Thank you, Nicholas Kristof for bringing these causes to our attention. It's a really valuable column that i look for every holiday season to guide my charitable giving.
13
I admire and am grateful for what Edna Adan is doing and Nicholas Kristof for telling her story. I feel I should only offer praise, but I also feel the need to add that I wish I had seen women's easy access to safe birth control as part of the story of her work.
19
Thank you, Nicholas, for the best holiday "gift" I'll receive. I live in a town in which homeless people struggle to survive and absurdly wealthy people own multiple homes in gated developments. The latter are quick to contribute to the local symphony - one gets one's name in their list of donors. I write all of this because it seems clear to me that - beside giving - we need to undermine economic systems that serve a few and starve many more. "Direct action gets the goods."
16
We midwives who have served women internationally have been longtime supporters of Edna Adan. Somalis in the diaspora have also supported her enthusiastically. Great choice! Keep up the good work!
18
After hearing your interview on NPR about your book "A Path Appears," I started a chapter of Dining for Women. We celebrate 5 years this month and have raised nearly $23,000. And had a great time and learned so much in the process. Thank you for all of your great suggestions. I also have been looking for a local organization and will support Reach Out and Read.
10
A wonderful article Mr. Kristoff - again -and thank you so much for delving into this issue. I forwarded it to my dear friend and an esteemed UK writer Wendy Holden, I will still get her a scarf: namely, because she wrote a wonderful book about Ms. Edna Adan Ismail - A Woman of Firsts, published . August 2019, and it has received a wonderful feedback and accolades. Just wanted you to know about this book - unless of course you do.
Again many thanks for your contributions to NYT which I read daily.
10
Thanks @NickKristof for what you cover and for sharing a list that is generating support for these good works at home and abroad. The older I get the more I try to substitute the "overpriced scarves" for family members with donations in their name. I think the End Fund's fight against tropical diseases would be a worthy next cause for @Rotary International that has done so much to eradicate polio.
7
I realize there is widespread suffering throughout the world, especially in places like Somalia. That said, this year I feel particularly impelled to support Nicholas's suggested domestic charity Reach Out and Read. The reason is that we desperately need our children to become better educated citizens so, in the future, we can enhance voting literacy and avoid the kind of administration we now have (one which is adversely affecting people all over the world by its ruinous and impulsive policies, such as pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords).
Thank you, Nicholas, for calling my attention to these excellent organizations.
Sincerely,
Paul Newlin
19
I deeply admire what you do and what you support. May I suggest that you take a look at the Bill Cook Foundation, www.billcookfoundation.org. We help to educate children in about 30 countries, and 99% of our funds go directly to support projects. I am a retired medieval historian, who studied at Cornell with Brian Tierney. He died yesterday, but he told me more than once about one of his favorite undergraduate students, your wife.
13
In this time of political chaos and venality, you are a blessed gift.
11
People can also set up a Facebook fundraiser if they use Facebook, and ask friends to donate to their fundraise in lieu of gifts,use Smile Amazon if they order from Amazon ( only a tiny percentage of their price will go to charity, but if enough people do it, it makes a difference).One can also add 1 dollar every time they use Paypal.
I personally like to give to a charity in honor of someone.
Clara Coen
3
If I had extra cash, these all sound great. As it is, I don't, so I'll just continue to foster dogs from our local shelter. There are a lot of things one can do in the world to make things better. Those of you who don't have anything extra other than an hour a week or so, there are plenty of places that can use an extra pair of hands for that hour.
131
@SQUEE Rather sad that no animal organizations are mentioned including wildlife rescue/rehabilitation, animal rights, shelters, farm sanctuaries, etc.
14
I have long advocated for charitable gifts, requesting them when asked and seeking out compatible organizations when giving to people in my life who don't want one more "thing." But too often, an unwanted side effect of holiday giving is a whole year of junk mail, begging emails, and robocalls--for me and whichever unfortunate I've gifted, from the charity I have patronized and all the ones they have sold our names to. A terrible use of everyone's resources! I would happily add $20 to my donation for any organization that promises to take my money and never contact me again.
213
I second that motion.
25
@RebaLuka I explicitly condition gifts on this protocol.
It mostly works.
14
@RebaLuka
AMEN! Same goes for political donations. I am MUCH more careful about giving now only because the follow up contacts are relentless. It is a trial to stop them. And they share (sell?) your contact to other charities/ candidates.
I haven't forgotten about these charities/ politicians. I will give again when I can/ want, not when they think I should.
12
A few years ago, irritated with the fuss of buying presents for people who need nothing and buy what they want , our family decided to forgo holiday gifts in favor of donating to someone in need. Our first choice was a cousin whose sick partner had no health insurance.
The next year, it was a local food bank and an inner city school. Every year, we choose someplace small, where our contribution of $1000 to $2000 or so will make a big difference. Our employers match the contributions in whole or in part.
In addition, every year, my family bakes a ton of cookies and cakes - trying to accommodate all tastes - gluten free, dairy free, nut free, sugar free - and have a party at which guest are given boxes to take home whatever they want for their own holidays. Before the party, we pack boxes for people who have to work the holidays - police, hospital workers, shelters, food banks. We adopt an active duty military unit every year for cookies, and give cash to those who help us all year - doormen when we had them, cleaning crews, mail carriers.
Personally, I love giving gifts - the right gift at the right time. I would rather save that joy for more personal times. The holidays are more joyous because the people we love are joined with us in giving to others.
We used to exempt children from our no-gift rule, but my daughter at age eight declared she was not a baby anymore and wanted to join in the family effort.
Our holidays are much happier since.
76
@D F What a wonderful thing you are doing. I would love to initiate something similar with my family. None of us need a thing and there are so many out there who need so much. It must be wonderful to spend this time together and focus on the joy of being together, rather than the commercialized material-fest the holidays have become. Not to mention the horrifying environmental impact of the holiday, but that is a whole other story.
