Our Impact

ensuring we all have a future

Nuclear weapons may seem like an outdated threat given the end of the cold war 25 years ago. However, there are still more than 15,000 nuclear weapons on Earth, many of which are on hair-trigger alert — maintained in ready-to-launch status to be airborne in minutes. This existing stockpile, paired with increasing U.S.-Russia tension and the plan these and other powers have to invest over $1 trillion in new, more modern nuclear weapons has brought the threat of nuclear proliferation to the spotlight once again.

Experts argue that thousands of nuclear missiles are more than enough for effective deterrence and that creating new ones weakens national security, makes accidental war more likely, encourages additional nations to go nuclear, and gives terrorists easier access to bomb-making materials. Our August nonprofit selection, Future of Life Institute (FLI), is working to raise awareness to this increased threat and encourage countries to divest their nuclear stockpiles. A recent focus has been in discouraging financial institutions, businesses, municipalities, and individuals from investing in nuclear weapons companies. With this month’s Altruist donation of $121, FLI will be able to continue its divestment campaign and bring even more awareness to these issues by educating people on nuclear weapons risks. This type of campaign, while it may not seem to have an immediate impact, addresses one of humanity’s biggest existential threats and helps ensure that we all have a future to look forward to.

As our community of 155 members continues to grow, our impact will only become more profound. We will continue to bring you stories of how we are making real change in the world and the impact your dollar has on the nonprofits we support.

Learn more about the Altruist community and how you can make your dent $1 at a time at joinAltruist.com