01/24/2025
Now introducing, a newly updated list of nonprofits for your use, as you go APE, remembering to protect Animals, People, and the Earth, using your holiday and donation dollars in responsible and life-changing ways.
Please note that since we began the list in 2009, much has changed, including the birth of charitynavigator.org in 2001. If you don’t find what you need here, please hop over there. Just remember to align your values with any chosen organization and watch their operating costs. The lower, the better.
ANIMALS
*Alternative Humane Society
[email protected]
Volunteers helping dogs & cats in need since 1977
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
http://www.aspca.org
The ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach.
**Overhead expenses: 25%
Animal Legal Defense Fund
http://www.aldf.org
Fights to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals, pushing the U.S. legal system to end the suffering of abused animals, supported by hundreds of dedicated attorneys and more than 140,000 members; files groundbreaking lawsuits to stop animal abuse; provides free legal assistance to prosecutors handling cruelty cases; works to strengthen anti-cruelty statutes; encourages federal enforcement of existing animal protection laws; nurtures the future of animal law; and provides public education.
Overhead expenses: 12%
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
Embraces all measures that compliment the conservation, preservation and protection of wildlife, inclues hand-raising infant orphaned elephants and rhinos who have lost their families, anti-poaching operations and aerial surveillance efforts to safeguard the reserve in which wildlife calls home, providing veterinary assistance in the field to animals in need, and providing educational and community awareness opportunities to educate the existing and upcoming generations about wildlife sustainability and conservation.
Overhead expenses: 4%
*Whatcom Humane Society
https://whatcomhumane.org/
WHS advocates for animals; educates the community to promote humane treatment and respect for animals; and provides for abandoned, injured, abused, or neglected animals.
PEOPLE
ACLU aclu.org
Defend the rights of all people nationwide
Overhead expenses: 12%
*ACLU Washington
https://www.aclu-wa.org/
The Washington State affiliate of the ACLU
Please look for your own state affiliate, if you live elsewhere.
Overhead expenses: unknown, but given 97% rating by Charity Navigator
Alzheimer’s Association
https://www.alz.org/
Leading the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support
Overhead expenses: 21%
Amnesty International
https://www.amnesty.org/en/
A global movement of more than 10 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses of human rights
Bread for the World
https://www.bread.org/institute/
Our mission is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.
Overhead expenses: 12%
*Community to Community
https://www.foodjustice.org/
C2C is a women of color led grassroots organization dedicated to building movement supporting farmworker rights, climate justice and civic engagement!
Church World Service
www.cwsglobal.org
Works to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster
Overhead expenses: 22%
Doctors without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Provides independent medical humanitarian emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, natural disasters, and exclusion from health care
Overhead expenses: 15%
*Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS)
https://www.dvsas.org/
Our mission is to support individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation and to lead the community towards ending these abuses of power.
*Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mt-baker
Providing care for Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties in Washington State
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.org
Our mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.
Overhead expenses: 8%
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
http://www.plannedparenthood.org
America's most trusted provider of reproductive health care
Overhead expenses: 29%
Reading Is Fundamental
https://www.rif.org
Reading Is Fundamental works to disrupt the alarming U.S. literacy crisis by inspiring the joy of reading in children, a critical element to driving the frequency, motivation, and engagement needed to create skilled readers. We know that if we build a foundation of joy for children, then development, discovery, and opportunity follow.
Overhead expenses: 30% (or find a local literacy program that has lower expenses!)
Week of Compassion
As the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Week of Compassion works with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world
Overhead expenses: 6-8%
World Central Kitchen
https://wck.org/
A nonprofit organization that is first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in response to crises, while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions, WCK has served more than 250 million nourishing meals around the world
Overhead expenses: 5%
MOTHER EARTH
Greenpeace
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/
To halt environmental destruction and to promote solutions for future generations, through public education, grassroots lobbying and grants to other environmental organizations.
Overhead expenses: 20%
Sierra Club
www.sierraclub.org
To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth, practice & promote responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems & resources, educate & enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural & human environment, use all lawful means to carry out these objectives
Overhead expenses: 12%
*these organizations are specific to Washington State or Whatcom County, WA.
**overhead expenses are the operating expenses of any organization, including administrative and fundraising fees; all other monies are spent on actual programming, such as feeding the hungry, rescuing those in peril, fighting the good fight
