With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.
With Charity For All
We know this about charity: "Now abideth faith, hope, and charity. But the greatest of these is charity." If you have a smartphone or a desktop computer to call your own and to read this on, then you are rich enough to support charitable acts, because, despite Lincoln’s yearning for "a just and lasting peace," there are politicians, and social media companies, whose primary goal is to divide rather than unite. You know who they are. As well, there remain fanatics who do not want a world at peace at all, or who don’t want it unless they get to rule that world. And there are too many people in this world who lack such luxuries as smartphones, and millions more who lack the freedom to use them as they choose.
That said, there are many worthy causes, in fact, many times more worthy causes to support than weeks in the year. So unless you are quite rich you will have to choose the causes that best align with your view of how the world should be. Here are some causes that I support or have supported. The list is mostly in alphabetical order. Most of these have a "contribute" or "sponsor" link somewhere on the home page; I don’t deep-link these to avoid maintenance issues.
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Amnesty International, prominent defenders of individuals unjustly imprisoned.
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Amarok Society, teaching mothers in the global south to teach their neightborhood children the primary school curriculum.
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Apache Software Foundation, "the world’s largest open source foundation', home of Apache httpd, Apache Tomcat, Apache Maven, and so many more projects.
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Archive.org, the history book of the internet and of our time.
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Diabetes: Sir Frederick Banting Legacy Foundation (SFBLF) - Canadian Diabetes Foundation - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
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Eclipse Foundation, home of Eclipse IDE and so many more projects.
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Exodus Road: "We disrupt the darkness of modern-day slavery by partnering with law enforcement to fight human trafficking crime, equipping communities to protect the vulnerable, and empowering survivors as they walk into freedom."
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The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty aims to stop the spread of the sticky black mess that covers a lot of our planet.
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EV Society (Ontario) - advocating for electric vehicle adoption.
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Let’s Encrypt is an NGO that offers free TLS certificates to small organizations. "TLS Everywhere" is very worthwhile to ensure a robust Internet.
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Makers Making Change - people 3d printing accessories to help people with physical challenges in daily life.
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Movember, advocating for awareness of and research into Prostate Cancer and other mens' health issues.
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The Natural World: Nature Conservancy Canada - Ontario Nature (formerly F.O.N.) - Greenpeace - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - 350.org, advocating for the climate - World Wildlife Foundation - httpd://nrdc.org/[NRDC, the National Resources Defense Council] "uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature."
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NILMDTS, "Providing the gift of remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby."
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The OpenBSD Foundation supporting OpenBSD development
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OMAZE is a fundraiser for hundreds of charities/NGOs, and offers "omazing" prizes to contributors.
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Photographers Without Borders, providing photo and video documentary resources to NGOs around the world.
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Plan (Foster Parents Plan) - supporting children in need around the world
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Planned Parenthood - making sure every child is a wanted child
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Reporters Without Borders - supporting investigative journalism even in countries where reporting the truth can be life-threatening
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Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Fundraising Center - Big-ticket Fundraiser Lottery - PMH 5K Run
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Toastmasters is the world leader in helping people develop speaking and leadership abilities.
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United Way - a meta-charity that supports many others
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University Health Network, operators of Toronto General Hospital, eHealth Innovation, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, and other hospitals and research agencies