Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated.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.
November is an inspiring month of giving - from Movember and Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month, to Veteran’s Day and American Education Week.
Here is your monthly guide of causes and nonprofits that you and your business can support through Pledgeling as a way to commemorate some of these special dates. Our platform and products make it easy to donate to any cause of your choice. To connect with our partnerships team about ways we might support your cause campaigns, please reach out to impact@pledgeling.com.
Movember
Every year, men grow moustaches in the month of November to raise awareness about testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and men’s suicide. You can support the following nonprofits’ efforts to help mitigate these critical health issues for men.
- Movember Foundation is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world. By 2030, they aim to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
- Prostate Cancer Foundation is the leading philanthropic organization funding the world’s most promising research to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of prostate cancer and ultimately cure it for good.
- Project Semicolon is dedicated to the prevention of suicide. Their work is based on the foundation and belief that suicide is preventable and everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide. Through raising public awareness, educating communities, and equipping every person with the right tools, they are committing to saving lives.
- Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation is dedicated in the fight against testicular cancer through awareness and outreach; promoting the importance of monthly self-exams for early detection; support and guidance to patients and families; a resource for the medical community; providing financial assistance to those in need; and continuing to save lives.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
According to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, pancreatic cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States surpassing breast cancer. In 2020, an estimated 57,600 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S. You can help in the fight against it.
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a nationwide network of people dedicated to working together to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer.
- Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research aims to find a cure for pancreatic cancer in honor of Ron Hirshberg and the thousands of people who are diagnosed with this disease each year; create a premier Pancreatic Cancer Center where all needs of pancreatic cancer patients can be met in one location with the most advanced treatment options; to be recognized as a patient support reference source for pancreatic cancer patients and their families; and to fund projects and programs designed to improve patient care, treatment and, ultimately, pancreatic cancer survival rates.
National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease and it kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. These organizations need your help in the fight against this disease.
- Alzheimer’s Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
- Alzheimer’s Family Services Center aims to improve quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer's disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. They play a key role in their community's continuum of long-term care services by offering affordable access to dementia-specific adult day health care programs, a variety of support services to help caregivers manage the day-to-day challenges of care, and community dementia education and outreach.
- Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is dedicated to providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia and to their caregivers and families through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life.
- Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, founded by Maria Shriver, is a global alliance of individuals, organizations, researchers, foundations, influencers and industry leaders committed to finding out why Alzheimer's discriminates against women. They believe that by answering the question of why women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's, they will unlock the other mysteries surrounding this mind-blowing disease that will lead to a cure for all.
American Diabetes Awareness Month
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 and 5 of them don’t know they have it. Over a third of US adults have prediabetes and more than 84% don’t know they do. You can help mitigate these alarming statistics by supporting these nonprofits.
- American Diabetes Association Research Foundation ensures the availability of funds necessary for full exploration of all the scientific possibilities that diabetes research is generating. The Research Foundation's sole purpose is to raise gifts for diabetes through individuals, corporations, and philanthropic organizations. A minimum of 80% of each contribution directly supports research.
- Diabetes Youth Families improve the quality of life for children, teens, and families affected by diabetes. They provide education and recreation within a supportive community, encouraging personal growth, knowledge, and independence.
- Riding on Insulin empowers, activates, and connects the global diabetes community through shared experience and action sports. In addition to establishing a comfortable environment, they strive to help families explore new passions, challenge the illness, and celebrate each other’s successes.
Prematurity Awareness Month
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm every year and the number is rising. These are some nonprofits doing the work to impact the lives of mothers and babies.
- March of Dimes Foundation is focused on birth defects, low birth weight, and infant death. Over the past 75 years, March of Dimes' cutting edge research and innovative programs have saved millions of babies from death or disability.
- Miracle Babies provide support and financial assistance to families with critically-ill newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit; and to enhance the well-being of women, children and their families through education, prevention and medical care.
- Project Sweet Peas empower and support families of fragile infants, and to inspire hope through remembrance for those affected by pregnancy and infant loss.
Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month
According to the National Congress of American Indians, November is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
- National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities. They advocate for a bright future for generations to come by taking the lead to gain consensus on a constructive and promising vision for Indian Country.
- Native American Rights Fund advocates for the protection of rights and justice for tribes and Native peoples. NARF currently represents more than 60 tribes in 20 states on a wide range of critical matters, including land into trust; federal recognition; subsistence hunting and fishing; federal trust responsibilities; protection of sacred places; voting rights; sovereign immunity; Indian Child Welfare; water rights; and environmental issues.
Election Day (November 3)
Don’t have a voting plan yet? Text VOTE to 707070 where you can find your polling place and more, thanks to our partner Discovery, Inc.! To ensure everyone can cast their ballot this upcoming election, consider supporting the following nonprofits that focus on voters’ rights.
- Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform organization which works to remove barriers to registration and voting for traditionally underrepresented constituencies. The Center works to improve election administration through legislative, legal and administrative reform, to protect access to the ballot through litigation, and to provide election law expertise, voter information and technical assistance to voter mobilization organizations.
- U.S. Vote Foundation is dedicated to bringing best-in-class voter services to millions of U.S. citizen voters living within and outside of the U.S. to bring to life our vision and mission: Every Citizen is a Voter.
