Write a Review
Write a Review

Most recent articles

National Bike Month

For more than 60 years, National Bike Month has celebrated the many benefits of biking, from preserving both your health and your environment to saving you both time and money. Perhaps the biggest day of the month-long festivities is Bike to Work Day, held this Friday, May 19.

According to the League of American Bicyclists, sponsor of National Bike Month, 40% of all trips in the U.S. are less than two miles, which means participating this Friday will be easy for many of us. And many of us do participate­—the league says that from 2000 to 2013, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 62 percent. (more…)

National Public Gardens Day

Created in 2008 by the American Public Gardens Association and celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day, National Public Gardens Day seeks to raise awareness of public gardens and the important role they play in their communities and on a global scale.

Many public gardens nationwide celebrate the day with special events, so make sure you get out there and visit one on Friday! Here are just a few of them: (more…)

World Lupus Day

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, 5 million people worldwide have a form of lupus, including 1.5 million Americans. Yet despite those numbers, 73% of Americans ages 18–34 either haven’t heard about lupus or know little or nothing about lupus beyond the name. It’s that lack of awareness of this widespread disease that World Lupus Day, commemorated on May 10, seeks to combat. Here are some organizations seeking to bring comfort to those suffering from it: (more…)

American Stroke Month

Each year, stroke kills more than 130,000 Americans annually—that’s 1 out of every 20 deaths. Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and every 4 minutes, someone dies of one. Here are some other numbers to consider, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes; about 185,00 strokes—nearly 1 of 4—are in people who have had a previous stroke.
  • In 2009, 34% of people hospitalized for stroke were less than 65 years old.
  • Stroke costs the United States an estimated $33 billion each year.

In recognition of American Stroke Month, we’ve compiled a few of the many nonprofits working to provide education and assistance to stroke victims and their loved ones: (more…)

National Foster Care Month

The first Tuesday of May is designated as National Foster Care Day, which help kicked off National Foster Care Month. And calling attention to the needs of the more than 400,000 children currently in the often broken foster care system is understandable:

  • Only half of youth in foster care graduate high school
  • 20 percent of foster children experience homelessness within a year of aging out of care
  • 33 percent of 17- and 18-year-old women in foster care are pregnant or parenting
  • More than 70 percent of inmates were at one point in the foster care system

 Below are just a few of the many nonprofits working to make the lives of foster children a much happier one: (more…)

National Audubon Day

April 26 is designated as National Audubon Day, in memory John Audubon, the famed ornithologist, naturalist, and painter born on this date in 1785. Audubon is known for his extensive studies of American birds and his detailed illustrations of the birds in their natural habitats.

Unfortunately, not every bird can remain in its natural habitat. Luckily, there are many great nonprofits working to provide sanctuary for these birds. Here are some of the top-rated ones doing just that: (more…)

National Help a Horse Day

April 26 marks the fifth annual Help a Horse Day. According to the ASPCA, it’s a day for equine rescues and sanctuaries to raise awareness about the lifesaving work they do year-round to care for at-risk horses in their community who have often been abused or neglected.

The organization also notes that horses have been central to the ASPCA’s work since its founding 150 years ago, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for the mistreatment of a horse on April 26, 1866.

Here are five of our top-rated nonprofits dedicated to the well-being of horses: (more…)

Earth Day 2017

Now celebrated worldwide by more than a billion people, Earth Day has something for everyone. Local opportunities abound for beautification projects next Saturday, April 22, and all it takes to get involved with cleaning up your local park or beach is a simple online search and a few hours of your time.

But for nonprofits dedicated to protecting animal and plant species from extinction, keeping our landscape from more resembling a moonscape, and preserving the quality of our air and water, every day is Earth Day. Here are 10 of the many that do just that:

National Parks Conservation Association

Washington, D.C.

The National Parks Conservation Association works to ensure that our national parks and monuments are welcoming and well funded, well managed, and well protected for generations today and tomorrow.

“Through the years I have visited many of our National Parks. They are truly wonders to see! We need to conserve these now to make sure our children and grandchildren have the same opportunity we have had.

“I am seeing much erosion and destruction in the parks now that we need to make others aware of so additional protections can be implemented. The NPCA is working hard to protect these precious lands and they need all the help they can get!

“I am a true lover of our National Parks! So beautiful and amazing!”

 

Ocean Defenders Alliance

Huntington Beach, Calif.

Ocean Defenders Alliance works to clean and protect marine ecosystems, focusing primarily on the reduction and removal of manmade debris that poses serious threats to ocean wildlife and habitats.

“My wife and I have been supporting ODA since its inception and it has been the best use of our donated dollars I’ve witnessed. The volunteers involved with this organization and what they give for the cause are amazing. I only wish I had more money to help leverage their efforts.”

