A Running List of Incredible Charities (updated August 4, 2021)

This living article is the result of a single post asking for assistance. Early in 2018, I'd decided on an annual giving goal and was searching for worthwhile causes to donate to. Rather than just search the web or stick with what was familiar to me, I decided to ask my LinkedIn network who they thought were causes they donated to. Below is a running list (in absolutely no order of importance or preference) of what I've learned. Check back here every few weeks and see what's new. Wherever possible, I've indicated if I've donated to them (because I've checked them out or trust that my friend has checked them out) by ending the description with (D). I hope you find this helpful. Help me add to it!

1. Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance: The mission of the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance (GOCA) is to increase awareness and educate women, their families, as well as the health care community about risks, symptoms, and treatment of ovarian cancer leading to earlier detection. H/T to Nia Muhammad. (D)
2. The Small Things: The Small Things strives to keep vulnerable and orphaned children in the Meru District of Tanzania in their families by creating sustainable, participatory and evolving care plans for their future. For those families most at-risk, they provide loving residential care in an effort to further strengthen the community’s long-term capacity. H/T to Sarah Patrick, who was born in Tanzania and adds, "Their focus is on reunification and nurturing family bonds, not adoption or lifetime care. I admire their work and the love they show the children." (D)
3. Appalachian Bear Rescue: ABR cares for orphaned and injured black bear cubs for return to their natural wild habitat; increases public awareness about coexisting with black bears; and studies all aspects of returning cubs to the wild. (Also, ridiculously adorable bear cub photographs.) H/T to Kerstin Bagus, who adds, "They've changed my perspective from one of disappointment when I don't see a bear on a hike to one of joy when that happens because I know the bear has not been habituated. They also have a unique relationship with their donors. They treat us like customers and partners. It is refreshing to see." (D)
4. National Park Service, Chattahoochee Recreational Area: The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. H/T to Kerstin Bagus, who says, "The Park Service really is one of America's best ideas on so many levels. Not only does it preserve and protect our wild lands, but it contributes to a clean environment, healthy living for our population, and a mental break."
5. International Justice Mission: International Justice Mission (IJM) is a global organization that protects the poor from violence across the developing world. H/T to Brett Bogan. (D)
6. Simwatachela Sustainable Agricultural and Arts Program: To alleviate starvation by securing a sustainable water source; to promote sustainable agriculture and nutrition, and to promote empowerment through income-generating activities. Heather, who runs this, is an incredible human being - I wish I could grow up and have her selflessness. H/T to Nikki McLaughlin. (D)
7. Open Hand Atlanta: Open Hand helps people prevent or better manage chronic disease through Comprehensive Nutrition Care, which combines home-delivered meals and nutrition education as a means to reinforce the connection between informed food choices and improved quality of life. (I've both volunteered and donated here - they're a wonderful lot.) (D)
8. Atlanta Humane Society: The mission of the Atlanta Humane Society is to improve animal welfare in the southeastern United States by providing quality animal services including preventative initiatives, education, advocacy and adoption of animals into permanent loving homes. (I've volunteered, donated, and adopted my pet from here - such a worthy cause if you're an animal lover.) (D)
9. Alzheimer's Association (added May 4, 2018): Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. H/T to Jennifer Wells, who also notes, "One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or dementia and it kills more than prostate and breast cancers combined." (D)
10. Greenshoots Foundation (added May 4, 2018): Their mission (they're a UK based charity) is to foster sustainable development by promoting holistic programmes combining economic development with education, food and agriculture and medical help. H/T to Dina Noelle, whose grandparents coincidentally followed a leader (Sri Aurobindo) after whom I am named.
11. Healing Venezuela (added May 7, 2018): Their mission (they're a UK based charity) is three-fold, they help by: a) sending medical supplies to hospitals and other NGOs; b) implementing stress management workshops; and c) sponsoring high tech HIV and cancer lab tests. H/T to Karina Gómez, who adds, "... actually means a lot because of the high inflation rates and they are one of very few registered UK charities providing assistance to Venezuela." (Author's note: I visited Venezuela in the late 1990s to train people on IT Security and I remember the country and the people fondly. Sad to see what has happened.)
12. Medecins Sans Frontieres, aka Doctors without Borders (added August 17, 2018): They provide Medical Aid where it's needed most - independent, neutral, and impartial. Their mission is to provide lifesaving medical care to those most in need. They go where no one else will - Myanmar, Sudan, Congo, and worse. I have nothing but respect for them and their volunteers. (D)
13. National Ataxia Foundation (added December 18, 2019): They are dedicated to improving the lives of persons affected by Ataxia through support, education, and research. Ataxia is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. Many symptoms of Ataxia mimic those of being drunk, such as slurred speech, stumbling, falling, and incoordination. These symptoms are caused by damage to the cerebellum, the part of the brain that is responsible for coordinating movement. H/T to Kim Brunnert who funds this charity.
14. The Sierra Club Foundation (added February 23, 2021): The foundation works with individual and institutional donors to maximize financial support for strategic campaigns, provide flexible funding for innovation, help build capacity in the environmental movement, and create partnerships with a broad spectrum of allied organizations that further our shared environmental goals. (D)
15. Seva (added February 23, 2021): Have you ever thought about a life without sight? Seva is a global nonprofit eye care organization that works with local communities around the world to develop self-sustaining programs that preserve and restore sight. A $50 donation restores sight with a 15-minute cataract surgery that changes someone's life forever. (D)
16. The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (added February 23, 2021): America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. (D)
17. Richmond Fellowship Society (added August 4, 2021 - based in India) - This is a personal favorite of mine and I'm totally biased, because my dad has been an advisor here for 20+ years. The Richmond Fellowship is the world’s largest network of mental health rehabilitation service providers on the therapeutic community model as a rehabilitative effort for severe mental illness. (D)
18. Against Malaria Foundation (added August 4, 2021): The Against Malaria Foundation provides long-lasting insecticidal nets to populations at high risk of malaria, primarily in Africa. 100% of donations go towards buying nets - their overhead is covered by other organizations. (D)

If you have an amazing charity that you think should be featured here, please send me a message and give me the details, I will be glad to add it.

Aurobindo Sundaram is a security executive with 20+ years of experience in the information security space. He has built information security programs from the ground up and published at length on practical security governance. He has also written code that went into Windows NT, met Bill Gates, visited all 50 US states, and he really, really enjoys Sichuan cuisine. He plans to write about leadership, execution, and the state of information security. The opinions presented above are his personal views and are not those of any organization with which he is affiliated.