaign?

A: Many nonprofits are never able to connect with their audience, and we believe this is key for any crowdfunding campaign. Articulating you nonprofit’s mission with high quality digital communications is vital. If your campaign’s style is boring and monotonous, no one will even look at it. Think of your campaign as a product!

Q: How did you build trust with your donors so they felt comfortable donating online?

A: Before, during, and after the campaign we informed our audience who GlobalGiving was and stated that Mi Valedor wanted to be part of the biggest crowdfunding platform for nonprofits in the world. We also made clear that if Mi Valedor trusted GlobalGiving, our donors could as well.

Q: Which aspect of your work did you highlight for the campaign?

A: We stayed true to Mi Valedor’s central idea that even though things are tough, they can always be better. We used raw data that showed the gravity of the situation for homeless and at-risk populations in Mexico City, and we were very clear on what we were doing about it. Erasmo, the main character of the campaign’s video says at the end “I fell, but found out I could get up.”

Join the next Accelerator take your nonprofit’s crowdfunding to the next level.

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Featured Photo by Centro Creativo y de Reinsercion Mi Valedor

The post Accelerator Spotlight: They Raised $28,000 in 14 Days Through Crowdfunding In Mexico appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Sanabel Mana’ and Wisam Salah

Leaders at Bedouins Without Borders

Who The Couple Is:

Sanabel Mana’ is an attorney at law who has worked in nonprofits that help Palestinian children and women. As a refugee from Dheisheh refugee camp, Sanabel is a firm believer in the rights of Bedouin refugees. She is a member of the general assembly of Bedouins Without Borders. Wisam Salah is a Bedouin activist with background in finance. After studying in the United States, Wisam worked for nonprofits for 11 years before founding Bedouins Without Borders in 2015, where he serves as chairman of the board. Wisam believes strongly in saving Bedouin culture and heritage, the Palestinian right to movement, and family unity. Sanabel and Wisam met while working together at Defense for Children International Palestine. They married in 2016.

Q: Your team was initially intimidated by the Accelerator challenge of raising $5,000 from 40 donors in two weeks. What helped you overcome your fears?

A: We talked to the rest of our team and encouraged one another. We remembered that we have many friends in Palestine and abroad that believe in our cause—saving Bedouin culture and heritage in Palestine—so we talked to them before the Accelerator started. We were really impressed by their support.

Q: Which crowdfunding tactics worked well for you, and which didn’t?

A: We did not have much success with mass communications like social media and email, but Facebook Messenger and one-on-one conversations were very successful. However, these tactics were time-consuming and required precise follow-up with people who did not donate at first. First, we reached out to close friends and family. From there, we expanded the circle of people we asked to donate.

Q: What’s something that surprised you during the Accelerator?

A: Bedouins Without Borders is a fairly new organization with very little visibility and a small network, but to see people from all other the planet contributing and talking to their friends about our work was great and encouraging.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you have for future Accelerator participants?

A: Reach out to your friends and don’t be shy. Believe in your goals and trust that others will do the same. Focus on reaching out to people you know, and one by one you’ll reach your goals.

Q: What do you plan to do with the funds you raised during the campaign?

A: We want to start a Bedouin cooperative for women that will help preserve Bedouin culture by generating sustainable jobs and income for 20 Bedouin women in Bethlehem. Because of rising costs of living, shrinking grasslands, and the Israeli occupation of Bedouin land, holding on to the shepherd’s way of life is difficult and most Bedouins live in poverty. Many older women have not passed their skills on to the younger generation, and this cooperative will teach people how to use local traditional materials like wool, sheepskin, bronze, and silver. We hope that by preserving cultural knowledge and tradition, as well as providing jobs, Bedouins’ lives will be changed for the better.

Apply now to be part of the next GlobalGiving Accelerator.

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Featured Photo: A farmer in Palestine by Akram Sirafi

The post Accelerator Spotlight: They Relied On Conversations While Crowdfunding In Palestine appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The program introduced more than 180 women to the basics of driving with hands-on training.

Benna Logan, Manager of Ford Operation Better World for the Ford Motor Company Fund, recalls receiving her own driver’s license: “I remember vividly when I first held that hot-off-the-press, shiny little plastic card with my picture on it and feeling like my whole life just started. It was exhilarating.” Earlier this year in conjunction with International Women’s Day, she attended Ford’s Driving Skills for Life event.

“I watched young women in Saudi Arabia get their first chance behind a steering wheel. The experience was uplifting, exciting—and humbling,” she says.

A Driving Skills For Life instructor said that the women were easy to train because they wanted to learn. Sometimes, instructors have a more difficult time teaching experienced drivers, who need to break bad habits, the instructor said.

Jim Vella, Ford Motor Company Fund President, said, “Ford Motor Company was built on the belief that freedom of movement drives human progress, so we are honored to have the opportunity to support women in the Kingdom during such an extraordinary time, and to welcome them to the driver’s seat. Our Driving Skills for Life for Her program provides access to training and experiences that will help women feel safe and confident as they get behind the wheel.”

“I didn’t think I would ever learn to drive,” said Bushra Yaqub, a Driving Skills for Life participant. “My life has just changed forever.”

Looking to make international grants?
GlobalGiving is here to help.

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Featured Photo: Participants of Driving Skills for Life in Saudi Arabia by Ford

The post This Grant Supported Saudi Women Driving For The First Time appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Flooding in Kenya increases children’s vulnerability to abuse

When heavy rains hammered Kenya from late February to early June 2018, causing massive flooding after an intense period of drought, the team at Childline Kenya, a Nairobi-based nonprofit that protects children from abuse, had to act quickly. The flooding killed more than 100 people, and the Childline Kenya team knew that children, especially those already living in poverty, would be particularly vulnerable in the aftermath of a disaster.

THE SOLUTION

Childline Kenya coordinates emergency services for children in need

During the floods, reports of child abuse spiked.

With support from Ford Motor Company, Facebook, and GlobalGiving, Childline Kenya through its allied, local partners was able to provide counseling services, legal support, and medication to some of the most vulnerable children in Kenya. Their cases came to light through a 24/7 child helpline managed by Childline Kenya in partnership with the government of Kenya since 2006.

The Childline Kenya team also hosted meetings with key stakeholders in the most flood-affected counties to develop concrete response strategies for children who were vulnerable to abuse. Strategies included a radio campaign to create awareness of safe spaces in the communities for children, as well as outlets for reporting child abuse. The area chiefs in affected counties also agreed to hold barazas (open-air meetings) within their communities to continually build their capacity to keep children safe throughout the peak of the disaster. Additionally, child protection officials in the counties were proactively identified to help improve responses to child abuse reports.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Communities in Kenya develop sustainable child protection strategies

Innovations in child protection in Kenya continue, even as the immediate threat of the flooding subsides. Community members in affected counties formed WhatsApp groups to keep a strong line of communication open between households, government representatives, key child protection service providers in the county, and the Childline Kenya team. In addition to the hotline, child abuse cases can now be reported through the app, to ensure children receive the protection they need as quickly and efficiently as possible in times of disaster and every day.

The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving has advanced a model of community-led relief and recovery since 2004.

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Featured Photo: Shine a Light on Child Abuse in Kenya by Childline Kenya

The post How Childline Kenya Protects Children In Times Of Disaster appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

She deactivates land mines in Cambodia with The HALO Trust. 

Her mother died when she was young, and her father lost his leg to a land mine during the Cambodian Civil War in the early 90s. 

Leas, 20, is the oldest child in her family and is also the sole breadwinner. Every day, as Leas works in the minefield, her father brings her lunch. He is very proud of his daughter.

Leas, right, with her father. Children, left, collect mushrooms from a mine-cleared field.

People who lived in mine-affected villages are proud of Leas’ work, too. One mom, Jay, told The HALO Trust about her tragedy and her hopes for the future: 

“Last year, my little sister and two of my sons went off to pick vegetables, and my sister trod on a mine. Our boys were walking close behind her, and they were both hurt badly, too. We knew it was a mined area, but we thought there would be a lot of vegetables to pick because no one ever goes there—and we told the kids to be careful and walk close behind my sister. We took my sister and our sons to a free hospital in Thailand for treatment, but my sister lost her leg anyway and both of our sons had deep cuts from the shrapnel all over their bodies. Still, they were lucky. We can’t wait for HALO to finish working here so nobody else gets hurt.“

De-mining is now complete in one man’s village. The man, named Touch, lives in a village in northern Cambodia:

“I am very happy here. I am not afraid at all as there are no more mines to be destroyed where I live,” he said.

The HALO Trust turned to GlobalGiving to raise money to recruit and train de-miners like Leas. The nonprofit met its crowdfunding goal of $25,000 thanks to supporters like you! For more inspiring stories about your impact, sign up for the GlobalGiving e-newsletter.

