More than ever before, our environment needs our protection. In recognition of Environmental Awareness Month, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members.

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!

A Wider Circle

A Wider Circle’s mission is to end poverty through on-the-ground programs and services, as well as through the development of large-scale solutions to its root causes. As part of their holistic approach, they save 12 million pounds of furniture from going into the landfill every single year. Learn more. 

Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area

The time spent by youth at Scout Camp is not only about building campfires and spending time in nature. Scouts may not realize it at the time, but all of the challenges, triumphs, teamwork, and fun they experienced at camp will help them on their way to becoming strong, confident leaders tomorrow. Guided by caring and committed mentors, boys gain self-confidence; develop leadership skills; learned about self-sacrifice and teamwork; embraced values like honesty and courage; showed respect for the outdoors; and simply have the time of their lives. That’s the adventure that Boy Scouts provides. Young people having fun, being happy, in an environment that fosters positive growth. Learn more.

The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund strives to protect our nation’s land, water, and wildlife by finding positive, lasting solutions to conserve these precious resources and species, and to achieve environmental and economic outcomes. Learn more.

Feeding America

Food waste is a pressing issue in our country, both at a commercial and consumer level. Not only does excessive food waste hit us hard in our bank accounts, but it also has a huge impact on the environment that we all share. Over 20% of landfill volume is comprised of food waste and 21% of all freshwater used goes toward the production of food that ends up being discarded. Learn the steps you can take to keep your food fresh and fight food waste. And click here to see how Feeding America and its network of partners are working together to fight food waste with food rescue. 

Rails-to-Trails

Since 1986, Rails-to-Trails has worked from coast to coast, supporting the development of thousands of miles of rail-trails for millions to explore and enjoy, and to build healthier places for healthier people. Learn more.

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

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!

• Human Rights Campaign Foundation: The Human Rights Campaign Foundation envisions an America where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons are ensured of their basic equal rights – and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community. Through research, education, and outreach, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation encourages LGBTQIA Americans to live their lives openly and seeks to change the hearts and minds of Americans to the side of equality. Click here to learn more about their specific projects and initiatives, and click here to find a pride event near you. 
• Point Foundation: Point Foundation (Point) is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQIA students of merit. Point Foundation’s purpose is to empower LGBTQIA students of merit, many of whom might otherwise be at an academic and social disadvantage as a direct result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. While empowerment is a lofty goal, Point Foundation achieves it by providing education, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training; as well as the financial ability to attend the nation’s foremost institutions of higher education; to our scholars. Click here to learn more.
• SPLC: The Southern Poverty Law Center is internationally recognized for its groundbreaking leadership in seeking justice for the most vulnerable in our society and fighting hate in courtrooms and classrooms throughout the nation. We’re working in the courts to ensure that LGBTQIA people achieve full equality under the law. Our work has a national reach but is focused primarily on the Southeast, where relatively few organizations advocate for the LGBTQIA community. In recent years, we’ve launched groundbreaking cases to: Challenge gay-to-straight “conversion therapy” as fraudulent; Obtain equal government benefits for veterans; Protect LGBTQIA children from violence and harassment in school; Ensure the parental rights of LGBTQIA people; Protect the right to proper medical treatment and safe housing for transgender prisoners; Force states to recognize the rights of same-sex couples; and Protect the First Amendment rights of LGBTQIA students. Click here to learn more.
• Time Out Youth: Time Out Youth offers support, advocacy, and opportunities for personal development and social interaction to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQIA) youth, ages 11 through 20, in the greater Charlotte, NC, area. Our programs include weekly support group meetings, movie nights, one-on-one counseling, crisis intervention, and emergency housing. Our life skills support includes academic tutoring, assistance with college and scholarship applications, resume preparation, interviewing, and mentoring. Our advocacy efforts include a school outreach program aimed at raising awareness among educators of the special challenges faced by LGBTQIA students. Additionally, we have a Speaker’s Bureau which offers presentations by our youth and an adult moderator on what it means to be LGBTQIA at home, at school, at work, and in the community. Click here to learn more.   
• StandUp for Kids: Focused on ending the cycle of youth homelessness. Up to 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQIA. Click here to learn more. 
• Amnesty International: is a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights. Amnesty conducts research, provides training, and advocates for reform to advance equality and safety. Click here to learn more.

