An Incomplete Manual to the Season of Giving

At the end of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge has a change of heart, giving Cratchit a raise and making a donation to charity, among other things. Today, around two-thirds of Americans donate money to charitable causes. But not all charities are equal. Some of them are for more effective than others, to the tune of some having 100x more benefit than average charities. This can be due to structural differences, like what the organization actually aims to do, or because of cost-efficiency (don’t forget about administrative costs). Sometimes, the best places to give are not the most well-known, well-funded charities. Don’t overlook organizations that target highly specific issues or local groups!

I’ve been heavily inspired by Vox‘s excellent reporting on this topic— they typically publish annual guides on the best charities to give to, depending on your chosen issue. Websites like GiveWell and Charity Navigator are also great at evaluating and recommending organizations. Before donating, make sure to check that you’re getting the best value for your dollar!

So without further ado, here are my recommendations for causes to give to. Take your pick!

Domestic Causes

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Defends the civil rights and liberties of the people through legal channels. Has historically been involved in landmark Supreme Court cases like Brown v. Board of Education (desegregated schools) and Obergefell v. Hodges (legalizing gay marriage). What I admire most about the ACLU is that it’s not afraid of controversy: they defends constitutional rights no matter what side of the political spectrum nor how radical the defendant is. While this has gotten the ACLU into hot water in the past, I admire their resolute conviction. While it never feels nice to defend unsavory and sometimes abhorrent people, it’s necessary to treat these cases fairly, as our perspective on history is ever-changing. No matter what, the ACLU fights for non partisan equality.

Feeding America: Ranked No. 1 by Forbes, they support hunger relief by partnering with food pantries and local programs. They also work with lawmakers to increase access to food assistance programs.

Planned Parenthood: Especially because reproductive rights are increasingly under fire, especially with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we can help to ensure that as many people as possible still retain access to essential healthcare. Of the 41 US states with abortion-restricting laws (limited and/or with exceptions), 13 are total bans. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund advocates for increased reproductive freedom on the political stage both nationally and locally.

Honorable Mentions: American National Red Cross, Salvation Army, & Habitat for Humanity

International Causes

Against Malaria Foundation: A GiveWell top charity that distributes insecticidal bug nets across Sub-Saharan Africa as well as Papua New Guinea. These nets are cheap but extremely effective at preventing malaria mortality.

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: Provides medical care to children in local hospitals. Nearly half of the Gazan population are children. Note that due to the ongoing genocide, aid is frequently blocked and as of November, there are only 17 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza that remain (partially) functional.

Doctors Without Borders: Apolitical medical care in 70+ countries internationally, to areas in crisis from war and conflict; disease outbreaks; natural disasters; and refugees and internal displacement.

Hellen Keller International: Combats malnutrition and food instability in 20 countries across the world. One of my favorite things about this charity is that rather than just distributing food and supplies, they help communities to develop food chains by growing gardens and raising livestock, as well as establishing local health clinics.

Environmental Action

Clean Air Task Force: Campaigns to reduce air pollution in the US and is currently expanding internationally. Conducts research to advocate for regulating the fossil fuel industry and adopting low- and zero-carbon energy technologies like geothermal and nuclear power. Sets itself apart by focusing on emissions sources that are overlooked by governmental agencies and other organizations (e.g. one of the first environmental groups to raise awareness to super-pollutants like methane).

The Humane League: Works to advocate for better animal welfare standards to be enforced by big corporations (e.g. living conditions for chickens and ending the usage of battery cages). They also work politically on the grassroots level. Operational in the US, UK, and Japan.

Wild Animal Initiative: I absolutely love this organization, as they work towards something quite unique within the animal rights sphere: researching the welfare of wild animals to study questions like which species are capable of having subjective experiences and what the most effective ways are to help them sustainably in the wild. This can be especially useful as evidence to push for environmental legislation.

Arts & Culture

Subscriptions to Quality Journalism: Journalism is an essential institution to keep the people informed. For daily news, I recommend The Guardian, which reports on international events and also has fantastic live updates for anything from coups to sports games (they’re free to read, but regular donations are welcome). Vox is great for easy-to-understand explainers for current events. Finally, for longer form journalism, I’m devoted to The New Yorker and The Atlantic. They’re both magazines that publish longer-form journalism and analysis that’s fascinating and has really developed my in-depth knowledge of politics and culture. Consider subscribing to keep high-quality journalism alive (and far away from billionaire buyers)! Plus, I can’t sing the praises of physical print journalism enough. It makes reading so much more of an experience unto itself!

Literary Magazines: OK, more subscriptions, but I couldn’t resist. One of the biggest ones is The Paris Review. They’re always at the forefront of the literary trend with truly amazing short stories and poetry that push the boundaries. Really compelling, though, are their interviews with authors. They’re never boring, every single one is super inspirational. Also, they send me a poem every day in my inbox! Consider smaller ones too, especially local, though there are fewer and fewer of these. I’m an intern at Cleaver Magazine, which is free to read but accepts donations.

Finally, the best chance you have to make a huge impact and see it is local charities. Donate your time or money to places like Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, where our Arts Editor Stephanie volunteers. The local library is also a great choice—you can find me shelving books at South County Library on Tuesdays!