Madison Nonprofits and Charities

FFRF has been an invaluable ally and asset to our local freethought community here in SE Wisconsin. On two separate occasions, FFRF lawyers have written letters in response to violations of the establishment clause in our towns. Both times were efficient and effective, with a very short response time.<br><br>In 2017, a teacher in the public school district festooned her classroom with bible quotes and other Christian propaganda. After many complaints and lengthy meetings with the principal failed to convince the school to remove the material, FFRF lawyers drafted a letter challenging the constitutionality of the displays and demanding their removal. The resulting investigation by the school district resulted in a sweep of all schools and the eventual removal of the offending material.<br><br>More recently, the Racine, WI county government was discovered to have been awarding $50,000 annually to an Evangelical Christian nonprofit called Youth For Christ, in the form of a community and cultural grant. Similarly, the obvious nature of this violation prompted a letter from the lawyers at FFRF. Although the facts of the letter were denied by the county, the grant subsequently disappeared from the next budget, due to fiscal shortfalls.<br><br>FFRF is well run on a rarely seen level. Beside their legal support, they are extremely available to aid local chapters and members, including making appearances, welcoming visits to Madison, and lending support of any kind to chapter efforts. Both administration and staff are unfailingly pleasant, kind, patient and responsive. Every year they host an extravagant convention in a different city around country for the benefit of all members, everywhere. <br><br>With podcasts, tv shows, newsletters, original entertainment, a world-class headquarters, it's hard to catalog all the ways in which this nonprofit serves its constituency and the nation. Its spokespeople routinely appear before congress, or on national news outlets to fight for the rights of all Americans, while simultaneously creating community and solidarity on a grassroots level for their members.<br><br>Keep up the Amazing work!<br><br>Rob Moore<br>FFRF-Southeast Wisconsin Chapter

As a volunteer tutor for Literacy Network of Dane County, I help adults prepare for their U.S. citizenship examination. It is a great experience to help these earnest, aspiring members of our community work toward their goal of becoming citizens and of participating fully in the civic life of our country. Because of their dedication and focused effort, my relatively short-term work with them nearly always leads to their passing their exams. Their pride and happiness with this achievement is wonderful and so rewarding to see.

It is an organization that provides significant support to initiatives working to protect and conserve the monarch butterfly migration phenomenon in Mexico. For over two decades, the Monarch Fund's work has resulted in improved living conditions for communities within the reserve through the implementation of projects both on the ground and in support of communication and research. Recently, they have provided significant support to citizen science initiatives that have enhanced our understanding of this iconic species.

I am a CLC member, have a blast at every meeting, and always have a great time.

Flavor Temptations has been associated with Rooted and the Badger Rock community center for the past 7-8 years. The kitchen facility at the center was used to create, develop and market Flavor Temptations Indian spice kits and curry sauces. Over the years, Rooted has been instrumental in supporting our small business to grow and pursue our dream of helping our customers learn about Indian culture by cooking wholesome and delicious Indian foods.

Canopy Center is an incredible place with the best volunteers and staff. You just need to go to any one of their events to get a feel for the amazing work they do.

I wish Pres House was the vibrant community it is today when I was an undergraduate. It’s an incredible place for students to thrive on UW’s campus and find their spiritual and emotional home.

I was baffled by how my math-loving child with a huge vocabulary and a love for inventions and science could be miserable and underachieving at 2 well-regarded schools in Madison--both with lovely teachers and caring staff. Research and testing finally turned up 2 learning disabilities, plus inattentive ADHD and a pretty high IQ (both of which make the learning disabilities harder to find- AND trickier to remediate- regular tutoring did not work for him). <br> <br> After less than a year at Walbridge, his self-esteem is restored, he has friends of all ages there, and happily completes his homework (which used to cause weeping and take hours, even for very simple spelling worksheets.) Frankly, what they have done for him is AMAZING. There are several VERY experienced teachers there, and the teachers really care and love what they do. <br> <br>When they had trouble understanding one of his learning issues and he was acting out and refusing to do some classwork, we met for an hour and a half. They really listened, and it was really clear to me that (after only a few months) they really understood my son, and his teacher, who was somewhat less experienced, just needed a different approach to getting him over a small hurdle that was causing him a LOT of frustration. Within a few weeks things were smooth again, and his attitude, willingness to engage and persevere to do the work he finds hard (handwriting is a real challenge) is just constantly getting better since then. <br> <br>Meanwhile, they accelerate him in the subjects he loves best so he is both challenged in his strength areas and supported in his weaker ones. What they do is not voo-doo however: it comes from the faculty's training and experience in truly differentiating their teaching approach for each child, plus training in learning disabilities and implementing best practices for dealing with the disorganization and the focus problems that come with ADHD. The small classrooms and safe, positive (but structured) environment supports this approach. <br> <br>This place is also great for kids with no LDs but social needs such as high-functioning autism or Asperger's, or just bright, creative kids who like to learn their own way and are not really engaged by mainstream educational approaches.

