This time of year, numerous traditions celebrate the return of light—a powerful symbol of hope, guidance, courage shining against the odds.
Our AoCC team offers these suggestions to spread more light in the world. You might even consider bucking the commercial holiday pressure by donating instead of buying stuff.
No matter which holidays you celebrate, we wish you blessings. May you find light and warm your spirit in its glow.
Give the gift of democracy.
Spread the Vote, Los Angeles, CA
Over 21 million Americans lack the ID they need to live full lives. StV assists members of our communities obtain the IDs they need for jobs, housing, health care, and, most importantly, identity. Spread the Vote works to ensure that people have what they need to vote. AoCC fans have already raised $15,942 in 2019; help us reach our goal of 400 IDs before December 31.
Donate: https://www.spreadthevote.org/donate
Quality journalism
A 2017 study found that viewers of FOX News are less informed than those who watch no news at all. Give the gift of trustworthy journalism. Consider:
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- The Guardian weekly
- The Atlantic monthly
- YES Magazine monthly
Give the gift of equality.
Americans belong to every religion, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, age, and ability. Out of many, we are one.
Prison Book Program
Prison Book Program mails books to people in prison to support their educational, vocational, and personal development and to help them avoid returning to prison after their release. They also introduce citizens to issues surrounding the American prison system and the role of education in reforming it. Nominated by Jen H., AoCC creator.
Donate: Cash or donate requested books.
Project Home, Philadelphia, PA
The mission of the Project HOME community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. Nominated by Lisa, AoCC Equality Team.
Donate: https://www.projecthome.org/donate
Purchase resident-made gifts: https://home-made-gifts-from-project-home.myshopify.com
Four Directions
Four Directions, Inc. is committed to advancing equality at the ballot box across Indian Country and full enfranchisement as a crucial way to navigate a stronger future for Native communities. Nominated by Anne, AoCC Voting Team.
Donate: http://www.fourdirectionsvote.com/donation/
Street Sense Media, Washington D.C.
Our mission is to end homelessness in the Washington, D.C. area by empowering people in need with the skills, tools and confidence to succeed. Together we use a range of media platforms to raise awareness and spotlight solutions to homelessness in our community. Nominated by Elizabeth, AoCC Equality Team.
Donate: https://streetsensemedia.networkforgood.com/projects/68459-primary-donation-form
Give the gift of fair, free, and secure voting.
All citizens should be able to easily cast a ballot without fees or fear.
1-866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection
Election Protection, administered by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, is a non-partisan coalition of over 100 local, state, and national partners working to defend the right to vote. Volunteers provide information and support from registration to polling booth, including voter helplines, voter protection field programs, and online resource guides. Nominated by Sarah, AoCC Voting Team.
Donate: https://lawyerscommittee.org
Give the gift of support to aspiring Americans.
People who immigrate are fellow human beings whom we treat with respect and decency. We oppose government-funded vilification and inhumane treatment of people seeking citizenship.
Miles for Migrants
Miles4Migrants uses donated frequent flyer miles and money to book flights to bring refugees to their new homes and reunite families separated by conflict and persecution. Nominated by Lisa, AoCC Immigration Team.
Donate miles: https://www.miles4migrants.org/donate.php
Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
ICIJ engages in policy advocacy, community organizing, and education, and rapid response to ICE and border patrol operations. They provide food, clothing, and transportation to ICE detainees. They also work to close the Adelanto concentration camp and exposing ICE’s attempts to circumvent California’s private prison ban. Nominated by Wendy, AoCC Voting Team.
Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ICIJdeportationdefense
Support asylum seekers: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-asylum-seekers-in-san-bernardino-urgent
New Sanctuary Coalition, New York, NY
Founded and run by and for immigrants, New Sanctuary makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of immigrants to change the immigration system while giving direct emotional and spiritual support, legal help, training in legal rights and protection to people targeted by ICE. Nominated by Emily, AoCC Immigration Team.
Donate: https://www.newsanctuarynyc.org/onetimegift
Two requests from the AoCC team
- If you donate to any of the organizations above, will you let us know in the comments below? Thank you!
- Will you please share on social media:
Spread light this holiday season with this hand-picked list of pro-democracy groups for #GivingTuesday https://americansofconscience.com/spread-light-holiday-list-2019/
Earlier today, I chose to support journalism and gave to my local NPR station.
