Santa Cruz Nonprofits and Charities

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks is an outstanding nonprofit that plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing some of the most beautiful coastal and forest landscapes in California. Their work directly supports our local state parks through funding, stewardship, and community engagement, making a meaningful difference for both visitors and the environment. What stands out most is their commitment to ensuring our parks are thriving and available to all. Friends supports interpretive programs, events, and so much more. One of their most impactful programs is the Kids2Parks program, which provides transportation funding for kids in Title 1 schools. Whether you’re hiking, learning, or simply enjoying the coastline, you’re benefiting from the collaborative work of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and California State Parks.

Tuve la oportunidad de conocer a ConnectED durante un proceso de evaluación de los proyectos educativos que impulsan las y los fellows. Es impresionante el impacto positivo que se puede lograr cuando los recursos son bien utilizados y la comunidad educativa está organizada para el beneficio de sus estudiantes. ConnectED es una organización que contempla la pertinencia cultural y las condiciones materiales de las y los beneficiarios directos y de esta manera permite cubrir los vacíos que no se pueden llenar de forma estructural. Sin duda, ConnectED representa la posibilidad de aprender y desarrollarse de forma individual y colectiva.

I have known Kidpower, as psychologist working with children and adults facing violence and abuse. It has been very helpful. Kidpower has the rare capacity to face the complex and violent reality we live in, without simplifying it, and at the same time, teach skills that are effective and playful to learn for different situations. But something special happened the last two years. Our family has grown; we have a new generation loved children. And wanting the best for them in this difficult world, the Christmas present we gave us, was a private Kidpower workshop for the whole family. Two online sessions, one for only adults and the second one with children, practicing the skills. It has been a great experience for us all. The relation with Irene Van der Zande and Gisella Gámez in organizing the workshop was so generous and respectful. And Ana, Vero and Gisella, who conducted the workshops managed to give us tools that are now part of our family language. Highly recommended!

Spirit in Action is one of the most effective and trustworthy non profits I have ever worked with in my 45 years of work in the non profit sector. I am the founder and director of a sister organization that has worked with Tanya Cothran and SIA for several years. The reason we choose to work alongside SIA is because of the ethics and effectiveness of the leadership and values of Tanya and her American/Canadian and African boards of directors. SIA considers, above all else, what programs do the people they serve most want and need and how can SIA work alongside most effectively? Equally, they consider the best use of donor funds. I am a personal donor to SIA. And in fact I will be leaving a portion of my personal estate to SIA when I move on to God's loving arms. I have utmost respect for SIA and shareholder programs. Karen Kotoske, Founder/Executive Director, Amistad International

Proud and happy to be a supporter of Romero Institute, given what they've accomplished and continue to implement highly impactful programs. Through Romero Institute I was able to connect with Lakota Law Project (Sacred Defense Fund) of which I became a member. They are a fantastic group of people that have been guiding the planet in the direction we all need to go for quite some time

YFIOB is an amazing organization that supports youth in our local community. I have participated in the career panels and it was a wonderful experience. The students were engaged in asking questions, and I felt like they learned a lot.

Recently celebrated 50 years! Kind and honestly considerate staff. Strong recovery based philosophy. Has been continuing to advance in quality and professionalism, setting the bar for other programs. <br> <br>Truly invested in the well being of the whole person and families. Care more for people than just getting clients to complete a program. <br> <br>Started out as a volunteer and intern 15 years ago and have seen some amazing strides. Very grateful to be a part.

My name is Jonathan Gaitán aka Una Voz, I was blessed to know Julie before Roots & Routes existed with a name, before it was a foundation it was just her, with her own money for like 20 years working with the communities in Esmeraldas, fighting against Palm Oil Industry. <br>I am honored to be connected to her, as in my life I have met many foundations, and it seems most of them invest more money in their "employees" rather than the causes they supposedly are serving. But Roots and Routes are really for the people and they deserve all the support they could get. <br>I admire this woman and I'd follow her if the times needed it. <br>I hope they connect with those who can help them help others. <br>I appreciate it

AFRRME is cutting back its programs due to financial mismanagement by the trustees. It is now run by four old white Southern men - no diversity see their website https://www.americanfrrme.org/about2. Their actions include: A female staff person resigned, her job description was changed slightly, then a man was hired to replace her at more than twice the salary, over the objection of all the women trustees. The travel budget was tripled, then three of the men (no women) took an all expenses paid trip for more than a week. When a woman trustee asked for accountability for the funds, she was voted off the board by the four men, with all three women trustees opposing this action.