8
@D F I’m jealous. Tried something similar among extended families during the 1990s. No one thought it was a good idea. I’m sickened by our crass commercial culture.
12
Thank you for using your pen as sword to cut through our culture’s numbing consumerism amidst staggering suffering. Although my philanthropy addresses different issues than yours, I have for years asked loved ones to make donations in my honor and I do the same for others ... not only at holidays but birthdays, in loving memory, and any other occasion that might trigger gift giving. Yes, there are still some purchases and gift cards exchanged too, but elevating philanthropic awareness and orientation toward meaningful giving helps everyone everywhere.
20
Thank you, Nicholas. Upon writing this comment, I will click on your website and donate to one if not more of these worthy causes. I am a retired nurse, and I have seen a lot during my time as a hospital RN. But never anything close to what you have described. Yes, we complain about our present health care system. And, indeed, we are justified. Too many Americans can avoid treatable diseases and early deaths if only the richest nation in the world would provide universal, affordable, and accessible health care, now being forfeited at an altar of greed. But genital mutilation, treatable cervical cancers, preventable blindness, and elephantiasis? We from affluent countries are as culpable and guilty as amoral and brutal dictators when we are silent or turn the other way. Let this be a sacred and happy Christmas for many of our suffering family across this world of ours. Nicholas has just placed us on a path to walk together toward that goal with empathy and love.
84
@Kathy Lollock
Perspective is a gift in itself. Yes, we have need, but also so much to give. May our shared humanity be stronger than what separates us all.
Thanks for what you wrote and the beautiful sentiment behind it. Take care.
26
@NM Thank you, NM. I always appreciate your kind words.
14
Thank you for this, Mr. Kristof. My family has been deciding our donations together for about the last 16 years, ever since our son was, perhaps, 4 years old. It turned out to be a good way to teach him that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. At 21, he is a feminist without even trying (the words of my niece) and is very committed to changing the world into a better place.
To all potential donors: please don't eschew organizations that spend some money on administration. Without some organization they are chaotic and rudderless and ultimately don't use your donations wisely.
115
@Judith, Your point about organizations needing to have a robust administrative structure is so important!
22
@Judith This may be true for large organizations, but smaller local hands-on ones like those profiled here can also do incredible work and have far more impact with relatively small donations.
5
I admire the author’s charity, but hundreds if not thousands of American children die each year as a result of hunger or inadequate access to medical care.
Many of these children live in rural areas or urban ghettos which rival Somalia in their depravity.
I wish well-intentioned charities had a more inward focus. Regrettably, one need not venture far to find people in dire need.
80
And you have your trump administration cutting food aid to individuals and school.meal.programmes when your farmers need markets. And the so called evangelic Christians support him? canada has no.equivalent to.your SNAP programme but local FOOD BANKS supported by cash donations or in kind donations. We should have..I think it would be a wonderful.idea. But we too.have hateful right wing politicos.
18
@Mark Thanks for your comment on my column, and you raise a valid point that at least one other reader also made. The basic argument you're offering is, I think, this: It's too bad about people suffering abroad, but let's first solve the problem in our own back yard.
I disagree, and let me explain. You're right of course that we have great needs at home, but there is a huge difference. I've seen children dying of malaria or diarrhea in ways that just don't happen in America. Yes, America's health care system is a mess and too many die as a result, but kids don't die in the US from intestinal blockages caused by worms -- as thousands do abroad. And that's a death that can be prevented by a 5-cent deworming pill once or twice a year. It's far cheaper to save lives abroad, and I don't think that our compassion should depend on someone's skin color -- or their passport color.
That said, I do agree that it's sometimes perceived as "cool" to worry about children in Malawi, but not about kids here in the US, and that too strikes me as shortsighted. That's why in this column I also recommend an organization, Reach Out and Read, that does extraordinary work with disadvantaged American children. So whether your focus is at home or abroad, I hope you'll visit the column and support an organization making this world a better place.
468
@Nicholas Kristof
Thank you Nicholas for this enlightening article. I understand the perspective of many who feel that those of us in wealthy and privileged countries should deal with poverty and social issues at home first before we judge other countries, provide foreign aid or commit other resources. But the two things are not mutually exclusive. We can do both.
53
Thank you for these suggestions. Sometimes, the sheer volume of maladies in the world - medical and cultural - feel so overwhelming that one doesn’t know where to start. But you specify worthy causes and specify how even small contributions will make a difference. You inspired me to gift someone I have never met with things I can take for granted in my own life.
62
Thank you once again for providing a lens into the wealth of organizations deserving of attention and celebration. Your annual giving guide has a powerful impact and helps guide people make mindful decisions about their philanthropy.
Last year, you highlighted the work of the Iodine Global Network, and this was one of the many messages that we received:
"Just to let you know that our seven year old daughter chose IGN as the charity to receive her $60 of charitable giving for 2018. We read about you in Nicholas Kristof’s column last week and she thinks that what you do is terrific. She says that it’s terrible that kids might not get what they need to be able to concentrate and learn, when it is so simple.
Many thanks,"
And this was our response:
"We just wanted to personally thank you for your generous contribution and confidence in the work that we do. It is never lost on us that people make contributions with a great deal of hope and we take our role really seriously to be able to make a difference and leverage the funds efficiently and effectively. We are so touched and grateful that our work to protect the brains of unborn children has been recognized. We feel so privileged to be involved with this work and promise to continue to do our best to support the intake of iodine and help children throughout the world reach their potential and thrive."
Thank you for all that you do Nicholas and Sheryl to spread goodness and positivity. We are so grateful!
97
@Jonathan Gorstein Thanks for the work of the Iodine Global Network. I try in my annual giving guide to include both charismatic individuals with amazing stories (like Edna) and wonky evidence-based interventions (deworming or salt iodization). We need both. And iodization is a great example of a cheap intervention costing a few cents per child per year that raises cognitive capacity and keeps kids in school longer, helping individuals and nations alike.
