• They believe their partner really is sorry and does care about them
• Their low self esteem leads them to believe that no one else would want to be with them
• It’s dangerous to leave, so they are too afraid to take action
• They feel responsible for the way their loved one acts
• Between shared kids, pets, and finances, they feel they can’t leave

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October each year) is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have lost their lives at the hands of a person they once loved and trusted. And it’s a time to raise awareness about the crime of domestic violence and recognize our collective efforts to end violence.

In recognition of #DomesticViolenceAwareness Month, America’s Charities is recognizing the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members. These nonprofits are dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence, preventing gun violence, and providing victims with a safe place they can go to escape abuse and gain independence for a fresh start at a healthy, safe, and happy life.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

House of Ruth

Founded in 1976 as America’s first women’s shelter, House of Ruth’s mission is to help women, children and families in greatest need and with very limited resources build safe, stable lives and achieve their highest potential. At eleven residential locations, a developmental day care facility, and a free domestic violence counseling center, they serve more than 1,000 women and children every year. Learn more.

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV)

PCADV, a collaborative membership organization, joins with 59 local programs to deliver a continuum of services, support and systems change to help nearly 90,000 victims and survivors annually find safety, obtain justice and build lives free of abuse. While local domestic violence programs offer direct service to those in need, PCADV provides the infrastructure, support, expertise, and training to make their work effective. Learn more.

WOMEN’S WAY

WOMEN’S WAY inspires and mobilizes the community to invest in organizations and leaders that will advance the rights of, and opportunities for, women and girls, and achieve gender equity for all. A community foundation focused on grant-making, research, and education benefiting women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia region, WOMEN’S WAY identifies needs, shares knowledge, convenes the community, and builds awareness to challenge social inequities. Learn more.

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence

For more than 40 years, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has been the leading national voice in the prevention of gun violence, effecting meaningful change through policy, legal action, and increased public awareness of the risks and dangers of having guns in the home. The mission of the Brady Center is to reduce gun violence by 25% by 2025 through a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. Their strategy focuses on the common ground shared by most Americans: we need to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm themselves or others. Learn more.

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Every day in the United States, over 321 people are shot, 111 of whom are killed.

The United States is the only industrialized nation that faces these levels of gun violence, underscoring that this is a uniquely American but solvable problem. 

Gun Violence Awareness Month, which takes place in June each year, is a time to promote greater awareness about gun violence and gun safety, bringing citizens and community leaders together to discuss how to make all of our communities safer, and put an end to people being hurt and killed by guns. Leading this charge is America’s Charities’ nonprofit member, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence reduces gun violence using a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. Brady’s strategy focuses on the common ground shared by most Americans: we need to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm themselves or others. They accomplish this through three campaigns that:

1. Reduce the flow of crime guns into communities most heavily impacted by gun violence;
2. Expand and protect the Brady background check system; and
3. Change the cultural misconception that owning or carrying a gun makes you safer.

Click here to learn more about how Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is working to protect all Americans from guns and what you can do to help.

This June, you can participate in Gun Violence Awareness Month in a number of ways, including:​

1. #WearOrange Throughout June: The first Friday in June, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, is a reminder to us all that our nation’s gun violence epidemic rages every day whether or not it is talked about or reported on. Advocate with others and #WearOrange on June 5 – and all throughout June – to honor this on-going effort and to honor all survivors and victims of gun violence.

2. June 21 is #ASKDay: Family fire is a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home that results in death or injury. Unintentional shootings, suicides, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire. These tragedies are preventable. #ASKDay is when we remind parents & caretakers to ask, “Is there an unlocked gun in your home?” It’s a simple question, but it has the power to save a life. Click here to learn more.

3. Donate to Brady: Support the Brady Center’s mission to reduce gun violence with a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) 

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Most runaways, adolescent prostitutes and teenage delinquent’s report having been victims of some form of child abuse, and it is reported that a majority of violent criminals suffered abuse, either physical and/or sexual as children.

Abuse robs children of the opportunity to develop healthy, trusting relationships with adults, contributes to low self-esteem, and impairs healthy psycho-social development.

We all have a role to play in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. You can be a partner in providing great childhoods for all children, whether by mentoring a child or parent, advocating for family friendly policies, or donating your time or money to child-serving organizations.

In recognition of #NationalChildAbusePreventionMonth, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members:

• Prevent Child Abuse America: Founded in 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America is the oldest organization in the United States with the sole mission “to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children.” Learn what you can do to help support kids across the country — and around the corner — all year long.
• Youth For Tomorrow: Many of the children who come to YFT have been physically and sexually abused, abandoned by their families, struggle with anger management and display aggressive behavior. Founded in 1986 by Hall of Fame Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs, Youth For Tomorrow (YFT) is dedicated to providing children and families with the opportunity to focus their lives and develop the confidence, skills, intellectual ability, spiritual insight and moral integrity — based on Godly principles — resulting in positive changes to benefit the child, the family, the community, and the nation. Learn more. 