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More than ever before, our environment needs our protection. A 2020 study found global greenhouse gas emissions dropped 17 percent in early April – a welcome silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic. The plunge is equivalent to more than a billion tons of carbon dioxide that never made its way into the atmosphere. While this is fantastic news, it is not likely to be repeated unless we take action.

In recognition of #WorldEnvironmentDay2024, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members.

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!

• A Wider Circle: A Wider Circle’s mission is to end poverty through on-the-ground programs and services, as well as through the development of large-scale solutions to its root causes. As part of their holistic approach, they save 12 million pounds of furniture from going into the landfill every single year. Learn more.
• Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area: The time spent by youth at Scout Camp is not only about building campfires and spending time in nature. Scouts may not realize it at the time, but all of the challenges, triumphs, teamwork, and fun they experienced at camp will help them on their way to becoming strong, confident leaders tomorrow. Guided by caring and committed mentors, boys gain self-confidence; develop leadership skills; learned about self-sacrifice and teamwork; embraced values like honesty and courage; showed respect for the outdoors; and simply have the time of their lives. That’s the adventure that Boy Scouts provides. Young people having fun, being happy, in an environment that fosters positive growth. Learn more.
• The Conservation Fund: The Conservation Fund strives to protect our nation’s land, water, and wildlife by finding positive, lasting solutions to conserve these precious resources and species, and to achieve environmental and economic outcomes. Learn more.
• Feeding America: Food waste is a pressing issue in our country, both at a commercial and consumer level. Not only does excessive food waste hit us hard in our bank accounts, but it also has a huge impact on the environment that we all share. Over 20% of landfill volume is comprised of food waste and 21% of all freshwater used goes toward the production of food that ends up being discarded. Learn the steps you can take to keep your food fresh and fight food waste. And click here to see how Feeding America and its network of partners are working together to fight food waste with food rescue.
• Rails-to-Trails: Since 1986, Rails-to-Trails has worked from coast to coast, supporting the development of thousands of miles of rail-trails for millions to explore and enjoy, and to build healthier places for healthier people. Learn more.

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In addition to celebrating Bike to Work Day (or Bike to Work Week) by doing the obvious – biking to work – here are some ways you can show your support and participate in this event:

1. Looking for a bike trail to take? Whether you are biking to work or just want to get out and bike around your community, use Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s TrailLink to find a trail near you.
2. Help fund the maintenance and creation of new trails: Donate to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people. (RTC) serves as the national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, 31,000 miles of rail-trails and multi-use trails, and more than 8,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of creating more walkable, bikeable communities in America. Click here to learn more about their organization ways to support their work.
3. Support sustainability and world population stabilization: We reached a milestone population of 300 million in 2006 and are hurtling toward a population of over 400 million by 2050. Urbanization can be a boon to population stabilization, but when urbanization is paired with development that isn’t planned with sustainability in mind, sprawl is all too often the result. But population growth in and around cities does not have to create sprawl if cities are planned with sustainability in mind. Dense housing (apartments and condos instead of single family homes), ample affordable public transportation, and jobs near shopping and housing all lessen the effects of population growth on the rate of sprawl in a community. Tysons Corner is currently a traffic-choked business and shopping area 14 miles west of Washington, DC. This “edge city” grew up around the 9th largest indoor mall in the U.S., a pattern recognizable in suburban communities around the country. The commercial district employs 120,000 people—it’s the 12th biggest employment center in the country—but currently houses only 17,000. “Every morning, 110,000 cars arrive, and they all leave at 5,” says Clark Tyler, chairman of Fairfax County’s Tysons Corner Land Use Task Force. But all that is about to change because Tysons is getting a long-overdue makeover. Beginning in 2013, a new Metro line extending from DC to Dulles Airport will stop in four Tysons locations along the way, bringing the subway system to the area for the first time. High-density housing with retail on the first floor is being built within a half-mile of these four Metro stops. New sidewalks and bike and pedestrian lanes will help expand transportation options beyond the single passenger vehicle. Suburban sprawl may have been the predominant trend during the second half of 20th Century America, but high-density, walkable development may be the trend going forward.

