Tuesday, December 3 marks the 14th annual Giving Tuesday — a worldwide day of charitable giving and advocacy. It has occurred every Tuesday following Thanksgiving since 2012.
In the spirit of thanks and generosity, we have compiled a non-exhaustive list of charities for your consideration. All of the organizations listed below have received a 4/4 from Charity Navigator.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
American Lung Association
The fight for clean air and healthy lungs is one that is close to our hearts. GrassrootsLab/CaliforniaCityNews co-founder Robb Korinke is proud to sit on the board of the American Lung Association, which has been working to save lives by improving lung health through research, advocacy, and education for the past 120 years.
This Giving Tuesday, you can do your part to prevent lung disease by supporting the ALA’s Fight For Air Climb - Southern California donation drive. Click here to help the ALA and Robb reach their goals.
City of Hope
The City of Hope, located in Duarte, California, remains one of the largest and most respected cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States. Millions of lives are impacted by cancer every year. Thanks to Scotch™ Brand, your donation to City of Hope will be matched 5 times, up to $100,000, this Giving Tuesday. Click here to learn more.
Surfrider California
What would California be without its beaches? For four decades, the San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation has brought local, state, and federal resources together to protect our coast. Visit the website for Surfrider’s California chapterand become a coastal defender today.
Heal the Bay
Pollution is one of the biggest threats facing our oceans. Santa Monica-based Health the Bay is undertaking a historic effort to put a stop to it. As a winner of the 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year Award, you can be sure that Heal the Bay is putting your donations to good use. Click here to support the organization’s mission to protect the California coastline, restore SoCal waterways, and enact clean water policy to protect public health.
YOUTH AND EDUCATION
The Special Olympics
This global nonprofit helps empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through a variety of programs including sports and education. Every year, it holds athletic competitions for more than six million athletes with special needs. The Special Olympics also improves lives by offering access to free health screenings for its athletes and promoting inclusive education through partnerships with schools and institutions. If you donate today, you can get a 2x match!
Sandy Hook Promise
Sandy Hook Promise is a nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. The organization aims to prevent gun violence by educating youth and adults about bullying, mental health, violence and suicide. The organization also advocates for bipartisan legislation to improve school safety.
Many public school districts in California rely on Sandy Hook Promise’s training videos to help students and teachers recognize important warning signs of a mental health crisis or violent event. To support the organization’s mission, click here.
Trevor Project
For 26 years, the West Hollywood-based Trevor Project has been providing crisis and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth under age 25. The organization operates a suicide crisis hotline and undertakes education initiatives and advocacy efforts to prevent suicides and improve mental health outcomes among LGBTQ+ youth. It also conducts an annual mental health survey. The company Sephora will double your gift this Giving Tuesday. Donate here.
Teachers Supporting Teachers
Teachers Supporting Teachers is an organization dedicated to empowering educators through peer-to-peer support, professional development, and community-building opportunities. By fostering connections between educators, experienced teachers can share resources, ideas, and professional guidance to those who are just starting out in the education space. In addition to mentoring programs, TST offers workshops and online forums. Donate today.
HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food on Foot
Food on Foot is a dynamic non-profit dedicated to providing Los Angeles’ unhoused neighbors with nutritious food, jobs, housing, and life skills. Read about the organization’s incredible successes and make a donation here. You can also tour the Hollywood facility, which is open every Sunday from 12:30 - 2:30 pm.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit organization which has been building affordable housing for low-income families since 1976. Habitat for Humanity has multiple chapters in California, where the organization and its affiliates collectively build, renovate, and repair an average of 600 homes per year. There are chapters in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Sacramento.
Thanks to some generous supporters, you can see your donation to Habitat for Humanity matched up to $175,000. Click here to donate.
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
The Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services organization is a well-respected mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention service provider headquartered in Culver City, California. Established in 1942, Didi Hirsch was the first community-based outpatient mental health clinic for adults in Los Angeles. Today, it operates suicide crisis hotlines, counseling and youth services, and substance abuse treatment programs. For more information and instructions on how to donate, visit Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.
San Francisco Bay Area Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly
Loneliness, especially among senior citizens, has become a federally-recognized public health challenge linked to negative physical and psychological outcomes. Little Brothers’ mission is to reduce loneliness among the elderly by offering community activities as well as companionship. Donate today.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND VETERANS
AMVETS Department of California Service Foundation
AMVETS Department of California Service Foundation is a Garden Grove, California-based nonprofit organization that supports veterans as well as active-duty military members and their families throughout the state. The organization was founded in 1944. Donate here.
The Fisher House Foundation
The Fisher House Foundation provides free or low-cost lodging options for military members or veterans and their families during medical crises. The organization’s Hero Miles program allows family members to visit the bedsides of injured service members at little or no cost. Read more about the LA-based nonprofit and contribute to its mission here.
Fire Family Foundation
The Fire Family Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California and is the charitable arm of the Firefighters First Credit Union. This organization provides financial and emotional support to firefighters, their families, and fire victims, including financial assistance, scholarships, disaster relief, and more. Click here to donate.
First Responders Children’s Foundation
This organization provides financial support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. It also promotes education and community programs to benefit youth and the families of first responders. To learn more or support the mission, click here.
ANIMAL WELFARE
RedRover
Based in Sacramento, RedRover is a nonprofit dedicated to helping animals and pet owners in times of crisis. Services include emergency veterinary assistance, help in large-scale animal cruelty cases, shelter and rescue assistance during natural disaster situations, and shelter in domestic violence cases. This Giving Tuesday, donations to RedRover go twice as far. Donate here.
Maritime Mammal Center
The Marine Mammal Center is a nonprofit organization founded in Sausalito, California in 1975 to help rescue and rehabilitate marine mammals. The organization also conducts research and provides education programs to advance ocean conservation. Your gift will be matched by Shelly Barbanica up to $5,000 when you give today. Donate here.
CIVIL RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
Major changes are likely coming to America’s immigration system. President-Elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has promised “shock and awe” at the U.S.-Mexico border, including a return to the family separation policy that existed in Trump’s first term. Trump has not only threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, but has also vowed to end birthright citizenship by executive order and cease humanitarian parole programs that allow immigrants to live and work in the U.S.
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is a California-based nonprofit that advocates for the rights of immigrants. CHIRLA lobbies state, local, and federal officials on behalf of humane immigration policies and pathways to citizenship. It also offers workshops on immigrant rights and pathways to legalization, provides free legal services, helps asylum seekers navigate the system, and encourages civic participation. Click here to support CHIRLA’s mission.
The American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU is a longstanding organization that defends civil liberties and social justice across the the country. It has three chapters in the Golden State. Visit the donations page here.
Happy giving!