Donate + Elevate 2023: Women’s Health
Since 2020, Online Optimism’s donation matching program, Donate + Elevate, has raised thousands of dollars for non-profits nationwide. What makes Donate + Elevate extra special? Not only do we match a donation made by an employee to a non-profit of their choice. We also make a matching donation to a non-profit we’ve selected to support. Each year, our chosen non-profits align with a cause our team votes to support.
This year, Optimists decided to support non-profits that work in women’s health. With last summer’s Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade, Online Optimism sees this issue as more important to bring aid to than ever. Donations are extremely helpful in supporting women’s health. According to these statistics from Guttmacher Institute, 75% of abortion patients are poor or low-income. Not only do women’s health non-profits support women who are looking for safe abortions, but they also provide sexual education, family planning services, HIV and STI testing, and other services.
Women with a Vision
New Orleans
Women with a Vision (WWAV) is a non-profit organization based in New Orleans. They envision “a world in which there is no war against women and women’s bodies, in which women have space to come together to tell their stories, in which women empower themselves to make decisions about their own bodies and lives, and in which women have the support they need to realize their hopes and dreams.”
They work to achieve their mission by taking a holistic approach to supporting women’s health. WWAV offers a variety of programs, including:
- Women’s Health Education, Promotion & Advocacy
- Harm Reduction, Overdose Prevention & Drug Policy Reform
- HIV/AIDS & STI Prevention & Education
- Gender-Based Violence Prevention
- Sex Worker Advocacy
- LGBTQ Advocacy
- Civic Engagement
You can support Women with a Vision by donating or volunteering for their programs. In addition, if you are looking for support from an organization like WWAV, you may contact them here for more information regarding their services.
The Women’s Collective
Washington, DC
The Women’s Collective is a DC-based non-profit organization that provides prevention and care for HIV/AIDS and other STIs. They also support services for health and human rights for girls and women.
The Women’s Collective specializes in helping women of color with HIV/AIDS by offering the medical care needed. They also do education outreach and use a mobile van to bring HIV and hepatitis C screening services to underserved communities. To further promote prevention, The Women’s Collective also has early intervention specialists that offer tools, from pamphlets with sexual health information to birth control options, to minimize the contraction of STIs.
Supporting The Women’s Collective is easy! You can donate financially or learn more about volunteering your time here. Whether you are looking for medical care or to advocate for this organization, resources may be found on their website to get you started.
Black Women’s Health Imperative
National
Black Women’s Health Imperative is a national non-profit that focuses on achieving health equity for Black women in America. BWHI has a variety of initiatives to better the lives of Black women in America, including affecting health policy, research, education, and leadership development within communities.
You can learn about BWHI’s signature programs on this page, which include:
- Change Your Lifestyle focuses on the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
- Fair Work Initiative helps workplaces to implement more fair and equitable practices.
- My Sister’s Keeper empowers young Black women to be advocates and leaders.
- On Our Own Terms focuses on the prevention and treatment of HIV.
- The Positive Period offers menstrual education and product distribution to communities.
You can get involved with this organization by volunteering or donating today.
Get Involved Today
While each highlighted non-profit organization has its own mission and specializations, all are making a difference within their communities to support women’s health. Through donations, volunteering, learning, and advocating, we can all do our part to bring equitable changes to our communities too. You can read more about ways Online Optimism gives back in our Culture Handbook.