Featured Photo by The HALO Trust

The post Thanks To Crowdfunding In Cambodia, They Are Finally Free From Land Mines appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Mita Radhakrishnan

Project Leader at Auroville Language Laboratory

Who She Is:

Mita is one of the directors of the Auroville Language Laboratory, located at the international township of Auroville in rural south India. She turned to crowdfunding to offer a very specialized English training to women and girls who are trying to overcome economic barriers, and to bridge gaps between local and expat women. Mita is a 1990 graduate of Mount Holyoke College. She drives a moped to work, and, together with her partner, has a dog named Foxy.

Q: This was Auroville Language Laboratory’s first crowdfunding campaign. How did you succeed, raising $5,000 from 40 donors in a few weeks?

A: The goal looked extremely overwhelming and almost impossible in the beginning. And in fact, it still looked that way even on Bonus Day (where participants can earn monetary prizes from GlobalGiving). Only after a good part of the Bonus Day was over did the tide begin to turn and what seemed unattainable became attainable, and was even surpassed!

Success came from reaching out personally through repeated reminders by Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and email, to all my personal friends and family.

But the background to that success is that I often share about my work on my personal page on Facebook and have a huge interest and support for this work, which has been built up over years. My friends, especially from my college days abroad in the US, care about my work here and many of them responded to my personal call and gave.

Q: How did your team divide the work during the Accelerator?

A: We had a meeting with the entire team to present the challenge. But to the young team of staff and volunteers who had never experienced fundraising before, it looked like I was on Mars, and it felt to me as though I was speaking to them from Mars, too! It all sounded good but just impossible to achieve. You see, until this campaign, fundraising was the sole responsibility of myself and my co-director. None of the staff had participated in a campaign, and neither had we, actually. We had made specific, successful applications, a long-time ago, and since the project had benefited from a substantial personal donation, we hadn’t done any fundraising in a very long time.

Q: Give us an overview of roles for your team members.

A: The following tasks were either assigned or chosen by the Language Lab staff and volunteers based on their capacities/skills and interest.

• Managing our MailChimp email lists
• Going through our entire database of students, clients, teachers, volunteers, etc., since we started our project. More than 15 years of contacts! The work was divided by category and year
• Finding correct email addresses for our contacts
• Posting about the campaign on the Lab’s facebook page
• Printing and displaying campaign materials in prominent places, including our front door
• Translating the project proposal into Spanish and French
• Working on the project budget, which we uploaded as additional information.
• Producing a film to help with fundraising on our project page
• Sub-titling the video in Spanish, French and Italian
• Improving our project photos
• Analyzing our results
• Sharing the campaign on Facebook
• Staying up until 5 a.m. crazily sending Whatsapp and Facebook messenger messages on Bonus Day and thanking each and every friend who gave personally

Q: If you could do it all over again, what is one thing you would change about your strategy?

A: I would have watched the crowdfunding training webinars right in the beginning. Also, I would have found the way to involve more team members from the beginning. I could never ever have imagined that we would not only achieve the goal but surpass it. I finally went to sleep on Bonus Day at 7 a.m. the next morning, after the goal of $7,500 had been achieved. It took me three weeks to recover. Had the experience been more collective, I would not have been so tired. But then the entire strategy would have had to be different!

Q: What was one striking lesson learned during the Accelerator?

A: I learned a lesson from the GlobalGiving staff during chats on Bonus Day about reaching the fundraising goal. She said: “If you don’t ask, people won’t give. You have to put yourself out there and ask.”

This was a huge lesson for me, and it pushed me to write messages to my old friends, and to send reminders if they hadn’t replied. You have to get over embarrassment and just do it! That is what I learned.

Also, one of the webinars cited a previous NGO peer, who said, “Believe in the work you are doing and ask for support.” Your belief in your work is one of your strongest supports, this is what kept me going through the crowdfunding campaign.

Q: What will your nonprofit accomplish with the funds raised in the Accelerator?

A: We will buy the expensive equipment we need to implement the project for Women and Girls using the very special “Tomatis Method” of training for English. There will be a mix of local and expat women. It has been our dream to widen the reach of this incredible method, and this GG Accelerator campaign will finally allow us to do it! It will allow us to fulfill a dream that has been in place since 1998.

Apply now to be part of GlobalGiving’s next Accelerator!

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Featured Photo: Empowering Women and Girls in Auroville and Bioregion by Auroville Language Laboratory

The post Accelerator Spotlight: She Accomplished A 20-Year Goal Through Crowdfunding In India appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Camilla Scarlett

General Manager at La Serenissima

Who She Is:

Camilla is the General Manager of La Serenissima, a UK period-instrument orchestra with charitable status that champions the music of 18th century Venice and aims to make it accessible to everyone. She has been a violinist with La Serenissima since 2009 and is proud to help run and fundraise for the UK’s most dynamic ensemble of its kind. As a musician, she has previously toured with the European Union Baroque Orchestra, has performed for many of the UK’s leading period instrument orchestras and her violin playing has contributed to bespoke programmes for BBC.

Q: Tell us about something unexpected you learned in the Accelerator, a free crowdfunding training program for nonprofits?

A: That people are surprising. People exceeded our expectations throughout the campaign and this was both incredibly rewarding and unexpected. People I would not have expected to engage were happy to donate and willing to give more than I dreamt of asking. I think crowdfunding is an interesting way to test the water with some donors and it’s a great opportunity to reach out to those that have never supported you before. Overall, it has probably been the fundraising activity that has had the most tangible sense of achievement. We spend most of the time writing trust applications or approaching individuals, where often you don’t get a response and rarely raise the amount you’re aiming for.

Q: You had the second highest donor count for this Accelerator group. What helped you reach and inspire so many people?

A: One of our key messages was to communicate our aim to win GlobalGiving’s prize for the highest donor count. We stressed that every unique donor had a value beyond the value of their donation and that a tiny amount of money could add up to a lot when lots of people did it. We felt very motivated by the fact we could see where we were in the Accelerator leaderboard—to be in the top two was very inspiring. I think it was also quite motivating for others. A number of people in our network managed to mobilise remote donors from their networks to give £5 because they really wanted us to secure that top spot.

Q: You have an interesting, long-term approach to transforming social media followers into donors. Tell us more!

A: I’d like to say that I had a very clear strategy, but it was mainly down to us having quite a responsive crowd on Facebook who magnified our message. We’ve been reinvigorating our use of social media since the New Year to get more people to engage with our work, which means we started the GG campaign with a good cross-section of people already engaged with our work. We’re also lucky that we work in the performing arts, which means we were able to share engaging content from our musicians, including videos and snippets from rehearsals, which helped to keep people interested.

Q: If you had one piece of advice for future Accelerator participants, what would it be?

A: Plan ahead and give yourself time! Also, I’d recommend embracing the social aspect of crowdfunding. Some of the most rewarding days of the campaign were when I got out and met with people. It meant that additional people were encouraged to support the campaign. People were generally really interested and wanted to hear about it. One friend even saved the leaderboard as a shortcut on their phone so they could track our progress on Day 1.

Apply now to be part of GlobalGiving’s next Accelerator!

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Featured Photo: La Serenissima wants to make music more accessible. Photo by Eric Richmond.

The post Accelerator Spotlight: This Orchestra Hit High Notes In Its First Crowdfunding Campaign appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Deadly wildfires and mudslides hit California

In the fall of 2017, a series of wind-driven wildfires scorched hundreds of thousands of acres and damaged and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses across multiple counties in California. The Thomas Fire was the largest recorded fire in the state’s history, and the devastation continued when mudslides, filled with debris from the fire, swept through Montecito, a community in Santa Barbara County, with deadly consequences.

THE SOLUTION

Situationally appropriate medical aid and supplies

In partnership with Facebook, the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving facilitated grants to support Direct Relief’s response to the devastating Montecito Mudslides. Direct Relief was able to provide specifically requested medical aid, supplies, and financial support to neighborhoods in need.

Direct Relief equipped emergency responders with rugged UTV vehicles and search and rescue gear. Direct Relief also provided grants for agencies to purchase other emergency gear, including dry suits, headlamps, harnesses and cables, and helmets. A specially equipped off-road truck and trailer was also procured for the Montecito Fire Department to transport the UTVs. Direct Relief helped strengthen public health efforts by providing the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department with several thousand doses of tetanus and hepatitis-A vaccine, as well as other medical items to administer vaccinations to protect first responders, cleanup workers, and residents in Montecito.

Unfortunately, communities often receive in-kind donations after a disaster that hinder, rather than help, relief efforts. That’s why this success story is so remarkable! Learn more about why direct grants and cash are best after a disaster in this infographic.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Homeowners are getting the support they need, too

Direct Relief continues to support community groups, providing supplies for safe clean-up and recovery. The nonprofit is providing funding support for the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, which has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to assist homeowners with mud removal and clean up from their homes.

Their team is also distributing cash assistance to victims, disbursing an initial commitment of $500,000 from the 1/9 Victims Fund—a distinct fund established by Direct Relief for the sole purpose of providing direct financial assistance to people affected by the Montecito mudslides.

The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving has advanced a model of community-led relief and recovery since 2004.

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Direct Relief also turned to GlobalGiving to raise funds to improve healthcare across the United States, a project which is shown in the featured photo. Photo by Direct Relief.