Project Purr has helped so many cats and kittens here in Boulder Creek. They even helped a feral cat named Hobbs who had been living in these mountains for about 2 yrs and had recently hit by a car before he came to my care. His injuries to his hind leg were too severe to fix, so his leg was amputated. After the surgery and rehabilitation, Hobbs landed himself in an amazing home where he has another cat friend, Cali, a dog to play with and best of all....the most amazing loving patient human who now is the recipient of all of his love. THANK YOU Project Purr for all you do and for giving cats like Cali and Hobbs a chance!

Mariah Roberts has done a tremendous job with County Park Friends to raise public awareness, involvement, and support for our beautiful county parks, welcoming park-goers of all abilities!

I have been involved with LHI since its' inception, and watched it grow in an amazingly organic and consistent way. From the small grass roots budget of providing scholarships for only ten students and witnessing the response to the needs of this remote village life, I am beyond inspired by the co-founder of this now much larger program with wrap around services. Witnessing how students have gone on to higher educations and returned to be a part of the staff, speaks of a true achievement of success! Now, in response to the need for smaller, safer classrooms for the children, I am so inspired that their vision has expanded once more. I am so proud to be a part of this organization and am continually inspired by the dedication of the staff and Katie Morrow, who had the vision, dedication and energy to increase LHI's capacity to provide the children of Chajul with an opportunity to succeed under such challenging circumstances as we find ourselves in today. My visits to Chajul have been humbling and inspiring, I have received such loving respect and offerings from those of such slight means which have enriched my life in an incredible way! I encourage visits to this remote village/town which is changing by the year in these times that we live in...you will not regret it!

Hi Foster, <br>Hope this email finds you well and that you are staying healthy in these crazy times. <br>Just wanted to share with you these pictures I took of my dad while I was in Costa Rica visiting. <br>He loves his chair and although his health is getting more challenging he’s been out a few times on the beach at this magnificent place they live. <br>I told them about you and Shared Adventures and how wonderful you were in helping me out to get the chair. <br>Well, thank you so much again for all your help. <br>Please, let’s keep in contact and I’m hoping I can be of help to your organization for the next event your are having. <br> <br>Kindly, <br> <br>Maria <br> <br>

Volunteering with the Homeless Garden Project was a life changing experience. I feel blessed to have been involved.

Media Watch does vital work shining light on under-reported and under-represented issues. Keep up the great work!

Paddle4Good is a very well organized, safe and fun event for children with special need. There are many volunteers to help at the bank, and on the water. They also prepared games on the lawn during waiting time. My son enjoyed the paddle board and Kayak for the first time of his life. The ending ceremony for the kids was also very impressive, as every kid walked through a path blessed by all the volunteers. We really appreciate Paddle4Good providing such great opportunity for families like us.

Although I have lived in the Bay Area for many years and have been involved in a number of philanthropic organizations, I really had no idea that we have so much human trafficking hidden beneath the progressive positions and success of Silicon Valley. I was introduced to the work of Rising International by a friend who knows about my passion to help women achieve their dreams and my commitment to fight against social injustice. Learning about how Rising International is instrumental both in helping women who have been involved in human trafficking locally, as well as linking that mission with helping raise women out of poverty globally, deeply inspired me to support them. Their amazing effectiveness for high positive impact, at an impressively low overhead, gained my additional admiration. I am so glad and proud to contribute to an organization that is guided by authentic dedication to linking Bay Area women with third world women to help each to rise up from poverty- I encourage others to join in the Rising Internatinal mission, as donors or volunteers. <br>

