There are many worthy organizations in the U.S. and around the world committed to fighting poverty, protecting the environment, providing access to education, and promoting economic development, peacekeeping initiatives, and health and well-being.

We are pleased to highlight and celebrate the following inspiring organizations, our good neighbors, that seek to improve living conditions for people and promote good stewardship of our planet in the spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

American Prairie Reserve

American Prairie Reserve represents a unique effort to assemble a multi-million-acre nature reserve of public and private lands that conserves the species-rich grasslands of Montana’s legendary Great Plains for the enjoyment of future generations.

Habitat for Humanity

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 59 million people improve their living conditions by partnering with people in communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries around the world.

No Kid Hungry

A campaign to end childhood hunger in America through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. Millions of children face hunger all across the United States, in every community. In fact, 1 in 4 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to ensure every child in America gets the meals they need to be happy and healthy every day of the year.

Heifer International

Heifer USA supports small-scale farmers to deliver fresh, nutritious food to reliable markets by providing them with training, education, and resources needed to sell their products for a fair price. This work is critical to helping small-scale American farmers lift themselves out of poverty.

Feeding America

Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.  Donors, staff, and volunteers all play an important role in working to connect people with food to end hunger in the United States. 

826 National

826 National is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students ages 6 to 18 improve their expository and creative writing skills. By demystifying the writing process, making learning fun, and publicly honoring their hard work, 826 inspires young people to gain crucial academic and life skills. Their goal is to help students grow into strong, confident writers who change the world by telling their stories.

Midland School

Since its founding 1932, Midland School’s mission has been to “provide a unique college prep boarding school experience to a diverse student body. Through study and work, it teaches the value of a lifetime of learning, self-reliance, simplicity, responsibility to community and the environment, and a love for the outdoors.”

Many of the original wooden structures on campus were built by students, and it is still the case today that students truly run and power the school’s operations. From kitchen chores, to collecting chicken eggs, to feeding and caring for horses, to chopping kindling to heat classrooms, to working on a 10-acre organic farm, students are not only involved but are also learning to lead.

Experiential learning is built into the school’s programming and ethos, with opportunities for field studies within academic classes as well as specialized programs in outdoor leadership, farm and garden, and natural horsemanship.

Girl Rising

Girl Rising is a girls’ education non-profit with a mission to use the power of storytelling to change the way the world values girls and their education. Through our global programs, we are working to break the barriers to girls’ education.

Educating girls is one of the world’s very best investments – transforming lives and unleashing positive ripple effects across families, communities and nations. Learn more about the ripple effects of girls’ education.

Girl Rising launched as a nonprofit after witnessing the power of storytelling to catalyze change. The stories of nine ordinary, extraordinary girls in the original Girl Rising film help spark a global movement for girls’ education. Today, storytelling remains at the heart of our education programs and Future Rising. 

Shining Hope for Communities

Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is a grassroots movement that catalyzes large-scale transformation in urban slums by providing critical services for all, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls.

Growing up in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa, he experienced extreme poverty, violence, lack of opportunity, and deep gender inequality. However, Kennedy also witnessed the palpable hope that persists in slums and recognized that people sought something different for themselves, their families and their communities. Visionaries like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela showed Kennedy that great, systemic change can come from within. Women like Kennedy’s mother inspired him to build the solutions to urban poverty through addressing one if its core obstacles—the prohibitive level of gender inequality.

In 2007, Kennedy met Jessica Posner, a bright and driven American student studying abroad. Together they devised the model that SHOFCO utilizes today. Kennedy and Jessica’s partnership is a unique, pioneering collaboration in the field of international development. Bolstered by grassroots knowledge, they have dedicated their lives to bringing hope to urban communities. In 2015, they released their New York Times best-selling book: Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum.

Malala Fund

Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai founded Malala Fund in 2013 to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education.

Together our board, leadership council, staff and champions are creating a more equal world by making sure all girls can go to school.

Malala Fund invests in education advocates and activists who are challenging the policies and practices that prevent girls from going to school in their communities.

Malala Fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education.

Step Up

Step Up is a mentorship nonprofit providing the structure for girls (and those who identify with girlhood) to define their ideal destination and get there — wherever that destination may be.

Success is subjective. No one destination fits all – so why would one path fit all?

At Step Up, we believe girls deserve to define and pursue success on their terms. By bringing girls together in inspired spaces – on and offline – we spark exploration and discussion of what’s possible. With structured support and access to a strong community, we guide girls towards their unique goals: first, by identifying those goals and then, building the roadmap to get there.

Whether there is college, an internship, a network, or simply confidence – we’re there for it and there for you.

Seva

Seva is a global nonprofit eye care organization that works with local communities around the world to develop self-sustaining programs that preserve and restore sight.

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable promotes the growth of outdoor recreation activities in an effort to ensure the conservation of public lands and waterways to improve the experience and quality of life of outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Similarly, the American Hiking Society promotes and protects foot trails and the hiking experience. We encourage you to #TakeaHike in celebration.

Leary Firefighters Foundation

The Leary Firefighters Foundation provides funding and resources for fire departments nationwide to access the highest level of equipment, technology, and training for their firefighters. Such resources not only save the lives of these brave men and women but also increase the odds that they can save the lives of those vulnerable to fires. As different communities across the U.S. grapple with dangerous fire conditions, the foundation’s respect and support for our brave firefighters is critical.

Hopa Mountain

Hopa Mountain is a nonprofit organization committed to investing in rural and tribal citizen leaders who are improving education, ecological health, and economic development in their communities in the Great Plains and Northern Rocky Mountains. Acknowledging the skills, talents, and positions of these local leaders, Hopa Mountain endeavors to provide them with the means–primarily through training, networking, mentoring, and financial support–to generate and expand much–needed opportunities in their communities.

National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA)

Support women in the arts during Women’s History Month with the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), the first museum globally dedicated to elevating women’s achievements in the arts. The NMWA continues its mission to showcase the incredible work of women artists, past and present, fostering a more inclusive and balanced representation of art. 

Second Harvest Heartland

Too many of our neighbors are one flat tire or medical bill away from an empty fridge. Parents skip meals so their kids can eat; seniors choose medications over food. Others work full-time yet can’t stretch their paycheck to cover all their household expenses, or qualify for food assistance benefits. The face of hunger looks like all of us.

There is no single root cause of hunger. For many, it’s ongoing and persistent. Their household incomes simply aren’t enough to cover the grocery bills and other expenses, especially with inflation and skyrocketing food prices.

For others, it’s a new experience, brought on by the pandemic, economic disruptions or an unexpected bill or emergency.

Whatever the reason, hunger remains a persistent (yet solvable) problem across the heartland. We believe there is more than enough food for everyone when we all come together.