52
That is all wonderful. But I notice not one cultural endeavor. Boomers are trying to fix the world, but they are failing to support our dying culture, and that is a tragedy. In every town and city there are small chamber music ensembles, concert series, music schools, dance companies, and such groups that have an immediate impact yet are starving for support. Nor do they have the funding for the kind of major endeavors that would raise standards. It costs a lot to stage or recreate a major work by a major choreographer, or commission a composer, or buy instruments. Without grass-roots support, culture dies. And when culture dies, everything dies.
56
@Joshmo
I agree, but when people don't have the basics, it's hard to worry about culture. Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?
40
@Joshmo As important and necessary as your goals are, I believe that Mr. Kristof is trying to address much more existential problems with this column. Why not start your own fundraising program for your goals....there are a lot of people who agree with you.
14
@Joshmo You could consider Reach Out and Read as a cultural endeavor as well as supporting health and education, because it helps create the next generation of readers and writers. Also, as someone else pointed out, we can support all sorts of good work. It doesn't need to be "either/or" - it can be "both/and." Many artists work passionately on behalf of social causes because we understand that everything is interconnected.
16
After reading “Half the Sky” during medical school, I emailed Edna and asked if I could come to her hospital for a one month rotation. She emailed back personally, graciously accepting. I traveled with my partner, who taught English to a group of young women, and we lived in Edna’s hospital. We had dinner every night with Edna in her apartment (also in the hospital) and were fortunate to get to know her well. We cannot say enough about this incredible woman- what a gentle force. You should feel great about donating to this cause! Thanks for continuing to cover Edna, Nicholas!
427
@Kendra Thanks so much for volunteering with Edna! And if there are any doctors or nurses reading this who are interested in volunteering at the hospital, please do so. I should say that it works best if you can stay several months or more, and can help train the staff there. But everyone who goes, like Kendra, has had a remarkable time there.
97
If you are considering giving to a particular charitable organization (especially one of the larger or more well-known ones) but want to have a better idea of how they spend contributed funds before you make a decision, check out:
https://www.charitynavigator.org/
01 Dec 19 1057
5
Whatever one thinks about preferring to give to those closer to home, the mere thought about 8 yr old girls having to undergo having their genitals surgically removed (without anaesthesia) to ensure virginity at marriage age ought to be enough for a re-think. This is misogyny, child abuse & patriarchy all wrapped up in one package & taken to the extreme. As a woman nearing her 80's, I try to imagine my self image as a female child after such a humiliating & painful experience. I don't use the word "wicked" (if ever) but this practice on a whole culture of girls & women would be a time I would & do.
19
Brava for a great holiday reminder.
it truly is a shame that the greedy amongst us could make such a difference if only.
2
Excellent reminder. I give monthly and this year I am going to sit down with my daughter and have her pick her organization to donate to.
2
Nicholas:
I appreciate the effort of this article. However, this article really just comes off as millionaires virtue signaling about donations. I'm sure you donate to great causes. But I'm also sure that you have plenty of luxurious goods, take luxurious trips, and eat at fancy restaurants. Some of us aren't so fortunate, and it's not wrong for us to give our loves ones "expensive scarves," or nice gifts. I wish you weren't so out of touch. Otherwise, I love your pieces.
1
I’ve enjoyed and learned from your columns but am pleased to learn of your great contributions to humanity. Thank you.
1
Thank you for (most of) this list. The four, principal initiatives you've mentioned are doing important work that can save lives and/or provide people with the skills they need to thrive and contribute in the future,
But I'm very disappointed that you also recommend Heifer International. Giving live farm animals as gifts is not a healthy, sustainable or compassionate way to relieve hunger. Program that help people establish drought-resilient plants are a better choice.
See https://awellfedworld.org/no-animal-gifts/
5
Dear Mr. Kristof, I admire your journalism. However, I wonder about the justifications for favoring these charities over the ones that GiveWell's extensive research suggests are most likely to do the most good for each additional dollar donated. Are you unpersuaded by their work? If so, why? If you are persuaded, why do recommend other charities? Thank you.
3
I understand for I too, admire M. Kristoff. However, I don't "wonder". I trust.
2
$100,000 here, $50,000 there, $20 for Somalia, sorry, but it really doesn't add up to much. Here's what you should be doing, what Big Business has long realized. Spending money to lobby Congress for increased foreign aid might yield billions in additional funding, that is how you get real results, not this nickel-and-dime Mickey Mouse stuff.
2
A much larger step in the right direction is banning "superpacs". Alexander Hamilton had the right ideas. He did the real heavyweight work we read and follow (usually) in the United States Constitution. On a slightly different subject, he died from a gunshot wound sustained in a duel. To this day, I believe that is a very admirable way to go out with dignity.
@Easy Goer
Sorry, dying in a duel is a very stupid way to die, from an excess of concern for a silly reason, one's personal sense of dignity.
6
BTW:I wish my Medi-Cal or Medicare offered dental help. Most dentists do not take these.
Edna sounds like a miracle walking. BRAVA!!!
2
My preferred charity? The one that prevents the suffering of the child in adjoining article.
https://nyti.ms/2R3GKE2
Mr. Kristof,
Thank you for your excellent work. I have an idea for veterinarians. They can ask for a donation to the END Fund whenever they treat a pet for intestinal parasites.
2
"Nobody need die in the 21st century of cervical cancer." That should read:
"No WOMAN need die in the 21st century of cervical cancer.
3
I gave $250 to Somaly Mam. That worked out well.
These days I read the comments before I read the column!