Conservation is important for so many reasons - economic value, ethics, intrinsic value, ecological balance, and a host of other reasons. Personally, my drive to conserve threatened and endangered species comes from an intrinsic appreciation for animals as well as a deep understanding of their ecological importance. I recently began volunteering with Island Conservation so that I could help by giving what I have to offer - my time and my commitment to their efforts to save species from extinction. Island Conservation inspires me because they are taking action to save some of the world's most beautiful and threatened animals on this planet - and they are succeeding. I am particularly fascinated by the evolutionary processes that have led to the diversity of species, which are often endemic to their island habitats. Every island is distinctive and beautiful, with every individual playing a critical role in maintaining the ecological balance. John Muir once wrote, 'When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.' This rings true on islands around the world where species have evolved to provide ecological services, from distributing seeds to maintaining the balance of predators and prey. Although small, the Anacapa Deer Mouse, a subspecies of Island Deer Mouse, is important in its ecosystem. As the only endemic mammal on Anacapa Island, California, it has significant effects on the island ecosystem, where it helps to maintain the diversity of plants through seed dispersal. Island Conservation and its partners helped protect the Anacapa Deer Mouse population by removing invasive rats from the island in 2002-2003. The results were dramatic. Just like Anacapa, every island has its own unique balance of species that work together in a functional ecosystem. These ecological systems have been millions of years in the making, but can be harmed rapidly by the introduction of invasive species. The evolutionary processes that have created these ecosystems have also lead to remarkable species adaptations; many island species have developed striking colorations, which only adds to their beauty and intrigue. The reischek's Parakeet is a vibrant green bird that is often speckled with red and blue on its wings and head. This species is endemic to the Antipodes Islands, New Zealand; conservation here is necessary due to invasive rodents that invaded the limited geographical range that this and other rare species inhabit. In 2016, Island Conservation joined the Million Dollar Mouse project, an effort to restore Antipodes Island through invasive rodent removal. Many other island species have been helped or are set to be helped by such conservation efforts. This is why I give to Island Conservation: I believe the work we are doing to conserve endangered species is critical in a world where the value of species often goes unnoticed. The recovery of these species gives me hope that we can prevent future extinctions by focusing on islands where species are most at risk.

The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County is a gem in our community. They have supported our work at The Diversity Center by providing volunteers, staff training, and an incredible Americorps volunteer.. They not only provide their own high quality programs, but they elevate the whole local nonprofit sector.

SAVE OUR SHORES is beloved for its dedication over decades to the marine environment of the Monterey Bay area. Clean beaches and clean water are essential to the quality of our coastal experience. SOS started out fighting offshore oil operations and was central to establishing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a huge success. It then turned its attention to the surge of plastic debris in the ocean and on our beaches, on our streets and in our storm drains -- working tirelessly for local laws on plastic shopping bags and raising awareness of how truly unnecessary this tragedy is. Although its regular beach cleanups are popular and engaging, the vision of the group is to put itself out of the cleanup business, through education and reducing plastic and other waste at the source.

When I first met Winston, I couldn't believe anyone had mistreated this wonderful dog. He is so sweet, mellow, and gentle. He gets along with everyone. His favorite things are belly rubs and taking his meds with cheese. Thank you SC SPCA for taking him in and providing him with a wonderful place to stay until I could bring him home.

For 30 years, this non-profit organisation has been bringing a great sense of community and culture to the County of Santa Cruz. It's been my pleasure to be able to attend this event for the last 12 years. Each year I learn more and more about the Japanese culture, and each year I want to come back and see more. It's a wonderful place for families and individuals to share a great culture, great food and great spirit. I'm going to keep coming back!

Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is an accredited land trust. Accreditation means Land Trust of Santa Cruz County meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has 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 their 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. Learn More: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.

I have known Dan Haifley for many years, and I know his commitment to OSO and it's mission is exemplary. His interests in supporting youth that may not have had any other opportunity to learn about the value of watershed impacts and ocean stewardship is a statement about his belief's in their future and that of the planet. It might just be one of these young people to save our oceans and humanity.

The DeLa PTC has been very responsive, not only in accepting and putting to good use my donations, but in soliciting feedback to maximize the utility of both my donations, and those of others.