- Rock the Vote engages young people in our democracy and builds their political power by registering, educating, and turning them out to vote, by asking candidates to campaign to them, and demanding politicians pay attention to youth and the issues they care about once in office.
Veterans Day (November 11)
We are so grateful for the individuals who have served in the U.S. military. You can commemorate them on this special national holiday by supporting important initiatives that affect their lives beyond their service.
- The Headstrong Project brings together leading research scientists and clinicians in PTSD to develop a treatment, curriculum, and certification program to fund and train a nationwide network of mental healthcare providers who can treat Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
- Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Coupled with leadership development and other opportunities, they aim to "bridge the gap" between military and civilian life.
- Wounded Warrior Project honor and empower wounded warriors. Their vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of injured service members in our nation’s history. They fulfill their mission and strive to meet their vision by CONNECTING, SERVING, and EMPOWERING the wounded men and women who so bravely volunteered to serve our nation on or after the events of September 11, 2001.
America Recycles Day (November 15)
This day is dedicated to ensuring everyone around the country recycles! Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, prevents pollution by reducing the need to buy new materials, creates jobs in recycling and manufacturing industries, and more!
- Clean Oceans Project locate, remove, and recycle plastic pollution from the world's oceans. They develop practical solutions to plastic pollution through innovation, education, and direct action.
- Fabscrap is rethinking commercial textile waste by providing convenient pickup of unwanted textiles from NYC businesses. They ensure maximum diversion from landfill by utilizing the most current recycling technologies and engaging the local creative community in reuse.
International Day for Tolerance (November 16)
In 1996, the United Nations established this day to strengthen tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples through laws; education; access to information; individual awareness; and local solutions.
- United Nations Foundation believes the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity’s greatest challenges and driving global progress. They focus on issues at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, build initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and engage influencers and citizens who seek action. They believe everyone has a part to play, everyone’s voice should be heard, and everyone has a stake.
- Amnesty International envision a world in which every person – regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity – enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and other internationally recognized human rights standards. The UDHR states that "the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights" of all people is "the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."
- Vigilant Love Building upon the legacy of Muslim American and Japanese American solidarity since 9/11, #VigilantLOVE is a healing and arts-driven organization that counters mainstream narratives of insularity. #VigilantLOVE organizes grassroots movement around Islamophobic ideologies that inflict personal, communal and state violence by creating spaces for connection amongst those identifying as Japanese American, Muslim American, Black, South Asian, Arab, East Asian, queer, trans, and interfaith accomplices.
American Education Week (November 16-20)
According to the National Education Association, this week is dedicated to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every student receives a quality education.
- Donors Choose is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Teachers across America use the site to create projects requesting resources their students need, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. Unique among education funding platforms, the DonorsChoose.org team vets each project request and ships resources directly to the school. Every donor receives photos of their project in action, thank-yous from the classroom, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent.
- Jumpstart has trained more than 45,000 college students and community volunteers, preparing nearly 100,000 children for kindergarten success. They partner with higher education institutions, community organizations, Head Start programs, community-based preschools, and school districts to create sustainable solutions in order to close the kindergarten readiness gap.
- Teach for America exists to address the problem of the opportunity gap. Their mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting the nation's most promising future leaders in the effort. In the immediate term, they serve as a critical source of talented and committed teachers, called corps members, who compensate for the additional challenges their students face to provide them with the educational opportunities they deserve.
World Children’s Day (November 20)
World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day by the United Nations. It is celebrated annually to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.
- Save the Children is the world's leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in nearly 120 countries, including the United States. They aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to create immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, they mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict, and natural disasters.
- UNICEF USA The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
National Adoption Day (November 23)
National Adoption Day is a collective effort to raise awareness of the more than 120,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States. You can also support this initiative by donating to one of the following nonprofits.
- Adopt America Network is a private nonprofit adoption exchange agency that helps place eligible children waiting in the U.S. foster care system to be adopted (an average of almost 4 years) into loving, permanent homes.
- Cradle Foundation is a national leader in ethical adoption practice and child welfare, gifts to The Cradle Foundation benefit the hundreds of children, expectant parents, adoptive parents and adopted persons The Cradle serves each year. The Cradle has placed more than 15,000 children with loving families since 1923.
- Adoption Options is an inclusive, nonprofit adoption agency dedicated to enriching the lives of children, youth and families. They provide education, placement services, counseling and support for all members of the adoption community.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25)
An alarming figure from the United Nations tells us that violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined. Help empower women around the world today.
- National Women’s Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation helps to inform, educate and prevent violence and exploitation against women and children nationally and internationally. Whether human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual violence, stalking, bullying, hate crimes and all other forms of violence and exploitation against women and children, NWCAVE strives to keep the public informed and educated on how we can live in a more civilized society free of violence.
- Free a Girl is a relief organization that is committed to rescuing young girls from forced prostitution and convicting the offenders. Free a Girl believes that children and young people have the right to grow up in a safe environment and to be protected at all times from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline creates access by providing 24-hour support through advocacy, safety planning, resources and hope to everyone affected by domestic violence.
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.
Thank you for being part of the #PledgeToDoGood!