Donating to small charities can have a significant impact because these organizations often serve specific, underserved communities and rely heavily on individual contributions. Smaller charities may also be more focused and nimble, allowing your donation to have a direct and immediate effect. Here’s a list of small charities that make a big difference in various sectors:
1. RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services)
RAICES is a small but impactful nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees in the United States.
- Focus: Immigration advocacy and legal services.
- Why it’s great: RAICES helps thousands of immigrants navigate the legal system, offering critical services for families facing deportation, seeking asylum, or reuniting with loved ones.
- How to help: Donate to support their legal defense funds or volunteer as a legal advocate.
Example: Your donation could help a family secure legal representation to avoid deportation or reunite children with their parents.
2. Together We Rise
Together We Rise is a small nonprofit that supports children in the U.S. foster care system, providing them with essentials, educational opportunities, and uplifting experiences like birthday celebrations and college scholarships.
- Focus: Supporting foster children.
- Why it’s great: They provide “sweet cases” (decorated duffel bags filled with essentials), bicycles, and support for children aging out of foster care.
- How to help: Donate to fund duffel bags or scholarships, or host a fundraising event.
Example: Just $25 can provide a child with a “sweet case” so they don’t have to carry their belongings in a trash bag.
3. DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is a platform that allows you to support public school teachers by funding classroom projects. Teachers post about specific needs—like books, art supplies, or technology—and donors can choose which projects to support.
- Focus: Education and school supplies for teachers.
- Why it’s great: You can donate directly to a teacher’s specific project, and the platform ensures transparency by showing how your money is used.
- How to help: Browse projects and choose one that resonates with you. Even small donations can fully fund classroom supplies.
Example: You could help a teacher provide STEM kits for a science class or purchase books for a reading program.
4. The Loveland Foundation
The Loveland Foundation provides therapy support and mental health resources for Black women and girls. This small charity focuses on making mental health care more accessible to marginalized communities.
- Focus: Mental health support for Black women and girls.
- Why it’s great: Therapy can be cost-prohibitive, and this foundation offers financial assistance for those who need it most.
- How to help: Donate to help cover therapy sessions or volunteer to spread awareness about their work.
Example: A donation of $80 can cover the cost of one therapy session for someone who might otherwise not afford it.
5. Kiva
Kiva is a micro-lending platform that allows you to lend as little as $25 to help low-income entrepreneurs in developing countries start or expand their businesses. It operates in 77 countries, focusing on women and marginalized communities.
- Focus: Microloans for small businesses in developing countries.
- Why it’s great: 100% of your loan goes to the entrepreneur, and when it’s repaid, you can reinvest the money to help someone else.
- How to help: Make a microloan through the Kiva platform, which supports businesses like farming, retail, and education.
Example: A $25 loan might help a woman in Kenya start a small shop or assist a farmer in Guatemala in purchasing seeds for crops.
6. Books for Africa
Books for Africa is a small charity dedicated to collecting and shipping books to African countries, where educational resources are often scarce. They have shipped millions of books to improve literacy rates and education quality.
- Focus: Providing books and educational materials to African students.
- Why it’s great: It costs just 50 cents to send a book, and these books can transform education for students in underfunded schools.
- How to help: Donate to help with the cost of shipping books, or organize a book drive to collect gently used books.
Example: A $50 donation can send 100 books to a school in Africa, directly supporting education and literacy development.
7. Water for Good
Water for Good is a small charity that works to provide clean water access to communities in the Central African Republic. They build and maintain wells, ensuring reliable, sustainable water supplies for thousands of people.
- Focus: Clean water projects in Africa.
- Why it’s great: In regions where clean water is scarce, this charity not only builds wells but also provides ongoing maintenance to keep them functional for years.
- How to help: Donate to fund new wells or support maintenance efforts to keep existing ones operational.
Example: A $40 donation can provide clean water to one person for an entire year.
8. Rescue
Rescue
is a small charity that works to end human trafficking and support survivors. They rescue individuals from trafficking situations, provide them with care, and help them rebuild their lives.
- Focus: Human trafficking rescue and survivor care.
- Why it’s great: They focus on long-term recovery, offering education, job training, and mental health services to survivors.
- How to help: Donate to fund rescue operations, education programs, or survivor support.
Example: A donation of $100 could provide safe housing for a trafficking survivor for a month.
9. WildAid
WildAid focuses on reducing global wildlife poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. They use high-profile media campaigns and collaborate with governments to stop the demand for endangered species products.
- Focus: Wildlife conservation and anti-poaching efforts.
- Why it’s great: WildAid uses media campaigns and partnerships to change consumer behavior and reduce demand for illegal animal products like ivory and shark fins.
- How to help: Donate to support their campaigns or share their educational materials to raise awareness.
Example: A $25 donation can help fund media campaigns to reduce demand for endangered species products, helping protect animals like elephants and rhinos.
10. World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief provides bicycles to people in developing countries, allowing them to access education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Bikes can be a game-changer in rural areas where transportation is limited.
- Focus: Transportation solutions for underserved communities.
- Why it’s great: A bicycle can dramatically improve a person’s ability to get to school, work, or healthcare in regions with limited transportation infrastructure.
- How to help: Donate to provide a bicycle or support their mechanic training programs.
Example: A $147 donation provides a Buffalo Bicycle to someone in need, which can change a person’s life by cutting down travel time to work or school.
Final Thoughts
Donating to small charities allows you to make a significant impact, often with a personal touch. These organizations are often closer to the ground, highly specialized, and deeply connected to the communities they serve. Whether you’re passionate about education, clean water, wildlife conservation, or mental health, your contribution to these small nonprofits can lead to measurable and meaningful change.