This is not an exhaustive list, check back often for updates and comment below if you’d like to add one of your favourites that aren’t yet on the list! Click the organization’s name in pink to learn more about them.

CANADA

“The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) is a National Indigenous Organization representing the political voice of Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada, inclusive of First Nations on and off reserve, status and non-status, disenfranchised, Métis and Inuit. An aggregate of Indigenous women’s organizations from across the country, NWAC was founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of Indigenous women within their respective communities and Canada societies.”

“Fresh Start treatment follows the disease concept; We see addiction as an illness that is progressive, and often fatal if untreated. The good news is that with treatment and a program of recovery, people that struggle with addiction can and do live healthy, happy and productive lives. Our goal is to send fathers back to their kids, sons back to their families, and to restore them back into community as productive and content men.”

“Food Banks Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. We support a network of Provincial Associations, affiliate food banks, and food agencies that work at the community level to relieve hunger. Our work is focused on maximizing collective impact, strengthening local capacity, and reducing the need for food banks.”

“CanadaHelps is a registered charity dedicated to increasing charitable giving across Canada. We do that by serving both donors and charities. For donors, we offer a one-stop shop for discovering, donating, or fundraising online for any registered Canadian charity. We process donations made using our site, disburse the funds to the charities and provide instant or anytime access tax receipts directly to the donors.”

“Chalice works in impoverished communities to help struggling families overcome the cycle of poverty. Education is the first and most important step in breaking the cycle. Too often, children must skip class or drop out of school to carry water, care for siblings, or earn money for their families. Sponsorship gives children the support needed to overcome obstacles so they can attend and stay in school, and allows families to provide nutritious food and better care for their children. Children are selected for sponsorship based on need and family circumstances, regardless of race, age, ability, gender, or religion.”

The Bruce Trail Conservancy is focused on “[p]reserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.” And their vision is to see, “[t]he Bruce Trail secured within a permanently protected natural corridor along the Niagara Escarpment.”

“Indspire is a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. In partnership with Indigenous, private and public sector stakeholders, Indspire educates, connects and invests in First Nations, Inuit and Métis people so they will achieve their highest potential.”

“The Mississauga Food Bank is the central food bank in Mississauga, providing food for over 242,000 meals each month through a network of 44 agencies. Our objective is to provide healthy food from Canada’s Food Guide – fruit and vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy products – to provide a balanced diet to food bank users for 7+ days each month.”

“The Canadian Red Cross mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world. The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This network includes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies dedicated to improving the situation of the most vulnerable throughout the world.”

“In 1986 a group of teachers and guidance counsellors created Youth without Shelter as they were frustrated with the lack of safe, emergency housing and support programs for their students. Since that time YWS has helped more than 15,000 homeless youth to build their confidence and life-skills and to find long-term stable housing and jobs. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we are dedicated to providing shelter and support programs in a safe environment, with the goal of getting youth off the streets permanently.”

“Discovery House is a social profit organization providing a continuum of care to women and their children fleeing domestic violence. We facilitate transitional housing, offering longer-term, safe places for women and children to call home while they begin rebuilding their lives. We provide mothers access to counselling, support and programs to ensure they never return to abusive partners. We work directly with children, to mitigate the effects of trauma and prevent the cycle from repeating.”

“Hope Air was founded in 1986 by Joan Rogers and Jinnie Bradshaw, C.M., two women who wanted to make travelling to healthcare less burdensome for low-income people. Since then, individuals and groups from all across the country have come together to help their fellow Canadians get to medical care. By donating money or airline tickets, volunteering, putting on an event, or just spreading the word about Hope Air’s work, the people who support our cause make arranging free flights to medical care possible. In this section, learn about our history, our advocates, and our donors.”

“Founded in 1993, MADA is a volunteer-based organization that evolved from a small neighbourhood centre to Montreal’s central address for fighting poverty in our community. We provide our patrons with many social and crisis services free of charge, as well as serving as a safe haven for those in need.”

“Opportunity International provides access to savings, small business loans, insurance and training to 17.5 million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. Clients in 28 countries use these financial services to expand businesses, provide for their families, create jobs for their neighbors and build a safety net for the future.”

“Founded in 1998, the Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS) is an independent, registered charitable organization dedicated to supporting Toronto District School Board (TDSB) children and helping remove barriers to their education. We believe that if we improve the health and well-being of our children they will do better in school, and if they do better in school then they will have a better future: last year, with support from many wonderful partners, we invested more than 22 million dollars in that future.”

“The Redwood offers safety, healing and opportunities for growth for women and their children fleeing abuse. Families receive case management and counseling services from Resident Services Counselors, access to empowering and life-changing programs, and transitional support when they are ready to take the steps toward a new life.”

“Youth Employment Services is the Canadian youth employment leader and we serve tens of thousands annually with a close to 90% success rate. YES created youth employment services in Canada in 1968 and has since helped hundreds of thousands of youth, many disadvantaged, directly and millions indirectly. For every $1 dollar of funding YES has shown to give back $3 to the economy in terms of new wages, tax revenues, a reduction on social services and much more.”

“Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is one of 1,400 affiliates worldwide working to build safe, decent, and affordable homes for families. Every year, we partner with communities to help working, lower income families in Manitoba achieve strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership.”

“Second Harvest is the largest food rescue organization in Canada and global thought leader on food recovery. We work across the supply chain from farm to retail to capture surplus food before it ends up in the landfill which negatively impacts our environment.”

