organizations we love and support
orgs we support
for every issue happening in the world and our local communities, there’s a small, grass roots community organization working hard to help. everyone everywhere needs each other! i seek to support local organizations, since often times larger national organizations get tons of press, thus donations and overfunding.
every month, proceeds of skinsalvation's online skincare shop sales are allocated to these organizations i support and trust. i urge you to find local BIPOC led change makers in your community and support them too, and would love to learn about who you find and amplify their work as well.
WOMEN
i stumbled into this conference back in 2018 thinking it was about asian woman leaders in a business sense, but upon check-in realized it was a conference about supporting and ending violence against asian women and girls. dr. connie wun and her sister jenny wun, co-founders of the org and movement woke up my social justice sensibilities. i have learned so much from them, and admire their tireless work for AAPI women and girls everywhere, based right in our community of oakland, ca.
YOUTH
founded by my good friend and mentor (and one of my very first facial clients!) linda calhoun. she’s created a wonderful non-profit and database centered around professional women of color, to inspire girls (and boys!) all over the world to reach for the dreams, no matter the color of their skin, no matter where they are. the site is wonderfully diverse with women of all backgrounds speaking to all aspects of their jobs, sharing tools and encouragement on exactly how to get into those industries. it’s also brilliantly abundant with resources for educators, mentors and parents – like toolkits, activities and posters! i love linda and this work of hers, and am proud to be a monthly donor to empower future generations. you can donate here.
founded in 2014, PBG promotes self-confidence and leadership development for girls of color nationwide. they work to prepare them for career pathways through educational, economic and empowerment opportunities while instilling responsibility towards social change. donate here.
LGBTQ2IA+
TGI Justice Project is a group of transgender, gender variant and intersex people that work to defend the human rights of their community, particularly trans women of color in california prisons and detention centers. it was founded 2004 by alexander l. lee, an asian american trans-man, and was later led by miss major griffin-grace, a black trans woman activist who was at the stonewall riots of new york in 1969. she’s been a mentor for the community since the 1960’s, greatly loved and respected by the community.
SOLIDARITY
an oakland and sacramento, ca based org that works to defund the police, which means redirecting the surplus of funds police forces get (in the millions and billions!) towards investing in our communities in the form of affordable housing, education, mental health and substance abuse services, and job training. this is what “care, not cops” means.
started by nicole cardoza, a yoga teacher, activist and founder of reclamation ventures. this daily newsletter straight to your inbox offers a quick, easily digestible overview on current events, through an anti-racism lens thanks to multiple writers' voices. learn how practices embedded in our politics, criminal justice system, and workplaces enforce systemic oppression – and what you can do about it.
hownottotravellikeabasicbitch (a.k.a. dr. kiona)
half-korean and half-austrian, hawaii-born world traveler, educator and activist i really respect. she travels the world and educates on the real + often untold history and stories of indigenous people of the land that she visits. she also does a lot of on-the-ground work to help communities, like in el salvador, cuba and mexico and uses her instagram and patreon platforms to educate about all issues affecting BIPOC communities. check out her instagram highlights and join her patreon to learn about the awesome work she’s doing.
an ohio-based black woman public academic, writer, lecturer, activist, small business owner (elizabeth’s bookshop and writing centre), non-profit founder of the great unlearn (a collective committed to celebrating and highlighting the genius academics of color) and the loveland foundation (offering free therapy for black women and girls). support her educational patreon here.
WORLD / COMMUNITY / ENVIRONMENT
a community organization that helped me start my business, among so many others in the mission. their typical clients are 35-44 year old single latina mothers, with a 30k median household income, english as a second language, strong, independent and poderosa (powerful!).
a senior care organization that is super close to my heart. they helped my mom and i take care of my my ahma (grandmother) for a few years after her first stroke. i grew up in a 3 generational household, and on lok really helped us keep her at home until we needed 24 hour care. they sent folks to check on her, keep her company while my mom and i were out to work, and when ahma was still physically able to, went on field trips to the on lok community center for daily activities several times a week. there was even a time she was allowed to stay overnight after a procedure. what they do for our elder community is priceless and so much appreciated.
Women's Earth Alliance (WEA) catalyzes women-led, grassroots solutions to protect our environment and strengthen communities from the inside out. WEA’s model provides leadership, strategy, and technical training for women leaders to scale their climate and environmental initiatives while connecting them to a global alliance of peers, mentors, and funders.
in case you don't already know (or never thought about it), every american lives on land that was once owned by and then forcibly taken from indigenous native americans. (you can learn what land you are on though this link. i encourage you to find out, and support local charitable orgs supporting those peoples). this urban indigenous women-led land trust helps to facilitate the return of indigenous land to indigenous people, specifically in the easy bay area of california, lisjan (ohlone) land.
as skinsalvation grows, i hope to add to this list as well. please let me know what organizations you know and love, so i can amplify their work through my platform!
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image by nathan lemon on unsplash
