With your help, this year we were able to donate and support the following causes both at home and abroad. We gave to a variety of local and international non-profits, focusing primarily on areas of critical humanitarian need and global sustainability. The entries here followed by a star rating have been vetted and assessed by Charity Navigator, an organization that evaluates the transparency, efficacy and impact of non-profits worldwide. Each charity they assess is assigned up to four stars based on the aformentioned criteria.
Food Depot, Food 4 Kids Program – $10,000
One in every three New Mexico children were affected by food insecurity in 2020. Hunger is a growing crisis in our state that Santa Fe’s Food Depot focuses on aiding. Our specific donations go to their Food 4 Kids program, which provides meals to children whose parents are unable to provide food for them at home.
Read more about the Santa Fe Food Depot here.
WildEarth Guardians – $10,000
★★★★ – WildEarth Guardians protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers and health of the American West. Their current priorities include the defense of the Endangered Species Act, improving air quality in Colorado (ranked 46th out of the 50 states), setting controls for the exploitation of public lands for private interest and lobbying to transform our country’s Wildlife Services department which poisons, traps and guns down millions of our nation’s most majestic animals. We have supported Wild Earth Guardians for 5 years through direct donation and auction items.
Read more about WildEarth Guardians here.
Rainforest Trust – $13,000
★★★★ – Rainforest Trust strategically purchases and protects tropical lands vital to the endangered species and indigenous communities that call it home. They specifically target heavily threatened habitats critical to preventing species extinction. Over 30 years, they have saved over 2 million acres of tropical habitat across 53 countries.
Read more about Rainforest Trust here.
WildAid – $5,000
★★★★ – WildAid is a tier one “Great Nonprofits of 2020” organization dedicated to reducing demand for illegal wildlife products. Their programs are focused around persuading consumers around the world not to buy illegal or unsustainable animal products such as shark fin soup, ivory and rhino horn and to make better transportation and food choices in order to reduce climate change impacts. We have supported their efforts with about 1/6th of our charitable budget for the last four years.
Santa Fe Interfaith Homeless Shelter – $5,000
Also known as Pete’s Place, the Santa Fe Interfaith Homeless Shelter offers a safe and secure place for the homeless as they overcome adversity and stabilize their lives. As the only minimal barrier shelter in Northern New Mexico, they provide a much needed respite for the most vulnerable and oft overlooked members of our community. In addition, they offer a range of support services, such as assistance with SNAP, health care, applying for work and substance abuse counseling.
Read more about the Santa Fe Interfaith Homeless Shelter here.
Global Wildlife Conservation – $3,000
★★★★ – Global Wildlife Conservation protects endangered species and habitats through science-driven field work. They address larger landscape and capacity challenges in addition to focusing on species conservation. Their dedication to endangered species ensures that animals on the verge of extinction are not lost, but instead prosper well into the future.
Read more about Global Wildlife Conservation here.
Doctors Without Borders – $5,000
★★★★ – Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides aid to nearly 60 countries. Their primary focus is people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect or catastrophe primarily due to armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics, malnutrition, or lack of healthcare infrastructure.
Read more about Doctors Without Borders here.
RAINN – $10,000
★★★ – RAINN is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. It provides best-in-class services for survivors, informs and educates the nation about sexual violence, and improves the public policy and criminal justice response to these crimes. In addition to providing frontline services such as its national hotline, it has invested significantly in curbing violence against women on Native American reservations and is currently tackling the spike in violence against minors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CAMFED – $5,000
★★★★ – The Campaign for Female Education is tackling poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed. Their model focuses on inequality and encourages wider social movement in the communities they serve by unlocking the benefits of girl’s education. Over almost 30 years, their education programs in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi have directly supported more than 3.3 million students and provided an improved learning environment for more than 5.7 million children.
The Vera Institute – $2000
VERA challenges racial and economic injustice and is committed to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. They provide legal representation to those who have been illegally convicted, unfairly punished or abused in state jails and prisons. They also provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people and ensure their assimilation back into society is smooth and complete.