Donated to Spread the Vote today.
Posted on LinkIn and Twitter and just bought books for prisoners for $200.
Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive list of ideas. I’ll follow up with more.
I donated to the Prison Book Program in honor of Curtis Flowers who has been highlighted in an APM podcast.
I make a monthly donation to the Prison Book Program. They do crucial work in empowering incarcerated people.
All excellent choices. I chose to donate to a group working for voting rights. I’m in favor of fair representation.
I own a small, green “boutique motel” on the edge of the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. I gave myself a gift subscription to Yes Magazine; then four gift subscriptions as well, one each for our vacation rental apartments for guests to read. [ I will then donate expired issues to our local coffee shops to spread the word – their reading materials are well-used and seem to hang around forever! ]
Thank you, very much, for AoCC, and all that you do – your org is a great support to me personally and our country. Kudos to you all!
Great ideas for putting publications before many eyes. Anywhere there is a waiting room…..
I gave to Spread the Vote, enough to cover one ID.
I donated 9 books ($103.60) to the Prison Book Program.
Idonated to Four Diections.
I will also be donating to Four Directions. We need to work for equality for our Native American brothers and sisters. Thanks for these excellent suggestions.
Donated several books to the Prison Book Program via their Amazon Wishlist!
What a wonderful idea, thank you. We just purchased three books to be sent here so I can wrap them and take them to our local prison. I do not know what I’d do without a good book to read and I am free to roam around at will. I cannot imagine being in prison and not having good books at hand.
I already give monthly to the prison book program. It can open doors for prisoners and its value is self evident, I added the Philadelphia homeless project because at Christmas we celebrate the birth of someone who was seeking shelter.
I donated $50 to Spread the Vote. Thanks for all of these recommendations and all your hard work!
I donated $50 to Spread the Vote and 30,000 miles to Miles for Immigrants.
Thank you for all you do. We donated to the books for prisoners.
Donated two books via the Prison Books Program
I donated to Spread the Vote. Thank you for this information.
Just donated to Four Directions, and I’ll be checking out the other options. Thanks for everything you do!
Hello. The link for purchasing prison books does not work. Thank you.
I donated to the Prison Book Program and Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Thank you for inspiring me today, everyone at AoCC!!
Thank you for the donation list for Giving Tuesday! I donated to each and subscribed to YES magazine! (Already subscribe to The Guardian and The Atlantic.) So many organizations in need but this list helped me to stay focused on what is important to me at this time.
I pledged all 15,778 of my Delta Airlines miles to Miles For Migrants.
I donated United Airlines miles
I donated to New Sanctuary Coalition in memory of my parents.
I gave to Four Directions
Donated to Spread the Vote through Facebook (for the matching donation:)
Thanks for the recommendations!
I donated to Four Directions.
I sent some books to the Prison Books Program – I work in public schools/the juvenile justice system, so this issue is close to my heart. Thank you for providing these ideas and resources!
I have been donating $10 a month to SPREAD THE VOTE since June 2019 and will continue to do so. Many thanks to you and your team for all that you do, and happy holidays!
I donated $50 to the Inland Coalition – this issue is so horrific that I look to find organizations to support, and I’m grateful Wendy found this one.
Sent a book to the Prison Book Program via their Amazon wish list. Thanks for all of AOC’s good and hopeful work!
Happily donated to the Prison Book Program and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Thanks for all your marvelous, uplifting work!
Thank you! We donated to the Prison Book Program.
This list is so wonderful and appreciated.
Donated $25.00 to StV
I donated to Spread the Vote. (Also donated to the same group back in June though I don’t remember if I put that info in a comment at the time or not)
I donated to Street Sense Media. They are a terrific organization and so empowering!
Great idea! Spread kindness, not cynicism. On this sunny day in MN, I cheerfully donated to Spread the Vote. Thanks for all you do! Keep the light shining:-)
Donated to Prison Books. Great suggestions, thank you Jen and staff!
We have donated to:
Spread the Vote
Prison book Program
Miles for Migrants
Jen and all who provide AOC to us, thank you for your constant work to educate, motivate and celebrate.
