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Benj and Jessica launched a nonprofit. Follow our journey as we built a 501(c)(3) and a web site, and now usher in an endless stream of worthy charity nominees and monthly grant winners!

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Spotlight on nominee Equal Justice Initiative

nominee Equal Justice Initiative

Next in our series of posts about new Charitocracy nominees, we have nominee Equal Justice Initiative, nominated by donors Alistair and Rebecca. EJI work to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenge racial and economic injustice, and protect human rights. You can find their web site here.

A few words on Charitocracy

Firstly, for newcomers: here's how it works. Donors pool their monthly contributions, as little as $1. The cause with the most votes each month wins the pot. No matter how much or how little you contribute, each donor at Charitocracy gets one vote. This is where charity meets democracy. So please share this post (scroll down for social sharing icons) and ask your friends to join us and vote! That's how we spread the word and, as a result, grow the monthly pot. The bigger the pot, the bigger our positive impact on the world!

About nominee Equal Justice Initiative

Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, EJI is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. We challenge the death penalty and excessive punishment and we provide re-entry assistance to formerly incarcerated people.

EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment. We are committed to changing the narrative about race in America. EJI produces groundbreaking reports, an award-winning wall calendar, and short films that explore our nation’s history of racial injustice, and we recently launched an ambitious national effort to create new spaces, markers, and memorials that address the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation, which shapes many issues today.

EJI provides research and recommendations to assist advocates and policymakers in the critically important work of criminal justice reform. We publish reports, discussion guides, and other educational materials, and our staff conduct educational tours and presentations for thousands of students, teachers, faith leaders, professional associations, community groups, and international visitors every year.

So visit the page of nominee Equal Justice Initiative to vote for, like, or discuss this cause! And check out this 1 minute video featuring the cast of the 2019 film Just Mercy. It's based on the true story bestselling book of the same name by Equal Justice Initiative's founder and director, Bryan Stevenson:

March 2020 winner RIP Medical Debt

Charitocracy's 43rd check to March winner RIP Medical Debt for $1281

We have good news about March winner RIP Medical Debt, right after this quick update...

COVID-19

Crazy how a month ago this was a foreign concept. Coronavirus was hitting China hard, starting to spread in Europe, but still seemed a distant threat in time and space to most of us. Now it's on all our minds all day every day, and has altered nearly every aspect of our daily lives. And there's no light yet at the end of the tunnel...

I wrote a blog post last week about where to send coronavirus donations. I covered some of our Charitocracy nominees that are having a positive impact during this crisis, and called on you to consider nominating other causes that can help during the pandemic, and provided some resources to help your discover them.

If like many of us you're facing financial uncertainty during this time, please don't hesitate to reach out and I can hit the pause button on your recurring Charitocracy donations. We'll get through this together. ❤️

March 2020 winner RIP Medical Debt

Last night we named Charitocracy's 43rd monthly winner. Congratulations to RIP Medical Debt, nominated by 2nd-time winning donors Alistair and Rebecca. RIP Medical Debt empower donors to forgive the billions in oppressive medical debt at pennies on the dollar, so far $1.4 billion for ~650,000 Americans. You can find their web page here.

Now you have a week to further sweeten the pot with a special one-time donation of any amount, which we'll add straight to the check we write to RIP Medical Debt.

Before you go, check out this news footage of Nashville resident Jaclyn Jones whose medical debts have been dramatically reduced thanks to March winner RIP Medical Debt. Then feel good about your part in our collective $1281+ grant, which should eliminate over $128,000 in medical debts like Ms. Jones's!

Have a great April, be well, and be sure to log into Charitocracy to update your votes or nominate a new cause!

Where to send coronavirus donations?

coronavirus donations

The speed of spread of coronavirus snuck up on us in the United States. So did the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and that it afflicts young and old, healthy and sick. We're only starting to feel the economic impacts that the critically needed social distancing and home isolation will have. During the first week of March, our last open nomination period, we had no idea what was coming. So you may be wondering how Charitocracy can help channel coronavirus donations right now.

It just so happens that the March 2020 front runner is well aligned with today's needs: RIP Medical Debt. Coronavirus tests may be freely available (rationed for those with symptoms). But the care required for patients with positive test results is not free. And for those without health insurance coverage, it's just one more hardship at an already bad time. RIP Medical Debt empower donors to forgive the billions in oppressive medical debt at pennies on the dollar, so far almost $1.4 billion for ~650,000 Americans. Quite relevant right now!

Pandemic-related charity nominations

On April 1st the floodgates will reopen at Charitocracy for new nominations! There are already some great nominees at Charitocracy that are helping with the crisis. Also peruse the resources listed below for more ideas. Then during the first week of the month, feel free to nominate a new charity that's well positioned to help stop the spread of coronavirus, expedite the treatment of COVID-19, or somehow lessen the emotional, financial, or other suffering of the most vulnerable among us.

Need to pause your Charitocracy donation?

Speaking of which, if you feel like you're being hit from all sides these days, don't let us add to your burden. Charitocracy donations automatically recur annually for most of us. (There are monthly options for those who prefer!) But if your renewal comes at a bad time in the middle of this mess, I get it! Reach out and I can hit the pause button for you, or you could cancel future donations for now and resume them when you're rolling in cash again. Soon I hope! 🤞

You can find the date and amount of your next recurring donation in the "Me and My Votes" widget on the Dashboard once you're logged in. It's in the sidebar if you're on a big screen, or scroll way down on your device. Here's an example:

Charitocracy nominees worthy of your coronavirus donations

While some are recent winners and not yet eligible to receive votes again, consider donating directly to these highly relevant charities during the pandemic crisis:

  • American Red Cross: They recently won for Hurricane Dorian relief in September 2019. Now, more than anything, they need blood donations for the record number of COVID-19 patients.
  • Feeding America: Food security is more problematic than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic while more folks are out of work and children are out of school. Feeding America has launched a Coronavirus Response Fund to redouble their efforts of providing meals safely through their network of regional food banks and local food pantries.
  • Heart to Heart International: nominated on the very day Charitocracy opened shop back in September 2016, this cause hasn't won the prize yet. But they're helping slow the spread of coronavirus by distributing thousands of Hygiene Kits to local shelters, healthcare facilities, school districts, faith-based programs, food pantries, and public safety organizations. Sponsor a $10 Hygiene Kit here!
  • No Kid Hungry: This is an easy one, and our December 2019 winner. A billion kids worldwide are now out of school, where many of them usually receive meals. For some it's their only meals. No Kid Hungry is helping feed as many as possible during this pandemic. Since they just won, they won't be eligible again until next December, but you can make a donation here.
  • UNICEF: This is another long-time nominee that hasn't yet won. To date UNICEF has delivered almost 1.5 million protective items to health workers. Learn more about how they're looking out for children during this crisis.
  • World Central Kitchen: July 2019 winner, this organization responds to just about every crisis in the world, and coronavirus in no exception. They're a group of chefs creating smart solutions to hunger and poverty. You can find out how they're responding to the pandemic in the US and make a donation here.

Additional resources to discover more coronavirus charities

Whether you're looking to volunteer, donate, or nominate a cause at Charitocracy, here are sites with great ideas on how you can help:

I'll update this post as more worthy recipients crop up for your coronavirus donations, or more useful resources become available. In the meantime, stay well, stay safe, and take care of each other! ❤️