Throughout the month of April, we encourage you to:

• Join us in raising awareness about child abuse prevention! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs provide access to books and encourage reading. 

• Donate & raise money for these nonprofits. America’s Charities is proud of the work our member charities do and proud to be their workplace giving partner. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

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In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members:

• ACLU – Women have made great strides in the fight for equality, but gender bias continues to create huge barriers for many—especially immigrants, women of color, women with low incomes, and victims of domestic violence. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, the ACLU Women’s Rights Project pushes for change and systemic reform in institutions that perpetuate discrimination against women, focusing its work in the areas of employment, violence against women, and education.
• WOMEN’S WAY – WOMEN’S WAY has impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and their families through its . By seeding, supporting, and leading an array of efforts in the Greater Philadelphia region, they are working toward ensuring affordable health care access and protecting reproductive rights; empowering leadership; implementing systems change in responding and preventing domestic violence; and achieving equal opportunity and economic security for women and girls everywhere.
• Fòs Feminista – Aspires to co-create a feminist future where all women, girls, and gender-diverse people have the support, information, and services they need to make their own choices about their bodies, their sexuality, and their lives.
• NARAL – NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation fights to protect and expand these rights at every level of government—whether that means putting pressure on lawmakers and corporations, educating the public about current events, or changing the conversation ahead of monumental Supreme Court decisions.

Throughout the month of March, we encourage you to:

• Join us in celebrating Women’s History Month! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs empower women’s contributions to the advancement of communities around us.

• Donate & raise money for these nonprofits whose work has and continues to pave the way for women’s health, equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence. America’s Charities is proud of the work our member charities do in these respective areas. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

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According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the joint rescue in September is believed to be the biggest takedown of an alleged dogfighting operation in South Carolina’s history: The first day, federal officials interrupted a scheduled dogfight and rescued 14 dogs. The next day, federal and state law enforcement officers executed nearly two dozen search and seizure warrants at multiple properties. More than 20 people were arrested for state charges relating to animal cruelty and dogfighting. Officers worked with animal welfare organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States, to rescue 275 dogs.

Because the dogs were housed across so many locations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General assigned the responders to work at specific sites. Our Animal Rescue Team helped remove 70 dogs from three sites and witnessed the heartbreaking conditions the animals lived in firsthand. Responders also found evidence of dogfighting, such as a self-propelling treadmill and a large pit with chairs around the perimeter.

“Some of the dogs had no shelter. None of the dogs had water. They were really emaciated. […] Many of them had open infected wounds,” says Laura Koivula, HSUS director of animal crimes and investigations, about the dogs on the property she was assigned to work.

Several dogs had injuries so severe they needed emergency veterinary care, including a small black dog with gaping wounds on his chest and a leg injury that made him limp. “You could smell the infection, the odor of the infection, before you got up to him,” says Jessica Johnson, senior director of our Animal Rescue Team. A circle of worn grass around the end of his chain indicated that he had been confined to the same spot for a while.

Johnson stroked the dog’s back as she took in the scale of his injuries. The young dog accepted her affection but stayed hunched over, staring straight ahead. Koivula describes his face as “totally blank.” She suspects he “simply didn’t have much [energy] left in him to acknowledge the fact that we were there.”

Despite everything they had endured, many of the dogs eagerly approached responders with wagging tails. Others were withdrawn and fearful. After the rescue, the dogs went to confidential locations to recover. The HSUS continues to care for 44 dogs, including the small black dog, now called Ray.

The seizure was a collaborative effort between government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Bark Nation helped remove, transport and care for dogs from one of the three properties assigned to our rescue team, and RedRover assisted with the hands-on needs of the 44 dogs in our care during their initial arrival. Koivula is also grateful to the local, state and federal agencies who pursued the case that made this rescue possible.

“Building a case like this takes months, sometimes years, of research and investigation,” says Koivula. “It is a massive effort and takes a lot of dedication from so many people.”

Now freed from their chains, the dogs’ role is simple: rest and recuperate. After undergoing extensive surgery to repair his wounds, Ray is doing just that. Johnson visited him after his surgery and was greeted with gentle tail wags. After a little while, the small dog fell asleep, his head in her hand.

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• They believe their partner really is sorry and does care about them
• Their low self esteem leads them to believe that no one else would want to be with them
• It’s dangerous to leave, so they are too afraid to take action
• They feel responsible for the way their loved one acts
• Between shared kids, pets, and finances, they feel they can’t leave

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October each year) is a time to remember and honor loved ones who have lost their lives at the hands of a person they once loved and trusted. And it’s a time to raise awareness about the crime of domestic violence and recognize our collective efforts to end violence.

In recognition of #DomesticViolenceAwareness Month, America’s Charities is recognizing the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members. These nonprofits are dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence, preventing gun violence, and providing victims with a safe place they can go to escape abuse and gain independence for a fresh start at a healthy, safe, and happy life.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

House of Ruth

Founded in 1976 as America’s first women’s shelter, House of Ruth’s mission is to help women, children and families in greatest need and with very limited resources build safe, stable lives and achieve their highest potential. At eleven residential locations, a developmental day care facility, and a free domestic violence counseling center, they serve more than 1,000 women and children every year. Learn more.