Just bought four books (approx. $25) for Prison Books Program. Thank you, Jen, and team!
ordered Yes magazine and placed an order w/ Project Home
Thanks for the info and inspiration
Donated to Four Directions and Our Vote. Also shared on my face book page. I truly appreciate your dedication and that of others who help to publish this week action guide. I take participate every week.
Thank you for all you do.
I donated to Spread the Vote. I tried to donate to New Sanctuary Coalition, but I couldn’t get the credit card part to work.
Donation to Share the Vote — thanks for all you do!
I bought some candles from the Project Home community.
I donated 35,000 air miles to Miles for Migrants. Thanks for this list.
I donated to Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and New Sanctuary Coalition. I plan to donate miles to Miles4Migrants.
I made a donation to Spread the Vote.
Four Directions, both GoFundMes for ICIJ and New Sanctuary Coalition. Tried to give to Lawyers Committee but their site seemed off. Have given per AoCC a few times over the past year to Spread the Vote.
I donated money to the Prison Books project.
Thanks for the positive vibe of AoCC!
I donated to The Guardian and bought books on the requested list for the Prison Book program.
I donated to Miles4migrants and to AOC. Both great groups… Thank you for all of your hard work!
On Giving Tuesday I donated to Spread the Vote and Miles for Migrants. On Thanksgiving I donated to Four Directions and to my local food bank.
I donated to the ICIJ and bought a book for the Prison book program.
I bought books for the Prison Books project.
I picked out some books from the Prison Book Program wish list. I looked into donating directly to my local jails/prisons, but there are so many restrictions – definitely easier and more effective to go through an organization like this!
I was also inspired by the idea of a news magazine subscription. My father is conservative, no changing that, but I’m looking into getting him a subscription to The Economist as a less-fringe news source.
We gave to the Lawyers Committee specifying the Election Protection
campaign but it took some homework to be able to do it since we give through a charitable account. They were not on the list of organizations
that the financial institution had, and I had to call them and get a name and a contact.
I gave to Prison Books in honor of my mom, formerly an independent bookstore owner, and an avid advocate of books for everyone.
Great suggestions – I donated $25 to Four Directions.
I contributed to Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Voting Rights Project. Thank you for the suggestions.
support asylum speakers in san bernadino, donated
I donated to Election Protection/Voting Rights Project, because the ability to vote (and vote fairly) is the foundation to all else.
Thank you for these suggestions. I made a donation to the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and will share it to my FB and Twitter pages.
I donated a book to the prison program. I also donated to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Better late than never…I donated again to Spread the Vote, because voting is one of our most important rights and too many factions are trying to prevent it.
Thank you so much for all you do. I especially needed a boost this morning – keeping up the hope, knowing that there are so many doing so much. I began subscribing to The Guardian some time ago to support their journalism. I believe it was when they were publishing the truth about the police shootings in the United States that our country was not counting.
Tried to donate sky miles to Miles for Migrants, but that wasn’t one of the options offered by Delta, so donated to Canine Assistance and St. Jude’s. I know that’s not what I’m supposed to post here, but let me say this is a wonderful resource. Thanks for this and everything else you do.
Donated 10 books to the Prison Books project
I love the idea of donating books for prisons. I just donated 10. thanks for making it so easy.
I just donated ($50) to the prison book program. Thank you Jenn and team for all you do!!!
Hi, I donated some books to the prison. Thanks for suggesting this!
I donated to Lawyers Committee voting project and The Sanctuary coalition
Tx for the good info & all you do! I gave to 4 Directions
Yes thank for all you all do to help keep us moving toward a better, saner, safer, more inclusive world. I donated to 4 Directions and Spread the Vote
I already support journalism in my greater NJ community and am working on voting rights. Today I sent a book to prison.
I donated $200 total to Prison Books, ICIJ, and Spread the vote
Just sent a bunch of books to prison book project. You are a bright light.
I donated in a friend’s name to the Prison Book Program.
I donated to Spread the Vote and Four Directions. Thanks so much for this list of organizations and for the checklist.
I recently bought several books off the prison book program list. It was fast and easy.
I already donate to Spread the Vote. I donated to the Prison Book Program and encourage everyone to watch the PBS documentary College Behind Bars. I also donated to Miles4Migrants. I am considering a donation to Project HOME. Thank you so much for the amazing research, and for the AoC list!
I subscribed to Yes magazine.