3
dear Nicholas , let alone the great diligence of NYT, even only your coloum and efforts worth the subscribtion to this paper . Keep it up. Warm regards and congratulations
2
Followed your advice and gave $250 to Somaly Mam
By contributing you are increasing famine among these poor people, prolonging their deaths. Leave it alone, its Gods will.
Sometimes it is so easy to be furious and exhausted and feel like giving up. And then you read this, and you realize that there are so many people who don't have the luxury of giving up, no matter how tired. I am, as always, in awe of the focus and the energy of those who work to make the world a better place.
10
Love this article. Thank you for making it so easy to help.
6
What a wonderful way to honor the Holiday season. These are amazing causes. I do have one question: What about here in the U.S.? As Mark pointed out "thousands of American children die each year as a result of hunger or inadequate access to medical care." Is there a charity here in the U.S. that you could recommend that uses its resources as wisely and carefully as Edna does? It's wonderful to help those all over the world, but there are huge needs here at home as well.
All great causes, Mr. Kristof! My husband and I have 21 nieces and nephews, nearly all in their 20's, and a few years ago we started giving each of them $25 gifts cards to Donors Choose, a crowdfunding-type of organization that supports public school classrooms through "projects" that teachers post. Without exception, all of our nieces and nephews have been afforded incredibly great educational opportunities which is precisely why we chose Donors Choose. It's only eye-opening to them to read about classrooms where, for example, the teacher is asking for ink cartridges for the one printer she/he shares with 5 other classrooms. There are many thousands of projects to choose from (hence, the name). In our minds, it starts them early, hopefully, on a lifetime of giving.
4
Thank you for this article, Mr. Kristof. You have brought to our attention some very important endeavors. I will be sending all my holiday money to at least two of the organizations.
1
Thank you, Mr. Kristof, for the useful suggestions.
Am a single mother but by God's grace I'm in a position to afford a not-so-large donation now and then.
Read your article with my kids and donated a flock of chickens.
3
Sharing this column to my facebook page with this note: 'Wishing all a beautiful and giving ‘Thankful’ Weekend. It certainly has been for me as I reflect on all the acts of kindness and help I received from so many friends following my accident this Summer. My lengthy recovery has imbued me with empathy for those suffering much greater setback than mine and also granted me much gratitude for the many privileges we share in our access to medical care, education and opportunity. It also made me aware of those less fortunate that do not have these offerings available. I must thank Nicholas Kristoff, whose column I read and revere each Sunday in the NYTimes, for making us aware of that world.
This week’s column is especially timely as he focuses our seasonal ‘giving sense’ on a few chances to make a huge difference in the lives of folks both within and beyond our borders. A few dollars can go along way and I wish to encourage you to read this column and share if you can. Happy Thanks Giving !! and Please Share!'
4
I keep thinking about this article. We have a short list of charities we donate to regularly, but the need worldwide is overwhelming. In an age when we're constantly hearing about massive philanthropic efforts (think Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), people need to know that even a few dollars will help.
4
Giving gifts of donations is aways appropriate, and this list beats the old heifer gifts, cute as they were. A plug also for an organization that, among other things, helped the "despised" after WW II and the forgotten throughout the world since early 20th century, American Friends Service Committee. Extremely low administrative costs, and always peace-oriented. Since well before their Abolitionist work, Quakers have had amazing insight into human need.
3
Thank you for expressing what I feel about gift giving. Those of us who don't need another scarf can do good instead of packing away another gift to maybe use, or not. For Hanukkah I've often supported donorschoose.org, a site that helps teachers all over the U.S. by funding their classroom projects. I gift certificates to my guests of all ages and they pick a project to fund. It makes EVERYONE feel good and it actually does GOOD.
6
Thank you for this enlightening column. I cried while I read it and plan to donate to these worthy causes.
8
A few years ago our family stopped the madness and began giving to charities instead of exchanging gifts. We are fortunate enough to be able to meet our needs and modest wants ourselves. We feel good about giving, while avoiding the awful selling pressure of the holidays. Greener too. I would encourage everyone to give this approach a try.
16
Thank you for this thoughtful article, and especially for choosing Reach Out And Read as one of your choices. I coordinated one of their programs in a hospital pediatric clinic south of Boston.
We received feedback from early intervention nurses that the books supplied by Reach Out And Read were not just the only books, but often the only reading material in the home.
In this program, babies start receving books at 6 months of age and continue until 5 years old, when they enter kindergarten. The books were given out as "prescriptions to read" during their well-child visits. And many ROAR sites also partnered with Reading Is Fundamental, so that older kids have access to books and book culture.
One of the things I liked best was the quality of the books, available through a partnership with Scholastic. Children in this program get good books, classics like Good Night Moon and others. The other was the research based nature of the program. They found a model that worked but didn't rest on it, they are continually striving for ways to promote family literacy and backing it up with research. Being able to read=doing better in school=better opportunities. It all starts with a handful of books.
13
Thank you so much for sharing these stories. Will be sending your essay out to my sisters and friends.
An impressive group of humans who offer hope with practical applications and I’m happy to contribute in my granddaughter’s names. Thank yo again...
4
Nicholas, thank you for this thoughtful column and for all you do to connect us to those in need around the world. I'm sending it around to several friends now in hopes that they will choose to make a gift in support of these worthy and life-changing causes.
7
We should all support the brave people doing good work in difficult places. But my predominant emotion reading this column, I admit, is depression. How have we managed to create a world where simple remedies are not available, while so much is spent on weapons and luxuries? Humanity doesn't deserve this earth.
23
I don't mean to undermine your efforts, Mr. K, but for only $25 each, the Himalayan Cataract Project does sight-restoring and blindness-preventing cataract surgery. In the last 25 years they have performed 813,000 operations and trained more than 1200 people.That's a whole lot of bang for your charitable buck. Just think, for only the price of a nice restaurant meal you can make that kind of a difference in a person's life.
And thank you so much for everything you do.
