#GivingTuesdayNow 2020

Happy #GivingTuesdayNow, folks!

Some of you may not be in a position to give; for those of you that are - that have DAFs for “rainy day” grants - now is a good time to consider opening those checkbooks and helping make sure your favorite charities can both weather this storm and help those most impacted by the economic changes that are just starting to hit.

You may not know where to give, or how. Our family’s strategy is to build a roster of high-impact, vetted non-profits across a mix of: local impact, regional impact, and global impact. The themes that matter to us are fighting cancer (given that it took both of my parents this last decade), parks, education, and the environment. You may find you have your own personal themes that resonate. That’s great - if your jam is protecting horses, find a great non-profit that delivers on that mission and support them.

I find it’s helpful to reference CharityNavigator to get a “sniff test” on the organization’s transparency, health, and vibrancy. I’d advise also double-checking the EIN of the organization you’ve researched with the organization you’re about to donate to! Some orgs can be confusingly similarly named.

You should also check with your employer to see if grants can be matched; it’s a great way to double your impact very easily.

If you’re looking to crib our family’s notes on non-profits, here is our current list; I’m happy to walk you through why we support each of the below, but you’ll find they touch on our key themes: Second Harvest of Silicon ValleyStreet Life MinistriesLifeMovesWaste No FoodFeeding AmericaMercy CorpsProject HOPESankara Eye FoundationNurse Family PartnershipShanti Bhavan Childrens ProjectJAAGO FoundationGiveDirectlyKQEDRaising a ReaderRedwood City Library FoundationRedwood City Parks & Arts FoundationRedwood City Education FoundationRedwood City Improvement AssociationPalo Alto Friends MeetingUnited Way of Northern CaliforniaAgainst Malaria FoundationSave The Children FederationLung Cancer Research FoundationProstate Cancer FoundationLungevity FoundationNational Brain Tumor Society (Defeat GBM)Evidence ActionWorld Central Kitchen IncorporatedRAICESCode for AmericaInternational Medical CorpsCalifornia State Railroad MuseumHiller Aviation MuseumNational Forest FoundationZero - The End of Prostate CancerMonterey Bay AquariumHacker DojoAmerican Cancer Society