The post How Emergency Responders In Southern California Got The Supplies They Needed appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

A tropical storm hits a flood-prone community

Typhoon Damrey was the strongest tropical storm to hit Vietnam in 2017, causing massive flooding, damaging water systems, and impeding access to clean water. This region is affected by floods multiple times each year. As residents were starting to recover, the situation was further compounded when officials decided to release the recent water surge in the nearby dam, which caused additional flooding and set back recovery efforts.

THE SOLUTION

A community-led nonprofit meets immediate and long-term needs

Founded in 2010, Viet Dreams has a longstanding history of collaboration with communities in Central Vietnam. With a grant from Facebook and the Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving, Viet Dreams was able to implement a Typhoon Damrey relief and recovery plan.

Viet Dreams delivered portable filtration systems and a generator to supply clean water to affected residents. Viet Dreams also distributed food assistance and school supplies to children in affected areas. The Viet Dreams team is still hard at work in the area, helping mitigate future flood-related risks.

Viet Dreams supports 150 schools in both Quang Nam and Quang Binh provinces. The Viet Dreams team routinely travels to these flood prone areas to perform maintenance on water filtration systems they previously installed to protect clean water sources.

THE LONG-TERM RESULT

Sustainable solutions for stormy seasons to come

The new water systems, in combination with ongoing staff support from Viet Dreams, means school children and nearby communities in Quang Nam and Quang Binh provinces will have access to clean drinking water during the stormy seasons to come.

The Disaster Recovery Team at GlobalGiving has advanced a model of community-led relief and recovery since 2004.

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Featured Photo: Clean Water for Ethnic Minority Children in Vietnam by Viet Dreams

The post This Community Has Clean Water Solutions For Stormy Seasons To Come appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Fiorella Macrobio

Development Director
at Fundación Gramo Danse

Who She Is:

Fiorella is the development director at Fundación Gramo Danse, a nonprofit that teaches aerial and contemporary dance to youth in Panama City. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but has called Panama home since 2010. Five years ago, she started dancing with Fundacíon Gramo Danse, and fell in love with it. Once she was introduced to the group's work with children, she devoted herself full-time to the cause. She feels a duty to give back and says working with kids motivates her to get out of bed every morning. Fiorella has a degree in financial management and international commerce.

Q: Tell us about something unexpected you learned through the Accelerator.

 
A: The Accelerator was an excellent opportunity to discover new capabilities within our own team. We saw some of them change their way of understanding the funding process, and begin to notice that innovative and creative ideas can generate excellent results in short and long terms.

Q: What advice do you have for future Accelerator participants?

 
A: You definitely need to open your mind, and learn from the experts, because sometimes you’re doing this for so long, that you can forget that things change, and you can’t really know it all. You have to be open minded enough to be capable to try new things, new methods and new approaches that you may even think they won’t work.

Q: You call fundraising a ‘trial and error’ process. Tell us more about what you mean!

 
A: We discovered that some cultures are different, and work in different ways, so the same approach can’t be used in every case, but this is sometimes a trial and error process, and having a handful of different fundraising resources and tactics is helping us succeed much faster and with less errors.

Q: How did the Accelerator change your approach to meeting a fundraising goal?

 
A: The Accelerator process is a really good opportunity to work on team work abilities, too, because we understood pretty fast that this goal couldn’t be achieved by the project leader alone. As project leaders, we must inspire our team, keep up the good spirits, and cheer for every single dollar they can come up with. Support every new idea your team generates and give them time and space to develop new strategies and methods.

Apply now to be part of GlobalGiving’s next Accelerator!

LEARN MORE

Featured Banner Photo: Dance Education Project for 60 At-Risk Children by Fundación Gramo Danse

The post Accelerator Spotlight: This Team Danced Its Way Through Crowdfunding In Panama appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Blue, plastic FEMA tarps form a checkerboard pattern, visible from the top of the Martín Peña Bridge. Each square signifies a roofless home.

Below, in eight of the most impoverished communities in San Juan, Puerto Rico, tarps offer a thin layer of protection from the wind and the rain. Approximately 1,200 families in these low-lying communities rely on the tarps since Hurricane Maria slammed into the island six months ago on Sept. 20, 2017.

In an imagined future, drawn by architects in close concert with people who live near Caño Martín Peña, there are no blue tarps. There is, instead, a winding channel of clean water, 3.75 miles in length, that connects the San Juan Bay to the San José Lagoon. There is a thicket of mangrove trees and a boardwalk to stroll.

Since Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, advancing this future for Caño Martín Peña seems more urgent—and more possible—than before. The effort has recently been featured in news outlets from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette to Mother Jones to Rolling Stone.

“The community is finally taking its place as the protagonist of its future. People are not waiting for someone else to make decisions for them,” said Mario Núñez Mercado, who was born and raised near the channel and is now part of the ENLACE Project, a community-led initiative to transform it.

On a windy Friday last month, Mercado stood on the Martín Peña Bridge and peered down at Caño Martín Peña, littered with plastic bottles, wads of paper and rusted appliances. He told me what happens after a heavy rain. Water pools into the clogged crevices of the channel and mixes with raw, untreated sewage from thousands of homes. If it rains hard enough, the noxious mixture becomes a river, flooding houses and threatening 26,000 people who live near Caño Martín Peña.

In the wake of the most powerful hurricane to hit Puerto Rico since 1932, conditions here were untenable. Cases of Zika and Dengue fever spiked and rats ruled the streets.

“After Maria, so many people lost their homes. We were the first face many of the residents saw after the hurricane. We were the first ones to come to help and verify that this is not a lost cause,” said Mercado, a retired Puerto Rico Department of Housing employee who is now a volunteer with ENLACE, which promotes civic leadership in the Caño communities as the key to restoring it.

ENLACE volunteer Mario Núñez Mercado is a former government employee who is now devoted to the participatory revitalization of Caño Martín Peña. He was born and raised near Caño Martín Peña.

Six months after Maria’s landfall, a lack of faith in local and federal government to adequately respond to Maria’s ravages permeates the island. It extends to entrenched issues, including the stranglehold of debt (now in the billions) and the mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the mainland.

“Puerto Rico was already in a crisis before Maria. Now, we’re dealing with the criminalization of poverty,” said Lyvia Rodríguez Del Valle, the executive director of the ENLACE Project.

Since Hurricane Maria hit, more than 200,000 Puerto Ricans have left the island, settling mostly in Florida. Today, more Puerto Ricans live off the island than on it, with 5 million living in mainland US.

For families with little income and savings near Caño Martín Peña, a move of that magnitude isn’t likely. Yet, life at home is increasingly difficult, especially for the elderly who now have to grapple leaky roofs, mold-infested walls, intermittent power, a rat infestation, and a slew of related health issues.

Making matters worse, most Caño residents have been denied FEMA assistance because they don’t have titles to their informally built homes. Generations in search of jobs put up unregulated housing along the channel since the early 20th century, including a wave of displaced sugarcane farmers, employees of a World War I military camp, and immigrants from the Dominican Republic. They improved their homes, little by little, if their paychecks allowed.

As insurmountable as the issues facing the Caño communities may seem, they’re not.

Representatives from the three groups spearheading the ENLACE Project—the Caño Martín Peña ENLACE Corporation, the G-8, Inc., and the Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust—have seen what happens when Caño residents are decision makers. Their brand of inclusive disaster recovery and urban development requires care, time and money. But, as Rodríguez Del Valle will explain to anyone who takes the time to listen, this approach is worth it.

ENLACE Executive Director Lyvia Rodríguez Del Valle looks to the community for disaster recovery solutions.

After Rodríguez Del Valle earned her master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Florida, she moved to Paraguay, where she worked with a community in the throes of gentrification after a natural disaster. When she came home to Puerto Rico, she saw the very same issues at play. For the past 12 years, she’s served as ENLACE’s executive director and has been deeply involved in one of the project’s crowning achievements—the establishment of the Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust.

The land trust, which won the United Nations World Habitat Award in 2015, gives more than 2,000 people collective legal rights over 200 acres of land on which their houses are built, and it guarantees their right to affordable housing, fair resettlement prices, and access to home improvement loans. In the wake of Maria, it could also help families without traditional land titles fight denied FEMA claims.

Rodríguez Del Valle believes the land trust model has the potential to stop disaster relief policies that perpetuate extreme poverty around the world. On a February afternoon, as the sun beat down on the narrow streets of Caño Martín Peña, roosters crowed in a backyard, and soft music streamed from someone’s open window, it was easy to imagine things going ENLACE’s way. The channel would be restored to a pristine state in stages, and people nearby would have a stake in its future. As a fair relocation plan moved forward for some residents, others would have access to resources to build safer homes.

The first photo is a bird's eye view of Hurricane Maria destruction, and the second shows Caño Martín Peña. The 3.75 mile channel that connects San Juan Bay to the San José Lagoon is polluted and clogged. In the last photo, ENLACE's executive director asks a youth leader who lives near Caño Martín Peña to explain opportunities in her community.