Choosing a role from the selection was difficult. I chose advisor because, as director of the Weis Earth Science Museum, I was fortunate to work with the Council to implement a museum exhibit that was accessible to visitors with visual impairment. When I approached the Council with the exhibit idea, I was impressed with how quickly they embraced it. And not just with words, but with actions. Council grant writer Judy Nolde worked tirelessly to find funds to help make the exhibit a reality. Although I had wanted to do an exhibit like this for some time, I had no idea how little museums typically offer for the visually impaired visitor. The Council was aware of this, however, and really got behind the project. I met Council board members at the exhibit opening and was struck by how engaged they were and interested in extending this kind of opportunity to others with visual challenges. It is obvious that they strive to uphold their mission to promote the dignity and independence of the visually impaired. I also see their backing of this exhibit as fulfilling their goal to educate the public, which will have the opportunity to experience the crystals, fossils and rocks in the exhibit in the same manner as the blind visitor to gain a new perspective.

As a director of a Volunteer program, it is not easy to place people who need to complete court ordered community service hours. Many places do not want to take a chance on them. Another way to look at it might be to be thankful there was a place to complete those community service hours. It sounded like his Volunteer work was appreciated by Second Harvest Foodbank. Many nonprofits don't have funds to hire staff, that is why they depend on the generosity of precious Volunteers.

I practiced Zen for decades in Montreal, Quebec, travelling there for long weekends and week-long<br>spiritual work there.<br>My teacher sickened and died, and there was no successor. Desperate, I could not find help until I located Chosei Zen morning practices online. <br>My gratitude is depthless.

My name is Jill. I was sexually assaulted by the director of the Luke House. According to other women that have gone there I have heard that Matt has sexually assaulted others as well. How can such a monster be allowed to be running a soup kitchen and still be there.

Saying thank you to whoever is in charge of this charity home , You are doing a good job and may the lord strengthen you

My mom was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, and my brother and I had no clue what to do. The ADAW was there for us, and still is as we adjust to a new normal with our mom. <br>

Camp HOPE has been providing free bereavement camps to grieving children, teens and their adult family members at the Wisconsin Lion's Camp since 1989. Kids attend camp after the death of a family member or close friend. At camp, they connect with other kids who are also grieving similar losses. Camp HOPE provides a safe space and environment to open up, share, heal and learn to smile again. This is a beautiful organization and operates purely on generous donations, volunteers and fundraising efforts. With support from the community and you, Camp HOPE will continue to offer free camps at no cost to all participants.

Madison Audubon Society became an accredited land trust in August 2018, a status that can be renewed every five years. Accreditation means Madison Audubon Society meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Madison Audubon Society demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate the commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. To learn more about land trust accreditation and the current accreditation status of Madison Audubon Society, visit http//www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about. <br> <br>

As a volunteer with the Hancock Center, I was so impressed with the creative and compassionate approach they bring to the work. Expressive art as a form of healing is so powerful!

Omega School does amazing work--they help people help themselves by working side by side with them so that they can have success and obtain a GED!!!!

This organization is strongly committed toa vision of a fully integrated society.

There are so many things to like about the Rape Crisis Center of Dane County. The organization is professional, extremely well run and values its volunteers. All volunteers go through 20 hours of training and observe two actual RCC crisis line shifts before they can become volunteers. I have been volunteering on the crisis line for just over a year and I have found the work to be very rewarding. The crisis line operates 24/7, and provides short-term support and resource referrals to women and men who have been hurt by sexual violence. Sometimes I may handle a call from someone who was recently assaulted, while the next call that comes in may be from someone whose assault happened years ago. The Volunteer Coordinator on staff at RCC is always available to provide ongoing support to volunteers as we cover our shifts. I also volunteer at RCC to provide a presence at community events, and I've even marched in a parade with RCC staff and volunteers! How fun is that! The staff at RCC are truly inspiring. They are dedicated, hard working women who put in very long hours. I plan on volunteering at RCC for years to come.

WAFS has done an incredible job in serving burn survivors by providing a camp, co-sponsoring Phoenix Society programs, sending adults to the World Burn Congress and giving grants to hospital burn centers. Its work in fire safety and burn prevention is outstanding through pre-school publications, News papers in Education October publication for grades 4th through 7th and providing an educational trailer exhibits through out the state. They are a volunteer intensive organization with only 1.5 FTE. Many volunteers are members of the fire service, educators, and hospital staff keeping administrative and fund raising costs very low.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens is one of Madison's crown jewels. No matter the season, the Gardens are exquisitely designed and maintained. I often visit other gardens on my travels, and I am convinced that Olbrich's quality is comparable to that of large, well known botanical gardens. I've been a member and volunteer for many years. I keep coming back because the Gardens are beautiful, the staff are highly competent, and programming is engaging. Our gardens excel because the nonprofit Olbrich Botanical Society generates support that is much needed to support City of Madison funding for this public park.

As the front-line person for WWBIC in Madison, I dealt with dreamers everyday: people who wanted to own their own business. Some were experienced and wanted to expand. Some worked from home and wanted to take it to the next level. Some just had that dream and wanted us to help them realize it. WWBIC answered the call for all and I was proud to be a part of it. From classes helping novices understand the facets of running a business to giving established owners that extra edge through software training or public relations. Past clients were always eager to be speakers during class to tell their stories of success. WWBIC even offers loans to help starters get funding to open the doors to their future. It was a great experience to work there and see lives changed from good to great every day. The offices in Milwaukee and Kenosha offered similar success stories at our monthly meetings. Please endorse the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation for their efforts to give women financial independence.