Checking Out Charities

I know a lot of people are making donations to ACLU, health organizations, domestic violence prevention groups, and various charities right now, and I want to encourage them to keep doing that. (Seriously, don't stop. You're doing something good, so keep it up.)


Here's one more organization to consider, as well: the American Refugee Committee. Works with refugees, displaced people, and those at risk to help them survive crises and rebuild lives of dignity, health, security, and self-sufficiency.

Aquariums are cool. Donating to helping people learn about
the oceans and the animals in and around them is also
a great cause. Plus when you sign up or donate,
you can say, "For SCIENCE!"

One thing I suggest people do before donating to a new charity they haven't seen before is to check the charity out and make sure it's really doing what it claims to be doing. There are a lot of scam artists around, and a lot of charities that keep more money than they give; Charity Navigator and Charity Watch are two websites that can help you verify that a charity does what it says.

One of the things I really like about the ARC is that it scores 4/4 stars on Charity Navigator and gets an A+ on Charity Watch. You know, in case I needed more reason to donate beyond "it helps people in need."

But don't feel limited to that. There are lots of ways to help people, and frankly, lots of people who need a hand right now to get back to the point that they can sustain themselves. Volunteering at organizations that help people (you'll find many close to home!) is always needed. And if you don't have the availability to volunteer, even a small donation helps. Charitable organizations, after all, were crowd-funding humanitarianism before Kickstarter was ever a thing.

So. Be careful, and don't get scammed. But also, help people.