Did You Know? One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them 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 for more ways to support them!

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

• The Conservation Fund: The Conservation Fund practices conservation to achieve environmental and economic outcomes. Every Fund program places conservation at its center, and our entrepreneurial staff create and implement innovative, practical ways to benefit the natural world and the well-being of Americans from every walk of life. Since 1985, The Conservation Fund has protected over 8 million acres of America’s most important, at-risk lands and waters. Click here to learn more about the Fund’s impact on the following focus areas: Land, Water, Wildlife, Finance, Food, Community Development, Cities, Partnerships, Climate, and Restoration.
• Feeding America: Many people think of ending hunger when they think of Feeding America – and they would be right. However, Feeding America is also an important ally in the work to end food waste. Each year, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year, while 38 million Americans struggle with hunger. Feeding America and its partner network rescues food every day — rescuing 4.7 billion pounds of groceries last year. Learn how you can fight food waste in your own kitchen and learn about one Feeding America’s newest innovations, MealConnect, which makes safe and quick food donations possible by matching food businesses directly to the Feeding America network. Local grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and more can use MealConnect to alert nearby food banks, food pantries or meal programs when they have food ready for immediate pick up, making more good food available and revolutionizing local food rescue.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: The mission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.  For 30 years, RTC has been the leader in the national rail-trail movement and is the voice of more than 160,000 members and supporters. RTC has helped develop more than 1,600 pathways, transforming more than 30,000 miles of former rail corridors into beautiful paths for walking, biking, riding, and other outdoor activities. RTC partners with thousands of community organizations, trail groups, and local governments to create a nationwide network of trails – one community at a time. They support a healthier environment by making active transportation a viable transportation alternative. They contribute to healthier, more vibrant communities, connecting people of all ages and abilities to the places where they live, work and play. Each year on the fourth Saturday of April, you can Celebrate Trails Day (formerly Opening Day for Trails), an annual spring celebration of America’s trails. Started by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in 2013, the celebration encourages people all across the country to get outside and enjoy the nation’s exceptional trails and trail systems. Learn more.

How to Join Us for Earth Day 2024: 

• Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn and let us know you are celebrating Earth Day. Be sure to include the hashtag #EarthDay in your posts to join the global conversation online.
• Subscribe to our CSR Newsletter as we share how our members’ programs protect our environment and communities around the world.
• Donate & raise money for these nonprofits. America’s Charities is proud of our member charities’ work on behalf of ecosystems, people, and communities all over the planet. 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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Gaining a better understanding of how water impacts economic, political, and social stability around the globe and knowing how to solve these problems is vital to addressing the growing water and sanitation crisis.

Why It Matters:

Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education. Below are a handful of facts and statistics about how sanitation and access to clean water impact people and communities around the world.

Health and Hygiene

• Hygiene promotion is the most cost effective health intervention. (World Bank 2016)
• 700 children die every day from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
• 1 in 3 healthcare facilities does not have access to hand hygiene where care is provided.Almost 2 billion people depend on health care facilities without basic water services.
• Timely hand hygiene prevents up to 50 per cent of avoidable infections acquired during health care delivery, including those affecting the health workforce.
  (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
• Over the past five years, half a billion people have gained access to basic hand hygiene facilities – a rate of 300,000 per day. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)

Education

• Women and girls are responsible for water collection in 8 out of 10 households with water off premises, which means reducing the population with limited drinking water services will have a strong gender impact. (WHO and UNICEF, 2017)
• 43% of schools around the world lack access to basic handwashing with soap and water (WHO)
• 1 in 3 schools worldwide have either limited drinking water or no drinking water at all (WHO)

Environment

• People living in poverty are especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change because of their reliance on unstable water and sanitation systems, weaker institutional protections, and limited access to funding.
• Climate change affects water and sanitation, and water and sanitation services contribute to climate change because of the use of energy.
• Increasing access to sanitation and improved wastewater management can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The potential risks to water and sanitation services posed by climate change include damage to infrastructure, leading to the loss of services and to deterioration in water quality – impacts that will increase risks to health.
• Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters (UN)