Even as the ENLACE Project enjoys progress and praise, its leaders remain on watch, especially in the wake of Maria. Rodríguez Del Valle doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

In 2009, the Puerto Rico Legislature reversed the legal clause that established the Caño land trust, sparking eminent domain fears. ENLACE fought back, and the case made its way to the US Court of Appeals, where a judge upheld the legislature’s reversal. Four years later, after intense community organizing, the Puerto Rico law that threatened the land trust was revoked.

Outside of Puerto Rico, the community land trust model is picking up steam. Across the United States, nearly 250 land trusts now promote equitable revitalization, according to ENLACE.

“Strong social networks are critical after a major disaster,” Rodríguez Del Valle said. “Puerto Rico is in a sense up for sale,” she added. “A lot of people are taking advantage of the low real estate.”

In response, ENLACE leaders are doubling down, and looking for investors willing to fund the civic leadership side of their mission. When people are equipped with the tools to advocate for themselves, Rodríguez Del Valle said, it’s harder for developers and government officials to “move poverty from one area to another” without addressing underlying issues, a threat that intensifies after a natural disaster the size of Maria.

As part of its plan to help Caño communities build safer homes, ENLACE is raising funds on GlobalGiving to build hurricane-resilient, zinc roofs for 12 families near Caño Martín Peña.

This family in Caño Martín Peña is receiving a new zinc roof from ENLACE's fundraiser on GlobalGiving.

This is one small part of ENLACE’s multi-tiered revitalization plan. In addition to leading hurricane-related home improvement projects, ENLACE is responding to requests from families who want to get out of Caño communities and find housing elsewhere in San Juan. ENLACE has helped 600 families relocate to date.

To advance the vision for Caño Martín Peña, dredging the channel is also a crucial next step. The cost of the entire project, which includes infrastructure improvements and resident relocation, currently stands at $600 million. The federal government has yet to invest as originally planned.

To Rodríguez Del Valle, Mercado and each person involved in ENLACE, the project is priceless.

Jose Caravallo Pagán, a Puerto Rican who serves on an ENLACE rehousing committee, is fond of saying the project walks and talks and breathes—because it’s an extension of the mighty Caño Martín Peña and the people who live near it.

“That body of water, like us, has life. It deserves respect,” Pagán said.

Learn more about how GlobalGiving’s Puerto Rico & Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund fueled community-led recovery efforts after the storm.

LEARN MORE

This article was originally published in Women@Forbes.

Featured Photo: ENLACE volunteer Mario Núñez Mercado by The ENLACE Project

The post Why Hurricane Maria Is No Match For This Mighty Community In Puerto Rico appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Ten-year-old Kevin Nindereye wants to be a doctor when he grows up. He wants to help sick people in his home country of Burundi. But a very short time ago, Kevin didn’t believe he’d grow up at all.

Kevin suffered from a severe heart defect called hypoplastic right ventricle and had been hospitalized for acute heart failure multiple times. His heart condition resulted in fluid build-up around his heart and in his abdomen. If untreated, most children with Kevin’s condition die very early in life.

“I had no hope I would ever get better,” said Kevin. “I thought I was going to die because my family is very poor.”

Prosper Ndabishuriye, who runs the nonprofit school for orphans and vulnerable children that Kevin attends, realized how dire Kevin’s condition was in late December 2016, and took to Facebook. He explained that the surgery would cost about $15,000—nearly as much as his primary school teachers’ total salaries for an entire year. Prosper is not a doctor, nor does he run a clinic, but that didn’t stop him from raising more than $17,000 for Kevin’s surgery, which was completely unavailable in east and central Africa.

“When I saw Kevin on the street, begging by showing his navel to me and asking me for help, I got a strong desire to do something, something that would lessen Kevin’s pain. I ended up trying as much as you would have tried for me,” Prosper said.

Kevin and Prosper

From Burundi to the United States to India

Before long, Prosper had rallied some of his school’s most dedicated donors, including Kim and Dan from the United States. Dan’s employer matched his very generous donation through GlobalGiving, a crowdfunding community that brings together nonprofits, donors, and companies for good causes. The match brought Kevin even closer to his surgery. Prosper called GlobalGiving daily to check on the matching funds coming from Dan’s company.

“It was really helpful to have GlobalGiving to work through, especially for this need,” said Dan. “A lot of times you don’t get a sense of what your contribution exactly did to help. In this case, we thought, ‘Here’s a real chance for us to make a real impact and possibly save a child’s life.’ That really drew us to this situation. We really wanted to take this on.”

Kim had been following Kevin’s story on Facebook. “We thought, how do you decide which need to give to when there are so many? But when I saw Kevin, this need was put on my heart.”

While waiting for the donations to come through, Prosper wasted no time in arranging Kevin’s surgery. Apollo’s Children’s Hospital in Chennai, India agreed to do the surgery. Prosper’s wife Marie, a registered nurse, agreed to accompany Kevin to India so he wouldn’t have to go alone. Once GlobalGiving sent a disbursement of nearly $4,000 on March 10, Prosper was able to begin booking flights and hotels. Kevin and Marie flew to India on March 15 for his surgery planned for March 21.

Just hours after the surgery was complete, Prosper shared amazing news with everyone who followed the little boy’s journey on Facebook: Kevin’s surgery was a success!

But the journey wasn’t quite over yet. Kevin’s hospital bill was higher than expected, and he couldn’t be released from the hospital until the bill was paid. The power of the crowd came to the rescue—because of some special donors dedicated to Kevin’s health, GlobalGiving’s ability to quickly get money anywhere in the world, and Prosper’s resourcefulness, the bill was paid on time. Kevin was released from the hospital on April 4.

Kevin with his classmates in Burundi.

Kevin comes home

Throughout all of this, Prosper posted almost-daily updates on Kevin’s situation to Facebook. The day before Kevin traveled back to Burundi, Prosper talked to Kevin on the phone. Kevin asked him to tell his mother to cook cassava ugali (a starchy porridge) and meat for his welcome home meal.

“I can eat everything now!” said Kevin. “And I can sleep well in any position.”

On April 12, Kevin and his nurse finally arrived home after nearly an entire month in India. Kevin’s mother, sister, the chief of his village, and Prosper welcomed them home with a big celebratory dinner at Fleur de Sel restaurant in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. Afterward, Kevin returned to his village, Ruhagarika, where about 11,000 people live 32 miles from Bujumbura.

“The best part about India was how nice the doctors and nurses were. They took care of me. Also, I saw some nice big houses there,” said Kevin about his favorite part of his journey. “I never believed that I would ever fly in an airplane! I thought airplanes were only for rich people and people in the government. I was so happy to fly in the airplane. They gave me food, drinks, and tea. I was not expecting that.”

Kevin’s mother, Appolonie, a 45-year-old farmer, had begun to believe Kevin would never be healed. Now, their lives have changed forever—thanks to the power of the crowd.

“I was full of sadness before Kevin’s surgery because I had no money to send him away to the doctor. I had no peace. But when Kevin came home from India, I was filled with happiness and joy. He was smiling, in good health, and eating everything,” said Appolonie, a widow.

With his ordeal behind him, little Kevin’s attention has now turned to other children who are suffering.

“Thank you so much to everyone who helped so I could get my heart operation,” Kevin told GlobalGiving in a Skype interview with a big smile across his face. “Like you helped me, please help other kids!”

Update: A year later

March 2018 marked one year since Kevin’s life-saving heart surgery in India. In the last year, Kevin turned 11 years old, started second grade at Iwacu Kazoza School, and visited doctors in Bujumbura who gave him a clean bill of health. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and three younger siblings in Ruhagarika and still wants wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Appolonie, his mother, has noticed his big appetite, which was absent before the surgery.

Perhaps the starkest difference since the surgery is Kevin’s smile.

“Before, everyone in the village knew Kevin because he would walk around begging,” said Prosper. Kevin no longer begs: He plays, runs, and learns like every other child in Ruhagarika. “Now, everyone knows him because he is a miracle.”

While raising funds for Kevin’s surgery, Prosper had to delay fundraising for the school that educates 450 orphans and vulnerable children in Ruhagarika, Burundi. Please support Kevin and his classmates in their educational journey at one of the best schools in Burundi.

Featured Photo: Meet Kevin and his family by Jeunesse en Reconstruction du Monde en Destruction (JRMD/YRWD)

The post The 7,400-Mile Surgery appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Her Rotary Club in Four Marks and Medstead, England, now has a permanent spot in the GlobalGiving community and funds for an urgent construction project, which is central to its mission to provide equine therapy to children with disabilities.

Out of 600 participating organisations, Sally’s project gained the second highest number of individual donors in the 2017 December Accelerator. Sally told GlobalGiving how her team did it:

Q: How did you initially feel about the Accelerator challenge?

 
A: From the outset, I thought that participating in the challenge was a no brainer, but didn’t really know what to expect. We were quite last minute in putting together a plan, but now that I have more knowledge in crowdfunding, if I could go back and re-do the campaign, I’d put together more of comprehensive fundraising plan.

Q: What tips would you give to someone who is about to start the Accelerator, or crowdfunding in the UK?

