My son Agustin Velasco is a student at UWC Norway and his experience there has been transformational! He is having a wonderful experience that's like being at the United Nations! We are thrilled with the program and want to give back! 

Excited to support the mission of Saffron Arts and Culture!

Always happy to support GIVE US THE FLOOR as they make teenagers feel heard and especially trans and LGBTQIA kids feel a little safer in this world.. 

There are few organizations that I can rely on to be in integrity with their mission, to actually walk the talk. I can and do count on Zera Bolivia to do the work they say they are doing and to persevere on behalf of those who benefit from their actions. 

The youth needs organizations that will help them grow to be the best they can be 

UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, over 80% of our students selected through UWC's national committee receive a scholarship. This support allows UWC to continue selecting students based on their potential and merit, regardless of their race, gender or financial means.

Most UWC national committees across the globe are run by volunteers. With selection activities in over 150 countries and territories, this volunteer network identifies promising young students, many of whom would never otherwise have access to a transformative UWC education.

**Why Support UWC**

UWC is committed to making its life-changing education accessible to students from all backgrounds. Scholarships ensure that financial circumstances never prevent talented students from attending.

Your support helps sustain UWC’s mission to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. Donations from alumni, individuals, foundations, companies, and governments make it possible for UWC to continue this work.

*"A UWC scholarship is a great investment in society. We are developing a global community of leaders who are aware of the world’s needs, steeped in the nuances and dynamics of international and intercultural cooperation and equipped with the mindset, skills, sense of agency and the global network to make a tangible difference in the world."* - **Faith Abiodun, Executive Director of UWC International**

If you are a **US taxpayer**, you can donate to any UWC institution by clicking “**Donate**” above and specifying your intended recipient (School, College, National Committee or Campaign) under “*Add a note for UWC International"*.

If you are not a US taxpayer, you can also donate via [uwc.org/donate](https://uwc.org/donate).

UWC International (United World Colleges)

Saffron Arts & Culture sparks creativity with accessible programs and experiences that help artists and youth thrive.

**Support** [Saffron Arts and Culture](https://www.saffronartsandculture.org)

Saffron Arts and Culture fosters artistic expression and creativity by providing accessible art programs, mentorships, and vibrant, innovative experiences for a diverse creative community of youth, emerging, and established artists. We want to create an environment where talent flourishes and voices are heard.

Your contribution fuels our mission through three core pillars:

[Saffron Arts + Ed](https://www.saffronartsandculture.org/artsed)

We partner with schools and community centers to bring high-quality art experiences directly to elementary, middle and high school students. Through hands-on projects and mentorship, students discover their creative spark, build confidence, and develop skills that support lifelong learning.

[The Origin Stories Project](https://www.saffronartsandculture.org/originstories)

Our signature storytelling and visual arts initiative invites participants of all ages to explore the moments that shaped who they are—experiences of arrival, legacy, revelation, or adversity. These narratives are transformed into original artworks and shared through moderated forums and exhibitions that foster empathy, dialogue, and community connection.

[Saffron Creative Collective](https://www.saffronartsandculture.org/creative-collective)

We support artists at every stage through exhibitions, workshops, residencies, immersive cultural tours, and an online marketplace. This initiative helps artists grow their practice, reach new audiences, and build sustainable creative careers.

**Together, these pillar create vibrant, inclusive spaces where artistic expression is celebrated and creativity becomes a bridge to understanding. Your support makes this possible.**

***We are fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. This ensures that you’ll receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes, and your donation will be available for our project.***

Saffron Arts and Culture

Give Us The Floor nurtures a safe online peer-led community specializing in support for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in distress.

*If you prefer to contribute by check, please mail to:*
*Give Us The Floor*
*943 Howard Street*
*San Francisco, CA 94103*

Give Us The Floor provides 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and allies in distress with the peer-positive human connection that they are too often missing. Through a safe, inclusive mobile app, youth ages 13 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 24 can access peer support in a youth-only community, breaking the isolation and shame cycles they are experiencing. Trained youth facilitate the confidential group discussion spaces, and participants help each other with prevalent mental health and social issues such as depression, isolation, anxiety, identity, discrimination, family and school challenges, bullying, relationships, domestic violence, and body image.

Within this supportive community:

- Youth in distress from all backgrounds and locations across the US have 24/7 access to peer support in a safe, non-judgmental, and confidential environment.
- Participants communicate anonymously as often as they wish via closed group chats and discussion channels (no one-on-one communication is possible)
- They share daily life struggles, insights and accomplishments, encourage each other, and provide non-judgmental feedback without fear of stigma, taboo or shame
- Groups are organized by age and primary discussion topic to keep the chats relevant and relatable
- Youth who need adult help are quickly identified and given resources to help them.