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV)

PCADV, a collaborative membership organization, joins with 59 local programs to deliver a continuum of services, support and systems change to help nearly 90,000 victims and survivors annually find safety, obtain justice and build lives free of abuse. While local domestic violence programs offer direct service to those in need, PCADV provides the infrastructure, support, expertise, and training to make their work effective. Learn more.

WOMEN’S WAY

WOMEN’S WAY inspires and mobilizes the community to invest in organizations and leaders that will advance the rights of, and opportunities for, women and girls, and achieve gender equity for all. A community foundation focused on grant-making, research, and education benefiting women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia region, WOMEN’S WAY identifies needs, shares knowledge, convenes the community, and builds awareness to challenge social inequities. Learn more.

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence

For more than 40 years, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has been the leading national voice in the prevention of gun violence, effecting meaningful change through policy, legal action, and increased public awareness of the risks and dangers of having guns in the home. The mission of the Brady Center is to reduce gun violence by 25% by 2025 through a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. Their strategy focuses on the common ground shared by most Americans: we need to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm themselves or others. Learn more.

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We first published this article in 2018 in the wake of the historic Women’s March. Today, we find ourselves facing yet another profound moment in our history when people across the country are uniting around a common message. While the impetus for this tremendous occasion is different, the common thread of this article is not, so we felt it was appropriate to bring this to the fore once again.

Yet, we recognize that simply sharing tips that empower employees to support their passions is not enough – not by a mile. And America’s Charities’ inherent values compel us to speak out. The ongoing violent deaths of Black Americans and people of color are deeply disturbing. The painful impact of these harrowing deaths is and will continue to be significant, all the more so because of our keen awareness of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color. 

To be clear: America’s Charities rejects racism and racist violence, recognizing that they further encourage discrimination, hatred, oppression, and more violence. Our commitment to doing so is grounded in our action-oriented equity perspective. As a nonprofit and small business comprised of a diverse team of people committed to improving communities and building a better world, our condemnation of racist behavior and language is necessary, and we must do more. Systemic change is essential if we are going to successfully confront these issues head-on.

There are numerous organizations dedicated to such reforms, including the high-impact nonprofits below who we are proud to call our members. We encourage you to support our members that, each and every day, fight for equity, equality, and social justice, work to end racism, and provide legal counsel by donating to strive for a better world:

• ACLU
• NAACP
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• NBCDI National Black Child Development Institute
• NOBLE National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)

The following article explains how the workplace provides a unique opportunity for making long-term social change.

June is also National LGBTQ Pride Month, and we encourage you to support our members that also advocate for LGBTQ human rights. More about that here.

We are incredibly proud to support the efforts of all of our 100+ high-impact members, who each year make the world a better place: www.charities.org/charities_list

Whatever you choose to do, we hope you speak out in support of black lives. Silence is its own form of violence. I hope you will join us in peaceful anti-racism, taking actions that oppose racism as well as systemic and structural inequities. 

Social activism has transformed America over the past few years. From the Women’s March to the Black Lives Matter movement; from the Arab Spring to the Climate Strike; from equal access to high-quality healthcare to fighting for social justice. The sort of activism Americans are demonstrating has moved beyond marches, social media hashtags, and town hall meetings—it has entered the workplace.

Increasingly, the imperative for employers to act as agents of positive change has become apparent. What isn’t so obvious is how employers should go about doing this. There are certainly many levels and degrees to which employers can step up and address employees’ growing demands for companies to take stands on important issues. The good news is many companies are already well-positioned to provide their employees with an outlet for their activism in a way that also aligns with the company’s core values. Outlined below are key components of such initiatives.

Six Key CSR Program Components That Empower Employees to Support Their Passions

1. Employee Giving with Charitable Choice

According to America’s Charities’ Snapshot Employee Donor Research, 76% of employee donors say the ability to choose causes they care about is very important to a positive donation experience, and 30% say the reason they choose NOT to give through the workplace is due to the fact the causes they care about are not available as choices. 

By offering charitable choice through workplace giving, your company empowers its employees to funnel financial support to the social issues and nonprofits that reflect their personal values and ideologies. And by giving employees your workplace giving program as a mechanism to make those donations, you are also saving those charities valuable resources by distributing funds to them in a cost-efficient manner.

You and your employees don’t have to agree on the issues or even the best ways to affect change, but everyone should agree that supporting causes is both a smart way to advocate and a sustainable way to achieve impact.

2. Paid Time Off to Volunteer (VTO)

68% of our survey respondents say that it is imperative or very important that their employers provide them with paid time off to volunteer.

Encouraging employees to leave the office and serve the community positions your brand as caring and demonstrates its commitment to the community and social impact. And more than 70% of employees who volunteer at work report feeling better about their employer as a result, according to a 2017 UnitedHealthcare survey. While the exact number of VTO hours varies from company to company, even just offering one day of VTO can dramatically improve employee loyalty and demonstrate your company’s commitment to the community.