 
A: To have tenacity and to not give up! Secondly, I’d advise planning the whole campaign really well and organise how you aim to raise your funds in advance. I noticed that the most successful organisations were the ones that planned. One organisation in particular started with hardly any donations, but successfully managed to mobilise their donors around Bonus Day, which saw their total shoot up! I think it’s also a good idea to get your team on your side before the campaign and prepare them to start outreach to supporters when the campaign begins. It was also really inspiring to work with The Broadlands Riding for the Disabled Group. I met with children and volunteers from the organisation who make up a community that looks after and supports one another.

Q: How did you ask for donations for your project?

 
A: The main focus of the communications was to ask people to support the project in any way that they were able. People didn’t need to give a lot if they couldn’t afford it. Some were able to share the campaign with their networks which was great to spread the word. I also used personalised emails and made a specific ask. On the last day of the campaign, I sent out an email saying that we were £572 short of reaching our £7,500 target. One individual generously donated exactly £572! This was our biggest donation. I also listened and was reactive to feedback given by donors about the communications.

Q: Describe one tool that was indispensable to your crowdfunding success?

 
A: I put together a series of short personal stories from individuals that were benefiting from the The Broadlands Riding for the Disabled Group project. These mini-stories were great for connecting supporters to the cause because people were interested in the personal experiences. I undertook a few experiments early on and modified them according to what caught people’s attention. Providing stories/silly images of horses proved to make people smile and got them engaged!

Q: How did you respond when someone didn’t donate?

 
A: I didn’t take it personally. If someone wasn’t able to donate, I didn’t want them to feel inclined and in some cases they shared the project on their social media and helped to raise awareness that way. What amazed me was the generosity of donors that don’t necessarily live in the area, but saw the Broadlands project as a cause worth supporting.

Q: How did you inspire your network to promote the campaign?

 
A: There were 3-4 members of our club that shared everything I posted on Facebook, one of which had hundreds of Rotary Facebook friends. The staff at Broadlands also shared with their networks. I posted on Facebook groups of other Rotary and district organisations as well as local community news groups, which gained a lot of interest. A member of my team is also an ex-journalist and was able to write press releases and reach out to the media. As a result we had a piece published in the local paper and appeared on two television channels.

Q: What should future participants know about the training and resources that GlobalGiving provides?

 
A: There are a lot of really useful tools on the platform and participants should take a look at what’s there. There are tools that help you construct emails and other communications, which I think is particularly helpful for those who are new to crowdfunding. There is a feature on the platform that allows you to see where your donations are coming from, so I was able to see where donors were finding the project. The Broadlands website and Facebook proved to be the most successful for us in terms of asking for donations.

Q: What’s the next challenge for you after the Accelerator?

 
A: Personally, I’ve really enjoyed doing the Accelerator, and when the club decides that there’s another project we’d like to raise money for, I’d be happy to carry it again!

Create your own crowdfunding success story. Apply now to be part of the next GlobalGiving Accelerator.

APPLY NOW

Featured Photo: Therapeutic Care for the Disabled by Rotary Club of Four Marks and Medstead Trust Fund

The post Accelerator Spotlight: This Rotary Club Raised £7,803 For Equine Therapy appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

 
A: Understand your audience. This will not only affect the tone of your messaging, but the information you include. If you have an international supporter base, consider the time-difference and perhaps send messages in batches depending on the location of the receiver. To American audiences, talk about dollars, to those based in the Europe, talk about raising pounds and Euros.

If you have a unique selling point that can help you stand out then you should use it. Year-end is a popular time for giving, but there is more competition than ever and there are thousands of worthwhile organisations competing for funds. Do what you can to differentiate yourself from the crowd and highlight how your supporters can contribute to your success.

Q: How did you use social media in your year-end campaign?

 
A: We used our social media to support our year-end campaign with a focus on engagement and encouraging people to participate in our work wherever possible. We ran a number of competitions that served to promote our flagship HeroRAT adoption whilst providing fun ways for people to get involved and win prizes. One example is a giveaway that asked our supporters to tag a friend that would love a HeroRAT adoption. Then, we would select one of them as a winner. This simple competition helped us to capture new audiences, delivered peer-to-peer recommendations, and generated new adoptions. In the spirit of the holidays, we didn’t just ask for more. We tried to provide engaging, positive content around our work that was free of a hard ask, but rather served to thank our audience for their existing support and contributions.

Q: Why do you think your year-end campaign went so well? What will you do differently for this year’s year-end fundraising campaign?

 
A: I think it is because we used a range of marketing channels to reach out to our whole audience. This year, it might be worth considering the highlighting the benefits of donating via GlobalGiving. This is something we haven’t really touched on. For example, GG can give tax receipts to US donors and claim Gift Aid on behalf of UK taxpayers. Donors also receive regular project reports, which would appeal to many of our supporters.

Q: What outreach methods did you try during the Year-End Campaign? What worked best with your supporters?

 
A: A range of methods. We sent targeted emails to our supporter base. We reached out with personal emails to our high value donors, as well putting announcements on our social media channels. Don’t forget to ask colleagues to share the announcement on their personal Facebook page! It is also a good idea to alert your CEO and others within your organisation, as they may have contacts within their networks that they could personally reach out to. Adding that personal approach can make all of the difference.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new approaches that will help you to stand out, too. Whether it is a Holiday Carol Concert delivered by Twitter, a caption contest, or a quiz, if you can get people involved with your work you can create a stronger bond that will pay dividends in years to come. There are few things better or more powerful than a donor who loves your work and wants to tell the world about it.

Q: Everyone wants to know the secret to attracting new donors to their project. What was your strategy behind gaining more than 300 new supporters (wow!) in one campaign?

 
A: We are fortunate in that we have a unique proposition in giant detection rats that gives us an advantage and helps us attract new donors. It’s not easy, but try to find something unique about your organization that will resonate with your existing audience and new ones. It is also worth asking your existing supporters to share your work and recommend you where they can.

Q: After such a successful campaign, how did you thank your donors and steward the relationship to ensure they stick with you?

 
A: We thanked every single donor by email and sent a special message from our CEO to those who donated a significant amount of money. Additionally, we created special messages on social media to acknowledge the contribution of our supporters and the difference they’ve made. We try to be as personal as we can and to show our human side. We do our best to acknowledge what the gift will do, the difference it will make, and how grateful we are to receive their support.

Q: When did you start planning your year-end strategy? What did that process look like?

 
A: We generate a large proportion of our income at the Year-End and consequently it is always in the back of our minds. The Year-End campaigning will be discussed throughout the year as we also work to develop our products, promotional assets, and messaging ahead of the end of year rush. The finer planning for the Year-End campaign typically starts in October. It would ideally start sooner.

Apply now to be part of GlobalGiving’s next Accelerator.

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Featured Photo: Training detection rats to provide solutions for global problems. by APOPO vzw

The post How A Nonprofit In Tanzania Raised $44,000 In Its Year-End Campaign appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Combating gender-based violence

In my community there several proverbs to acknowledge failure as part of development:

“My enemy, do not make jest of me because as many times I fall down I will rise again to move forward.”

“Falling down is not the end of man because he will always rise again and catch up with those who left him behind.”

I founded Women Inspiration Development Center (WIDC) to combat violence against women in Nigeria through powerful networking, educating women and girls, and empowering communities to achieve female economic empowerment.

It is only natural that as an organization we have embarked on actions that failed, but eventually our learning from those failures have helped us to arrive at where we are today. This happened when we first launched a series of workshops on gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence remains one of the most common human rights abuses in the world. It crosses cultural, religious, social and economic boundaries, exists in both private and public spheres, and has become a serious impediment to achieving gender equality.

In Nigeria, at least one in every three women is likely to have been beaten or abused in her lifetime.

When we started our work, we sought to reach the most affected women and to empower them to fight against their abuse. To do this, WIDC organized women’s empowerment workshops in different communities encouraging them to live the lives they desired.

The workshops aimed to let women free themselves from abuse and the culture of silence which prevented them from reaching their potential. They focus on seven areas of life: emotions, relationships, sexuality, money, body, work, and spirituality.

In each of these life areas, participants discover what’s uniquely meaningful to them and learn to translate the insight into a realistic vision. They aim to achieve a greater quality of life; create work that is fulfilling; develop a healthy relationship with their body; and build their spiritual path around a sense of higher purpose.

THE CHALLENGE

Unwillingness to change

WIDC succeeded in organizing workshops in communities at the beginning. However, once some of the workshop participants began putting the learned ideas into practice, we experienced serious opposition to our work from the male authorities in the communities where we were working.

The patriarchal nature of our society still runs very deep.

Therefore, the men did not like these changes that were occurring in the lives of their women and girls with whom we were working. The men felt that WIDC was turning their wives and daughters against them. Therefore, to curb this ‘revolt’—as they saw it—they prevented their wives and daughters from attending the WIDC workshops. As a result, WIDC had serious difficulty in securing participants for workshops.

THE FAIL FORWARD

Creative solutions to societal obstacles

We learned that a patriarchal culture was still very much part our society and that we must find a way to work within and around it to be able to reach the women and girls.