Research reveals that increased isolation is contributing to the rapid deterioration of mental health and wellbeing. It’s affecting youth way more than adults: Experiencing social isolation and loneliness [during adolescence/ childhood] increased the risk of depression up to 9 years later. \*

**After only 1 month with Give Us The Floor:**

- **83% of the participants report that they feel less lonely**
- **78% were helped with their struggles**
- **77% feel better about themselves**
- **70% experienced improved mental health**

**You can learn more in our [2024 Impact Report](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/664ad1378953db17c51d91e7/t/67a57e90c7957c5adca2a916/1738899126226/GiveUsTheFloor+2024+Impact+Report_2025.2.5.pdf)

And this support has never been more needed. Some important statistics:

- Nearly 50% of LGBTQ youth age 13-17 seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and 18% of them did attempt suicide:\*\*
- LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates than their white peers: 12% of white youth attempted suicide compared to 21% of Native / Indigenous youth, 20% of Middle ------- Eastern / Northern African youth, 19% of Black youth, 17% of multiracial youth, 16% of Latinx youth, and 12% of Asian / Pacific Islander youth\*\*
- LGBTQ youth who had access to spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity reported lower rates of attempting suicide \*\*
- 60% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health support in the past year were not able to access care, including nearly 3 in 5 transgender youth and more than 3 in 5 cisgender youth\*\*

Your support makes a real difference in a time when mental health resources for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth face major cuts to programming, or are shutting down altogether. Queer youth are counting on supportive community to be there.

Give Us The Floor changes young lives. Give Us The Floor saves young lives.

\*Rapid Systematic Review: The Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in the Context of COVID-19, Loades and colleagues
\*\*National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2022 - The Trevor Project

Give Us The Floor

Zera Bolivia Foundation fosters indigenous-led education, enabling self-empowerment, financial independence, and social mobility.

**Zera Bolivia** is an Aymara-led foundation that hosts classes and events for kids as a response to colonial norms, championing indigenous self-determination—especially for women and girls—through transformative education grounded in emotional intelligence, critical thinking, self-awareness, and practical tools for financial independence.

We began in 2015 with a socio-emotional learning pilot at a women’s prison in La Paz, and have since grown to reach thousands of children, youth, and families across Bolivia’s nine departments. Collaborating with municipal governments, the Ministry of Education, and local communities, we co-create culturally adapted programs that honor each community’s priorities and values. Thanks to our community and donor support, we have provided training, world-class educational materials, and technology infrastructure to prisons, children’s hospitals, rural areas, schools, and grassroots groups—always centering local leadership.

From the “Qantatai” literature podcast to “Bolivian Thinkers for Everyone By Zera,” our initiatives celebrate Bolivia’s intellectual heritage and open new pathways for dialogue and growth. Participants often report stronger emotional well-being, improved academic performance, and greater economic opportunities. As we look to the future, we are developing our first “STEM for Indigenous Young Women” program in El Alto and across 20 rural provinces of La Paz, in partnership with India’s STEMED NETWORK.

When you support Zera Bolivia, you invest in locally driven, inclusive solutions that affirm the power of Indian communities to shape their own destiny. Your contribution furthers our shared vision of a Bolivia where education is a tool for self-empowerment, cultural pride, and lasting social change.

Zera Bolivia Foundation

Empowering youth through education and experiences. Join us in transforming lives! #BeGreaterThanYourGreatestExcuse

At Project Transition, we're not just an organization; we're a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change. Through our High-FIVES pillars—Family Unity, Intelligence, Value, Enriching Experiences, and Steadfast Sportsmanship—we're empowering underserved youth to unlock their true potential and forge paths of prosperity. 

Each donation, each volunteer hour, and each shared story fuels our mission to transform lives. In a world of endless challenges, we offer solutions, support, and a community united by a single mantra: "Be Greater Than Your Greatest Excuse." Join us, and together, let's build a brighter future for every young soul eager to learn, grow, and succeed. #BeGreaterThanYourGreatestExcuse

Project Transition

The TBA Foundation mission is To Bring Access to young women, empowering them through education to achieve their full potential.

**T**o **B**ring **A**ccess to education

**T**o **B**ring **A**ccess to better health outcomes

**T**o **B**ring **A**ccess to a stronger community

We focus our lens on girls in sub-Saharan Africa, lighting paths through education, empowering them, and helping frame a brighter future.

**Why Girls?**

**Economic Growth**: Studies have shown that for every additional year a girl stays in school, her income potential increases by 10% to 20%. When girls stay in school longer, they are more likely to enter the workforce, earn higher wages, and contribute to the economic development of their communities and nations.