3. Employer Donation Matching

Whereas the open choice employee giving program we mentioned in #1 empowers employees to support nonprofits that match their passions, offering to match those employees’ donations is a great way for your company to communicate to employees that “we value and support YOU—regardless of your favorite charities or personal ideologies.” If giving enables your employees’ activism—and is in effect your organization’s own advocacy—then matching their donations goes the extra step by matching their passions with deeper (financial) support from the organization. It also looks great for your company’s social impact.

58% of America’s Charities’ Snapshot Employee Donor Research respondents say it is imperative or very important that the company match employees’ personal donations with corporate funds. If you’re looking for some programs to model yours after, here are ten well-known companies doing it right. You don’t have to be a Fortune 500 to offer matching gifts though. Between America’s Charities’ suite of four employee giving technology options and funds management services, we can empower companies large and small to support their employees and show their commitment to the community.

4. Dollars for Doers Volunteer Grants

Employees view their employers as facilitators and multipliers for their own philanthropic efforts, with 47% of survey respondents saying it is important for the company to provide a grant to the nonprofit in recognition of the employees’ volunteer service.

This unique policy takes VTO a step further and can help companies provide employees with a sense of meaning at work. While your company isn’t necessarily paying its employees time off to volunteer, through a Dollars for Doers program your company agrees to match each employees’ hours of volunteering with a set monetary donation.

5. Employee Affinity Groups or Employee Resource Groups (ERG)

Known by many names—caucuses, councils, or networking groups—ERGs serve social functions and provide a source of support for employees who share common interests, goals, or ideologies. Today many large companies have ERGs for employees of color, LGBTQ employees, women, and so on with the goal of making the workplace more inclusive and supportive of diversity.

Innovative companies can use ERGs as a way to facilitate a safe, constructive dialogue in the workplace where employees can go beyond debate and focus on discussing actionable ways to address and solve major social issues including gun violence, climate change, mental health, and sexual harassment.

6. Leadership Buy-in

One of the top six trends America’s Charities’ Snapshot Employer Research revealed is that without leadership support, employee engagement programs are likely to lack authenticity and fail. Employees are keenly aware if leadership at all levels is authentically involved or not. It’s not enough to say giving of time, money, and skills are important. Leadership must be involved in those efforts as well. Employee engagement and workplace giving programs must be embedded in a company’s culture, values, and actions. You need to look no further than the Google employee walk-out for proof of this. Download our free brief to learn how to build buy-in from leadership.

The rise of employee activism presents new challenges for companies in striking the right balance between engaging their employees in issues that matter to them, staying true to their corporate mission and values, and being a force for social good. Leveraging your employee giving and volunteer programs and other efforts provide a platform to give your employees a voice in addressing the social causes that matter to them.

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To shed light on the important ways nonprofits are supporting our communities during this health and economic crisis, and to underscore how people across the country are being impacted in ways big and small, America’s Charities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year working at the nexus of employers, charities, and employee donor giving and engagement, reached out to its community of 120+ nonprofit members for insights. If you don’t see the nonprofit you love listed here, click here to search our full member list.

Below are just a handful of challenges America’s Charities’ high-impact, pre-vetted nonprofit members are facing. Our hope is that this article will bring light to the critical role nonprofits fill in this country; help individual donors identify and support nonprofits supporting coronavirus efforts; and encourage cross-sector collaboration to ensure these nonprofits have the necessary resources, capacity, and support to continue providing help throughout this pandemic and beyond.  

When you’re ready to give to these (or other) nonprofits, visit our Coronavirus Resource Center to learn why workplace giving is the most efficient and effective method to support them.

– Demand for Food and Basic Essentials Rapidly Increases While Support from Donations, Volunteers, and Government Diminishes

School closures, job disruptions, lack of paid sick leave, and the health threat’s disproportionate impact on the elderly and low-income families are only a few aspects of this evolving crisis. As food banks are already seeing a decrease in retail donations, unique product distribution challenges, declining volunteer groups, and increased product demand for vulnerable populations, Feeding America has launched a COVID-19 Response Fund.

“We have seeded the fund with $2.65 million and plan to meet member’s needs and the creation and distribution of staged food boxes in the most vulnerable areas of our country. With the help of our supporters and partners, we are leading a conversation on how to address immediate and long-term needs as well as mitigate the impact on our nation’s most at-risk populations,” shared Teresa Gruber, Director, Employee Engagement, Feeding America.

The most vulnerable among us rely on school meals and feeding programs to survive. Those living paycheck-to-paycheck may not have savings or support systems to help. Feed the Children, which works to alleviate childhood hunger, told us that the coronavirus has already impacted the National School Lunch Program, which typically supplies close to 29 million free or reduced lunches. These meals are a critical lifeline. As school doors close across the country, vital essentials need to reach food-insecure families as soon as possible. As Feed the Children CEO Travis Arnold stated, “Please know that your donation may be the lifeline for a struggling family or child who lives in your community. That’s why every donation matters so much.”