22
Nicholas, I read that Christmas Gift essay the very first time you mentioned Edna Adan and have given my small quarterly contributions to her consistently ever since.
I add this personal connection. As a volunteer at the Red Cross here in Linköping, Sweden for the past 18 years, I have met many 100s of Somalis, mostly high school students who came here as asylum seekers and come to the Red Cross for help with homework and to converse in Swedish.
The two names that ring a bell with a great many are Edna Adan and Hawa Abdi. And one day after that bell rang in the brain of the Somali man sitting in front of me, he told me he had actually been a construction worker building that hospital.
Edna Adan shows the Power of One.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
39
Thank you Mr. Kristof for attempting to inspire others to give! All those holiday parties that consist of Chinese gift giving where people can steal the gift from another person and so on and so on, might consider having folks instead bring $20 or how ever much they would like to donate, to go to a charitable cause. Not only would the money be better spent, but it would no longer be necessary to shop for some meaningless gift for some unknown recipient. One only has to wonder how much money might be raised for Edna’s hospital! We should all attempt to make this the season of giving...charitable giving.
20
Thanks, Nicholas, for helping me focus on the true spirit of the holidays. Maybe charity, kindness and caring aren’t dead yet in our poor, fractured nation.
9
Years ago a client mentioned their Hanukah tradition of giving to a charity each year, by a family consensus (including presentations), instead of gifts to each other. I proposed it to my very large family of siblings (and spouses) to replace our Christmas pollyanna tradition - we had made it a fun game but, let's be real, we didn't need the gifts we received. So now we rotate which sibling chooses the charity each year. We keep a book with pages for each year with info about the charity and why it's meaningful to us. And no game means more time talking to each other. Now the adult children are participating & hopefully continue it indefinitely. Pay it forward....:)
41
“...when those of us in the rich world...”
What a remarkable opening sentence. Applause and bravo to Mr. Kristof for simply saying that. Hardly anybody in the rich world does.
23
Thank you for highlighting the importance of giving to charities rather than buying unnecessary gifts over the holidays. I do however wish that you had included charities aimed at saving wildlife and conservation, as these are just as important. We give to several local and international animal rescues as well as the Sheldrick Wildlife Fund every year, and they are by our most meaningful “gifts”.
17
Thank you, Mr. Kristof. Along these same lines, for folks who are concerned about addressing the causes and impacts of climate change, like to put in a plug for EcoViva (www.ecoviva.org), Amazon Watch (www.amazonwatch.org) and Thousand Currents (www.thousandcurrents.org). All three organizations provide grants and technical support to indigenous and grassroots groups that are empowering women and young people to protect coastal wetlands and rainforests, while in the process generating sustainable livelihoods, restoring depleted soils with agroecology, and fighting environmental degradation in some of the most critical ecosystems on our planet.
24
@YF Thanks for these recommendations of groups I had not heard of. All my giving goes to ecology oriented groups because once gone much cannot be recovered.
Let me put in a plug for Earth Justice here at home that fights to protect critical lands under attack by Trump and the GOP with legal actions. Slow them down and vote the GOP out.
9
Thank you so much
6
I am a man.
I think men and misogyny are the greatest human force that holds back human progress and civilization.
We must all actively support the world's women in their eternal quest for freedom from patriarchy, religion, medievalism and the destructive male behavior patterns toward women.
https://support.madre.org/give/233878/#!/donation/checkout
https://act.globalfundforwomen.org/donate
https://shareandcare.org/donate-now
https://support.everymothercounts.org/give/185553/#!/donation/checkout
https://www.w4.org/en/project/girls-parliaments-to-end-child-marriage-in-the-drc/
https://wgefund.org/donatenow/
Lots of poor women and girls around the world need our support to survive against medieval men who hold them back.
Donate a a few dollars....save a woman...save a girl.
Make a difference.
237
Amen, Socrates. As a man, I totally agree. Thank you for the links.
18
@Socrates as a Woman . . good on ya
8
@Socrates You are correct, but until the world produces a lot more men like you, the same old thing will continue. If we try to deny men power they just kill us.
11
thank you
5
Certainly donating to a charity is far preferable to buying an unnecessary item for someone who may not even want it. But I've stopped donating money to non-profits. Instead, I donate my time. Earlier this year and last year I helped teach working class immigrants English. That benefits my community and it was fun. When I give money as well as time, it's to the campaign of a politician who could enact real change (sadly, the only one who won his elections was Barack Obama). The power of the US government far outstrips the power of any non-profit.
7
@Anne - I support in a very minor way The Innocent Project. It is at the top of my list because it rights a wrong, that doesn't happen everyday. "The power of the US government far outstrips the power of any non-profit." I paraphrase, "The power of government far outstrips the power of any non-rich individual."
Please join me.
6
Thank you for this list.
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I recommend giving to Ex-Muslims of North America. (exmna.org). The punishment for apostasy in Islam is death. Even in North America, ex-Muslims are under threat, ostracized, and threatened. This great organization connects ex-Muslims together to help them find support and safety and community outside of Islam. Check them out.
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@Drew It's only women who are killed for leaving Islam.
I have been donating to Edna hospital since the first time Mr.Kristof wrote about her. Truly an amazing woman. I get regular updates about how money is spent and what they do with it.
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I admire your approach, and the spirit behind it...who needs a scarf when you could help an unfortunate child in India....that's my approach. Through Give India you can reach both urban and rural areas where health and education are almost non-existent. For a very few dollars you can give to a program called Apnalya that is transparent, legitimate, and has a good track record. I wish, Mr. Kristoff, that you would go to Mumbai to visit programs of Apnalya, an organization founded by Thomas Holland in 1973 in the slums of Bombay, that has grown and spread throughout the Mumbai region, and now reaches more than 4,000 young children in slum areas with educational and health programs. In 1974, I worked in the Holland Health Center that he created in the slums that spread around the Intercontinental Hotels as it was being built on reclaimed land in Bombay. From the brainstorm of that one man, Apnalya has spread into a strong NGO serving the Mumbai region. I urge you to go, see for yourself, and put them on your list next year!