**Improved Health**: Educated girls and their families enjoy better health outcomes. They are more likely to marry later, have fewer children, and make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

**Poverty Reduction**: Girls' education plays a crucial role in breaking the cycle of poverty. Educated women are better equipped to lift themselves and their families out of poverty through improved employment opportunities and income generation.

**Social Development**: Educated girls contribute to the social development of their communities by fostering positive social change and promoting social cohesion. They are more likely to engage in community development initiatives, volunteerism, and advocacy for social justice issues.

**Education empowers girls to pursue their aspirations, contribute to society, and lead fulfilling lives.**

**Why sub-Saharan Africa**

Primary and some secondary schooling is provided free in most sub-Saharan countries. Yet, there are still costs involved. 

Uniforms, books, stationery and other supplies all have to be paid for by parents or families. And when there is not enough to go round, boys are at the front of the line.

Without a uniform, there is no school. Without books, there is no school.

Without sanitary pads, there is no school.

**What we do**

Our commitment is to support vulnerable girls with leadership potential and academic aspirations to achieve their full potential.

**A start**

A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.

First step: funding 20 girls in secondary school in Ndola, Zambia.

Destination? With support from you, our donors, the possibilities are endless.

TBA Foundation

Odylia Therapeutics is a nonprofit biotech working to accelerate the development of treatments for people with rare diseases.

At Odylia, we accelerate therapeutic development for people with rare diseases, changing the way treatments are brought from the lab to the clinic. We strive to bring life altering treatments to people with genetic disease regardless of prevalence or commercial interest. 
Odylia is shifting the paradigm to focus on proven science and removing traditional roadblocks. We work to lower costs, reduce development time, focus research, and continuously drive successful programs towards clinical trials and regulatory approval. Strategic collaborations with patient groups, research labs, and commercial partners facilitate our work to ensure treatments are safe, effective, and ultimately reach patients who need them.

Odylia challenges the traditional approach to drug development through:

1. Lower cost of development
Lower licensing fees to decrease development costs and ensure continued commitment to program success

2. Increase speed of development
Challenge traditional approaches through regulatory engagement

Streamline development through strategic partnerships and a platform approach to drug development

3. Enable the entire ecosystem
Provide expertise through in-house Brydge Solutions and leveraging the Odylia Board

Enable the entire ecosystem through Initiatives that impact the broader field

Odylia Therapeutics

Youth Art Exchange unites artists and SF public high school students, empowering youth as leaders, thinkers, and creators.

**Youth Art Exchange (YAX)** sparks creativity, leadership, and community by connecting professional artists with San Francisco public high school students. Since 2000, YAX has provided **free, high-quality arts education** to more than 15,000 youth—primarily students of color and low-income families who are most impacted by inequitable access to the arts.

Through classes in architecture, animation, photography, printmaking, music production, fashion design, mural arts, and more, young people explore their identities, develop leadership skills, and collaborate with practicing artists. Our programs extend beyond the classroom, with youth-led exhibitions, public art projects, and performances that bring creative energy to neighborhoods across the city.

**Your donation helps us:**

- Provide **free art programs** to SF public high school students.
- Ensure youth have access to **mentorship from working artists** who reflect their communities.
- Support **youth leadership** through our Youth Advisory Board and student-led exhibitions.
- Sustain **creative community spaces** like our [x]space arts hub in the Excelsior and studios in the Mission.
- Advance **racial equity in the arts** by prioritizing Black and Brown youth and hiring artists of color as faculty.

At YAX, we believe **art changes lives**. With your support, San Francisco’s next generation of artists and leaders can find their voice, share their vision, and shape a more creative and equitable future.

Youth Art Exchange

Cultivating a sustainable world for future generations through Music, Art, Education, and Culture.

1. **“Audiopharmacy Prescriptions" (APP) is our collective & organization of cultural community artists dedicated to the love and empowerment of diverse communities through the medicine of Music, Art, Movement, Culture, Education and Indigenous Lifeways.**
2. **APP spawned from "Audiopharmacy" (AP) - a World Hip-Hop** **Ensemble** **representing the power of Love, Music, and Collective liberation.**
3. **“Bambu Pharm" is Audiopharmacy's headquarters / event / studio / education / wellness space, created to serve the underserved. It is located in West Oakland, California.**

Audiopharmacy Prescriptions

Since 1986, El Arca has been working to make the rights of children/adolescents effective in order to build an equitable society.

El Arca was founded in 1986 with the creation of a home for children and adolescents who lived on the streets. The institution eventually had three houses in operation and a program to support families. Thanks to this successful experience, more than three hundred boys and girls left the streets as a way of life. Many of them managed to return to their families of origin, others were housed in foster families and a large number grew up and achieved their independence accompanied by the institution. The project was sustained for twenty-five years.