 

Amazon Conservation Association

Washington, D.C.

The mission of the Amazon Conservation Association is to protect the world’s most diverse landscapes, train the next generation of Amazonian conservationists, and partner with communities to support livelihoods that sustain biodiversity.

“There may be bigger conservation organizations than ACA, but the impact ACA has had in Peru and Bolivia has been comparable with many of the so-called ‘bigger’ organizations out there. They bring in technical expertise and years of building trust with local communities to the plate and always deliver results. As a biologist, I truly appreciate all their hard work and the impact they have had in keeping the Amazon green.”

 

International Rivers Network

Berkeley, Calif.

The International Rivers Network protects rivers and defends the rights of communities that depend on them. It works to stop destructive dams and promote water and energy solutions for a just and sustainable world.

“Billions of dollars are being invested in building dams throughout the Amazon that will devastate the environment and displace local communities and cause massive emission of greenhouse gases as the vegetation decomposes. International Rivers is at the forefront of ensuring that local communities and the environment is put before economic greed and is the leading expert on these issues.”

 

Endangered Special International

San Francisco, Calif.

Endangered Species International is strongly committed to reversing the trend of human-induced species extinction, saving endangered animals, and preserving wild places!

“Endangered Species International is an amazing group that really gets things done out in the field. I applaud their effort and hard work to save endangered animals and their home! Most fund is spent on the field for direct impacts . . . no wasting resources!”

 

Center for Biological Diversity

Tucson, Ariz.

The Center for Biological Diversity believes that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature—to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, the center works to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.

“Global wildlife populations remain under siege and the illegal wildlife trade flourishes. We are losing species and habitat on almost every front. That’s why I support Endangered Species International (ESI) and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), both doing an incredible job. ESI is saving so many species and habitats on the ground where CBD does not operate like in the rainforest of Congo. CBD is doing a great job by protecting the endangered species act and making sure endangered species are included and can recover!”

 

Canopy

Palo Alto, Calif.

Canopy plants and cares for trees where people need them the most—bringing the life-giving benefits of trees to the schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces of the San Francisco Mid-Peninsula.

“I have volunteered with Canopy and donated to Canopy for the past four years. They are a small team of dedicated, passionate, skilled employees who leverage their fantastic board and volunteers to make a big difference. They serve the community in so many ways–not just planting, not just educating, not just pruning and mulching, not just advocacy—their full perspective on the urban forest make them a very effective organization.

“Also, I really admire how they give jobs and job training to East Palo Alto teens. It makes the organization more effective in East Palo Alto and makes a huge difference for the teens who are part of the program.”

 

Reef Environmental Education Foundation

Key Largo, Fla.

REEF conserves marine water ecosystems for their recreational, commercial, and intrinsic value by educating, enlisting, and enabling divers and other marine water enthusiasts to become active stewards and citizen scientists.

“REEF is a way for me to turn my passion into meaningful contribution. I love the ocean and its inhabitants so I scuba dive a lot. REEF lets me contribute to greater understanding of the ocean and the changes that are going on that need tracking. They are easy to work with and really value citizen science contributors such as myself.”

 

Rattlebox Nature Center

Wawa, Pa.

Rattlebox Nature Center provides individuals of all ages and capabilities with hands-on experience that will better their understanding of the critical role that animals play in the health and welfare of our world.

“My daughter attended Rattlebox Nature Center this summer and absolutely loved it. This was the one camp she couldn’t stop talking about all summer and she is delighted to be able to attend on an off day from school. Valerie was extremely kind and compassionate about the love and care of her animals and she treated my daughter like her own. I was also impressed with the lovely crafts that were completed. This camp truly exceeded my expectations.”

 

Buffalo Field Campaign

West Yellowstone, Mont.

Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working both in the field and in the policy arenas to stop the harassment and slaughter of America’s last wild buffalo.

“This incredible nonprofit does so much with so little. Dedicated, enduring, passionate, and suffering along with the buffalo, they are so impressive and so admirable and so determined. Our National Heritage buffalo/bison are the target of hunters and hunter-controlled government agencies, with even the Park Service unwilling to stand up for the defenseless buffalo who are only trying to live and survive in areas that have been their homeland since the beginning. BFC is their voice and their advocate when others are too busy to care. This is indeed a nonprofit that walks the walk.”

 

These organizations are just some of the many nonprofits doing their part to make the world a more livable place. So whether your passion is protecting animals, beautifying the environment, stopping pollution, or preserving wetlands, GreatNonprofits has got something for you! We’ve only got one planet, so do your part today to save it!