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From one grateful, awed, inspired, humbled reader, thank you Mr. Kristof.
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Thank you so much for your efforts. A few years ago, I gave several of my friends gift cards from the microlender Kiva. All my friends had to do was go online, select an entrepreneur to help, and enter their gift card. It didn't cost them anything except a few minutes. Not a single friend used their card. How can we convince others that donating to organizations like the ones you mention are a good use of holiday money?
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Wow. That is so disappointing to hear. Next time donate in their name and send them information about the organization or a copy of this essay. You may eventually inspire someone but at the very least you’ll be living your values.
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Nick, I've said this before, but I'll say it again....I have a platonic crush on you! Thank you for being so benevolent and guiding us readers to ways we too can give to receive.
I just gave my largest Christmas donation to an organization to feed those on the boarder waiting to cross legally.
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Why are HPV vaccines several hundted dollars in the USA, but only $5 in developing countries? Answer: the USA health care consumer is getting hosed because the US government allows pharmaceutical companies to do so.
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@Dr. Dave The US Government is defined in the first three words of the Constitution as being "We The People". The government is composed of people who are put there by their constituents' votes, or appointed by people who were voted into office. If you want to change government policy, you have to vote for that to happen.
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Just donated! Everyone please do the same if you can.
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Thank you for this.
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Thank you, your article is perfectly timed, and I appreciate your doing the work for us so that we can give to ideas and organizations that really matter. Happy Holidays to you, too!
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Year after year the working class dig deeper when it comes to charitable giving. Much of it is to churches and, despite your cynicism, churches support worthy causes. The working class is systematic and regular. The working class feel an obligation. Others spot give. Which is fine. But before you know it, it’s New Years Day and you came up shy once again. I recommend that you lock in to regular contributions. After all the working class is right. Charity IS an obligation.
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Well, that puts things in perspective this holiday season.
Thank you very much, Mr.Kristof.
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Water.org is a fabulous and worthy nonprofit!,
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Nicholas Kristof, thank you for your wonderful kindness and direction. To describe you in one word is easy.
You are a mensch.
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Question for Nicholas: I am going to support this effort but I wonder if you’ve thought about a similar approach with the goal of creating the next generation of “healthcare mavens” , young people, teenagers, worldwide with the mission to create solutions using the tools we have as well as the ones to comet....
Thanks always for insights.. on many things .
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Yes to supporting all these worthy organizations!
And I wonder if we can make Christmas a less materialistic holiday in general, please? Just a stocking and a couple of gifts for each child? A good meal with family and friends? A few decorations? Game night or a movie together? A church service if that's your thing?
But I wonder if we could agree to skip all the incessant gift giving? All our American style consumerism is helping to choke the seas with plastic and overwhelm the landfills.
Thank you.
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Thinking about that Fatwa about cutting- does it call for an end to cutting or just to that an end to extreme cutting, but cutting nonetheless?
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The best gifts for Somalian women is birth control pills. The average family has over 6 children. Than number is unsustainable, causing poverty and global warming.
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Global warming is caused by fossil fuel use, meat production, and relentless consumption generally. It's the developed world that is the main culprit in this. One typical American child and her parents are much more responsible for global warming than one Somalian woman and her six children. I support all women having access to safe, effective birth control for the sake of self determination, but it is not the poor of the world- "the wretched of the earth" as an author once called them- who are causing global warming.
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@Marian - Actually no. People in poor countries often have high birth rates in order to be able to have workers to provide for their families, insure against high death rates of their children, and to support them as they get old in the absence of any government programs.
Because of their poverty, they and their children use a vanishingly small amount of the earth’s resources- especially compared to us in the US.
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@Marian The reason they have so many children is that the mortality rate is extremely high. Many of the children they have will die. They need their children to help with growing food, taking care of the younger children, caring for parents when they are sick and/or old.etc. All they have to rely on is each other.
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I appreciate your efforts for all the organizations you mention but I would like to see the same effort made to reduce illiteracy- not just worldwide- but right here in the USA. Ignorance- due to the inability to read and write is the cause of so much of the worlds suffering.
If you don't know what is available to you how can you fight/vote for your rights?
I see that as the root cause of much of the misery you write about.
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Re: Heifer International
Their CEO is paid nearly a half million dollars annually.
$429,483 Pierre Ferrari Chief Executive Officer
Please dbl check these charity organizations before you buy "chickens" and end up buying Pierre a new neck tie.
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Adding to this- buying animals for people to take care of is also very unsustainable and carries increased risk of diseases and dietary harm. Nearly all Africans are lactose intolerant for one- and once an animal is bought for these people they have to work extra hard to produce food and procure water for yet another dependent (the animal), who may also need vet services and at the end of it all, the family would have benefited more from consuming the grains meant for the animal in the first place, without all the extra work. It should be a sin for this company and others like it to survive. I wish more people knew about these things and actually thought about their impact...
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These area ll worthy causes. I have a question. Are there any specific charities that work with family planning? And those that work with the horrific issue of female mutilation.
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@Petras ,
I believe UNICEF is working harder than ever to help with family planning, and to put an end to what is also known as female 'circumcision' in certain countries.
Edna Adan was a victim of the above practice when she was eight, and raised the alarm in 1976. During the International Year of the Child (1979), public awareness was raised and progress took place.
Nicholas Kristof may be bringing this issue to some readers who have never heard of this severe inflicted mutilation on young girls.
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Planned Parenthood, charity begins at home.
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Kristof reminds us that we are empowered to alleviate suffering in the lives of others.
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Just beautiful!
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Go to Peace Corps Donate. Support a volunteer. Change lives.
