Giving back is an amazing feeling! Especially this year, as the world discovers new paths forward from the pandemic, Impact is proud to continue our tradition of making #GivingTuesday donations in the name of every member of our staff. Each Impact team member has selected a nonprofit organization to receive their #GivingTuesday donation.

Here are their picks:

Julie – I was both shaken and inspired by Edgar Villanueva’s powerful book, Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. As we grapple with the (sadly numerous) ways our philanthropic systems and structures perpetuate oppression instead of dismantling it, we have a lot to learn from Edgar. Liberated Capital puts his thesis into action, supporting Indigenous and other people-of-color-led initiatives working for transformative social change.

Hannah – This year I’ve been horrified to see safe and accessible abortion care outlawed in Texas. This #GivingTuesday, I’m choosing to support Fund Texas Choice, one of the amazing organizations on the frontlines. They are fighting for access to appropriate healthcare and providing people with funds for travel and accommodations to ensure safe abortion care for all Texans. 

Jamie – Right now, nearly one in three people in the U.S. report symptoms of depression or anxiety. For #GivingTuesday, I’m supporting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI works to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones. During the holidays and all year long, please make sure your mental health is always a top priority.

Onyi – I am choosing to support the Malaria Consortium because they specialize in the prevention, control, and treatment of malaria and work to save children’s lives in the poorest and most vulnerable communities. I had malaria as a child, and still today a child dies from malaria every two minutes – especially in rural areas that lack testing and treatment.

Heather – The gift of reading is priceless. Over 750 million people cannot read. Two thirds are women and girls. I choose Room to Read, an organization committed to early grade literacy and gender equality through education. Through tears and laughter, books inform or inspire us to challenge and change the world around us. 

Kim – I am choosing Black Women’s Health Imperative because they help promote health and wellness of Black women and girls in the U.S. They provide an environment where women and young girls can feel comfortable and get educated about their health. Research shows that African American women have higher rates of health issues than any other race.

Jen – One of the key lessons that’s grown increasingly apparent during the pandemic is how intertwined many of our society’s issues are. I chose Groundwater Arts because they are using arts practice to dismantle colonialism, center climate justice, and initiate conversations about the intersectional nature of many of the challenges we must face if we seek to create a more equitable and sustainable future. 

Meg – Systemic racism is not simply a thing of the past but is deeply embedded within American society — as brutal as horrific acts of violence, and as insidious as injustices at every level. If we are to be a better, stronger, more human country, we need to address these issues on all fronts. This #GivingTuesday, I am supporting Color of Change as they work to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back.

Kathy – The Rittenhouse verdict showed once again that our justice system is deeply flawed. With its roots in the enforcement of slavery, our criminal system has devastated the lives of millions, particularly people of color, for centuries. I’m supporting the Vera Institute, a national organization working to end the overcriminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty.

Learn more about any of these great organizations – or donate to them yourself – using the links above. Happy #GivingTuesday!