There are many ways to donate your time and money to help change the world. There’s never a shortage of causes that need your help or charities that need funding, but you as an individual can only give so much. To help narrow down your search for what charity or charities you want to support, we’re going to break down the different types of charities and what they do. Once you’ve picked one of these types, you can choose what specific charities you care most about and want to donate to.
Animal Charities
Animal charities are dedicated to the conservation and protection of animals. They can be further broken down into four subcategories:
- Wildlife conservation
- Pet and animal welfare
- Hunting and fishing conservation
- Zoos and aquariums
Arts and Culture Charities
These charities are dedicated to conserving arts and cultures for society. Like animal charities, they are also broken up into subcategories: public broadcasting, museums and galleries, libraries and historical societies, and performing arts.
Community Development Charities
Community development charities are devoted to bettering local communities, whether it be the one you live in or one that is in dire need of assistance. They are often categorized as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, and the most common example of these charities is affordable housing projects.
Education Charities
Education charities aim to improve the quality and accessibility of education for people from all walks of life at all levels of education. Whether you are a child in kindergarten or an adult looking at going back to college, education charities want to help you.
Environmental Charities
Similar to how animal charities conserve and protect animals, environmental charities save and protect the environment. They are split up into two subcategories: conservation and protection and parks and nature centers.
Health Charities
These are among the most common types of charities and are dedicated to helping those who suffer from diseases or poor health, both mental and physical.
Human Services
Human services charities generally cover anything that doesn’t immediately fit into one of the other categories. They can help anything from children and families, food banks, the homeless, or other social services.
International NGOs
NGO stands for non-governmental organization, and they are charities based in one country but aim to help countries all over the world. They often overlap with other charities, with the main difference being their reach is international.