In 2000, with the support of Arcor and Unicef, El Arca began to develop a project to build citizenship in Cuartel V, Moreno. The project is aimed at the population of girls, boys and adolescents in zone 2, which covers five neighborhoods and a population of approximately five thousand minors under 18 years of age. The project initially aimed to contribute to the full exercise of rights of children and adolescents, and worked in four dimensions: the social and educational dimension where the key word was inclusion, the political dimension where the key word was participation, the cultural dimension, and the key word was expression, and the legal dimension where the key word was enforceability. This project was born in the midst of a social, political and economic crisis in our country and in one of the poorest municipalities in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Its basis is the successful experience acquired in homes where the central dynamic was the participation of the children and adolescents housed there.

The citizenship building project was transformed and adapted to the political, economic and social changes of the province and the municipality. In 2003 we signed an agreement with the Comparte Foundation, an NGO from Barcelona, ​​which supported our project until 2023, when it transferred its collaborative actions with Latin America to the organization EDUCO, which continues to support our cause to this day. This alliance allowed us to grow in the territory and sustain the project over time, reaping important achievements such as having presented two collective appeals with the active participation of children, adolescents and grassroots organizations. The first was to demand and achieve that the government of the province of Buenos Aires carry out a 1km asphalt road from route 25 to the El Vergel Cuartel V neighborhood and the construction and equipment of a health center.

La alianza con primero con Comparte y luego con Educo, también nos permite sostener un equipo de trabajo que año tras año monitorea la  escolaridad de 1000 niños y niñas en escuelas primarias públicas para poder acompañar sus trayectorias y apuntalarlas en caso que sea necesario. Este programa logró desarrollar acciones de participación de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el ámbito institucional. En tres escuelas primarias públicas con grandes déficits estructurales y mucha sobrepoblación, generando allí asambleas de aula, delegados y espacios de reflexión  colectiva. Gracias a esas acciones se lograron mejoras en los patios de las escuelas y disminución de la violencia entre pares en las aulas y en los recreos.

The program also managed to hold eight annual forums where approximately three hundred children and adolescents participated in each event and made proposals to improve their neighborhoods that were sometimes heard by local authorities. These forums were held in Cuartel V, and in 2022, the first Forum with the participation of children and young people from all over Moreno was held together with the Local Council.

From 2005 to 2015, with the support of Arcor, we coordinated RedOnda, a network of 25 organizations from 15 provinces, developing actions of leading participation and educational inclusion at the institutional and community level with a total of 40,000 children and adolescents. In 2014, in Mendoza, we held a national congress on the protagonism of children and adolescents with the participation of more than 500 boys and girls from 15 provinces. Between 2012 and 2014, we conducted training sessions on the participation of children and adolescents for municipal teams of children from various towns in Córdoba, Tucumán and Catamarca, convened by the Arcor Foundation. In 2014, within the framework of the strategic plan for the city of Arroyito, we conducted a survey of 600 children and adolescents in the city and supported the process of creating the City Council for Children.

In November 2015, HBO Latin America premiered Sembradores de Optimismo, an initiative dedicated to disseminating the work of organizations working on innovative educational projects in countries in the region. El Arca was chosen to represent our country.

Our citizenship-building project continues to be developed in Cuartel V, Moreno (Buenos Aires Province) and focuses on two fundamental pillars: the right to participation of boys and girls, and educational inclusion, placing special emphasis on gender equality and the eradication of any type of violence against girls and women.

Education Axis

In a context where the lack of school infrastructure is a central problem, we work with children, adolescents and their families so that no one is left out of school.

The Ark has promoted projects in schools and neighborhoods that seek to strengthen collective processes, improve educational processes, as well as address educational issues from a rights perspective that is inherent to all our work and through the leading participation of boys and girls.

We accompany the educational paths of approximately 1,000 children and adolescents each year. This may involve direct assistance in some situations, the management of school materials of different kinds (furniture, teaching materials, etc.), as well as the organization of demands regarding difficulties that affect the educational inclusion of boys and girls (transportation, access, building deficiencies, lack of educational establishments, etc.). All these actions are developed taking into account the agreements that can be established between the different actors in the community (school, municipality, community centers, children's council, etc.)

Our main actions in this area are: a mixed-gender soccer school in which 100 boys and girls participate, a traveling play center that travels through the neighborhoods promoting the right to play, a literacy program for primary and secondary school children, monitoring the educational path of 1,000 boys and girls, meeting points at the entrance of schools where we provide advice on rights, education, and we lend books and games. We also coordinate our work with schools to detect difficulties and situations that require support.

Participation axis

Since its origins, El Arca has worked with girls, boys and adolescents in projects that enable their individual and collective ideas, their voices and decisions. The initiatives carried out under this orientation have the particularity of seeking to encourage the participation of boys and girls in the organization and planning of tasks in different areas in order to include their considerations in the educational, recreational and sports projects of the neighborhood and to be taken into account in the preparation of public policies directed at children and adolescents.

