Organizations to Consider for Your 2017 Year-End Gifting

As 2017 comes to a close, I want to encourage everyone to remember African-American organizations and those that help minorities when gifting to charities.

This includes:

Universities and non-profits focusing on education

  • Historically black colleges and universities have produced some of the top doctors, lawyers, artists, business leaders and more
  • Even if you never attended college, you can give to help others.
  • The Tom Joyner foundation has been a great support to African-American students attending HBCUs. Tom Joyner is now accepting 2018 applications for full ride scholarships to cover all the expenses of one student planning to attend a historically black college and university (HBCU) in the fall of 2018. For more information on how to apply, or to donate, visit the website at www.tomjoynerfoundation.org.
  • Other HBCUs to consider giving to include Fisk University (my alma mater), Howard University, Spellman and Morehouse colleges, and Florida A&M University. Any HBCU that you choose to support would be fine, just give. Whether you are an alum or not, HBCUs are in need of our support in order to thrive.

 

Hospitals and nonprofits related to healthcare

  • Hospitals such as Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC have wonderful specialty areas such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. Visit their web site at huhealthcare.com
  • I also want to highlight Sisters Network Founded in 1994, it is a leading voice and only national African-American breast cancer survivorship organization in the united states with a membership of 3000, which includes more than 40 affiliate survivor run chapters nationwide. The organization’s purpose is to save lives and provide a broader scope of knowledge that addresses the breast cancer survivorship crisis affecting African-American women around the country.

As a nationally recognized organization among leading medical establishments and breast cancer physicians, Sisters Network is also recognized as a critical information resource for African-American women.

Please visit their web site for more information about their programs, events and resources, www.sistersnetworkinc.org.

  • The Women’s Collective is dedicated to the care management and advocacy of women infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
  • In 1987, after losing her husband and 3-year-old daughter to aids within six months of each other, Patricia Nalls, founder and executive director of the Women’s Collective, learned that she was HIV positive. At the time of her diagnosis, there were few, if any services designed specifically for women living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS in the Washington, DC/Metropolitan area. In fact, at the time, few people understood or acknowledged that women could be, and were being, infected with HIV.
  • Over the course of 20 years, the women’s collective has evolved from the single vision of one woman to the collective vision of many women. Because of the efforts of committed women, coupled with support from community allies, volunteers, and funders, the organization has transformed itself from a dining room support group to a full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through grants that focused on institutional strengthening, a strong administrative and programmatic infrastructure was created to support a growing number of hiv care and prevention services. Advocacy projects were initiated that focus on influencing hiv policy in the united states and globally by mobilizing women living with or at risk for hiv/aids to give voice to their concerns.
  • To find out more about the women’s collective, visit their website at womenscollective.org.

Fitness centered non-profit

  • Fit Fathers, Inc. – the proud father of two young girls, Kimatni Rawlins founded fit fathers to inspire other men to lead the charge in prioritizing healthier eating and exercise to enhance the lives of themselves and their families.
  • Fit Fathers is a 501c3 tax exempt, not-for-profit corporation that educates and activates through engaging information on positive health, fitness tips and guidelines, nourishment strategies and overall wellness. Fit Fathers enlightens fathers with platforms for eating whole, nutritional foods and incorporating stimulating activity in their daily regimen, while encouraging them to lead their families to healthier lifestyle habits. Dads who exercise consistently, eat well and energize their physique can live longer and live stronger!
  • The Fit Fathers mission is to provide dads with the tools needed to engage their family in fitness, positive wellness and healthy living while celebrating the true meaning of fatherhood. “stay active, eat clean and continue to energize your life” is our life enhancing mantra. They offer continuous education on the benefits of an overall healthy lifestyle which is key. Awareness of chronic diseases causation and the need for daily exercise is becoming more apparent as cellular degeneration strikes faster due to a S.A.D. diet, lethargic attitudes and habitual work cycles over family and personal cycles.
  • For more information, visit their website at fitfathers.com.

Sororities and fraternities which have great programs:

  • Willie Hines is chairman and director of project enrich which is the signature youth outreach program of the gamma pi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Project Enrich is a special program designed to provide high school students, beginning at the ninth grade level, with an educational foundation and preparatory experiences which would assist them in their enrollment in and adjustment to higher education institutions committed to the educational development of black youth, particularly the historically black colleges and universities.  The program builds upon the students’ academic enrichment by providing:  academic support workshops, academic and financial college planning seminars, college visitations and career awareness opportunities. Visit their web site to learn more and to donate to them, go to www.projectenrich.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *