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NeoAid currently supports 7 causes in an aim to spread the love far and wide between people, animals and the broader environment.
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Causes we support
To start with, we have partnered with 7 nonprofit organizations – 1 for each cause. We thought long and hard about which organizations to choose, and made use of the expertise at Charity Navigator to help us assess excellence in self-governance and positive impact. You can be sure that whichever organization you choose to support, its one that’s using its funding wisely, and making a real difference in the world. Our vision in the months to come is to allow you to choose any cause you would want to support. That’s right – ANY cause and not just this selection of seven.
Animal Welfare: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Based on the belief that animal welfare and human well-being are inseparable, IFAW is involved wherever humans and animals co-exist (so everywhere, really). They aim for sustainable conservation: the preservation of wildlife while taking into account the needs of the local communities who live alongside it. But IFAW doesn’t just use funds for saving animals, they also train people to further their goals. Their focus includes all animals, so that’s pets too. They’re active around the world, from saving zoo animals in Baghdad, to promoting seal-watching as an alternative industry to seal-hunting in Russia, to running a pet sterilization drive in South Dakota. Since 1948, IFAW has been creating a better world for animals and people.
Children: UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)
Children are the future – but for some, that future is uncertain. A child’s first few years are critical for their development. A lack of nourishing food, basic healthcare or adequate education can negativelly affect the course of their life into adulthood. Created in 1946, UNICEF aims to uphold children’s rights, by meeting their basic needs and giving them the best possible start in life. They are committed particularly to helping children affected by war, violence, disability, disease (especially HIV/Aids), disaster and severe poverty, and are active 191 countries to achieve these aims. UNICEF also focuses on gender equality, and protecting the rights of women and girls. They are funded by both governments and private donors. For their efforts, UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, and continue to do worthwhile work more than 40 years later.
Emergency Aid: Direct Relief International
In developing countries, and those affected by war or disaster, local healthcare systems usually struggle to cope with the heavy demands placed on them. Since 1948, Direct Relief International has been assisting and strengthening these systems and the health professionals who make them work, by providing medicine, medical supplies and equipment, as well as cash grants to those who need it. The tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina and Rita, and civil unrest in Kenya are all recent disasters where Direct Relief International was involved. But apart from emergencies, they have a long-term focus on healthcare systems that assist women and children, those affected by HIV/Aids, and with basic healthcare. Direct Relief International’s funding is completely private, and they receive medical supplies from companies as donations. They have consistently been rated and recognized for their efficiency: in 2008, they delivered $38 of aid for every $1 spent – now that’s impressive!
Environment: WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature
Originally the World Wildlife Fund, as its name-change indicates, the WWF has expanded its scope since its beginnings nearly 50 years ago to include the environment as a whole. Their mission is to actively conserve what is still left of our environment’s biodiversity, and encourage people to stop wasting and polluting natural resources, by promoting sustainable use of renewable resources. While your typical idea of nature conservationists might be people standing knee-deep in a polluted river or wearing night-vision goggles to track an endangered species of wild rabbit, in addition to on-site action, the WWF has a number of approaches to achieving their aims. These include policy work, campaigning, education and capacity building. Ultimately, their vision is of ‘a future in which humans live in harmony with nature’.
Health: City of Hope
Charity isn’t just about war-torn communities in far-away countries. It’s possible that someone you know is fighting their own battle against a life-threatening illness. City of Hope is a refuge and source of reassurance for those brave people facing diseases like cancer, diabetes or HIV/Aids. Based in Duarte, California, City of Hope has been a leader in prevention, treatment and cure of life-threatening illness for nearly 100 years. Their cancer patient treatment facility and biomedical research center have been responsible for pioneering procedures such as bone marrow transplant, and they have already performed over 8,000 of these and stem cell transplants to date. Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Western world. But City of Hope, with the help of donations from people like you, is taking on the challenge of that statistic.
Human Rights: Amnesty International
Since 1961, Amnesty International has kept the candle burning for human rights. As long as someone, somewhere in the world is facing injustice, discrimination, violence, or torture, AI will be campaigning for their right to be treated with dignity and to enjoy the freedoms many of us take for granted. Some of their aims include abolishing the death sentence, ending violence against women, aiding prisoners of conscience and protecting migrants’ and refugees’ rights. They also see poverty not purely in economic terms, but as a human rights issue. The organization has managed to make an enormous difference over the years, exerting influence over governments on matters of policy, and mobilizing public pressure, through lobbying, campaigning and demonstrating. Amnesty International’s effectiveness was recognized with the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1977.
Poverty: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
Hunger, for most of us, is a rumbly feeling in your tummy on your way to the kitchen for a snack. Hunger, for 923 million people, is never getting enough calories for their body’s basic energy needs, and watching their children grow weak and ill from a lack of protein and proper nutrients. Natural disasters and political crises usually result in people not having access to food. The rise in food prices recently has made this situation worse: 75 million more hungry tummies in 2007 alone. The WFP provides food to about 90 million people a year, nearly two-thirds of whom are children. In an emergency, it acts swiftly, providing both food and logistical support. But the WFP also puts steps in place to support people long after the initial problem has subsided – it can take years for a community to get back to self-sufficiency. By providing free lunches at schools, and encouraging students to further their studies, the Programme also links food support to improving education.