El Arca has developed many experiences of participation in school institutions and at the community level. In addition to currently holding Councils of boys and girls in different parts of the neighborhood, it has organized eight Forums through which more than a thousand boys and girls have participated. This experience has provided us with a large number of methodological tools that we seek to share and enrich with the institutions of the neighborhood. In the last two years, the project includes joint initiatives with the municipal children's department and the Local Council to promote citizen participation throughout the municipality.

Our main actions in this area are: classroom councils in primary schools where boys and girls learn to resolve conflicts through words, support for the formation of student centres in secondary schools and territorial councils where boys, girls and educators meet every week to collectively think of ideas to improve their neighbourhood, which are then expressed and taken into account by the community and local authorities.

Asociación Civil El Arca

Soulcraft Bloomington: Forest and Folk School- We offer nature-based soul craft for our heart, mind, and hands in Indiana,

*Soulcraft Bloomington* is Indiana’s first forest and folk school -celebrating nature connection, folk crafts and traditional healing arts. Whether we are diving deep into nature connection practices or slowing down with the folk skills of our ancestors, we believe all of these paths lead to the same place-*a soulful and courageous life of meaning that is of service to people and the earth.* We are a vibrant, all-inclusive, intergenerational community embracing lifelong learning, nature, and living from the heart. Whether it be carving spoons, weaving baskets, concocting wild medicines, listening to stories around the fire—when we slow down and practice nature based, ancient ways we remember that we belong and that there is great purpose to our lives.
​We are located in the hills of Southern Indiana and serve children and adults of the Bloomington and surrounding areas. ​

Soulcraft Blomington

Empowering Youth in Cambodia helps disadvantaged urban youth access education, personal growth, and leadership opportunities.

Cambodia's youth demographic is one of the youngest in Southeast Asia, with over 60% of the population under 30. This rapid youth growth presents both a significant opportunity and a considerable challenge for the country’s future development.

**Empowering Youth in Cambodia (EYC)**, founded in 2006, focuses specifically on one of the most vulnerable segments of this youth population—those living in disadvantaged urban communities in Phnom Penh. Most parents of EYC students work in informal sectors as factory workers, waste pickers, tuk-tuk drivers, or street vendors, earning only a modest daily income—typically between $5 and $8. These jobs are unstable and lack job security, often leaving families living on less than $200 per month. Many of these young people are first-generation learners, balancing studies and work often without family support. Additionally, they face limited access to quality education and stable employment opportunities.

**EYC’s mission is to empower these youth through education, personal development, and leadership opportunities—helping them break the cycle of poverty and become active, contributing citizens.** 

Starting small with English and computer classes in Phnom Penh, EYC quickly grew into a respected NGO, reaching over 800 youth annually. Alumni became the organization’s backbone—returning as staff members, volunteers, and role models, creating a powerful youth-to-youth cycle of empowerment. 

Over the years, EYC expanded to multiple community centers, added programs like scholarships, leadership training, life skills, sports, arts, and STEM education. The scholarship program, in particular, has helped many students become the first in their families to graduate from high school and attend university. 

Today, EYC operates three vibrant community centers in Phnom Penh, offering a range of programs:

- **English, digital literacy, and STEM courses,** including coding and robotics
- **Scholarship support** for high school and university students
- **Leadership development** to build communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills
- **Life skills and extracurricular activities** in sports, arts, and mental health initiatives
- **Career guidance** and employability support
- **Volunteer and community engagement opportunities** with local and international partners

EYC’s holistic approach promotes not only academic skills but also confidence, resilience, and leadership. Its partnerships with other NGOs, the private sector, and educational institutions have expanded impact and trust within communities.

Looking ahead, EYC aims to strengthen its curricula, increase digital adoption, expand career pathways, deepen partnerships, and diversify funding to ensure long-term resilience. Its ultimate vision is to be a model for youth empowerment in Cambodia—demonstrating how community-driven initiatives can transform lives, break cycles of poverty, and foster a new generation of leaders.

**Join us** in supporting EYC’s mission to unlock the potential of Cambodia’s youth and create a brighter future for all.