So first, we built a network of males who were interested in our work. My husband and two sons joined our work, and they were able to convince their friends also to join our cause. Then, I recommended to the organization we work with in the United States, the Empowerment Institute, to sponsor my husband. This way, he can organize the empowerment workshops for men as well. They accepted our recommendation and my husband became an empowerment workshop trainer. He began organizing the workshop for men to re-orientate their views about women.

These workshops are helping men in our communities to take more responsibility for their actions and to develop higher self-esteem in them. The men who are going through the empowerment workshops are beginning to see their wives and female counterparts as partners rather than subordinates.

This experience has helped our growth tremendously. Whenever we go into communities for workshops, our first step now is to visit the community leaders, discuss our mission with them and have a mini workshop with the males in the community. We found out that after this meeting, they assist us and encourage their wives and daughters to attend our workshops.

It has also helped us to see more results and more positive changes in the lives of our female participants because they have more freedom in exhibiting the changes learned from our workshops. In the community Keredolu where we worked, the community head pronounced after our workshops in the village that violence against women will soon become history in his village because the community leaders will make sure that any perpetrator would be dealt with severely.

Now, we have been able to organize these workshop for about 3,000 women in the last four years, and we have been able to influence more than 2,500 males through our village outreach and our radio programs.

Women Inspiration Development Center is the winner of GlobalGiving’s 2017 Fail Forward Contest, a writing challenge open to all GlobalGiving partners that celebrates failure as an opportunity to improve.

The post How One Nigerian Nonprofit Turned Obstacle Into Opportunity appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

But when two different hurricanes came hurtling toward two states close to his heart, he couldn’t believe it. Neither could his girlfriend, Mariah DelPercio. The two have dated since high school and now live together in Florida.

First came Hurricane Harvey.

Mariah’s parents, who live near Houston, Texas, were right in the hurricane’s path. They evacuated to South Carolina, staying with family.

Then came Hurricane Irma.

This time, Chris and Mariah were in danger. They evacuated, too.

“Our whole family was just worried because we don’t know what a hurricane entails. It was just scary,” said Mariah, originally from Delaware.

The hurricanes didn’t damage Chris and Mariah’s apartments, or their family’s home in Texas. But thousands of people in Florida and Texas weren’t as lucky. Chris and Mariah want to help their neighbors who are struggling to rebuild their lives after the storms. The couple is selling T-shirts that read “Stronger, Together,” and donating proceeds to GlobalGiving’s Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey Relief Funds. The shirts will be available on their website.

“When things like this happen, I feel like it’s our duty, as citizens of this country, to help out as much as we can. Simple acts can go a far way in helping a community bounce back. That’s something that’s really important to us,” said Chris, who sees his position as a professional athlete as an opportunity.

“I have more eyes on me. The fact that I have this platform allows me to reach a larger audience than I would if I didn’t play football,” he said.

Chris and Mariah hope to shift attention from the field to hurricane-hit communities in Texas and Florida that still need help.

“No one is really talking about either of the hurricanes anymore. Other things are happening, but cities and lives can’t be rebuilt in a week,” Mariah said. “We need to do our part as humanity—humans helping humans.”
 

Featured Photo by Dan Salvo

The post Meet The Athlete Teaming Up With His Girlfriend To Help Hurricane Survivors appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Q: Tell us a little about The Bienvenido Project.

 
A: The project is located in the outskirts of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It began in 2008 feeding about 15 kids lunch every day and now has grown into a program that provides care for over 300 impoverished Dominican and Haitian youth. We have a really small staff—it’s Veronica and one cook, her name is Violetta, and she takes care of providing meals for the feeding program five days a week. Now, we’re partnering with GlobalGiving to be able to continue to support the program.

Q: You placed third for organizations in the June Accelerator with the most recurring donors. How did you inspire donors to set up recurring, monthly donations?

 
A: Something I think worked well was contacting people directly. We did send out group emails, but also we reached out to people in a personal email and asked for specific amounts. We focused on an ask of $25 because we wanted to hit that 40-donor mark. That was a small enough amount, but it has a really big impact in our program—it cares for one child for a whole month. We also asked people if they would consider giving that as a recurring donation, which seemed to be successful for us.

Q: What aspects of your Accelerator social media strategy worked well?

 
A: There are a couple things I think worked really well. In one of the webinars GlobalGiving mentioned to use Canva and Hootsuite. They were both new resources to me, so I spent time learning the basics of them and both were very helpful in giving the content we posted on social media a more professional look. Hootsuite helped us to plan ahead and make sure we had content on our Facebook page or Instagram on the days we were busy.

Q: Anything you thought could have gone better?

 
A: I wrote about 70 individuals the day before the Accelerator Bonus Day and most of the people who gave donated that night and not the next day, even though I wrote ‘donate tomorrow’ multiple times in the email. We obviously are thankful for those donations, but missed the opportunity to have the money go a little bit farther. So, I think next time I wouldn’t reach out to individuals the night before. I would do it the morning of.

Q: What would you say was the highlight of the Accelerator experience for The Bienvenido Project?

 
A: I would say our highlight was working with GlobalGiving! I was really encouraged by the staff and found you all to be very helpful, especially watching GlobalGiving interact with people on Facebook as concerns came up with individuals and the support you all offered. I didn’t expect it to be so encouraging and exciting, but it made me really want to graduate from the Accelerator not just for the benefit to our program in general but to continue to partner with GlobalGiving.

Q: Was there anything about the Accelerator experience that surprised you?

 
A: I was surprised by how much the webinars really encouraged and motivated me. The information was not necessarily new to me, but it reminded me that I was on the right track. Also, we’re a really small organization so most of the time we are by ourselves and that can be lonely and discouraging, so I was really surprised by the amount of encouragement we received, even indirectly just from doing the webinars and watching how GlobalGiving supports organizations.

Q: If you had one piece of advice for future Accelerator participants, what would it be?

 
A: One thing that really helped me was the reminder that every dollar you raise is one more dollar than you had before you started. I think this really encouraged me on those days when I thought we were never going to reach the $5,000, to remember that our goal is to graduate but even if we don’t all this effort is still worthwhile. For us, $25 provides food, education, and tutoring for one child for one month, so I focused on celebrating every time we raised $25 and thought, “Okay, that’s one more time that one child is going to benefit!” Thinking this helped me keep a healthy perspective and not get overwhelmed looking at this really big number of raising $5,000 from 40 donors.

Take your fundraising to the next level with GlobalGiving. Join GlobalGiving now to get one-on-one fundraising support.

Featured Photo: Offer Hope for 300 Youth in the Dominican Republic by The Bienvenido Project (FUNFONAVI)

The post Accelerator Spotlight: They Scored Big With Recurring Donors In The Dominican Republic appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Offer efficient employee giving options

The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation established by the global pharmaceutical company in 1968. The foundation awards cash grants for philanthropic initiatives aligned with the company’s corporate responsibility priorities. For the foundation, involving its employees in giving strategies is a central component of its mission to improve the lives of people in low and middle-income countries.

THE SOLUTION

A custom giving website

In 2011, Lilly partnered with GlobalGiving to build a custom giving website for its international giving program, which allows Lilly employees from anywhere in the world to donate to vetted international charities within Lilly’s five philanthropic focus areas: health, hunger, environment, education, and disaster. Employees are able to support local nonprofits in the communities where they operate if they so desire, and the foundation matches all employee donations of $25 or more. The organization’s collective prioritization of disaster recovery is remarkable. About 65% of all Lilly donations made through GlobalGiving are designated for disaster recovery projects, a ratio that stands in stark contrast to average corporate disaster giving, which hovered at 2% in a 2016 survey. The efficiency of the Lilly system is also noteworthy. When disaster strikes, related projects are highlighted within the employee giving portal. Corporate communications often go out to all employees internally after a major disaster with a link to associated projects, and the Lilly match is automatically added to eligible donations, without the need for additional coordination by employees.

THE RESULT

The freedom to choose

Having an existing infrastructure for disaster giving with the ability to feature vetted charities in virtually any disaster-affected area has reduced the administrative burden on the Lilly Foundation and increased local giving choices for employees in regions where Lilly operates. Employee generosity also correlates to region of operation. For example, when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, where Lilly has an office, Lilly employees were especially generous, making close to 1,000 donations totaling $160,000 with the foundation match.

This success story is part of “The Future of Disaster Philanthropy,” a GlobalGiving research paper published in partnership with The Conference Board.

Get My Copy Now

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s disaster response services for companies and foundations.

Featured Photo: Lilly employees have funded disaster relief projects like this one, which provided emergency healthcare to survivors of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines by IsraAID.

The post What Lilly Did To Let Employees Prioritize Disaster Relief appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

Stop Ebola from spreading

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation established in 1966. One of its primary objectives is to improve lives and livelihoods in developing countries. While the Hewlett Foundation does not customarily give grants for emergency response, it recognized the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis as an overarching threat to many of its objectives in West Africa, such as reproductive health, citizen voice, and accountable governance. For this reason, it made a one-time commitment of $5 million for Ebola response. To quickly identify and reach community-led organizations in the region, Hewlett turned to GlobalGiving.

