Tag: nonprofits
May 6, 2013
Did you know that your local Little League is a nonprofit?
You visit nonprofits more often than you might think. Have you been to a museum lately? How about services at your local church or synagogue? Or maybe your children play sports in Little League? Many public libraries are supported by nonprofit foundations and even some zoos and aquariums.
So, you’ve probably visited a nonprofit this week without even knowing it! GreatNonprofits lists every 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the country. That means your neighborhood place of worship, library, favorite museum and little league can all be reviewed on our site! Now is the time to write reviews about your local nonprofits. The easiest way to help nonprofits in your community get more attention and funding is to write a quick review today! Plus they could win a spot on our 2013 Top-Rated List. Start by searching by your zip code.
March 18, 2013
When was the last time you checked in on a neighbor? Been awhile? According to a new survey published in Atlantic Monthly, you aren’t alone.
The survey showed that, regardless of income level, the one community resource that most people felt they lacked was “kind, supportive neighbors.”
And community and environment can actually play a role in overall health and happiness.
How connected are you to your local community? Can you name a local nonprofit helping your community? See what happened when we asked some locals to name a nonprofit near them.
Find an organization in your community using our thousands of city pages. Start here with our zip code search. If you’ve spent time at a local nonprofit, share your story here by writing a review.
March 15, 2013
Feel like you don’t have the time to volunteer? A study published in Psychological Science revealed that doing something nice for others can actually give you a sense of having more time to spend.
When folks take the time to help someone else, they know it’s time well-spent. The study showed that when people feel like they’ve done something worthwhile with their time, however busy they may be, they also feel like they have more time.
Spending time on others actually gave subjects in the study more feelings of “time affluence” than actually having more free time. The study also compared feelings of time affluence after subjects simply wasted time or spent time on themselves. Doing for others won out.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your schedule, one of the most effective ways to feel like you have more time is to spend it helping others. Why not find a new place to volunteer near you?
Find a nonprofit that needs help near you. (We make it easy with our zip code search.)
Giving your time may just help you as much as your community.
March 5, 2013
Can you think of a local nonprofit in your city? Can you guess how many nonprofits are near you? We decided to do an experiment: we walked around our San Francisco Bay Area offices to find a few long-time locals. Could they name a single Bay Area nonprofit? Did they have an idea of how many nonprofits were in the area?
The results? Check them out below:
So, can you name a local nonprofit in your town? Use GreatNonprofits to find a local nonprofit!
If you’ve volunteered or donated to a nonprofit near you, have you written a review about that nonprofit to help others learn about it?
February 21, 2013
GreatNonprofits was recently highlighted in a Stanford Social Innovation Review article about why beneficiary voice is so important to the nonprofit sector. Written by Fay Twersky of the Hewlett Foundation and Phil Buchanan and Valerie Threlfall of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, the article discusses why the views and experiences of the people who benefit from social programs are often overlooked and underappreciated. These views are an invaluable source of insight into a program’s effectiveness.
In bypassing the beneficiary as a source of information and experience, we deprive ourselves of insights into how we might do better—insights that are uniquely grounded in the day-to-day experiences of the very people the programs are created for. In order to get these insights, GreatNonprofits provides a platform for clients served to tell their stories, both the the public and the organization that is providing services.
Read the full article here.
October 31, 2012
Superstorm Sandy has created chaos on the East Coast. Now you can help those affected begin the long and slow process of recovery and you can support those in need. Millions are still without electricity and transportation and many have homes under water and nowhere to go.
Check out these highly-rated national and local nonprofits helping Sandy victims. Your donation can help these nonprofits provide necessary food, shelter, health and medical aid. These organizations have been highly-rated by volunteers, donors and actual people helped by these charities. (more…)
October 19, 2012
Want to help get your local charities some well-deserved extra attention? Interested in promoting local giving in your own community? Join our national team of Local Ambassadors!
GreatNonprofits has launched our Get Local campaign for 2012 to encourage local giving this season. Sign up to be a Local Ambassador with us and you’ll get to spread the word in your city about the best charities around. It’s a volunteer position (we’re a nonprofit too!) with a 2-5 hour a week commitment. We’ll give you all the tools you’ll need. Here’s what you’ll do:
Tell others about amazing nonprofits in your city!
- Highlight outstanding nonprofits via the GreatNonprofits microsite for your city
- Use email and social media to spread the word
- Reach out to local newspapers and blogs and let them know about exemplary local nonprofits
Why do it?
- Get great experience reaching out to local media
- Manage the GreatNonprofits microsite for your city. People will see your name and photo!
- Be a major help to your local nonprofit community, enabling it to do more good
- Be part of a nationwide grassroots effort to showcase small, local nonprofits
Check out our available cities.
Sound good to you? Contact Jessica@greatnonprofits.org
July 18, 2012
The famed San Diego Zoo is managed by a nonprofit
Are you getting excited about watching the upcoming Olympics? Have you ever browsed Wikipedia? Do you listen to All Things Considered in your car? Guess what? You can thank nonprofits for all of the above. You might be surprised by how much we owe to nonprofits. Check out our list of 15 surprising things we have nonprofits to thank for:
Central Park first opened in 1857 and is managed by the Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit.
The famous San Diego Zoo, housing over 3,700 animals, is managed by the nonprofit Zoological Society of San Diego.
Microfinance started gaining momentum in the 1970s, through the efforts of such pioneers as Grameen Bank, which led to the American offshoot Grameen Foundation USA.
Most canine search and rescue teams are managed by nonprofits with volunteer dog and people pairs, such as the American Rescue Dog Association, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, Inc and the Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States.
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
Earth Day, first taking place on April 22, 1970, was created by the Earth Day Network.
The Smithsonian Institute, established in 1846, runs the largest museum complex in the world.
Barney, Masterpiece Theater, The Teletubbies, and numerous other educational and kids’ TV shows are broadcast to American audiences by the nonprofit Public Broadcasting Service.
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June 8, 2012
Want to instill the values of compassion, kindness and giving in your kids? Teach them to have a positive impact in their community and the world; check out these ideas.
1. Join a Community Cleanup
Too much time in front of videogames and not enough time outside? Find a nonprofit organizing a beach, creek or park cleanup in your area. Spend some quality time outside while teaching kids to take pride in their community and local environment. Check out ACTERRA. Find environmental nonprofits in your area.
2. Walk to Fight Disease
Get some exercise and make some new friends by walking to increase awareness and raise funds for research and treatment. If your child is too young to walk a few miles, you could push him or her in a stroller. Find health organizations in your area.
3. Find a Toy Drive
Teach generosity. Many organizations hold toy drives for needy children. Got some unused toys that your kids aren’t going to use? Find a donation location in your neighborhood. While you’re at it, clean out the closets and then check out our number 8 recommendation.
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May 10, 2012
Mother’s Day is this Sunday (May 13.) What better time to celebrate Women’s Empowerment nonprofits? We partnered with the American Association of University Women, the National Council of Women’s Organizations, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Global Fund for Women, and Futures Without Violence to help us reach out to a wide range of groups. If you’ve benefited from, volunteered with, or donated to a organization that supports women, now is the time to support them with a review. Any organization getting ten or more positive reviews during the month of May will be a winner in the Top-Rated Women’s Empowerment Awards 2012. Click here to write a review of a great women’s nonprofit.
If you know someone working for a nonprofit that supports women, tell them about this opportunity for their organization to get recognition from supporters’ reviews.
Special thanks to our partners helping promote the Women’s Empowerment Awards 2012:
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