10. Oaktree
Foundation (Poverty Awareness)
Charitys version of Menudo, the Oaktree Foundation is an
aid and development organization run exclusively by young people
under the age of 26.
9. Community
Voice Mail (Homelessness)
Community Voice Mail provides free voice messaging services for
the poor or homeless throughout the United States.
8. First
Book (Literacy)
Provides new books to children by mitigating the most important
factor affecting literacyaccess to books.
7. Modest
Needs (Financial Crisis)
Their grant programs are designed to assist people who generally
pay their bills with no help from anyone, but cant qualify
for conventional assistance.
6. Ushahidi
(Information Technology)
Founded by Kenyan journalists to map post-election violence, Ushahidi
is a free and open source web platform for data collection, visualization
and interactive mapping of fast-moving crises or political events.
5. Donors
Choose (Education)
Public school teachers spend $40 a month on classroom materials,
often using their own money. DonorsChoose is changing that, with
a website that allows donors to browse school projects and donate
directly to classrooms in need, instead of to a general fund (which
is often mismanaged).
4. Kiva
(Microfinance)
KIVA is the worlds first online micro-lending program, specializing
in loans and grants to the developing world.
3. Verizon
Hopeline Phone Program (Domestic Violence)
Since 2001, Verizon has distributed 90,000+ wireless phones (with
service) to battered womens shelters.
2. Mary's
Meals (Famine Relief and Education)
Marys Meals runs school feeding projects, providing 390,000
of the worlds poorest children with a meal a day AT their
place of education.
1. Habitat
for Humanity (Housing)
Habitat for Humanity is probably the most famous community service
project in America. Habitat builds affordable, simple housing
for the needy using local volunteers as much as possible.