Organizations to Donate to Instead of Getting Me Gifts

Here's a short list of charities/scholarship funds/what-have-you that could use the funding.

• ASAN

ASAN, also known as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, is a group dedicated to better educating people about the experiences and challenges folks on the Spectrum face. It's run by people who actually are on the Spectrum themselves.

• GSOH

This is a link to the donation options to give to our local Girl Scouts council, and that money goes directly to helping out local troops in the Central Ohio area.

• redfeather.org

This is an organization that helps indigenous folks on reservations improve the quality of their housing. They cover repairs, smoke and CO detectors, and other various essentials.

• Imagination Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting program for financially disadvantaged kids, with the aim of promoting literacy across communities.

• PBS WOSU

This should need no introduction, honestly, but I'm gonna type one anyway. Donations go toward funding the Columbus area PBS station, which provides free educational programs for children and adults alike.

• 'Ween Dream

'Ween Dream is a small charity that works to give financially disadvantaged kids Halloween costumes.

• Trans Lifeline

Trans Lifeline is a help line for trans folks in crisis situations. They're mostly funded by donations, so please consider dropping a few bucks.

• Hero Initiative

The Hero Initiative was created to help financially support comics creators with any essentials they may need.

• BCRD

Bat Conservation and Rescue is a nonprofit out of Queensland that focuses on rehabilitation of injured bats to be released back into the wild. I can't stress enough how important bats are to the ecosystems in almost every part of the world.

• Ohio History Fund

The Ohio History Fund puts money toward maintenance of a plethora of historical sites across the state of Ohio as well as keeping the Columbus-based museum and historical village open to the public for a more in-person educational experience.

• Ohio Small Town Museum

Located in Ashville, this museum (open to the public for most of the year) is dedicated to educating the public on the history of Pickaway County (with a main focus on Ashville and South Bloomfield.)

• Starling CIO

Starling CIO is a UK based group that helps neurodivergent creative talent get jobs in theatrical settings.

• AHF

The Aids Healthcare Foundation not only provides access to healthcare for those who are HIV positive regardless of their ability to pay, but also shares information on political action initiatives to further help their patients.