Diane Clifford, Managing Director, Constituency Development at No Kid Hungry, which focuses on policies and programs necessary to end childhood hunger, stated, “We are working to ensure that school administrators and program operators have the information they need on how to keep meal programs running. This post from our Center for Best Practices provides guidance on proactive actions schools can take to meet the nutritional needs of students during school closures related to COVID-19. We have sent it to many schools, state agencies, and community organizations, but we want as many leaders to have this info as possible.”

Nonprofits like Miriam’s Kitchen, whose mission is to end chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C., rely heavily on volunteers and in-kind donations. In the past 37 years, Miriam’s Kitchen has never closed its doors. The population vulnerable to COVID-19—older individuals with complicating health factors—is the very population Miriam’s Kitchen serves, so continuing their services is more important than ever. While making the difficult decision to temporarily suspend their volunteer program, Miriam’s Kitchen staff from various departments will fill in to ensure meal services and streamlined case management continue. They are asking for donations to their Miriam’s Kitchen’s Emergency Flex Fund to help them ramp up and sustain efforts in response to COVID-19.

Virginia-based Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) is operating as usual, but taking extra precautions to keep its clients, volunteers, and staff safe. Clients visiting the food pantry have been offered additional, non-perishable food, and two weeks ago each family received Clean Start kits (hygiene and cleaning items). Additionally, LCAC is providing extra kids packs with additional non-perishable goods (Ramen, Easy Mac, etc…) in the weeks ahead to meet the needs of neighborhood children and teens. Just this past week, a father who frequents LCAC told the nonprofit, “thank you for making sure our kids have what they need.”

The team at Operation Warm, which provides kids with coats and so much more, told us, “This is our outreach time via conferences and we are no longer traveling as conferences are being canceled. So, opportunities to develop new partnerships are hindered. It is too early to have a handle on the impact this will have on corporate giving, but we already know there will be more families in need in the fall and demand for our coats will likely go up, as it did in 2008-2011.” 

– Health, Safety, and Lifelines are at Stake – for People and Pets

Even larger organizations like the Red Cross are feeling the blow, with the Food and Drug Administration urging healthy individuals to donate blood as American Red Cross blood drives are being canceled nationwide. Ivana Krejci, Development Operations Specialist for the American Red Cross of Central & South Texas Region shared, “To meet the constant demand for lifesaving blood, the Red Cross must collect about 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,500 platelet donations every day.

“Through Monday, March 16, we have seen over 2,700 Red Cross blood drives canceled nationwide due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in about 86,000 fewer blood donations,” shared Emily Schricker, Grant Specialist with American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania. “As more schools and businesses close their doors, this number will only continue to grow. This blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients suffering from cancer. One of the most important things you can do to ensure we don’t have another health care crisis on top of the Coronavirus is to give blood.”

Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, which serves pediatric patients and their families who travel from throughout the U.S. and the world as their child receives treatment for a life-threatening illness at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, is simply overwhelmed with the demands of responding to this health crisis. With eight facilities that serve immune-suppressed pediatric patients, they have had to make major policy and procedural changes within each of their facilities.

Brian Morrison, President, CEO, and Founder of The Believe In Tomorrow Children’s Foundation stated, “We have had to stop virtually all volunteer services and activities as we greatly restrict the number of people who can enter the Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, which is located on the grounds of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. We are working to completely overhaul our family food service program at the Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, which provides breakfast and dinners to an average of 60 guests daily. Our food program has relied heavily on volunteers coming into the facility to help prepare and serve meals, and we are now switching to meals that are prepared off-premises in restaurants and delivered daily. We are also now purchasing and asking for donations of high quality frozen meals in bulk. Additional cleaning and housekeeping staff are being hired to disinfect surface areas on a continuous rotation throughout the day. Similar precautions and procedures are being implemented in each of our pediatric respite facilities. We are asking for additional funding to support our families, who are often far from home, and due to their child’s illness cannot leave the hospital area. Gift cards to give to families and contributions to support our programs are greatly appreciated. We are preparing for a two to three month period of major instability.”

Humans aren’t the only ones being impacted by the coronavirus. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary made a historic decision this week to close its sanctuary to visitors for the first time in its 36 years of operation. Their Lifesaving Centers throughout the nation are also closing to the public over the next week in an effort to remain conscientious in their attempts to limit and protect their partners, volunteers, and employees from any potential exposure to the illness.

“This will have an incredible impact on national lifesaving efforts as adoptions will slow down but intake will remain steady or potentially even increase,” stated Jane Jetabut, Corporate Engagement Specialist, Best Friends Animal Society. “At this time, we are urgently in need of fosters. As many folks will now be working from home, now is a great time to make an incredible lifesaving contribution by providing a short term foster space for a shelter pet.”

While protective measures like social distancing and self-quarantine of infected/potentially infected individuals are inconvenient for everyone, for victims of domestic violence, they can become life-threatening. Danger inside of the home can increase along with the risks posed by the virus pandemic. When abusers have expanded access to their families, such as during the holidays, reports of domestic violence increase. Additionally, when law enforcement and medical services are forced to focus elsewhere, support services can begin to break down. According to Axios, the number of domestic violence cases reported to police in Hubei province, China nearly tripled in February after quarantine for coronavirus.