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I admire your efforts, and these are worthy causes. However, I can't help but think of all the Americans whose entire lives are severely impacted because they have no access to dental or mental healthcare.
I hope one year you'll choose charities that help more Americans that fall through the cracks in our society. I'm hardly an "America First" type of person, but it's such a shame that millions of well-educated Americans never reach their full potential in life because they're stymied by *treatable* health conditions.
My 22 year old niece has PTSD, but can't find a doctor to treat her because of her employer's limited insurance plan. She has a very high IQ and works really hard, but the stress and sleepless nights are causing her to fail classes. She's always wanted to be a lawyer, but now I fear she'll drop out of college.
My neighbor has a Ph.D and loads of experience and talent, but currently can't find a FT job in her field because she lost a front tooth and can't afford an implant. She works a minimum wage job cleaning offices overnight because she's too ashamed/scared to go on interviews with a missing tooth. She bravely did it once, and well ... it ended very badly.
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@Alex
This terrible lack is much on my mind as well. I see too much evidence of it. It is outrageous that insurers are allowed to consider dental care simply "cosmetic." Dreadful to think that a life can be de-railed for lack of a tooth.
Surely your neighbor is eligible for Medicaid? I understand that there exist dentists who accept Medicaid. Try Googling "dentists in (County, State) who accept Medicaid." and so forth. Also, there apparently are other ways to deal with replacing a tooth. You are obviously concerned for her, and so might try doing some research on it yourself. Good for you, and best of luck.
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Many dental schools offer low or no cost dental treatment. It might take longer or you might have multiple students watching the procedure, but it has helped many people over the years.
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Timely article. Great recommendations! Thanks for your insights. I'll donate on your website.
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I would like to make a gift to the Maya Health Alliance in my daughter's name. We have traveled to Guatemala and so my daughter has seen the country; I think she would really appreciate such a Christmas gift.
But that is not an option on the Maya Health Alliance website.
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@PHyllis, Most organizations would be happy to do this, whether it is explicitly mentioned or not. But I just looked at their website and there is a box to check that says "This gift is in honor, memory, or support of someone."
Once you check that box, you are prompted to enter the name of the person to be honored, and their address if you would like them to be notified of the gift.
I am holding back tears from the reading of this.
This article and associated links will be very helpful as we make our charitable donation decisions this year.
Thank you, Mr. Kristof, for your wide-ranging looks at the larger world -- especially women's issues -- and for this charitable initiative that has come of it.
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Thank you for highlighting these eye-opening and incredibly worthy organizations! Would love to see/ learn about some domestic options also.
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Mr. Kristof-
You're the gift that keeps giving for all of us.
Thanks for everything you do, and I'll be sure to visit your link. Challenge to my fellow teachers! $20 minimum!
Cheers, all.
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Other options to consider would be joining organizations like Peace Corps or WWOOF (organic farming). You can always give the gift of your time, if you are able. It just might change your life.
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Wonderful and inspiring article. Thank you for being the adult in the room and using your platform as a way to improve the human condition. I
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Thank you for this information. There are new stories and people to help. This is a good time to donate - however one does not have to have an excess of wealth and one can do instead of send money or write a check.
It would be helpful to have more in-depth information on local organizations in every region and state. It would be more helpful to have histories of groups such as the Community Chest Fund - it started in Cleveland, Ohio. As you so beautifully documented here every effort of good has a human face and name and story behind it. One could have a year of documentation of yours and others knowledge and efforts
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Mr Kristof, thank you for yet again highlighting Reach Out and Read — as a pediatrician and someone heavily involved with the program regionally and nationally, I recognize how many worthy organizations there are out there, and doubly note that you understand the impact our model has.
I particularly appreciate that you understand that it's not just about book distribution — it's also about intentional skill-building with parents so that they are confident, effective book-sharers with young children. I tell people that while they may think we're a book giveaway program, we are secretly a parenting support program with a strong evidence base that leverages an already-existing, well-utilized, and trusted network.
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@DN Thanks for your work for Reach Out and Read. As my column suggests, I love the program.
One of the hard things to talk about is parenting gaps. Educated, affluent parents talk to their kids and read to their kids, while high-poverty parents are more stressed and engage their children less. One famous study found that kids on welfare and kids of professionals began to speak at similar ages -- signifying that they had the same capacity -- but that by the age of three, the children of professionals had heard 30 million more words. All parents want the best for their kids, but if you weren't read to yourself (and especially if you're barely literate yourself) you're not so likely to read to your child.
So that's where parent-coaching comes in, and repeated studies have shown how effective it is. Once parents understand this will help their child, they do it. And Reach Out and Read gets these results so cheaply -- just $20 per child per year -- that it's a disgrace that every child who needs it doesn't get it. So the point is that, yes, parenting gaps are real, but that they aren't immutable or deliberate, and that programs like this can reduce the gaps -- and give disadvantaged kids a chance to get to the starting line. This is how we break the cycle.
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@Nicholas Kristof
“Educated, affluent parents talk to their kids and read to their kids”
Sweeping stereotype. Many busy professionals do not read and have little time for their kids; some hire nannies. Many provide game consoles, tablets—even TVs in bedrooms—that have replaced books. Many wish their kids would talk with them.
Many expect schools to handle reading, while they shepherd over-scheduled kids to activities.
Even those who read to their kids often find reading habits don't take hold. Over the past generation, the % of teens who report they “read for fun” has dropped greatly; there have long been steep declines from elementary through high school. NAEP has documented this well.
https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/post/reading-for-fun-using-naep-data-to-explore-student-attitudes
The emphasis on STEM has taken its toll.
“Students Like Math and Science More, and Reading Less, Than They Used To”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2018/06/students_like_math_science_more_reading_less.html
Aliteracy is real and spans social classes. Many people don’t read unless it’s required for job or school.
Let’s spread reading, but avoid class stereotyping. “Break the cycle” is a shopworn notion discredited by social science. Poor people are not a class; people fall in and out of poverty. People are not poor because they lack education; they are poor because of economic inequalities & insecurity. Full employment, living wages, and quality health care are needed.
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@Marsha Pembroke parents who don't parent their children well is a separate issue. Where there are people who lack means who want and would benefit from parenting skills such as the ability to read to their kids, let's go ahead and make it happen because we can, shall we?
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Thank you for highlighting the plight of women in Somalia, Mr. Kristof. It's unconscionable that girls and women are still routinely repressed in these ways in 2019. I'd like to call readers attention also to the new Terrewode Women's Hospital in Soroti, Uganda, where, thanks to the leadership of the formidable Alice Emasu, women with fistula are provided with skilled, life-changing surgeries and rehab care. Due to lack of proper prenatal care or timely surgical intervention, women in rural Uganda often lose their babies and experience this terrible childbirth injury that leads to them being discarded by their husbands and communities. Terrewode provides the surgery to return their dignity and job training that enables them to have economic power. Donate here: https://www.terrewodewomensfund.org/contribute The medical director, doctors and nurses replicate the Hamlin quality of fistula care with local understanding of culture and environment.
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@kd , thanks for this information. I have added Terrewode to my list of charitable organizations.
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@kd Somaliland not Somalia. I made the same mistake.
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@robin thank you
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Thank your Mr. Kristof for putting this information out there. Wishing you and yours the blessings of peace. "Every time a hand reaches out to help another...that is Christmas. Every time someone puts conflict aside and strives for understanding...that is Christmas. Every time people forget their differences and realize their love for each other...that is Christmas."
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Honest, good-faith question, from a reader who admires your efforts to help the neediest people on earth: If effective de-worming treatments are "one of the highest return investments available," cost 50c per child, and could therefore be applied to every single child in the world for around $1bn, how is it that this effort is not completely funded, in a world in which a *single* charitable donor - the Gates Foundation - makes about $2bn in grants per year? What am I missing?
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@Jeremiah Correction / clarification: The Gates Foundation made $5bn in grants in 2018. (The $2bn figure was a very rough annual average over the years from 1994 thru 2018.)
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@Jeremiah Thanks for the question. The answer is that there are a lot of high-return investments out there, and Gates and other foundations often focus on proving new approaches that governments can then scale up.
Gates Foundation has invested large sums in promoting vaccination, in eradicating polio, in tackling malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis, in empowering women -- and all those are worthy investments, as well.
Deworming actually has become much more widespread in recent years, partly because of the research by Michael Kremer (one of this year's Nobel laureates in economics) showing its impact. But there are still far too many children who don't get dewormed.
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@Nicholas Kristof Thank you for your reply, and for your work!
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Just a word about Heifer International: When I first heard and read about it, I thought it was a great idea. But then I read an article in The Economist about its problems with implementation. Specifically, the people who were given, say, goats were often so poor and hungry that they immediately killed and ate them rather than understanding how to raise them for sustainable long-term benefits. Clearly, workers from Heifer need to be there to help train the people who receive livestock, but there seems to be a shortage of such workers.
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@gramphil Does anyone know how to find out more about this assertion? Thank you.
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Nicholas Kristof, thank you for such a thoughtful column. I made a birthday contribution gift to my son through one of the charities. I may consider his Christmas gift(s) going to these charities as well. He is 17 years old and believe it or not will probably be appreciative.
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Another suggestion: Make a donation to. Generosity.org. It is an organization committed to ending the clean water crisis in developing countries,
has completed 813 water projects to date, and they has 1,000 projects as its next milestone. To put that in perspective, their work has helped more than 470,000 people in 20 countries get access to clean water...
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@J. Grant What about clean water in Flint?
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We have the power and the means to fix Flint. This is America. But our politicians won’t do it.
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You perform a valuable curatorial service with this column, Nicholas.
I will make sure the posse makes donations to all four of the charities you discuss here, and perhaps a few others, besides.
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Thank you Mr Kristof for your beautiful column. We need more articles about people who are making the world a better place, and this is an inspiration.
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I have been using my LinkedIn account to encourage everyone to participate in Giving Tuesday (which is this Tuesday). I'm also sharing with them ideas of charities to support they might not otherwise consider such as wildlife rescue (those groups have been a godsend in wildfire areas). I've also suggested Dolly Parton's Imagination Library with send books to young children. of course I shared this article with my connections.
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You're doing a great service with this column. I have also directed readers toward the Effective Altruism website and Give Well website, which use mathematical analysis to determine the areas of highest need.
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Thank you! This is timely and incredibly helpful. My husband and I don’t need anything. We love to give relatives suggestions for charitable donations that will help someone truly in need.
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@J. I think you and the recipients will find these gifts much more meaningful than a scarf or necktie or perfume. These organizations, with our help, can save and transform lives. So help spread the word about this gift guide!
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Thank you! Just what I needed. My family and friends, beyond blessed in so many ways, are foregoing gifts to each other this year in favor of giving to others. But to whom? Thanks to you, we now have some great ideas.
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I met Edna Adan when I worked for We Care Solar, which has supported her hospital (as have I). She is inspiring and I am so thrilled that you have honored her with this year's largest gift.
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@robin Edna is just a force of nature. I was bowled over when she started her maternity hospital in the early 2000s, and when she battled female genital mutilation (even though she had earlier been arrested for opposing it). But then she took another step and started a university to train doctors and other health workers! And just this year she helped push through a law against rape in Somaliland, so that victims wouldn't just be married off to their rapists. At a time when there is plenty that is going wrong with the world, Edna is truly an inspiration. And she still is subsidizing the hospital with her U.N. pension. So it's such a privilege to shine this light on her, and I hope readers will support her and help her in her life-saving work!
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