Before I get going on the daily give-a-palooza, I want to highlight a few organizations that I won’t give money to as part of this project because I’m already a monthly donor. (I’ll continue making those donations, and they won’t count toward my total.)
If you’re reading along with this project (thanks!) and taking a shine to certain organizations, consider becoming a monthly donor, which
1. Gives organizations a reliable income stream throughout the year, making it easier for them to plan programming and be their most effective.
2. Keeps you giving on autopilot: maximum generosity, minimal brain space.
Here’s who (currently) gets my recurring dollars each month:
Non-profit Organizations*
(*You may notice I’m not using the word “charities” when referring to non-profit groups working for good — that’s an oversimplified narrative that lionizes the giver and often diminishes the recipient. You can read more here.)
The Stop Community Food Centre is close to my house and my heart. It started as a regular food bank, but former executive director Nick Saul realized that this was a band-aid solution at best, and not a dignified, or healthy, way to receive food. So instead they revamped their model to focus on community engagement, education, and skill-building all centred on food. Their centres include community gardens (including culturally specific ones), kitchens where people can eat and learn to prepare food, a community action program, and food bank. For someone like me who values food and agriculture, this is food equity done right. Over 80% of funds go directly to programming. You can also support them by attending one of their events: I’d recommend their annual Night Market.
War Child Canada creates opportunities for children and fights for children’s rights in Afghanistan, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Jordan, and Sierra Leone. They take legal cases to court and train law professionals, make safe spaces for children to attend school and supply them with resources. They create opportunities for income with vocational training or market initiatives. Charity Intelligence gives them four-star rating, with 93 cents of every donated dollar going to programming. (That said, efficacy isn’t determined by budget allocation, which I’ll get into more later, but it’s nice to see.) I originally started donating to War Child because I wanted a Canadian group that worked internationally and they were recommended by James Orbinski in his gut-wrenching book, An Imperfect Offering.
Advocacy Groups
Lobbying might make you think Big Tobacco, but it doesn’t have to be nefarious, and supporting people who advocate for issues you believe in can be very politically effective. Donations to these groups are not tax deductible, but they might mean your tax dollars have a better chance at being used in a way you’d like.
Cycle Toronto: I commute by bicycle nine to ten months of the year, and it has been one of the most empowering changes of my recent years. I was terrified at first, but, with the help of Yvonne Bambrick’s Urban Cycling Survival Guide, I slowly became a person who will cycle almost anywhere. Biking is fast, inexpensive, eco-friendly, and amazing for my mental and physical health — assuming I can stay accident-free. And to do that, aside from responsible cycling on my part, I need infrastructure, public education, lots of other cyclists, and a little bit of luck. Cycle Toronto does incredible advocacy work on behalf of cyclists and was key in implementing the Bloor bike lane pilot project and making it permanent. They also run educational workshops, a month of special programming, and charity rides. Lobbying on behalf of cyclists is a big job, and I’m happy to pay someone else to help keep other road users safe. (If you don’t live in Toronto, your own city may have a similar group.)
The Council of Canadians: I became aware of the Council working on founder Maude Barlow’s harrowing book about Canadian water policy, Boiling Point. I signed up for the Council’s newsletter, and saw the good work they were doing. For example, last year they organized a boycott of Nestle, who pumps millions of litres of water out of Aberfoyle, ON, despite the fact that this depletion of groundwater could lead to longterm problems; fought pipelines that threaten our water supply, climate, and the rights of many First Nations; and lobbied for publicly funded prescription coverage for all Canadians. Before the provincial election, I also appreciated their round-up of positions of our political parties on various issues. I’ve tried to be more politically active, and everyone should be, but I also feel good knowing there are some professionals advocating for causes I believe in.
How do all these regular contributions make me feel? To be honest, I forget about them most of the time, and I’ve never missed the money that comes out monthly. But then I get a newsletter from one of the organizations, or an annual report, and I actually read it, knowing I’ve supported the tiniest little piece of their good work. This doesn’t give me big spikes of happiness, but it gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I’m supporting groups that promote my values in the world. There’s a kind of peace that comes with that.
But can I do more? Definitely. How much more? I suppose we’re about to find out.