For those already experiencing domestic violence, the pandemic will add anxiety and challenges that come with having to ensure childcare, maintain employment and nutrition for their family, and access healthcare. The loss of work and income caused by coronavirus can mean the difference between safety and independence and life with an abuser.

“PCADV is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic closely and is providing daily guidance to its network of local domestic violence programs across the Commonwealth,” said Susan Higginbotham, CEO, PCADV. Adding, “Our programs will continue providing direct services, and we are collectively making every effort possible to ensure minimal disruption in services.”

Shelter space is a concern. In Pennsylvania alone, PCADV’s domestic violence programs average more than 6,500 unmet requests for housing each year—and that’s when residents are not facing a pandemic. In response to COVID-19, if needed, and when possible, programs will use hoteling and other alternative housing models.

Making Urgent Information and News about the Coronavirus Accessible to the Deaf Community

A far overlooked issue is the dissemination of information about the coronavirus itself. Much of the information shared by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have been in complex college-level English text form. Such information is not accessible to many people in the U.S., particularly those whose primary or only language is another language, as well as those who comprehend plain English rather than complex English.

Many within the deaf community use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary or only language. Yet, the CDC and HHS do not include any videos in ASL that explain the same urgent and critical information shared with everyone else in complex English.

Howard A. Rosenblum, Esq., Chief Executive Officer & Director of Legal Services at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) stated, “Despite our strenuous efforts in urging both the CDC and HHS to disseminate information in ASL, they have repeatedly told us “it is coming,” yet the crisis is at critical levels and many places are closing. It’s not okay to share ASL information a month after everyone else has information. This is not acceptable and it is also illegal under federal disability rights laws.”

Moreover, Rosenblum shares, “We [NAD] have been expending time and effort to ensure that state and local governments hold accessible press conferences that advise their local populations on what to do during the epidemic. Too often, such press conferences are not accessible. Some are captioned, which is good but is not accessible for those who only understand ASL. We urge all such press conferences across the country to have both captioning and ASL interpretation. Nothing less.” 

– Keeping Educational and Arts Programs for People with Disabilities and Underserved Populations Operational

While some nonprofits have made the tough choice to cancel or suspend their own programs, having that choice has not been the case for all. Susan Slattery, Director of Outreach at Art Spark Texas, which provides programs supporting people with disabilities – including veterans and wounded warriors – shared, “There is a general feeling of uncertainty because, in many cases, we are not the ones who made the decisions to close. Property owners and program partners are also facing the same dilemmas, and we have to work together for the common good. Not only does this affect the people we serve, who already experience social isolation, it affects our funding streams and impacts staff and family members. We will have to look at ways to streamline programs and services into the unforeseeable future, but are pleased at the outpouring of support we have received from our current funders.”

Generation Hope, which describes its work as a “two-generation solution to poverty,” works with teen parents in college and their little ones. Between college campus and school closures, admission to physical and mental healthcare facilities, and access to food, Generation Hope’s team and case managers are working to ensure the support and services they provide continue without interruption – moving some of their programming to virtual delivery where possible. Generation Hope asks people to sign up to tutor remotely, mail laptops and Wi-Fi hotspot equipment to their office (located at 415 Michigan Ave, NE, Suite 430, Washington, DC 20017), donate to their Scholar Emergency Fund, and help with general operating support.

The National Capital Area Council Boy Scouts of America’s (NCAC) first priority is the health and safety of its staff, volunteers, and Scouts, and their moral responsibility to follow guidelines for social distancing to help stop the spread of this disease. While much is still unknown about how dramatically they will be affected by the coronavirus, they have currently canceled all programs, events, and camps until at least April 30. In addition to technology and resource deficits, this disruption will result in lost revenue. A donation of $240 can help NCAC cover the cost of programs for one Scout whose family has been economically challenged by COVID-19.

As is the case with many other nonprofits we’ve heard from, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), whose programs and scholarships are life-changing for students—many who are low-income and first-generation college students—is having to postpone and cancel critical fundraising events that support TMCF’s overall mission. Not only does TMCF provide unparalleled access to a funnel of opportunities for students to journey to college, through college, and into a career, but TMCF also serves as an essential pipeline, providing corporations with critical exposure to diverse talent. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been overlooked as major corporations build their university relations plans largely with predominately white institutions. The programming TMCF offers allows senior leaders, hiring managers, and other corporate stakeholders to engage with the talent they would not normally engage with cost-efficiently, proving to corporate leaders that HBCUs provide a rich and viable pipeline of diverse talent. This process of exposing the value of HBCUs is central to the mission of TMCF and critical to their ability to deepen current funding resources and attracting new ones.