Economic 

• Improving household water and sanitation access impacts household finances and ultimately the economy at a macro level. (Water.org)
• Universal access to basic water and sanitation would result in $18.5 billion in economic benefits each year from avoided deaths alone. (Water.org)
• Every $1 invested in water and sanitation provides a $4 economic return from lower health costs, more productivity and fewer premature deaths. (Water.org)

Be Part of the Solution:

Solving the global water crisis will require cross-sector collaboration. If individual donors, businesses, and the government work together to provide necessary support, there’s no reason anyone should suffer the health and economic consequences listed above. America’s Charities members are committed to addressing issues like the water crisis, and you can empower children and families all around the world by supporting these organizations.

In honor of #WorldWaterDay, March 22 every year, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members.

You can support their work through workplace giving, matching gift campaigns, and other social responsibility programs. Click below to learn more about each organization. 

• Feed the Children: Clean water and sanitation intervention for children and their families is crucial to prevent common illness. When children are guaranteed proper health and sanitation measures, they are able to prevent and fight disease, which enables them to develop both physically and mentally into strong children who become contributing members of their communities. Feed the Children’s programs promote healthy immune systems and enable children to develop through adolescence and into adulthood. Learn more. 
• The Conservation Fund: The Conservation Fund strives to protect our nation’s water resources by finding positive, lasting solutions to conserve it. They use strategic land conservation to protect properties vital to the water supply, whether it’s a plot that holds a community’s drinking supply, an urban area prone to flooding, or regions whose waters are threatened by development. In addition, The Conservation Fund helps cities and communities find ways to manage their water sustainably and effectively. Learn more.

How to Join Us for World Water Day 2022:

• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members’ specific programs are working to address water scarcity and bring clean water to communities around the world. 

• Donate & raise money for these nonprofits. 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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World Kindness Day is a day to pause and reflect on the simple acts of kindness that can transform lives. It’s a time when people from all corners of the globe come together to spread positivity, empathy, and compassion. It’s not just about grand gestures; it’s about the everyday kindness that can make someone’s day brighter.

For many, World Kindness Day is a chance to start a ripple effect of goodwill. It’s about going out of your way to help a neighbor, offering a smile to a stranger, or lending a listening ear to a friend in need. Small acts of kindness can have a profound impact on individuals and communities, reminding us that we’re all connected in this journey called life.

World Kindness Day extends its embrace to workplaces as well, where kindness can thrive just as in our personal lives. One way employers can foster kindness is by initiating an Employee Assistance Fund (EAF).

Starting an Employee Assistance Fund: A Kind Gesture for Your Team

An Employee Assistance Fund is a tangible expression of kindness and support within the workplace. It’s a dedicated financial resource that provides aid to employees facing unexpected challenges or hardships. While World Kindness Day encourages us to be kind to others, an EAF allows employers to demonstrate their commitment to the well-being of their team members.

This fund can make a real difference in the lives of employees who may be dealing with personal crises, financial hardships, or other difficulties. Whether it’s assisting with medical bills, providing relief during natural disasters, or offering support for education-related expenses, an EAF sends a powerful message: “We care about you, not just as employees, but as individuals.”

On World Kindness Day, consider taking the first step toward creating an EAF in your organization. It’s an investment in the welfare and happiness of your team, and it aligns perfectly with the spirit of this special day. Plus, it can serve as a year-round reminder that kindness has a place in the workplace, where collaboration, empathy, and support are the building blocks of a thriving team.

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Both organizations work to reduce substandard housing in Eastern Kentucky annually. This strategic partnership will help families who have continued to face challenges since the historic flooding. Regular homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flooding, and FEMA reports that only 4% of people applying for housing recovery assistance after the floods in July 2022 had flood insurance. The maximum FEMA grant per household is less than $40,000 and it is currently the only source of funding for many residents in the area.

“When tragedy struck Eastern Kentucky last year, we saw the worst of nature and the very best of humanity. Team Kentucky stepped up to help our neighbors when they needed it most,” Coleman said. “There are no better examples of that than Christian Appalachia Project and Appalachia Service Project. They are utilizing their considerable experience and resources to help families rebuild their homes and lives.”

