10 Charities You Can Donate to During COVID-19

In times of crisis, it’s amazing to see people come together for the greater good. Unless you’re a healthcare worker, however, you may not feel like you can adequately support the fight against COVID-19.

But you can join the battle with your dollars. Below are 10 charities you can donate to during the coronavirus outbreak. These charities provide meals, health equipment/services, shelter, and general financial relief to people affected by this outbreak.

1. Feeding America

Feeding America leans on local communities and the federal government alike to maintain food banks so that low-income families can eat. Low-income families get hit the hardest by disastrous events such as pandemics, so your donations go a long way.

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Donate here. If you’d rather donate to your local food bank than Feeding America itself, Feeding America’s site contains a directory of food banks across the country.

2. Meals on Wheels

Seniors are especially at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Grocery shopping is a dangerous activity for them in these unprecedented times.

Meals on Wheels delivers food to our senior citizens while following all CDC safety/sanitation guidelines so that seniors can reduce the chance of contracting the virus.

By donating to Meals on Wheels, you’ll help replenish their supplies and expand their operations. You can either donate to your local Meals on Wheels or to the national organization.

3. The Boys & Girls Club of America

The Boys & Girls Club of America provides groceries, virtual academic support, and digital learning activities to kids stuck at home due to the virus. Donate here to help out.

4. No Kid Hungry

With schools closed, children that depend on free/reduced lunch programs are at risk of going hungry. As the name implies, No Kid Hungry helps to feed these children by providing millions in emergency grants to schools and local communities — who use the money to continue providing free/affordable meals.

They also use funds to help guide families to locations where these meals are provided. Donate here if you’re interested.

5. Direct Relief

You can help our brave healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic by donating to Direct Relief.

Direct Relief provides personal protective equipment (PPR) such as masks, gloves, and isolation gowns to keep medical workers safe and help them care for more patients. Your dollars buy more of these to protect doctors, nurses, and all other medical staff working on COVID-19 cases.

6. The CDC Foundation

Established by Congress for all manner of health-related causes, the CDC Foundation does a ton of work to combat the coronavirus:

• Purchases medical supplies for hospitals
• Deploys emergency staff to public health agencies
• Supports vulnerable communities
• Funds clinical research
• Increases global healthcare capacity

And more.

You can donate individually, but the CDC also makes it easy for you to start a fundraising campaign for them. You can multiply your gift by matching it through your employer as well — the CDC foundation has a lookup tool to see if your employer does gift matching.

7. The Red Cross

Money isn’t the only thing you can donate — blood banks are facing widespread shortages as blood drives are canceled. Plus, as resources are diverted towards the coronavirus, people that need blood transfusions (regardless of whether or not they have the virus as well) may not get as much care as they need.

If you’re healthy, consider donating blood to the Red Cross today. Whether or not you’re currently healthy, you can donate money as well. Monetary donations fund disaster relief efforts, including efforts to fight the virus.

8. First Book

Under normal circumstances, First Book provides books and educational resources to kids in disadvantaged communities. During the coronavirus, First Book provides books and personal computers to kids who otherwise do not have home libraries or internet access for at-home learning.

They’re also supporting educators by maintaining a constantly updated list of resources.

Donate to First Book to ensure all children can receive the education they deserve in these trying times.

9. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army ensures that vulnerable families have access to food, shelter, and child care. They provide meals at their facilities, drive-through food pickup and community-based food delivery, as well as food and water to our first responders.

You can donate money here. If you don’t have the cash but want to help, you can also donate eligible goods.

10. Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation

The restaurant industry is one of the hardest hit in this pandemic. Restaurants have either moved to takeout/deliver only or closed completely. In either case, many restaurants were forced into laying off employees to stay afloat.

By donating to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, you’ll provide direct relief to restaurant workers facing joblessness. The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation allocates your donations as follows:

• 50% for direct relief to workers
• 25% for nonprofits serving workers
• 25% for zero-interest loans for restaurants to keep them afloat

You can also help local restaurants stay in business and consequently keep more workers on payroll by buying gift cards from them or ordering takeout/delivery if they offer it.