The year 2020 has brought many social injustices to light in a glaring, urgent, and necessary way. We’re still fighting for equality and basic human rights for different types of people, especially those who are marginalized by their race, sexual orientation, and gender. Luckily, there are many awesome organizations out there doing great work and making a lasting impact in our world. As a socially conscious company, we love supporting these groups and we’re honored that we get to work directly with several nonprofits.
If you’re looking to support social justice and human rights, we’ve put together a list to help you take action. Whether you’re donating money this holiday season, have time to volunteer, or want to support an important cause through your business, these are our favorite social justice nonprofits that are kicking some serious ass.
1. She’s The First
She’s The First believes in a world where every girl chooses her own future. They work to make sure that girls are educated, respected, and heard in places that typically treat girls as second to boys. Many girls worldwide are denied a chance to attend school, told who and when to marry, and are thwarted from leadership roles.
When these girls are granted access to education and the other services provided by She’s The First, they’re empowered to create better futures for themselves. They earn more money, enter healthier relationships, and have fewer and healthier children. She’s The First directly impacts 11,000 girls every day in 21 countries.
Now’s an especially important time to support STF. Before the pandemic, 130 million girls were already out of school. In the wake of the pandemic, it’s estimated that another 20 million girls may not return to school.
The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are still seeing a huge gap in diversity. The number of African American women in these fields in particular is embarrassingly low. As Black Girls Code founder Kimberly Bryant says, this isn’t because of a lack of interest, but rather a lack of access and exposure to STEM topics.
The mission of Black Girls Code is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering young girls to become innovators and leaders of their own futures. By 2040, they hope to train one million girls in the fields of computer science and technology.
3. Center for Reproductive Rights
The Center for Reproductive Rights uses the power of law to advance reproductive rights as human rights worldwide. They currently serve as the only global legal advocacy organization dedicated to fighting for reproductive rights. They address issues around abortion, contraception, and maternal health.
The CRR believes that every person should be treated as an equal member of society, regardless of gender. Since 1992, they have worked on and won many groundbreaking cases to expand access to healthcare and defend human rights. Recent victories include the June Supreme Court ruling in June Medical Services v. Russo (a major abortion case), and the August ruling in Paola Guzman v. Ecuador (the Court’s first case on sexual abuse in schools).
4. Desert Flower Foundation
The Desert Flower Foundation was founded by Waris Dirie, a desert-nomad-turned-supermodel who escaped childhood marriage shortly after going through an “initiation ceremony”. She eventually went on to start the nonprofit organization, which works to prevent female genital mutilation (FGM).
Every 11 seconds, a young girl is subject to FGM, a procedure that leads to the death of one third of them. Many who do survive experience lifelong pain and psychological trauma. Dirie’s foundation works to expand awareness of this practice as well as to abolish it and support its victims. In 2007, the foundation held the largest campaign against FGM worldwide. Since its inception, The Desert Flower Foundation has saved thousands of girls from FGM.
5. The Trevor Project
For the 1.8 million LGBTQ young people that seriously consider suicide each year, The Trevor Project hopes to be there for every one. They provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to those in the LGBTQ community who are under 25.
The Trevor Project provides training and resources for educators and other adults that are important figures in the lives of these young people. They offer free counseling services to LGBTQ youth and a 24 hour crisis line. They’ve been saving lives every day for over 20 years.
6. Global Fund For Women
Gender justice movements are one of the most effective ways to create and sustain long-term change. That’s why the Global Fund For Women works to transform power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all. Frustrated by a lack of interest in funding women’s rights issues, the four founders started GFW to fund women-led movements directly.
Their work supports economic justice, freedom from violence, and reproductive health and rights for women everywhere. Last year, they helped change 13 laws and policies in 11 countries and their work impacted nearly one and a half million individuals.
Adelante Mujeres exists to build a more just society by empowering Latinas to lead. They provide education, leadership training, and enterprise opportunities to more than 9,000 Latina women and family members in and around Washington County, Oregon.
Latina women are highly underrepresented in decision making roles in our society. The founders of Adelante Mujeres were inspired to start the organization when they realized these women needed programs designed with their needs in mind. The work they do helps Latinas find their voices, speak up, and lead.
Through their programs, 100 percent of high school seniors graduated and 95 percent of them enrolled in college. Last year, they had 68 participants complete their Small Business Course and they provided 97 people with nutrition and cooking classes.
8. Farmworker Justice
Farmworker Justice works to support migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice. The organization fights to end discrimination against agricultural workers in labor laws and promote higher wages. They also access job safety information to limit exposure to pesticides, a serious health risk that most farmworkers aren’t protected from.
The work done by Farmwork Justice has supported several important bills, like the Fairness for Farmworkers Act of 2019, which removed discrimination of fair labor laws for farmworkers including overtime pay and minimum wage.
In this age of mass incarceration, one in four women has a family member in prison. Many women are left to care for their kids and finances alone, while facing the stigma that comes from having a partner who is incarcerated. The Essie Justice Group is a loving and powerful community of women taking on rampant injustices while building a more compassionate society.
The organization exists to break isolation, increase resources to families, and confront the harm caused by mass incarceration.
10. TransTech Social Enterprises
Founded by Angelica Ross, a black trans woman, TransTech is an incubator for LGBTQ talent with a focus on economic empowerment. It’s a co-working and co-learning community that provides career-ready skills to those who face barriers in education and employment. They also work to reduce discrimination, with a focus on trans and gender non-conforming individuals.
