AMERICAN GIVING | Strengthening communities through generosity
Nongovernmental Organizations
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American Nonprofits Promote Health, Human Rights, Economic Growth
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, created by the co-founder of computer software giant Microsoft Corporation and his wife in 2000, had a $37.6 billion endowment as of mid-2007. The foundation directs its attention largely to improving health care, fighting poverty and boosting access to education and information technology. (More)
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Catholic Giving Helps Improve Lives Around the World
During Lent, many Catholics join in Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) "Operation Rice Bowl" project, donating to CRS money they would otherwise spend for nonessentials. The program has raised more than $160 million for food security projects, according to CRS. CRS also supports microfinance, health and education programs. (More)
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Famed Singer Mary Wilson Works To Eliminate Land Mines
In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a member of the group the Supremes, one of most popular groups of the era that highlighted the vocal talents of African-American women. Today, when she is not performing, she devotes time to efforts to clear deadly, maiming land mines that still remain in the soil of countries affected by conflict. (More)
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CARE Committed to Long-Term Recovery of Indian Ocean Tsunami
CARE has been providing humanitarian aid around the world since 1946. In response to the crisis triggered by the December 2004 tsunami, CARE has helped build shelters, schools, community centers and health clinics, and improved access to clean water and sanitation in the affected area. (More.)
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Counterpart International Boosts Agriculture in Senegal
Counterpart International, a nonprofit organization founded in 1965, is dedicated to building a just world through service and partnership. It gives people a voice through smart partnerships and access to tools for sustained social, economic and environmental development. (More)
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U.S.-Based Operation Smile Brings Hope to Children Around World
Since 1982, the Virginia-based nonprofit organization Operation Smile has been repairing child and young adult cleft palates and cleft lips in countries around the globe. Supported primarily by private donations, teams of 35 to 50 volunteers travel to countries for two-week stays, "changing lives one smile at a time." (More)
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IFES Helps Armenian Elections Move Forward
The international community gave Armenia its first positive marks for an election since the country gained independence in 1991 for National Assembly elections held in May 2007. That election, with support from the U.S.-based nongovernmental organization IFES, moved Armenia closer to its goal of conducting elections that meet international standards. (More)
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Asia Foundation's Women's Empowerment Program
The first safe shelter in Laos for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and trafficking opened in January 2006, with support from the Asia Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization devoted to Asia's development. The shelter is among many foundation initiatives in the region aimed at improving the quality of life for the disadvantaged. (More)
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International Youth Foundation Trains for Changing Job Market
Today's high-technology global economy requires that youth entering the job market have the training and life skills necessary to get and keep available jobs, according to the chief executive officer of International Youth Foundation, a Baltimore-based nongovernmental organization at the center of an alliance focused on improving the employability of youth around the world. (More)
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