If Black Friday (Thursday?) and Cyber Monday are already making you fatigued from holiday shopping and buying, then take a moment today to make a donation of time or resources to a local nonprofit through #Giving Tuesday, a national effort to inspire people to give back during the holidays.
Here in Palo Alto, we are lucky to have some fantastic, high impact organizations that welcome donations of time, energy, talent and expertise. There is something for everyone, no matter what your interests or passion. Here’s a sample of local places where you can give back throughout the year:
Environment
- Acterra for a Healthy Planet: an environmental non-profit serving the Silicon Valley that provides people with tangible,
photo: Canopy Palo Alto
hands-on activities they can do to improve the environment.
- Canopy: a local organization dedicated to planting and protecting trees in parks, at schools, and along streets of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and neighboring communities.
Animals
Photo: Palo Alto Humane Society
- Palo Alto Animal Services Home for the Holidays Program: special program to encourage people to adopt pets in need
- Palo Alto Humane Society (PAHS): PAHS has been working for over a century to keep animals out of the shelter through humane programs in intervention, advocacy, and education.
- Furry Friends Assisted Pet Therapy Services: an organization that enhances the lives and touch the hearts of people with special needs through pet visitations and therapy.
Education
- Foundation for a College Education: this organization has been helping students in East Palo Alto get to and through college since 1995.
- DreamCatchers: This organization engages Stanford undergrads to provide low income Palo Alto middle school students with academic support, mentoring, nutrition education and more.
- College Track: supporting low income students in East Palo Alto and across the country beginning in ninth grade and all the way through college graduation.
- 10 Books A Home: a local education nonprofit whose mission is to close the achievement gap by bringing volunteers into the homes of low income preschoolers to provide them and their parents with 1-on-1 tutoring, positive role modeling, and home libraries.
photo: Ecumenical Hunger Program
Hunger and Housing
- InnVision Shelter Network (IVSN): IVSN’s “Beyond the Bed” program has a 90% success rate in returning program graduates to permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
- Ecumenical Hunger Program: a local organization that helps families in East Palo Alto with food, clothing, furniture and support
Global Outreach
- The School Fund: a nonprofit that uses”crowdfunding” to support education for students in developing countries
- Global Fund for Women: founded in Palo Alto, this international organization advances the rights of women and girls worldwide by investing in women-led organizations and women’s collective leadership for change.
- Human Rights Watch Bay Area: this international organization, which has tremendous support in Palo Alto, defends the rights of people worldwide.
Support for Families
- Family Giving Tree: this local organization partners with over 300 social service agencies and schools around the Bay
photo: Family Giving Tree
Area, incuding homeless shelters, community centers, rehabilitation houses, schools to provide children with holiday gifts, school supplies and more.
- My New Red Shoes: helps homeless and low-income children feel confident as they start the school year by providing them with new clothing and shoes.
Local Grant Making
- Palo Alto Community Fund: In 2014, the PACF leveraged its endowment, along with community donations, to provide $330,00 for 36 local organizations that focus on education, environment, mental health, nutrition seniors and more.