Google Analytics Glossary

Originally posted on Whole Whale – Google Analytics Glossary

If you’re here, that most likely means you understand the importance of using Google Analytics to understand your web traffic and make data-informed decisions. If that’s true – congrats! You are building a data culture at your organization, major kudos. If you need more convincing, fear not – we’re used to it. Check out our spiel on why GA is so crucial.

Whether you’re a beginner to Google Analytics or an old pro, you’ve gotta know the lingo in order to use it effectively. So here’s our Google Analytics glossary to break down all the jargon and (hopefully) make GA a little more accessible for you and your team.

Think of anything we should add? Want to correct one of our definitions? Find us on the twitters, we love hearing what you think. Without further ado…

(more…)

How to Measure Digital Marketing Impact for Nonprofits

Originally posted on Whole Whale – How to Measure Digital Marketing Impact for Nonprofits

Digital marketing is a catch-all term for the act of promoting services or products through media across varied digital channels. When this term is applied to the nonprofit sector all that changes is that services/products are designed to provide a societal benefit. This is where things begin to become more complicated for nonprofits than their for-profit counterparts. It is clear for a company like Amazon or Etsy that the goal is to sell more items through their site and by doing more of this they win. A ‘win’ for a nonprofit’s website is to deepen an engagement with a set of stakeholders that leads to the long term outcomes of the organization.

While sometimes it may be as simple as driving more people to donate, it can become more difficult when dealing with driving awareness or behavior changes. This resource will help nonprofits begin the process answering three key questions:

  • Why does your organization have a website?
  • Is your digital marketing/work driving users to take next step actions?
  • How do you know if your website is driving the offline impact you are trying to have?

(more…)

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Since 1983, April has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We know that child abuse unfortunately exists, but how many of us know just how widespread the problem is? According to the National Children’s Alliance, nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S. annually. An estimated 683,000 children (unique incidents) were victims of abuse and neglect in 2015 (the most recent year for which there is national data). Here are some other numbers to consider:

  • In 2015, an estimated 1,670 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States.
  • A parent of the child victim was the perpetrator in 78.1% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment.
  • 14% of men and 36% of women in prison were abused as children.

Here are a few of the organizations working to both bring an end to child abuse and comfort to those who’ve been victims of it:

Military Veterans Against Child Abuse

San Antonio, Texas

Military Veterans Against Child Abuse educates children, parents, child care providers, teachers, and the community as a whole about child safety and child abuse prevention through educational material, activities, seminars, and advocacy.

“Military Veterans Against Child Abuse is one of the most compassionate organizations I have had the pleasure of interacting with. Not only are they responsive but they stick by their cause with integrity and open hearts. I contacted the organization about a young boy who suffered horrible abuse. I was advocating for him and his family to drum up support in the form of letters, cards, and notes as this young boy faced brain surgery and a long recovery. I contacted MVACA on social media and immediately got a heartfelt response! They gave me invaluable advice as an advocate and encouraged me to start a Facebook page for the family and they shard Eli’s story and page calling their followers to send notes of healing. There was no resistance, only openness and genuine concern for all affected by child abuse. I will not hesitate to contact them in the future for advice or assistance!”

 

Prevent Child Abuse America

Chicago, Ill

Prevent Child Abuse America is dedicated to promoting services that improve child well-being in all 50 states and developing programs that help to prevent all types of abuse and neglect of our nation’s children.

“I am a board member of Prevent Child Abuse America and have volunteered in the field of child maltreatment for more than 20 years. Prevent Child Abuse America is a powerful force in the effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of children and the only organization whose sole mission is prevention of child maltreatment. Among other things, PCA America promotes evidence-based programs that seek to help families at risk for abuse or neglect, addresses issues involving bullying, and helps to set the national agenda on child maltreatment issues. With extremely committed staff, board, and volunteers across the country, it is a tireless advocate for all children. PCA America is a fantastic organization.”

 

Free Arts

Los Angeles, Calif.

Free Arts uses art to restore hope, resiliency, and self-esteem in children in Los Angeles ages 7–18 who have experienced abuse, neglect, poverty, and homelessness. The organization serves more than 22,000 children in Los Angeles each year via nearly 200 adult volunteer mentors.

“The vibrancy and enthusiasm that the staff and volunteers of Free Arts evoke and the dedication to their mission to inspire hope in the lives of children is what makes this such an amazing agency. It is rarely an easy task to engage kids who are generally distrustful of outsiders because of the negative experiences they have had in their short lives. Jorie Aldrich and her group of volunteers had absolutely no problem breaching that obstacle with the children at our Public Housing development. I am personally grateful to Free Arts and look forward to working with them again!”

 

To learn more about these organizations and many others doing similar work, please check out GreatNonprofits.