THE SOLUTION

Grants to community-based nonprofits

With Hewlett’s support, GlobalGiving distributed nine grants to locally driven nonprofit partners in West Africa ranging from $5,000 to $150,000. The grants were awarded to partners with a history of impact in the region and innovative approaches to Ebola treatment, prevention, and survivor services. Three of the grantees, Imani House, IsraAID, and Solon Foundation, supplemented their Hewlett grants with participation in a pilot program to test the impact of novel technological solutions in disaster recovery. The nonprofits were given pro bono access to a mobile app developed by a South African app development firm, along with free customization services. The organizations used the app to monitor the psychological wellness of health workers in the field, coordinate the distribution of medical supplies, and track student attendance at schools with at-risk populations.

THE RESULT

Innovation in disease control

The app facilitated the collection of vital data in a dangerous environment where physical copies of records were at risk of being contaminated and burned. One app user, Kidsave International Project Coordinator Prerana Pakhrin, said the app enhanced her nonprofit’s efficiency at the apex of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, as data could be recorded in remote locations without an Internet connection and downloaded later once a connection was re-established. Pakhrin said investing in technology like the app is cost-prohibitive for Kidsave and small, locally driven nonprofits without the help of foundations and other investors like the Hewlett Foundation. “It takes a very long time if you are trying to do it in a cost-effective way,” she said.

This Ebola success story is part of “The Future of Disaster Philanthropy,” a GlobalGiving research paper published in partnership with The Conference Board.

Get My Copy Now

Learn more about GlobalGiving’s disaster response services for companies and foundations.

Featured Photo: Rising Academies received a $10,000 grant to provide in-home Ebola awareness education while schools were closed in Sierra Leone due to Ebola. Photo by Solon Foundation.

The post How Hewlett Helped Fight Ebola In West Africa appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

María, Paula, y Delphine

Mi Valedor Crowdfunding Team

Who The Team Is:

Mi Valedor es la primera revista callejera de México con una identidad chilanga cuyas ventas ayudan a personas en situación de calle a tener un ingreso. Conozca al equipo detrás del primer éxito de crowdfunding del periódico sin fines de lucro en México.
María: Dirección General y editora en jefe
Paula: Dirección de comunicación, editora de textos y dirección de ventas
Delphine: Dirección de gestión social y editora de fotografía.

P: Cuéntanos de algo inesperado que aprendiste sobre el crowdfunding en México durante el Acelerador.

R: Lo que más nos impresionó fue la capacidad de la gente para empatizar con la causa, aún si no podían donar mucho dinero, lo hacían con pequeños montos, inclusive algunos donantes aportaron cantidades importantes. También nos dimos cuenta del poder de WhatsApp y las listas de difusión, pues fue uno de los medios por donde compartimos todo tipo de, desde videos hasta GIFs.

P: ¿Cuáles serían tres consejos para las organizaciones que participarán en un Acelerador más adelante?

R: El primera sería tener material de campaña calendarizado y listo para el inicio de campaña. El material que utilicen debe de ser atractivo y fácil de compartir, además de que mostrar la historia del proyecto de forma visual es clave para activar a los donantes. Agregaría a este punto el utilizar a ciertos donantes clave como catalizadores para otras donaciones.

El segundo consejo sería quitarse la pena; no tener miedo de expresar el sueño al que les gustaría llegar con esa campaña y utilizar un título contundente. Buscar a medios de comunicación y hablar personalmente con la gente que consideran clave para darle difusión a la campaña. Dentro de esto entra el agradecer a los donantes de forma creativa, pues el reconocimiento es muy humano e importante para este tipo de proyectos.

Por último, recomendamos utilizar la coyuntura política y social para que el donante se identifique con la campaña. Por ejemplo, en nuestros llamados de acción a donar utilizamos frases como “Aunque México no meta gol, ayúdanos tú a meter uno” o “Si no se rifan los candidatos, rifate tu,” considerando lo que estaba pasando en México durante estos meses.

P: ¿Cuáles creen que son los principales retos que enfrentan las organizaciones al empezar una campaña de recaudación en línea?

R: Muchas organizaciones no logran conectar con su audiencia, y eso es clave para tener éxito en cualquier campaña de crowdfunding. Es fundamental articular la misión con calidad visual y de transmisión, pues si la narrativa e imágenes son secas y tediosas, nadie las querrá ver ni compartir. ¡Hay que pensar la campaña como un producto!

P: ¿Cómo lograron generar confianza para que sus donantes donen en línea?

R: Antes, durante y después de la campaña informamos qué era GlobalGiving y dimos a conocer que nuestra campaña buscaba formar parte de la más grande plataforma de crowdfunding para organizaciones sin fines de lucro en el mundo. Es decir, mencionar a GlobalGiving fue parte esencial durante nuestra campaña de difusión, y dejamos muy claro que si Mi Valedor confiaba en GlobalGiving, nuestro donantes también lo podían hacer.

P: ¿En qué aspecto del trabajo de Mi Valedor hicieron énfasis al realizar la campaña?

R: Nos mantuvimos fieles a la idea central de Mi Valedor de que a pesar de que las situaciones son difíciles, siempre se pueden mejorar. Dimos cifras y datos acerca de la problemática de la gente de calle en la Ciudad de México, y dejamos claro que estábamos haciendo algo al respeto.
Erasmo lo dice en el video que utilizamos en campaña: “Me caí, pero también me puedo levantar.”

Aplica al próximo acelerador y lleva a tu organización al siguiente nivel.

APLICA AHORA

Featured Photo by Centro Creativo y de Reinsercion Mi Valedor

The post Crowdfunding En Mexico: Una Historia De Éxito appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

GlobalGiving partner, Snehalaya, Home of Love, is dedicated to ending the epidemic—and is raising support in remarkable ways.

Home of Love is a founding member of the #HerVoice campaign. In 2015, they raised £70,000 in matching funds for eight charities participating in the 2015 GlobalGiving #HerVoice campaign to stop violence against women. This year, Home of Love is again part of the #HerVoice campaign, which ends on Aug. 8, 2017. Home of Love held the #2 fundraising spot in the campaign (at the time of this publication).

The nonprofit also recently started a petition to fight for Indian women and girls suffering gender-based violence. The result was incredible! The petition reached 60,000 signatures, and 400 people took selfies with the #HerVoice hashtag. And Home of Love earned 27 international press pieces and two broadcast interviews.

How did Home of Love do it? Project Leader Miranda Hudson shares her tips below.

Q: How did you get involved with Home of Love, and what motivates you to stay involved?

A: I started my work with Home of Love during a 6-week skilled volunteer placement in 2009. I am motivated as a feminist and feel every individual should live a life free from hindrance, especially cruelty and prejudice based on others lack of understanding of basic human rights. Seeking this justice motivates me and in knowing all the girls at Snehalaya and their stories, their bravery, motivates me.

Q: How did you get ready for the 2015 #HerVoice Campaign?

A: We decided down what we wanted to share weekly across the 6-week appeal. Monday was for showcasing a constituent and her story, Tuesday a wider news piece, Wednesday to thank donors and share our position in the campaign so on. Then, we did a network map and determined which supporters would be good for what roles—social sharers, donors, etc.

Q: Why did of Home of Love decide on crowdfunding as a way to raise money?

A: What excites me most about crowdfunding is it gives people a framework of urgency to give. They can get charity fatigue, especially with so much going on in the UK. It’s exciting to build a sense of camaraderie in good will. Altruism is addictive.

Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of crowdfunding?

A: It’s challenging to find a sensitive way to safely share our women’s story that a) never compromises them in any way or risks their safety; and b) does not make the topic seem too dire. We see all the horrors and the aftermath of ordeals such as human trafficking have on women’s lives—but we have hope because we know how to address it. What is more dire is when organizations like ours are forced to close? What then?

Q: How long did it take to plan your campaign, and did your team expect such fantastic results?

A: We only had six days to schedule most of it, leaving it manageable as a 4-hour a week job for our communications officer. We have very limited staff resources as we are all working other jobs and Snehalaya UK is run by volunteers. The result has been great; it was a bit unexpected, but much welcomed to get some big anonymous donors putting in donations as a result of our communications. It was also reassuring to have long term donors give again when we thought they may have been getting tired of giving!

Q: If you had to share just one tip with other match campaign participants, what would it be?

A: Really think about who your audience is and speak to them directly and clearly about why your cause is so valid and how they can make all the difference in what you as the specialist are trying to achieve. Make your audience believe they are enabling greatness in partnering with your organization—and be confident.

Q: What is the hardest thing about getting people to donate to your cause?

A: It can feel like we are so far from equality and people feel like ending gender-based violence is so multifaceted and patriarchy is so entrenched that they get deflated and overwhelmed. Fear of failure can’t play a role when you are on the front line and those women need you to fight their corner.

Q: Tell us about some of the survivors of gender-based violence who have turned to Home of Love for help.

