My Nonprofit Reviews

Yang-Ward Foundation is continuously taking on new projects and adapting to meet current needs in the populations it serves. Designed to empower single women in rural areas, I have seen it do significant good through its farm projects, particularly its goat farming projects, and its educational initiatives to bring more educational resources to rural schools. The 2 things that keep me donating to this nonprofit are its emphasis on sustainability and its direct work on the ground. Its projects are designed to be sustainable so that improvement in the living standards of the women who are part of the projects does not permanently depend on external support, as the participants are able to maintain and grow the initial farming projects themselves. I am also confident that when I donate to the foundation, the money reaches the people on the ground. When Nepal was struck by devastating earthquakes, the organization quickly responded with an effort to mobilize aid and supplies. Rather than being deterred by the loss of progress on some of its earlier projects due to the disaster, it adapted and reached out to people to find out what they needed in the short-term to recover. There is a great deal of transparency surrounding their work, so it is always clear what donations have paid for, whether it is farming equipment, educational equipment, laptops, or earthquake relief supplies. As someone who studies non-profits and knows the many ways they can become politicized and bureaucratized, I see this organization as a refreshing reminder of the good that can come from using networks to mobilize support and implementing simple projects that can improve peoples' lives in meaningful ways.