The Need for Sustainable Nonprofit Funding

The event of America’s Charities’ 40^th anniversary has given us an opportunity to pause and reflect on philanthropy. In all our time supporting nonprofits and businesses and advancing the greater good, we have never seen the social impact community face a crisis quite like this one. While the full scale of the coronavirus toll has yet to be seen, one thing is crystal clear: nonprofits all across the U.S. are playing an absolutely vital role in addressing and mitigating the impact the coronavirus will have on communities across our nation and filling the void made by the lack of government resources.

We know, too, that when a group of social changemakers comes together, wondrous things happen. Since the start of the pandemic, businesses have been looking inward as they evaluate their workplace policies and figure out how best to ensure the safety of their employees while keeping their operations running. Many are beginning to look outward to identify the ways their business and employees can help nonprofits and people in the community. The benefits of workplace giving are more poignant than ever. While we may not be able to interact as we once did, workplace giving becomes an avenue for donors to help, with just a few clicks of a button. Just as we have seen in the case of natural disasters, we expect to see a surge in employers using their workplace giving programs as an outlet for their employees to safely donate to nonprofits with coronavirus initiatives. We are proud to support businesses and their employees in that endeavor, just as we are honored to serve the more than 120 nonprofits that comprise our membership.

As an extra step to support coronavirus response efforts, we are launching the America’s Charities Coronavirus Response Fund as a way for donors and businesses to provide short and long-term support with a single donation. Visit www.charities.org/coronavirus for details.

The coronavirus has already reached its long tentacles into our community. From how we work, to how our children are educated, to how we interact and support each other, to how we advocate for the health and safety of ourselves and our loved ones, we know it’s a stressful time right now. America’s Charities will be with you every step of the way, providing you resources during this fluid time. On our website, we have compiled all of the coronavirus resources and information we can, from this article and elsewhere. We encourage the public to continue visiting this page as we will keep it updated while the pandemic progresses and new needs emerge.

Thank you for all that you do. Stay safe.

The post The Critical Ways America’s Charities’ Nonprofit Members are Helping Communities Respond to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic appeared first on America's Charities.

In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month October 1-31, 2019, America’s Charities is celebrating the following members who are making a difference in the fight to end bullying.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name below to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

House of Ruth – Helps more than 1,000 women and children annually to achieve greater safety, stability and self-sufficiency.

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence – A collaborative membership organization that helps nearly 90,000 victims and survivors annually find safety, obtain justice and build lives free of abuse.

WOMEN’S WAY –  Founded in 1977, WOMEN’S WAY has put more than 23 million dollars to work in the Greater Philadelphia region advancing the rights of women and girls and fighting for gender equity.  

American Campaign for Prevention of Child Abuse and Family Violence – Provides violence prevention services that help thousands of children, spouses/partners (women and men), and the elderly who are physically, mentally and emotionally abused and vulnerable to family violence in the home. 

Southern Poverty Law Center – Internationally recognized for its leadership in seeking justice for the most vulnerable in our society and fighting hate in courtrooms and classrooms throughout the nation, the SPLC seeks to advance equality and social justice through a variety of programs and services.

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Upcoming Events (Click here for full details on YWCA’s website):

Oct 13: Kick off Week Without Violence 2019 a day early by tuning in to hear from programs and experts working to support survivors and prevent gender-based violence. 

Oct 14: On Indigenous People’s Day (#MMIW), join YWCA on social media to highlight the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Oct 15: This Capitol Hill Call-In Day, engage your Members of Congress by taking action online; calling your legislators; and engaging with these discussions on social media, using the hashtag #WWV19 to tweet at your Member of Congress.

Oct 16: Help raise awareness about gender-based violence and support for survivors by taking a Week Without Violence campaign selfie using one of YWCA’s fillable signs and/or making a donation! YWCA is the largest network of domestic and sexual violence service providers in the country and your support is crucial to our work.

Oct 17: Engage with your state and local elected officials on this important issue. Ask questions about their position on policies that support survivors and help hold them accountable.

Oct 18: Join YWCA for an engaging Twitter chat from 2 to 3 p.m. ET, hosted by their team at @YWCAUSA! YWCA will be discussing the intersection of gender-based violence and gun violence. Participate in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WWV19.

Support YWCA Through Workplace Giving!

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support YWCA and ensure they have funding necessary to support their work all year round is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) 

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Started in New York, Gun Violence Awareness Month is a time to promote greater awareness about gun violence and gun safety, bringing citizens and community leaders together to discuss how to make all of our communities safer. One nonprofit leading this charge is the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence reduces gun violence using a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. Our strategy focuses on the common ground shared by most Americans: we need to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to harm themselves or others. We accomplish this through three campaigns that 1) reduce the flow of crime guns into communities most heavily impacted by gun violence; 2) expand and protect the Brady background check system; and 3) change the cultural misconception that owning or carrying a gun makes you safer.

This June, you can participate in Gun Violence Awareness Month in a number of ways, including:

1. Join Brady’s #WeNeedToKnow campaign! 

   It’s been more than 20 years since Congress funded research into gun violence prevention. In that time, gun violence has become a national epidemic, with 35,000 people in the U.S. killed by guns each year. But without evidence-based research, there’s so much #WeNeedToKnow in order to identify and invest in solutions. This isn’t about politics — we need answers that will save lives.