Empowering Youth in Cambodia

Empowering Palestinians since 1983 through education, culture and relief programs in Palestine and beyond. Together, we build hope

**Taawon (Welfare Association)** is a **non-profit**, **civic organization** launched in **Geneva** in the year **1983**, upon the initiative of a group of **Palestinian and Arab economists** and intellectuals.
**Taawon has become one of the largest organizations operating in Palestine and the diaspora camps in Lebanon**, whereby it touches the lives of **more than one million Palestinians** on an annual basis, with half of these beneficiaries being **women**.
**Since its establishment, Taawon has invested funds reaching nearly US $900 million, dedicated to development and relief programs.**

**Taawon’s record** over the past 40 years reflects a journey full of achievements reinforced by **strong partnerships**.
Taawon’s long and rich experience has enabled it to:

- Overcome **obstacles** and **difficult conditions** due to the **Israeli occupation**
- Find **innovative and creative solutions** to crises
- Remain responsive to needs despite **social and economic instability**

Taawon maintains a presence in:

- **Palestine**
- **Jordan**
- **Lebanon**
- **Switzerland**
- **Great Britain** (via its sister organization)

Its **interventions reinforce the steadfastness** of **Palestinian citizens** in **Palestine** and the **refugee camps in Lebanon**.

**Taawon aims to:**

- **Empower Palestinian individuals** and **civil society institutions**
- Strengthen **identity**, **freedom**, **democracy**, and **human values**
- Preserve **Palestinian cultural heritage**, highlighting its **unique position**
- Unleash the creative energies of **youth**, **women**, and **children**
- Provide **equal opportunities** for all segments of society
- Promote **creativity** and **excellence** despite the most difficult circumstances

**Taawon works in partnership** with civil society organizations through:

- Purposeful planning
- High-standard policies

Guided by:

- The **Universal Declaration of Human Rights**
- The **United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)**
- The **Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity**

🏅 *Awards & Recognition:*

- **Taawon Awards for Excellence & Creativity**, granted annually to those advancing **sustainable development in Palestine** 
- Recipient of the **Mahatma Award (2018–2020)** for **COVID‑19 humanitarian efforts** [taawon.org](https://www.taawon.org/en/content/awards-received?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

***Our Vision****:*

*“To envision the Palestinian people as citizens of an independent, free, democratic Arab Palestine, living in dignity, prosperity and self‑fulfillment.”*

Taawon (Welfare Association)

Pay Away's mission is to inspire HOPE and spread KINDNESS.


What started as a simple act of generosity has grown into a nationwide mission to uplift families in need.  For over 10 years, we have surprised unsuspecting families by paying off holiday and back-to-school layaway balances. Since our inception, Pay Away has helped over 20,000 families nationally and military bases worldwide.

Our core initiatives focus on Back-to-School and Holiday balance payoffs, as well as shopping sprees, gift cards, and other impactful activations that bring relief and joy to deserving families.

We also partner with individual donors and corporate partners to maximize our impact through employee engagement, matching contributions, volunteer days, and customized giving opportunities. Together, we can make an even greater difference in the lives of families who need it most.

Pay Away 

The Family Justice Resource Center is a nonprofit organization focused on child welfare reform.

Family Justice Resource Center

Legacy Ranch provides a platform for life-changing experiences that stem from God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

A platform for Impactful Ministry: 

One of the core principles of Legacy Ranch are to provide a platform for life-changing experiences that stem from God’s grace through Jesus Christ and our obedience to answer the great commission,(*Matthew 28:16-20)*. 

While you think it may not impact your everyday life now, the future of Brazilian and U.S. families are being threatened. A dominating culture in Brazil lacking a Godly foundation, honoring corruption, allowing victimization of women, and raising kids without direction is crushing the hope of entire generations. With nowhere to go and no path to follow, they are stuck repeating the same patterns. It’s time to do something fundamentally different… 

This ministry is based in both the U.S. and Brazil bridging differences and addressing common struggles that don’t just stay in one place, they impact individuals and families globally.

Your generosity helps transform lives, strengthen families, and equip the next generation of Kingdom leaders!  We are a registered **501(c)(3)**, 100% of donation to the building fund go directly to the construction of phase 1, and recurring giving options are listed on the giving page.

Legacy Ranch Brasil

At the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, we believe in **a justice system that embodies compassion and understanding**. Our mission is to transform the experience of individuals navigating the complexities of the criminal justice system by utilizing professionally trained dogs that provide essential emotional support and unconditional love in high-stress environments. These remarkable animals have the ability to ease anxiety, offer comfort, and foster a sense of safety, ensuring that everyone—ranging from young victims to domestic violence victims and vulnerable witnesses—they get the chance to feel heard, valued, and respected in their justice journey.

Strategically, we are committed to strengthening our financial foundation to cultivate sustainable growth. We envision a future where innovation and collaboration flourish, enabling us to expand our reach and deepen our impact. Our goal is not just to maintain our programs but to enhance and elevate them, ensuring that we can touch even more lives with the healing presence of our courthouse dogs.

Every single life we impact matters. With your support and generosity, we can multiply the positive effects of our work, creating a ripple of compassion and hope throughout the justice system. Together, we can make a profound difference, one life at a time.