Donated to Four Direction. It’s important that Native Americans are able to vote.
Donated to New Sanctuary Coalition and inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
I donated to the prison book program. Thank you for making it so easy.
Donated to Spread the Vote
Before Christmas, I donated to The Guardian and Spread the Vote and posted the link on FB. Today, I donated to the Prison Books Project.
This is a wonderful easy tip start the new year to create hope and resilience. Thank you for facilitating this work. I chose to donate cash to Four Winds. I also donated cash to the prison book project, after reviewing their very interesting book list. Keep up the good work!!
I donate monthly to my local NPR affiliate station, and also pay for the New York Times and Washington Post digital subscriptions.
I donated to Spread the Vote, as I have once or twice before.
I am so grateful to AoC for this list and for making it easy, this first day of a new year and new decade, to make my daily action (I’ve been doing something daily ever since 1/17/17) so easy– as you have, so many times before.
We donate to ACLU, Indivisible, MoveOn, WNYC, Wikimedia, Greater Chicago Food Depository, New York Times, the Washington Post, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inequality Media, Guardian, and so on.
I gave to Election Protection. Thank you for turning me on to these quiet heroes fighting for this most basic foundation of democracy against the perennial forces of oligarchy.
I gave to Project Home in Philadelphia. I’ll post this on Facebook. I was impressed by the sterling Charity Navigator rating.
I subscribe to the Guardian and it is my go to source for news.
Thank you for all you do! I donated to Four Directions, Spread the Vote, and ICIJ.
I donated to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Voting Rights Project.
Thank you for the excellent selection of organizations to support. My 92 dad gave me some extra $$ this holiday so I am passing it along. He is die-hard liberal and feminist and would heartily approve of the choices: Prison Books; Lawyer Committee for Civil Rights, Four Directions and a subscription to the Atlantic Monthly
I just donated to the Prison Book Program and Four Directions. Thank you for the suggestions!
This winter I bought several books for the prison book program, got a subscription to the Atlantic, and donated to my local NPR station. Thank you for all you do.
Hello
I just sent the Prison book system some requested books. What a great way to spend my lunch break.
Everyone keep up the good work- Happy New year!
Happy New Year! I donated to the Prison Book Program today, and gave many donations to support worthy organizations throughout the past year. Thank you so much for all you do.
I gave to the lawyers committee to support voter rights. Thanks for the awesome list. All worthy organizations.
I was happy to see my home state listed as the headquarters for Four Directions. I made a donation to this organization and wish it much good luck in 2020.
I just donated to Spread the Vote, Prison Book Program, and Project Home.
I subscribe to YES and The Guardian, contribute monthly to Spread the Vote, and am making donations to the Prison Book Program and Miles4Migrants.
Thank you so much for your steadfast, creative, and inspiring work. I’m not an activist by nature, but you make it easy for me to do my part. I’m proud to say I “discovered” AoCC not long after its inception; it’s been amazing to watch it grow and mature. All the best to all of you for 2020. Take good care of yourselves!
I just donated to Spread the Vote and Four Directions again. I also just got a subscription to YES, too. Thank you again for your checklist and for this great list.
I’m putting a check in the mail today to Spread the Vote. I wish it could be larger, but hope it will get one person an I.D. I figure every bit counts. I’m so grateful that they are expanding here in Wisconsin.
I was happy to donate books to the Prison Book Program. Thank you for organizing this.
I love the Prison Book Program and shopped for several books on their list. Thanks for making it so easy to be effectively engaged.
Hi, friends —
I donated to Election Protection and will put these other orgs on my radar (I’m Philly-based so I already support Project Home, which does incredible work). Thank you, AoCC folks, for your continued labor for the greater good!
Thanks so much for all you do! Today I learned about Four Directions from you, and domnated to their organization.
Purchased our holiday cards from Project Home
We purchased our holiday cards from Project Home this year
I donated two books to the Prison Book Program. It’s a small thing – I don’t have much money. But I know how reading has saved my life in the past (and in the present). Hopefully this helps someone.
I am so, so grateful for your checklist. So much is happening and it feels so overwhelming and dark. You show us how to bring light to other folks, and in doing so we bring the light to ourselves as well.
As I mentioned before, I hope my donation helps someone. I know just by doing something so tiny, I have definitely helped my own heart.
Thank you.