   Click here to send a message to your representatives to demand funding for gun violence prevention research.

2. June 21 is #ASKDay: Family fire is a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home that results in death or injury. Unintentional shootings, suicides, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire. These tragedies are preventable. #ASKDay is when we remind parents & caretakers to ask, “Is there an unlocked gun in your home?” It’s a simple question, but it has the power to save a life. Click here to learn more.

3. Donate to Brady: Support the Brady Center’s mission to reduce gun violence with a tripartite strategy that incorporates litigation, legislation, and education. One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) 

The post Uniting Americans from Coast to Coast, Red and Blue and Every Color, to End Gun Violence appeared first on America's Charities.

Founded 47 years ago by attorneys Morris Dees and Joseph Levin, the SPLC used newly passed civil rights laws to dismantle remnants of Jim Crow in the Deep South. In the ensuing years, the SPLC shut down some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups by winning crushing, multimillion-dollar jury verdicts on behalf of their victims. It has reformed juvenile justice practices; shattered barriers to equality for women, children, the LGBT community, and the disabled; protected immigrant workers and the poor from exploitation; and more.

At this moment in American history when our country is so deeply divided, the work of the SPLC is more vital than ever.

Fighting Hate

The SPLC defines a hate group as an organization that – based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities – has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics. Often, but not always, hateful speech incites violence and sometimes is considered evidence of a hate crime. During 2017, our Intelligence Project tracked 954 hate groups and published our annual Hate Map report depicting the location and ideology of the groups. This is the third year in a row that the number of hate groups has increased, most notably among anti-Muslim groups.

The SPLC has taken the following steps, among others, to combat this rising tide of extremism:

• Litigating against the worst of these groups in a manner similar to lawsuits the SPLC has used to win crippling court judgments against 10 major white supremacist organizations and 50 individuals who led them or participated in violent acts. Most recently, for example, we’ve sued Andrew Anglin, the founder of the most heavily trafficked neo-Nazi website, who orchestrated a harassment campaign that has relentlessly terrorized a Jewish woman and her family with anti-Semitic threats and messages.
• Distributing new “roll call” training videos to more than 40,000 law enforcement officers across the country to help them recognize, respond to, and report hate crimes properly and promptly. Our training videos also help law enforcement officers prepare for hate group rallies in their local communities.
• Holding Silicon Valley companies accountable to their own rules forbidding hate groups from exploiting their services to raise money and spread demonizing propaganda that radicalizes young people and encourages violence.

Teaching Tolerance

The SPLC’s Teaching Tolerance project provides free anti-bias educational materials such as webinars, lesson plans, professional development, and other classroom resources. The SPLC has taken several steps to support schools that are feeling the consequences of inflamed racial and ethnic tensions:

• Distributing free resources designed to help teachers and school administrators counter harmful stereotypes and stop the bullying and harassment of children whose races, ethnicities, and religions are targeted by hateful rhetoric.
• Providing educators with practical advice and strategies to help them support children of immigrants and immigrant children who may be affected by anti-immigrant policies and sentiment.
• Launching Teaching Tolerance’s most recent initiative, Teaching Hard History (THH): American Slavery, to address the fact that the majority of students leave school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States – or how its legacies still influence us today.

Seeking Justice

The SPLC stands up in court for the powerless, the exploited, and other victims of discrimination and hate. With a staff of more than 100 lawyers and legal advocates, the SPLC focuses on impactful litigation in these five practice areas: immigrant justice; economic justice; criminal justice reform; LGBT rights; and children’s rights.  Examples of our current projects include:

• Representing immigrants caught in the nation’s deportation machine with pro bono legal services at five detention centers in the Southeast as part of our Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI).
• Exposing the abuse of prisoners stemming from mass incarceration policies and the exploitative, for-profit prison industry.
• Using legislation and litigation to reform the criminal justice system and eliminate excessive court fees, modern-day debtors’ prisons, and other practices that unfairly punish or exploit the poor.

These are a just a few of the ways the SPLC continues to promote and protect our nation’s most cherished ideals and stand up for those who have no other champions. Whether this mission takes the SPLC into the courts, the classroom, or elsewhere, it remains devoted to creating a better future by fighting hate, teaching tolerance, and seeking justice.

Support SPLC through your employee giving program:

As a donor, you can support SPLC by donating to them through your employer’s workplace giving program (CFC#10352 if you’re a military or federal employee participating in the Combined Federal Campaign). Payroll pledges made through employer-sponsored charitable giving programs represent a cost effective and near effortless way to support your favorite charities.

As SPLC’s workplace giving partner, America’s Charities can help your company design and implement a program centered on supporting their work – through workplace giving campaigns, employee fundraising, cause-focused signature programs, volunteerism, donation drives, matching gifts, Dollars-for-Doers, In-Kind Giving and other employee engagement and philanthropic initiatives. Click here to request a demo and learn how we can help you do this.

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