A: No need! Just let our six amazing women from #HerVoice share their stories with you directly by visiting snehalaya.org/herstory—one released each Tuesday between now and Aug. 8. Archana’s at the end is breathtaking. She helped put an end to a child sex ring, winning a case that ended with 22 double-life sentences for a policeman, a judge, a businessman and many more. Archana’s story will be featured in the Guardian online, too.

Q: Finish this sentence: People are surprised to find out that I __________.

A: Run two successful commercial businesses and still give 50 percent of my time to working for what I believe in entirely unpaid.

Q: Tell us one thing you wish more people knew about your work.

A: I’d like people to know that all the amazing people we help get our services for life not just for the period they are in crisis and that we work side by side with our community of service. Many survivors of gender-based violence join our training programs and become mentors and paid staff. When people find out they often become employees, they are surprised. Why wouldn’t we hire them? They have the most insight and empathy from their personal experience.

Featured Photo: Home of Love works with survivors of gender-based violence. This is Sangeeta, one of the women who turned to Home of Love for help by Snehalaya 'Home of Love'

The post Top #HerVoice Fundraiser: Fear Of Failure Can’t Play A Role appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

The outlook for her students wasn’t good. By pre-school, they would know about 500 words, while their peers from high-income homes would know 1,100 words. Studies proved the achievement gap would only grow as they got older.

Lauren had to do something. In 2014, she founded Word Rebel Incorporated to fight the 600-word deficit for kids from impoverished New York City neighborhoods.

Just one year later, her volunteer-run nonprofit had established curriculum partnerships with several literacy and day care centers in Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan. Through the centers, Word Rebel was able to deliver reading and vocabulary resources to students and parents across the city. But Lauren wanted to reach more kids before it was too late.

She turned to GlobalGiving and its GG Rewards system for ideas. The point system rewards nonprofits for continually learning. The philosophy? GlobalGiving has found that nonprofits that Listen, Act, Learn. Repeat are more effective.

LISTEN

Simple questions lead the way

Lauren used five basic questions from the GG Rewards “Charting Impact Tool” to examine Word Rebel’s impact:

1. What is your organization aiming to accomplish?
2. What are your strategies for making this happen?
3. What are your organization’s capabilities for doing this?
4. How will your organization know if you are making progress?
5. What have and haven’t you accomplished so far?

“The questions were perfect because they were so simple and so intuitive,” Lauren said.

The questions led Lauren to take a look at Word Rebel’s communications with parents. Word Rebel sent a weekly email with reading resources to parents from its day care centers. But only half of the parents could access the email on a smartphone or home computer—these were luxuries for families struggling to make ends meet. There had to be a better way.

ACT

A better way to communicate

Lauren read a Stanford University study about the effectiveness of text messages versus standard email newsletters. Text messages have a nearly 100 percent open rate.

Now, Word Rebel sends parents a weekly “Prep4PreK” literacy text with an actionable strategy to teach vocabulary and reading skills.

The text-message delivery system puts literacy resources straight into the hands of parents, many who wouldn’t otherwise have access.

LEARN

Empowered parents

“Our biggest point of feedback from our day care partners is that parents feel empowered and motivated knowing they can commit to doing one small thing a day to make a big difference,” Lauren said.

Word Rebel’s weekly text now reaches nearly 1,000 parents. Lauren set a goal to triple the number of parents receiving the texts and deliver 2,800 books to families in need by the end of this summer.

“GlobalGiving’s toolkits continue to hold me accountable and re-inspire me to research and create the best possible programming to always better serve our partners, families, and children,” Lauren said.

Today, Word Rebel has earned Superstar Status on GlobalGiving through GG Rewards. The top status increases their visibility on GlobalGiving, makes them more likely to be connected to corporate partners, and gives them access to bigger donor matching opportunities on GlobalGiving Bonus Days.

Most importantly, because Word Rebel is always “listening, acting, and learning,” thousands of families in New York City have the resources they need to close the achievement gap, one word at a time.

Ask these questions at your nonprofit. Download the Charting Impact Guide.

Featured Photo: A Word Rebel partner in New York City celebrates little graduates at the Drew Hamilton Stepping Up Ceremony. Photo by Children's Aid Society.

The post 5 Simple Questions That Skyrocketed One Nonprofit’s Reach appeared first on Learn - GlobalGiving.

CREAMOS OVERVIEW
Mission: Help women in Guatemala City break the cycle of poverty through economic training and emotional support programs
Founded: 2014
Staff: 6
Volunteers: 2
Location: Guatemala City
Accelerator Campaign: Raised $17,887 from 226 donors in 14 days

Q: How did Creamos initially feel about crowdfunding in Guatemala through the Accelerator

A: When we first heard that we had to raise $5,000 in 12 days from 40 unique donors our staff was worried. Half were nervous about the amount of donors, half were nervous about making the dollar amount.

Q: How did you overcome your fundraising nerves?

A: Instead of freaking out about what may happen, sit with your team and begin drafting a fundraising plan. This is possible!

Q: If you had to share just one tip with new Accelerator participants, what would it be?

A: Clear your calendars for GG Accelerator trainings. We all have busy days—we work in chaotic and unstable environments. Although a training may not seem like it is at the top of the to-do list, try your hardest to get as many staff members to attend as possible. The trainings will provide tips, answer any of your questions, and give you homework which will further your preparation for the Accelerator training. Every team member will take something different out of each training, so make sure you share feedback with each other after!

Q: What should future Accelerator participants know about GlobalGiving training and resources?

A: The great part about the Accelerator program is the resources you have available. GlobalGiving provides webinars and presentations on things that every organization should do, but thinks that they do not have time, for example conducting a SWOT analysis and defining SMART goals. It is a great way to ensure all team members are on the same page regarding how you are going to achieve your organization’s mission and vision both during and after the campaign.

Q: Tell us about one of your favorite training sessions.

A: One of the trainings you will go to is Network Mapping. This is a critical component to running a successful campaign. Make long lists of your team’s network—this includes people that can make donations, but also people who have access to larger networks. After you have listed all, write down what type of supporter they will be—a donor, an ambassador, a social media “sharer,” a fundraiser or any other categories that fits your network. Remember just because someone cannot donate big bucks doesn’t mean they cannot play an imperative role in your campaign.

Q: How did you involve your whole staff in crowdfunding in Guatemala?

A: Bring all of your staff to the table … regularly. Even before the campaign starts, (minimally six weeks before) the entire staff should share any and every idea they have on how you can best graduate from the Accelerator program. Write down all ideas on either a big piece of paper/chalk board/whiteboard—the purpose is to have a visual of everyone’s ideas. Assign people to spearhead various ideas on the board, and meet weekly to check in on progress. In the weeks leading up to the campaign, as well as during the actual campaign, all team members should check in to hold everyone accountable and see if there are any changes that need to be made.

Q: Email is a powerful fundraising tool. What works?

A: Write personal emails and make things easy. This is an ESSENTIAL part of your campaign’s success and definitely takes the most time. Your friends and family are going to want to support you and you just have to make it easy for them to help. Make a list of your personal contacts (the network mapping training will explain this more). Most of the emails should be very personalized and give clear instructions on how they can help. List options that are feasible (sharing an email, sharing a post on social media, small donation, or a more sizable donation). Give clear and concise instructions on what they can do to help.

Q: How did you make social media part of your Accelerator campaign?

A: For many of us, social media is not the focal point of the day. We have to work on our actual work—especially for those of us who don’t have someone focused on public relations. That being said, social media is an essential part of engaging the masses about your project. There are simple things you can do like post something every day, and invite people to like your page or follow you. If you don’t have a PR department, I recommend you make a social media calendar so one person doesn’t get burnt out of posting everyday. If you are worried about taking time with your post, you can pre-write posts for the week so all you have to do for your daily post is copy and paste. The most important thing is to make people excited to look at your page—happy, bright and positive photos.

Q: Raising $5,000 in 12 days is intimidating! Tell us one tactic that you used to make the goal more manageable.

A: Focus on one or two days. Although 12 days feels very short to begin with, it is actually a really long window for donors to donate. Try to have two big push days—one a few days into the campaign and one towards the end. Create excitement and urgency around these days so your donors have a specific time they know they need to donate. You could even give them a time to donate on matching days to make it even more specific. No matter what, some donors will be late, but making them feel like they are part of a special day for the organization is an important component.

Q: How should you respond when someone doesn’t donate?

A: Asking for money can be awkward. Your friends and your family will want to help, but do not make them feel pressured to donate. Offer multiple ways they can support, even if it’s just by spreading the word. If they do not donate, or do not offer the help that you expected, don’t worry! It doesn’t mean they love you any less—people have stuff going on. Do not hold grudges—it’s just a campaign!

Q: How should nonprofits thank their donors?

A: After your supporters give, make them feel like they are part of the team. Sending thank you cards on GlobalGiving is an easy way to quickly thank donors. To add a special touch, send a personal email or note to anyone that donated from your contact list.

Take your nonprofit’s fundraising to the next level. Apply now to be part of the next Accelerator.