Giving Back

If you’re like me and want to focus more on giving back in 2021 (and beyond), here are some of the Ideba team’s favorite non-profit organizations. Let’s start with my favorites first…

If you’ve followed along with our blogs in the past, it won’t be the first time you’ll see me mention the Foundation for Sustainable Families. In case you missed my blog in 2018 about our team visit to Florida, check it out here. This is one of my personal favorite organizations, as they provide education and support to families, children, and the Tampa community through a sustainable farm and access to resources such as therapy and counseling, mental health support, family management, foster care and adoption, and so much more. The founder of the organization was a foster child herself, which makes their mission that much more powerful. You can donate or shop their Amazon wish list.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve made bi-annual donations to Embracing Our Differences, an organization out of Sarasota, Florida. Their vision is “a world that embraces diversity, respects differences and actively rejects hatred and prejudice”, which is extremely important in this day and age. I recently took a trip to Sarasota and walked through their Power of Art outdoor exhibit which features 50 billboard sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quote. If you are in the area, this exhibit is a must! And if you’re not, you can see all of the artwork on their website. Click on your favorites and watch a short video to learn about the artist of that piece. If you would like to help make a difference, you can donate here. You can also support Embracing Our Differences by using your Amazon Prime-Smile account, where Amazon will donate 0.5% of your net purchases to the organization. Click HERE and select “Embracing Our Differences – Coexistence Inc”.

In addition to my favorites, here are some from the team –  

Bread and Puppet is one of the oldest, nonprofit, self-supporting theatrical companies in the country. “The traveling puppet shows range from tightly composed theater pieces presented by members of the company, to extensive outdoor pageants which require the participation of many volunteers.” You can make a donation via their website or shop their wish list.

Frontline Foods was established as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mission is to “feed healthcare workers and first responders on the frontlines of the pandemic”. So far, they have served 1,094 frontline teams, delivered 556,364 meals and supported 1,254 restaurants. You can make a donation by clicking here. No matter the amount, your donation will make a huge impact. Just $50 feeds 3-5 frontline workers, and $100 feeds a team of 5-10. Talk about making a difference.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on gender equality, global health, global development and so much more. You can volunteer your time or you can make a donation to your grantee of choice by selecting one from this database.

Transition Projects helps people transition from homelessness to housing in Portland, Oregon. Each year, they assist more than 10,000 people helping to meet their basic needs, providing them with a safe place to stay, and ultimately working to place them into affordable housing that they can retain. You can donate funds or items, or you can volunteer your time. 

The Help Fill a Dream Foundation is very similar to Make a Wish Foundation but is local to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Since 1986, they have made more than 2,800 dreams come true. You can make a one-time donation or chose to contribute monthly.

Hopefully this will inspire you to make a charitable contribution (or two) this year. Every bit does count. Do you have a favorite non-profit organization that you’d like to share? Drop a comment on our LinkedIn post.

– Jenna Whelan, VP, Consulting & Research Services