where do i start?
TRANSCRIPT
Sharyn Eles
Where Do I Start?
It’s awesome that you want to get involved in charity, but as you may
already know, donating to “charity” isn’t that cut and dry
There’s quite a few charitable organizations out there, I hope this helps you learn about the different classes of charities and figure
out which type is for you!
1. Animal Charities
If you’ve a passion for the world around us and consider yourself a steward of all that moves, consider investing your time
and resources into an animal charity
While the charities that focus on faunal causes are all grouped under this umbrella, there are
several distinct categories
These include Wildlife Conservation (which focuses on the protection of
animals and their unique and threatened habitats)
Pet and Animal Welfare Organizations (which seek to provide health, safety, and protective care for
injured and defenseless animals)
And of course zoos and aquariums which, in addition to being just plain awesome,
educate the public about the wildlife with whom they share the planet
2. Environmental
These charities take up the call to preserve the planet and research ways for sustainable development
and growth of the human population
If you’ve identified as an outdoors (wo)man at some point or another, this may be for you
The two categories within environmental charities are Parks and Nature Centers, and Environmental
Conservation and Protection
Parks and Nature centers are the more people-oriented of the two, maintaing federally protected land for the enjoyment of people and
the protection of wildlife.
The latter may involve such projects as cleaning up rivers and forest,
working against deforestation, and contributing to a healthier climate
3. International NGOs
NGOs, or Non-governmental organizations, occupy a special place on this list because
they are bound to no particular government and help where needed
Even though they maybe based out of one particular country, they may be active in several– and they may
also work in tandem with other charitable categories too!
Many international NGOs are involved in disaster relief efforts, peace and human rights, resource
conservation, and child sponsorship.
4. Health
These charities are what comes to mind when you think of dedicated and
brilliant individuals coming together to make the world a better place via the
betterment of public health
Public health charities fall into one of the following categories: disease and disorder, medical service and treatment, medical research, and
patient and family support
5. Education
This cause is becoming ever more important as we enter into a more connected age, technologically
advancing at an amazing pace, and seek to implement these advances in the classroom
Charities in this category are interesting. For starters, you could be directly
involved with an early education center, elementary or middle school, a high
school, or a college/university
Scholarship and Financial aid programs are also popular
charitable causes, as are those with an emphasis on
experimental education
6. Arts and Culture
Last but not least, are arts and culture charities
With the goal of preserving a culture’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, these
kinds of charitable activities most often find their way in museums and art galleries, performing arts, libraries and historical
societies, and public broadcasting/media
