The holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means: ‘tis the season for charitable giving. But sometimes it can get a little overwhelming. There are a ton of nonprofits out there doing good and necessary work. How do you choose who to donate to? Well, MLP has a long history of working with nonprofits, both paid and pro-bono, and we’ve learned a thing or two about the nonprofit world. Below are a few of the groups we’ve worked with that we think would really benefit and do good works with your gift.
Rock Creek Conservancy
Ok, I’m a bit biased – since Rock Creek Conservancy was a fellow Incubator at Bethesda Green I spent two years working in the office across the hall from theirs, and consider them to be good friends. But! They’re also a great environmental nonprofit that does good work on a local level. As their name suggests, they’re dedicated to preserving and promoting Rock Creek and its park; one of the first established National Parks, and the only one in a major city. Their programs include invasive species removal, helping residents create backyard habitats, working to reduce stormwater runoff in the watershed, and the beautification of the park. Want to help? You can donate on their site. If you want to get more hands-on, they tend to have events every weekend; you can remove English Ivy from Rock Creek trees, or help with a stream cleanup. (And they even provide you with work gloves!)
Trees for the Future
One of the major problems in the developing world (and in the developed world as well) is the desertification of arable farmland. Trees for the Future helps subsistence farmers plant forest gardens; 4,000 trees that work to stabilize the soil, diversify their crops, provide food for their families, and create a stable living for the farmer and their family. Their work is concentrated in Sub Saharan Africa, where desertification has been having a major impact on the farmers and the economy. By planting trees and diversifying crops, Trees for the Future and the farmers they partner with are reducing environmental degradation, helping the economy, and creating a massive carbon sink to reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. You can support them directly through their site, or purchase goods from their sponsors, who will then donate funds to plant more trees. Finally, Charity Navigator gives them a 90.82% rating – pretty darn good!
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity builds affordable housing to aid families who have lost their homes to natural disasters or who have incomes below the median of their area. Relying on donors, volunteers, and “sweat equity” from the future homeowners, Habitat builds modest, well-constructed, and affordable houses. They also work to incorporate accessible design features such as zero-step entrances and wide passage doors. Habitat for Humanity has branches all over the country and the world; you can donate to the international organization or support the branch that works in your community.
Audubon Naturalist Society
The Audubon Naturalist Society is a DC nonprofit environmental group that encourages environmental protection through outdoor experiences, education, and advocacy. They work with local elementary schools through their Green Kids programs, offer continuing education classes and field trips for adults, and lead conservation projects in the DC area. You can support them in a couple of different ways; you can donate directly, become a member, support them with Amazon Smile, or volunteer in one of their many programs. As an added bonus, ANS has a rating of 89.03% on Charity Navigator, with high marks for both financial performance and accountability.
So there you have it. A few organizations (big and small) that would do good things with a charitable donation. And sure, we might be a bit biased, as we’ve worked with each of these companies in the past. But we wouldn’t continue to support them, outside of work hours, if we didn’t believe in their mission and their capacity to do good. So if you’re looking for a charity to support this year, check out the groups we’ve picked out. We like them a lot, and we think you will too. Want to learn more? Head over to our Vimeo page and see some of the work we’ve done for these great nonprofits.