Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated. Please refer to our main company website on Pledge for current information and resources.
December is one of the most generous months of the year! From Hanukkah to Christmas and Giving Tuesday to International Volunteer Day, this month is when most people around the world give back to causes they care about and spend extra time connecting with loved ones, virtually or in-person. The seasonal changes of December inspire us to reflect with gratitude for the impact we’ve been able to make in the year past and invest in areas for progress during the new year ahead.
Here is your monthly guide of causes and nonprofits that you can easily support through Pledgeling as a way to honor these special dates.
Our platform and products make it easy to donate to any cause of your choice. To connect with our team about ways we can support your cause campaigns, please reach out to impact@pledgeling.com.
Giving Tuesday (December 1)
This year, the biggest giving DAY of the year kicks off the biggest giving MONTH of the year! Giving Tuesday annually refers to the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the United States, which falls every year on a different date. It is a global movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world through fundraising and volunteering. Following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a day to give back and donate to the causes around the world that you care about. As an official platform partner of Giving Tuesday, here are a few of this year’s campaigns that we’re powering through Pledgeling:
- Worthy of Love hosts monthly birthday parties for families experiencing homelessness by delivering remarkable events designed around a theme to bring maximum joy and a true sense of belonging. Since COVID-19, Worthy of Love has transitioned its in-person events to one-of-a-kind virtual parties streamed directly to shelters through Zoom. Families are given a safe space to dance, celebrate, and remember that we are all worthy of love. As more families are experiencing homelessness than ever before, Worthy of Love is expanding its mission and reach to every major city in the US to impact as many families as possible in 2021. To kick-off these efforts, Worthy of Love is hosting its inaugural virtual family FUNdraiser on Giving Tuesday to build the foundation for their '2021 Biggest Party Year EVER!' - and our partner Zoom will match up to $10,000 in donations raised through this event!
- Calculated Genius is dedicated to helping underrepresented youth explore and connect to engineering, in an effort to inspire and support a brighter future. Their efforts are concentrated on front end investment in young aspiring engineers. They work to inspire young men and women enrolled in Chicago Public Schools to see themselves as capable, confident, and necessary in the 21st century economy and attractive to universities and employers right here in their hometown. Calculated Genius is hosting a Giving Tuesday fundraiser from November 24 - December 8.
- Goodie Nation’s mission is to train all people to use innovation in an effort to build and launch scalable social impact tech startups, open source tools, and digital advocacy campaigns that reduce basic need disparities in education, financial access, health, and safety. This Giving Tuesday, Goodie Nation is producing 12 consecutive hours of live streamed stories, via Zoom webinar, on how they’ve helped social entrepreneurs and diverse founders. They’re borrowing from hackathon roots and calling it a Zoomathon. The money raised will go toward their 2021 programming and operations costs.
World AIDS Day (December 1) and AIDS Awareness Month
World AIDS Day, designated on December 1st every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.
- The Elton John AIDS Foundation works to achieve an AIDS-free generation through innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, and direct treatment, care and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States, the Americas, the Caribbean and more.
- The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) provides critical comprehensive services to infected and affected HIV+ children and their caregivers. Since 2005, in collaboration with their in-country partners, they have served tens of thousands of families in some of the most underserved and marginalized communities in Africa.
International Day of People with Disabilities (December 3)
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992.
- Boundless Abilities’ mission is to enable young adults and their families with physical and breathing disabilities to lead healthy, active, and independent lifestyles through physical activity, sport, recreation, advocacy, policy, and research. They are working to enhance the quality of life for persons with breathing disabilities by complementing public benefits through the prudent management of financial resources.
- Disabled American Veterans empower veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. When war wounds cast a shadow on the life of a hero, the Trust fulfills its mission by supporting a range of physical and psychological rehabilitation projects, as well as essential relief programs. And through critical research initiatives, the Trust makes sure sick and injured heroes get the very best treatment possible.
- Canines for Disabled Kids works to enhance the lives and enrich the education of children with disabilities by sponsoring specially trained assistance dogs to enhance independence at home and at school.
International Human Rights Month
International Human Rights Month honors the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first global enunciation of human rights. The Declaration serves as an agreement among nations. It lays out those values that the human family holds dearest, including free speech, liberty, privacy, social security, health, education, and more.
- Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Their ultimate goal is to “bring perpetrators to justice” by scrupulously investigating abuses, exposing the facts widely, and pressuring those with power to respect rights and secure justice.
- The Human Rights Campaign was established in 1986 and envisions an America where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. Through innovative outreach, education, advocacy and research, the HRC Foundation focuses on the policies, issues and practices that affect LGBTQ individuals and their families including health care, parenting, adoption, schools, family law, employment, coming out, religion and faith, civil unions and marriage, financial planning, minority-specific concerns and senior health and housing.
Lastly, we want to continue recognizing how Racial Justice and COVID-19 remain important causes to support:
- For a more comprehensive list of 20+ organizations fighting for racial and social justice, please visit this link.
- For a more comprehensive list of 20+ organizations fighting against COVID-19, please visit our Causes to Support in June 2020 Blog Post and our COVID-19 Relief Efforts Blog Post.
Happy Holidays from Team Pledgeling, and thank you for being part of the #PledgeToDoGood!