Sure, we all like to receives gifts this season. But it's also good to give! These organizations (and many others) are all amazing causes that help a variety of identities from women to minorities to cats and dogs. So instead of splurging on that lipstick you don't really need, give a little this holiday season instead!
1. Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood is a vital and affordable resource to both women and men, it not only provides abortion services, but also contraception, pregnancy care, pap and breast exams, STD testing and treatment, and is the world's largest provider of sex education. Come January, women's health care (and the health care of LGBT+ individuals) may be at risk, so it is important to help support this amazing organization that helps millions of Americans.
Donate here
2. Dakota Pipeline Access Donation Fund
You have probably seen this in the news as of late. Indigenious people have been beaten, tear gassed, and shot at with rubber bullets all because they are trying to protect their land from plans to build a 1,172 mile pipeline. Nearly 30,000 Sioux natives live in South Dakota, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and have a right to protect their reservation. Don't let history repeat itself and donate to support #NoDAPL.Donate here
3. Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is a LGBT+ advocacy group that has done tremendous work like advocate for marriage equality, protect and expand the rights of LGBT+ individuals, call for anti-discrimination and anti-hate crime laws, and much more. Much like Planned Parenthood, who knows what will happen to this campaign and the LGBT+ community come January, so it is extremely important to help protect the LGBT+ community and their rights.
Donate here
4. Black Youth Project
Founded in 2013 and made up of 18-35 year olds, the Black Youth Project strives to ensure justice and freedom for all Black lives. They aim to end criminalization and the industrial prison complex, expand and protect the rights of women and the LGBT+ community, and seek justice for victims of police brutality and hate crimes. There has been a lot of heartbreaking news in the media of police brutality, murder, and hate crimes, and this promising new organization has been working nonstop to ensure the rights of black people, donate today!
Donate here
5. Best Friends Animal Society
Who doesn't love animals? The Best Friends Animal Society is an animal shelter that gives animals the medical attention and love that they need, find them good, loving homes, and has created a healthy environment for the animals to reside in.They also provides assistance to local rescuers and organizations and is one of the lead animal welfare organizations. They have done so much amazing work in the past 5 years that they have been active like combating puppy mills, implementing innovative trap/neuter/return programs across the country, and fight breed-discriminatory laws. Put a smile on a furry friend's face and donate!Donate here