I wanted to find a nonprofit that was close to home, would have a direct impact on our area, and was a worthy cause. I found Save Mount Diablo through this site and was so impressed with the immense amount of work they accomplish every year: land acquisition, educational hikes, land restoration, fundraising events (hike, bike and horse races, a silent auction, etc) and more. The vast number of programs made it easy for me to find a place as a volunteer. I chose to work with promoting the Diablo Trails Challenge 50k, and administering donations for the Moonlight on the Mountain gala. The staff here is extremely welcoming. They all knew my name after my first day. I have comfortable office space to work at, or I can choose to work from home on certain tasks. I can choose when I work, weekday or weekend, and if I work alone or with a partner or committee. Finally, I really feel like I am making a difference. I didn't realize that 40 years ago there were only 7,000 acres protected. Now there are 100,000 spread throughout 38 parks, but there are still 80,000 more unprotected acres.

Avivara's multi-pronged effort is aimed at making a long-term, sustainable difference in the health and education of the Guatemalan people. This non-profit is run on a shoestring administrative budget, with almost no overhead, no advertising, and minimal fundraising. Basically, you are guaranteed that nearly all of your money is going to aid students who really, really need an extra helping hand to give them the chance to escape systemic poverty. My wife and I saw this first hand, as we spent two years traveling around the worlds, sometimes working with non-profits. Through a mutual connection we found Avivara. We stayed with Gary and Ann for two weeks and learned all about their program. We were incredibly impressed with all aspects of Avivara. Gary and Ann are retired educators from Washington, who have dedicated their lives to this cause. They, together with Gustavo, empower the local teachers with better training, teaching tools and school supplies. They work with the community to provide hot breakfast every morning so that the students can focus on their school work. Avivara also provides scholarships to students for continuing education. Most school children drop out between the 2nd and 6th grades. The Avivara scholarships help the family with the burden of sending children to a middle school or high school, which typically requires a daily bus ride, new books, and other school supplies. Avivara also runs a local after-school program in their headquarters. This is the single best non-profit I have seen. Your dollar goes a long way in Guatemala, but that's no reason to be stingy with your donations.