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Top 10 Volunteer Opportunities in San Diego in 2019

San Diego skyline at night

Want to volunteer or intern at a great San Diego nonprofit? Whether you’re new to the city and want to learn about its charities, trying to change up your routine with some local charity work, or just want to volunteer or intern at a neighborhood nonprofit, everyone knows that the best way to find the right place for you is from the people who’ve been there!

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Seven Nonprofits Building the Infrastructure for a More Democratic Society

by Sam Reeve

Diverse group of people stacking hands on each others

Democracy is an ongoing project of inclusion and equity in the United States. A project in participatory government that continues to expand thanks to the dedication of stellar nonprofits and movements. Many of them have emerged from and/or on behalf of the country’s most marginalized and politically disenfranchised groups.

If you are looking for ways to support organizations strengthening the foundations of democracy — from restoring voting rights of convicted people to mobilizing minority voters and candidates, here are seven nonprofits to consider:

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Three Volunteer Opportunities for Teens This Summer

5 teenagers holding a sign that says Volunteer

By Mayra Gomez

Volunteering offers many benefits to your teen’s development. Research has shown that adolescents who engage in community service are more responsible and have higher self-esteem. It also allows them to explore their passions and provides valuable skills such as time management, leadership, and decision making. According to this study, volunteering could even decrease their risk for heart disease. 

So whether your goal is to help them gain skills, improve their health, or enhance their college application, encourage your child to volunteer this summer. Here are three opportunities for them: 

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7 Top-Rated Nonprofits Supporting the LGBTQAI+ Community

by Sam Reeve

people holding pride flag over their heads

Every June, millions of people around the world join together to celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride, activism, history, and community. Particularly so this year, which marks 50 years since the police raid and ensuing riots at the Stonewall Inn, events that helped catalyze the modern fight for LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States.

If you are looking for ways to show support to the LGBTQIA+ community, or simply celebrate pride month, here are seven top-rated nonprofits to consider:

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6 Must-See Family Movies That Will Inspire Your Kids

woman watching a movie with her 2 children on the couch

The Oscars and Golden Globes may have passed, but movie season is always upon us. Rain or snow scheduled for this weekend? Freezing temperatures out? Stay in those slippers, make some hot chocolate and popcorn, and cozy up with your loved ones while enjoying these new, Common Sense Media-rated movies that will inspire, educate, and build up all the members of your family.

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3 Civil Rights Nonprofits You Should Support in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

by Ian Anstee

Martin Luther King Jr with his wife and daughter

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day just around the corner, it’s worth reflecting on the state of civil rights in the US. Civil rights was at the top of many minds in 2018 with the passing of the First Step Act, the continuation of the #metoo movement, and the family separation emergency that occurred along our border.

It should come as no surprise that — even 56 years from MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech — we’re a far way out from the nation that treats all its people justly, independent of race, gender, class, sexuality, faith, or immigration status. Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by supporting the following nonprofits working to make his dream a reality.

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People of Rendezvous Cafe: The Faces Behind the Food

by Ian Anstee, photos courtesy of Neha Paralkar

On my first day working for GreatNonprofits, I was taken to lunch at Rendezvous Cafe, our neighbor in Redwood Shores’ Sobrato Center for Nonprofits. I learned from my coworkers that Rendezvous is a social enterprise operated by JobTrain, a career training nonprofit. In addition to serving healthy, delicious food, Rendezvous Cafe offers valuable work experience to graduates of JobTrain’s culinary program.
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Nonprofit Spotlight: Baking Challah with GLIDE’s Volunteers

A Friday volunteer team smiling after a job well done. Source: Michael Lezak

By Ian Anstee

Arrival

I arrived at 9 AM and donned a disposable apron, hairnet, and latex gloves. I found myself in a metallic room hidden in the basement, furnished with large steel counters and bins with mysterious produce inside. Bright, yellow lights lit laughter underneath. The volunteers there taught me how to measure dough, how to roll it into cigars, and how to braid those cigars into the familiar pattern that makes mortals salivate. As we prepared the challah, my fellow volunteers taught me about the history of GLIDE and the challah program.

Glide Memorial Church was founded in the early 20th-century on the corner of Ellis and Taylor Street. Under the guidance of Reverend Cecil Williams, who joined the church at the start of the hippie movement, GLIDE became a refuge for San Francisco’s oppressed. Now a household name, GLIDE provides essential services and a spiritual community to homeless and economically fragile residents of the Tenderloin. Its mission is simple—To treat everyone who comes through its doors with unconditional love.

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Nonprofit Spotlight: A Day at Milton Marks Family Camp

The 2018 staff at Milton Marks Family Camp. Source: https://www.miltonmarksfamilycamp.org/

By Ian Anstee

For every nonprofit with a household name, there are thousands doing the good work without recognition. I had the privilege of volunteering with one such organization earlier this month, Milton Marks Neuro-Oncology Family Camp.

Milton Marks Family Camp is a three-day, annual camp for families that have a parent with a brain tumor. Its mission is to provide families with the space to reconnect and to show them that they’re not alone. Abigail Marks Ph.D. founded the camp after her husband, Milton, passed of glioblastoma in 2012. (more…)

Four Steps to a Solid Giving Tuesday Fundraising Plan

Giving Tuesday

Graphic courtesy of GivingTuesday.org

By Grace Kennedy

November 27 may seem far away, but it’s never too early to set your organization on the path to an amazing Giving Tuesday. Take one look at the stats on this charitable tradition and it’s clear that putting some effort into your Giving Tuesday will pay off.

According to The NonProfit Times, Giving Tuesday generated a record $274 million in 2017, up 55 percent from 2016. Ready to make Giving Tuesday work for your organization? As we head into the seventh annual Giving Tuesday, let’s go over four steps to creating a solid Giving Tuesday plan.

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