We at letgive.com are excited you decided that you want to start giving money to charity! This is great! Once you start your search, you may find it difficult to narrow down which charity you actually want to give to. We benefit from so many elements of the world and society, choosing exactly what is the most important to us can be difficult.
One way to start is by choosing just a single type of charity to make a donation to. This way you can research different types of charities in just one area instead of all many areas. Using this method is a lot less time-consuming and overwhelming than trying to approach all the charities in the world at once.
Even if you want to donate to more than one type of charity, it is still wise to pursue one charity at a time. Depending on the number of charities you want to donate to, simply divide your research up throughout the year. For example, if you want to donate to six different charities, set aside a time once every two months to research and choose a charity to donate to.
Here are the six main categories of charities. We also included some of our favorite charities and the most popular under each type. If you have any charities you think we should add to our list, let us know!
★ Animal charities
Animals cannot speak for themselves, so it is left to us to defend and protect them. The joy animals bring to the world is beyond words, and it is our job to take care of them. The following are different types of animal charities, followed by the most popular organization in that type.
- Zoos and Aquariums: Zoological Society of London, The Sacramento Zoo, National Zoo, North Central Pennsylvania Aquarium Society. (You can also consider making donations to your local zoo and/or aquarium, because they are all always in need of funding).
- Hunting and Fish Conservation: Alaska Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, International Game Fish Association, Safari Club International
- Wildlife Conservation: World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy
- Pet and Animal Welfare Organization: Alley Cat Allies, Animal Welfare Association
★ Environmental Charities
These types of charities are dedicated to finding ways to promote, preserve, appreciate and sustain development for the health of the environment. Two main groups in this section are as follows:
- Park and Nature Centers: National Park Foundation, Children & Nature Network, Association of Nature Center Administrators. Google or visit your local parks and nature centers to find out how you can help parks and nature centers in your area.
- Environmental Protect and Conservation: American Forest Foundation, American Rivers, Beyond Pesticides , The Blacksmith Institute , Blue Ocean Institute
★ International NGOs (non-governmental organization)
These types of charities have headquarters in one country, but work in an entirely different country. The idea is to service areas that are in dire need of outside help. These organizations are in all different areas, so they do overlap with some of the other types of charities.
- Peace and Human Rights: Amnesty International , Committee on Peace, Disarmament & Security , Interpeace, The Human Rights and Democracy Network
- Child Sponsorship : Vatsayla Gram, Child Aid International , Humanium
- Conservation: Rare, Planeta, Green Peace, Wetlands International, Global Footprint Network , Earth Watch
- International Development : Devex , InterAction, Bond, US AID
- Disaster Relief and Humanitarian : Hunger Plus , International Committee of the Red Cross , Medecins Sans Frontiers
★ Health Charities
Access to basic medical needs is something many people take advantage of, and a tremendous amount of the world’s population does not even have access. These types of charities support the sick and disabled. There are also organizations that are working on ending diseases by promoting public awareness on current health risks and a search for cures.
- Medical Research : AIDs Research Alliance , Foundation Fighting Blindness , The Gateway for Cancer Research, Diabetes Education Research Foundation
- Patient and Family Support : Wounded Warriors Family Support , Keep a Child Alive , The Holly Rod Foundation , Dream Foundation
- Disease and Disorder: CORE , NORD , The Butterfly Group, The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
- Medical Service and Treatment : American Foundation for Suicide Prevention , Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids , Teen Challenge
★ Education Charities
Education is the best way to build the foundation of the world for the future and current generations. These charities cover education on all different levels, and for all different ages.
- Universities and Colleges: Animal Care Trust , First Graduate , Coast Guard Foundation. Beyond the listed, LetGive recommends supporting universities in your area. They are all always looking for donations.
- Scholarships and Financial Aid : Scholarship America , Ronald McDonald House Charities , Surf Camp
- School Reform and Experimental Education : Challenge Point , Literacy Volunteers of America , Ashoka
- Support for Teachers, Students and Parents : Children Aid Society , TisBest
★ Arts & Culture Charities
Art enriches our culture and gives us an historic tradition that is invaluable to society. These organizations help preserve and support an artistic side to our communities. To help build the arts in your community, search for these types of charities around your home.
- Performing Arts : Performing Arts Alliance , Society for the Performing Arts , Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation
- Museums and Art Galleries : Smithsonian , National Portrait Gallery , The National Air and Space Museum , National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Libraries : Room to Read , Books for Africa , American Library Association . We at letgive.com would like to remind you local libraries are always looking for donations.
- Historical Societies : American Historical Association , Filipino American National Historical Society , The National Maritime Historical Society , American Association for State and Local History
- Public Broadcasting and Media : NPR . Chances are if you listen to a public radio station, local or national, you have heard their donation drives. Public radio relies on listeners to continue broadcasting, so make a donation to your local radio station.