“360ºkids now serves over 3,500 youth, each year from every municipality in York and this number has grown significantly since our move to the Richmond Hill Hub operating the youth hub and offering even more essential services to youth. Our staff represent many cultures and experiences and have earned a reputation as leaders in offering high quality, innovative programming to the people we serve.”

“Lookout Housing and Health Society is a charitable organization and social safety net. We provide housing and a range of support services to adults with low or no income who have few, if any, housing or support options. Because the people we serve have challenges meeting basic needs and goals, we place minimal barriers between them and our services.”

“Providing life changing mentoring experiences since 1912, Big Brothers Big Sisters was named One of MoneySense Magazine’s top 10 youth charities in 2019. This year alone Big Brothers Big Sisters impacted over 41,000 youth in over 1,100 communities across Canada. Every $1 invested in our programming returns between $18-$23 to society through taxes, higher incomes, volunteerism, and charitable donations.”

“Brain Canada plays a unique and invaluable role as the national convenor of the community of those who support and advance brain research. A greater understanding of how the brain works will contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of disorders of the brain, thereby improving the health outcomes of Canadians. Brain Canada’s main areas of focus are fundraising, granting and strengthening the brain research community.”

“The Humanitarian Coalition brings together leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during international humanitarian disasters. Member agencies join forces to raise funds, partner with the government, and mobilize media, businesses and individual Canadians. Together, we are saving more lives.”

Looking for more? Maclean’s has a comprehensive list of 100 Canadian charities you can browse by your passions and interests.

AMERICA

“The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.”

The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund is “aiming to raise $600,000 in order to offer over 5,000 hours of FREE therapy sessions for black women and girls to go to therapy.  With therapy sessions in the U.S. typically costing anywhere from $60 – $250– even with insurance, the prevalent and ingrained stigma surrounding mental health in many communities, and the fact that the vast majority of therapists in this country are white, it is often difficult for Black women and girls to access therapy when they need it.”

“The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice.”

“Color Of Change was founded in moments just like this one. As Black communities reeled in grief as all levels of government failed to protect Black people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we recognized that not enough of the people and institutions with power over our lives had any fear of disappointing Black people. For the last 15 years, we’ve focused on building that power.”

“We have a vision for a charity sector that is taking the lead to root out racism. Complete transformation of structures is not easy; it requires courage, time and financial investment. We need allies to stand with #CharitySoWhite and people of colour in the sector. Help us to move the needle by donating in solidarity today.”

“The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust aims to be a fitting legacy to Stephen’s memory and to make a real impact by:

  • Supporting young people to transform their lives by overcoming disadvantage and discrimination and moving into ambitious careers as professionals
  • Ensuring businesses can benefit from and are more inclusive of diverse talent throughout their management structures
  • Continuing to campaign for fairness and justice, ensuring the lessons learnt from Stephen’s murder are acted upon”

“Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of artists and journalists. Our work is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues through amplifying stories and exploring sustainable alternatives in today’s globalized world.”

“Campaign Zero is a project of the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, WeTheProtesters. Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.”

“The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. We achieve this through award-winning journalism, partnerships with other news outlets and public forums. In all of our work we strive to educate and enlarge the audience of people who care about the state of criminal justice.”

“The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is a critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system.”

“The National Black Disability Coalition (NBDC) is a response to the need for Blacks with Disabilities in America to organize around issues of mutual concern and use our collective strength to address disability issues with an emphasis on people who live in poverty.”

Black Voters Matter “advocate[s] for policies to expand voting rights/access, including expanded early voting, resisting voter ID, re-entry restoration of rights and strengthening the Voting Rights Act.  We also advocate for policies that intersect with race, gender, economic and other aspects of equity.​”

“Until Freedom is an intersectional social justice organization rooted in the leadership of diverse people of color to address systemic and racial injustice. At Until Freedom, we believe that those closest to the pain are closest to the solution, therefore, we focus on investing in those who are the most directly impacted by cyclical poverty, inequality, and state violence.”

“The Trans Justice Funding Project is a community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people in the United States, including U.S. territories. We make grants annually by bringing together a panel of six trans justice activists from around the country to carefully review every application we receive.”

“The Know Your Rights Camp‘s mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”

“LGBTQ Freedom Fund posts bail to secure the safety and liberty of individuals in U.S. jails and immigration facilities. We work to build a critical mass against the mass detention of LGBTQ individuals — a tangle of discrimination and poverty disproportionately puts them behind bars.”

“We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry. Our aim is to help produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.”

“The mission of Therapy for Black Girls is to sustain and grow an engaged community centered on the mental health needs of Black women and girls. We perform this mission by creating resources, content, and experiences designed to present information in a way that feels relevant and accessible. “

“National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is a healing justice organization committed to transforming mental health for queer and trans people of color (QTPoC). We work at the intersection of movements for social justice and the field of mental health to integrate healing justice into both of these spaces. Our overall goal is to increase access to healing justice resources for QTPoC.”

“Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only premier uniquely and unapologetically Black think and do tank in America powered by two decades of work to end the Black HIV epidemic and led by people who represent the issues we serve. BAI sources our capacity building, mobilization, policy, and advocacy efforts from Black leaders and communities across the country and provide high quality direct HIV services and linkage to care to Black people.”

Looking for more? Charity Navigator is a great website that allows you to browse American charities by your passions and interests.