Courthouse Dogs Foundation

Cowlitz Co Habitat for Humanity is a 501C3 HOUSING nonprofit organization based in Longview, WA. Serving Cowlitz Co since 2000!  

We are driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, thrive and grow.  Families and individuals in need of a “*hand up*” partner with us to build or improve a place they can call home.  Habitat homeowners help build or repair their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.  Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, *everyone* can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower.

We are currently working on our largest development project to build 16 homes at the old KELSO high school site.  We NEED YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER with the development of this large project!  Our ability to serve more families will only be realized through your help!  TOGETHER, we can make a difference!!  THANK YOU!

Cowlitz County Habitat for Humanity 

EducAid runs schools, school improvement programmes, works on gender equality and improves community resilience in Sierra Leone.

EducAid is a UK registered charity (1163161) and Sierra Leone registered NGO that has been working in Sierra Leone for nearly 30 years.

EducAid's vision is a democratic, dignified and globally-engaged Sierra Leone, where poverty is eliminated by educated citizens.
 
EducAid runs an educational network comprising of free schools, teacher training, and tertiary programmes in Sierra Leone. We provide distinctive, personalised, top-quality, holistic education and support to vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans.  EducAid’s success comes from being grassroots and Sierra Leonean-driven. EducAid has spent decades developing relationships and earning the trust of communities. EducAid’s programmes and innovations work because they come from Sierra Leonean staff, students and communities. With in-depth understanding of the specific contexts arising in Sierra Leone, EducAid uses local knowledge, skills, relationships and experience to raise the standard of education for as many children as possible across the country.

The effectiveness of EducAid’s student-centred approach to education is demonstrated by our students, who regularly achieve some of the best exam results in Sierra Leone despite coming from backgrounds which present a multitude of challenges.   

EducAid is committed to challenging gender inequalities at all levels. We work to increase the safety, enrolment, retention and achievement of girls and young women in school. We provide equal employment and career development opportunities to women and enable the participation of women in all our activities with local communities.

Please support us in donating and help us to continue providing quality education and working for gender equality in Sierra Leone.

Each donation makes a big difference to support the work of EducAid’s schools, providing free quality education for a child or young person.  Donating to EducAid, you are truly supporting a small grassroots charity who is using everything you give to make change happen! 

Recurring monthly donations allow EducAid to ensure school budgets align with needs and student numbers to provide support throughout the school year.  Please help us to continue providing free quality education for our students in Sierra Leone, and make a real difference in the communities in which we work.

£50 per month fully supports a child in our schools. £100 is a year of school meals for one child.


Educaid Sierra Leone

Strengthening democracy by preparing all students for civic participation.

The DemocracyReady NY Coalition is the premier statewide force for civic education, with diverse, intergenerational leadership, a broad,  committed roster of members, and a strong track record of accomplishments. 

Our goal is to ensure every New York school provides **equitable, high-quality civic learning opportunities from pre-K through grade 12**, so all students graduate from high school ready for civic participation in college, career, and community life.

We work collectively to 

- **Raise awareness** about every student’s right under the state constitution to an education that prepares them for civic participation.
- **Strengthen investment**, **policy, and practice** to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to engage effectively in civic and political life, today and in the future​. 
- **Eliminate inequities** in access to quality P-12 civic learning opportunities.
- **Mobilize** youth, families, educators, researchers, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropy to work collectively toward these goals.

DemocracyReady NY activities include

- Leading [research](https://democracyreadyny.tc.columbia.edu/resources/) and advocacy to advance access to high quality civic education for all students.
- Sponsoring [New York Civic Learning Week](https://democracyreadyny.tc.columbia.edu/activities/) and our annual Summit on Civic Readiness.
- Supporting a [dynamic statewide cohort of high school and college students ](https://youtu.be/CDD2kgcU7Vk?si=LACKnr0vedS6BvAE)
- Working with the national [CivxNow](https://civxnow.org/) coalition to secure federal commitments for civic education and to support other state efforts.

Founded in 2018 at the Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, DemocracyReady NY became an independent organization led by Jessica R. Wolff and Nan Eileen Mead in 2025. 

DemocracyReady NY

Since 1958, Children of the Mekong supports children’s education in Southeast Asia. 

In Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, we help children grow through [child sponsorship](https://www.childrenofthemekong.org/sponsor-a-child/) and [education projects](https://www.childrenofthemekong.org/get-involved/support-a-project/).

Our priorities of action are early childhood, girls' education, slums, rural populations, refugees, children with disability, and ethnic minorities.

Children of the Mekong

New Hope Community Ministries is a faith-based NPO serving low-income residents in Haledon & Prospect Park, NJ. All are welcome.

