Hello Friends,
On Giving Tuesday, we thought we could highlight some of the nonprofits we admire, in case you’re looking for worthy causes.
THE VALENTINO ACHAK DENG FOUNDATION
Valentino Deng, the protagonist of What Is the What, has been a world-renowned education visionary for 15 years now. He started the VAD Foundation in 2007, and has been building and operating independent schools in South Sudan ever since. With a focus on educating young women, VADF’s schools consistently rank in the top ten in South Sudan. For more information, visit vadfoundation.com.
SCHOLARMATCH
For the past twelve years, ScholarMatch has pioneered new paths for low-income students to reach, and graduate from, college. With thousands of graduates among their ranks, ScholarMatch uses mentorship, grants, and relentless support to level the playing field for low-income and first-generation students. More information at scholarmatch.org.
VOICE OF WITNESS
Using oral history, VOW amplifies unheard voices to advance human rights. This fall, they released Mi Maria,, which highlights seventeen stories of climate disaster and colonialism in Puerto Rico. Their work is focused on honoring the voices of people facing injustice—and fighting against it. They publish important books, and their robust education program serves more than 20,000 educators and students each year. Donate to support their work here.
826 NATIONAL
826 National is the umbrella organization for eight city-specific writing and tutoring nonprofits. 826 Valencia opened in 2002, with a focus on helping students one-on-one with writing and publishing projects. Since then, the organization has grown in scope, and has inspired dozens of other centers around the world. For a list of all of them, go to youthwriting.org. To support 826 National or any of the centers in the network, go to 826national.org.