An ASP crew worked to frame a home for the Ritchie family whose home was hit by a mobile home that was drifting at a high speed in the water, knocking their home from its foundation. They were so thankful to get out alive. Had they waited, the mobile home would have hit their daughter’s bedroom. 

Also in attendance was Guy Adams, President/CEO of Christian Appalachian Project; Walter Crouch, President/CEO of Appalachian Service Project; and Jamie Hughes and Glenda Shrum, Co-Chairs of the Long-Term Recovery Group in Knott County.  

“We know that recovery is a long journey for many families,” Adams said. “CAP has always been here for the long haul to help immediately following a natural disaster, but also months and years later to help families get back on their feet. Strategic partnerships have helped us meet those needs.”

In recent years ASP has expanded its outreach to include building new homes for low-income families whose homes were destroyed by fire or flooding and others whose homes are beyond repair. 

“Having witnessed the great work CAP does throughout the region, this partnership is a wonderful opportunity to work with CAP in rebuilding flood-recovery homes,” Crouch added. “I hope this opens the door for more partnership opportunities in the future.”

Since July 2022, CAP’s Operation Sharing program has received and redistributed more than 200 truckloads of building supplies and other essential items specifically designated for disaster relief aid valued at more than $20 million.

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We need only to look at the increasing number of a wide range of natural disasters to see the impact of climate change. In 2022, the United States experienced 18 separate weather and climate disasters costing at least $1 billion. Among the disasters that caused this destruction were a winter storm / cold wave; a wildfire event, which included multiple fires; a drought and heat wave; a flood; two tornado outbreaks; three tropical cyclones; and nine severe weather / hail events.

Unfortunately, 2022 was not an anomaly. Both 2021 and 2020 featured 20 or more weather and climate disasters, signaling that this becoming the new normal.

But before you lace up your boots to help those who are impacted by a natural disaster, consider these actions instead:

Prepare if you’re in an area that could be impacted. The first job for anyone in a disaster is to not become someone in need. The fewer people that need help allows emergency crews to focus on the truly desperate. One thing to do is pack a “go bag” ahead of time. You’ll need first aid supplies, food, and water for several days as well as identification, prescriptions, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help you create kits for your home and car, too.

Send money. Volunteers who rush to the scene of disasters can often become hurt or stranded themselves. Supplies – even donations like food and water – can get delayed in transit and cause storage and distribution issues in troubled areas. Consider a monetary donation, which can get to individuals quickly, and can be used to purchase what’s needed when it’s needed. Monetary donations can also assist both in the immediate aftermath as well as through the rebuilding process. The America’s Charities team can help you get started with these types of fundraising campaigns.

Give blood now. Blood is always needed, especially in the years after the height of the pandemic. The pandemic kept many regular blood donors from giving because they were afraid of contracting the coronavirus. The number of blood donors has not returned to pre-COVID levels. Without an adequate blood supply, life-saving surgeries may be cancelled and individuals who would normally be able to survive the car accidents that often occur alongside natural disasters may not make it.

House displaced friends and family members. In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, housing can be nearly impossible to find. One way to assist is to open your home to friends or family members while they wait to assess the damage to their homes or find suitable alternative housing. 

Foster a furry friend. Animal shelters in disaster areas must often be emptied quickly. Consider fostering one of the shelter’s dogs or cats to ensure that they remain safe during the worst of the crisis. You can also assist a friend or family member by housing his or her pet, which may not be welcomed at a temporary shelter or hotel where your friend or family member may be living.

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For more than 60 years, WETA has served Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with high-quality, educational cultural, news and public affairs programs and services. WETA content educates and inspires on five television channels – WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA Metro, WETA World and WETA PBS Kids; on weta.org and the PBS Video App; and on WETA Classical 90.9 FM and classicalweta.org. Combined Federal Campaign and workplace giving contributions from individual community members have provided vital support to help make WETA’s public service possible.  

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Support The Conservation Fund through your employer’s workplace giving program! If you are a Federal or Postal employee/retiree, or military personnel, click here to donate through the Combined Federal Campaign donation portal to The Conservation Fund (CFC #10630). If you work in the private sector, or work for a State government or municipal agency, please contact your HR for a link to your donation portal. 

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