Give Back Resolutions for 2017
The standard of living in the U.S. and in most parts of the world has never been higher.
- People are living longer than ever.
- Extreme poverty is on the decline.
- Infant mortality rates are at an all-time low.
These statistics only tell part of the story. We now live in a world where the phone in our pockets is millions of times more powerful than all the computers used by NASA to put a man on the moon. The dual forces of robotics and automation are making labor-intensive tasks easier and more efficient. Modern technology now allows us to communicate in real-time with someone hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Of course, not everyone is so lucky. There are billions of people out there who still need help – people with limited access to food, shelter, medicine or education, and people who lack basic human rights.
So this past holiday season, I wanted to do something to give back.
Instead of buying random gifts that I knew my friends and family didn’t really need (who really needs a second 40" TV or some new kitchen gadget that will only get used once a year?) I decided to do something even better with my money.
I donated $500 to 10 different charities or organizations that support causes that are important to me and to the people I care about.
These 10 organizations are:
- Planned Parenthood - https://www.plannedparenthood.org/
- American Civil Liberties Union - https://www.aclu.org/
- Council on American-Islamic Relations - https://www.cair.com/
- Reach Out & Read - http://www.reachoutandread.org/
- Charity: water - https://www.charitywater.org/
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund - http://www.naacpldf.org/
- Drug Policy Alliance - http://www.drugpolicy.org/
- Doctors Without Borders - http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
- ProPublica - https://www.propublica.org/
- Sierra Club - http://www.sierraclub.org/
This is by no means an exhaustive list of noble and worthy causes. But it’s a start. And since people will continue to need help next year, and the year after that, I hope to turn this into an annual tradition--donating to 10 different organizations each year and helping the people that need it the most.
Suggestions are welcome. Thank you. 