**New Hope Community Ministries** is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering low-income families in Haledon and Prospect Park, NJ. We believe in holistic transformation—providing **food security, financial assistance, education, and supportive community programs** that equip individuals to thrive.

Through our **Food Pantry and The Harvest buying club**, we address food insecurity by offering nutritious options at no cost or reduced prices. Our **financial assistance programs** help families navigate crises, while **education and mentoring initiatives** provide essential skills for long-term success. We also foster **community connections** through support groups, case management, and resource navigation.

With your support, we can continue **feeding families, stabilizing households, and empowering individuals** to build a brighter future. Every donation fuels real change—providing food, resources, and hope to those who need it most. **Join us in making a lasting impact!**

New Hope Community Ministries

Pediatric malnutrition treatment – reimagined for scale.

Taimaka has reimagined pediatric malnutrition treatment to make it **more cost-effective and scalable**. We’ve developed a malnutrition treatment model that is:

1. 53% cheaper than legacy approaches and:
2. Leverages digitally-enabled community health workers (CHWs) to deliver care to the most vulnerable communities. 

So far, we’ve used our model to treat 6,000+ children out of existing government hospitals in northeastern Nigeria with world-class recovery rates of 95%+. Our track record has led charity evaluators like [Founder’s Pledge](https://www.founderspledge.com/funds/global-health-and-development-fund) to identify us as one of the most cost-effective nonprofits in global health, with a [cost-per-life saved of $1,644](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16czhbk2xjA1EkhQxebnTV_49cwVC9XYFE23Jal2Yhu4/edit#gid=0). Over the next five years, we’re on track to expand our program to treat tens of thousands of children, while helping governments revamp their outdated programs so that they can double the number of children they reach. 

Read more at taimaka.org. 

Taimaka

Mutual aid organization supporting neighbors in Washington DC, Ward 2.

[Click here to join our newsletter to get updates and get involved](https://subscribepage.io/sHh86L)

What is Mutual Aid?

**Mutual aid is “cooperation for the sake of the common good.” It’s getting people to come together to meet each other’s needs, recognizing that as humans, our survival is dependent on one another.**

Mutual Aid is a practice and politics that emphasizes solidarity rather than charity. It means we recognize that our well-being, health and dignity are all bound up in each other. It means that we understand our survival depends on cooperation, not competition. In this particular moment, we see that our health is also dependent on other people’s health, and we can literally save each other’s lives. Rather than disengage and feel powerless, mutual aid allows us to plug in where we can make the most impact — locally.

Mutual aid IS...

- Getting people together in your community to provide material support to each other
- Building relationships with your neighbors based on trust and common interest
- Making decisions by consensus rather than relying on authority and hierarchy
- Sharing things rather than hoarding things
- Treating no one as disposable
- Providing all kinds of support, ranging from food prep to childcare to translation to emotional support, and recognizing the value of all of them
- A political education opportunity, where we build the relationships and analysis to understand why we are in the conditions that we're in
- Preparation for the next disaster (natural or economic). Next time around we'll already have relationships with each other and know who is vulnerable and needs support
- A great jumping off point for other kinds of organizing and movement work

Mutual aid IS NOT...

- Quid pro quo transactions
- Only for disasters or crises
- Charity or a way to "save" people
- A reason for a social safety net not to exist

DC Mutual Aid Network

The DC Mutual Aid Network (DCMA) is a grassroots community-led effort looking to take care of each other and keep our city as safe as possible.

- DCMA is a decentralized, community-led effort, so there is no single group that runs the network.
- There are autonomous groups for Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Wards 7 & 8 are served together by one group.
- The DCMA Network is governed by the ward groups on topics of social media, website, fundraising, etc. The groups also share resources, best practices and offer referrals to other groups.

Ward 2 Efforts

Ward 2 Mutual Aid is part of the larger DCMA Network. Our concrete activities are:

- **Hotline** - Volunteers staff our warmline, where Ward 2 residents can call and request assistance.
- **Groceries** - We provide a grocery bag delivery to ~150 families that request it through our hotline or building captains. The bags include fresh produce, protein, dry goods, and requested household items.
- **Encampment Outreach** - We organize a supply drop to ~120 unhoused neighbors.
- **Building captains** - We organize with local residents to utilize their leadership and relational networks. Building captains check on neighbors, relay needs, and assist with food donations and distribution.
- **Back to school** - We organize with local parents to host a book and clothing swap.
- **Support for high risk/immuno-compromised individuals** - We have been partnering with local public housing buildings to drop off cleaning supplies, masks, and groceries.

[Click here to join our newsletter to get updates and get involved](https://opencollective.com/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscribepage.io%2FsHh86L).

Ward 2 Mutual Aid

148788709

1578280819

1873740264

2052641908

2088874155

We are a nonprofit, so we rely on the generosity of donors like you.