Giving back: AIIP members show their support
Every year since the 2010 AIIP conference in Cleveland, Ohio, AIIP has designated a conference give-back organization as a way for attendees to show their support and appreciation for our host cities. We continued this practice in 2020 and 2021 after switching to a virtual format due to the pandemic, selecting one organization to recognize each year.
For our 2022 conference, the association will take a different approach. In the following list, we offer information about a variety of international organizations that align with the interests and concerns of AIIP.
We encourage AIIP members and others to select one or more organizations to support during this season of giving and in 2022 – and we look forward to seeing you at #AIIP22!
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Opportunity International
Serving “hardworking, inspiring entrepreneurs in over 20 countries around the world…with access to loans, savings, insurance and training – tools that empower them to work their way out of poverty.”
Operating in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 85 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
Global Entrepreneurship Network
The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates “a platform of projects and programs in 180+ countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business.”
North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, Asia, Australia, Oceania
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 100 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
FINCA
With headquarters in Washington DC, FINCA’s goal is “to provide low-income people around the world the tools they need to succeed…by offering responsible financial services, such as small loans or savings accounts; by reaching people in remote communities using technology like mobile phones and tablets; and by providing access to life-enhancing products, like solar home systems and clean cookstoves.”
Active across Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, Middle East, South Asia
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 89 out of 100 based on finance & accountability and culture factors
KIVA
With more than 1.7 billion individuals around the world without access to the financial services they need, Kiva’s mission is to “expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive…by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world.”
Serves borrowers in 80 countries: Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, India, SE Asia, Pacific
Charity Navigator score: “good” score of 85.55 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
LITERACY
World Literacy Foundation
The World Literacy Foundation is on a mission to eradicate illiteracy by 2040 and to “ensure that every child regardless of geographic location has the opportunity to acquire literacy skills and books to reach their full potential.”
Active in Africa, Australia, Latin America, United States, United Kingdom, other global
GuideStar “platinum” rating for transparency
Room to Read
Room to Read seeks to “transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.” They work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and support girls so they “complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.”
Active in Africa, Middle East, India, SE Asia
Charity Navigator score: “exceptional” score of 92 out of 100 based on finance & accountability and leadership & adaptability factors
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. They provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, print-disabled individuals, and the general public.
Material from U.S., Canada, Europe, India, Argentina, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Turkey, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, China, Thailand, Bali, Africa, Nepal, Aruba, Russia, etc.
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 83 out of 100 based on finance & accountability and culture factors
ENVIRONMENT
International Dark-Sky Association
This organization works to “protect the night skies for present and future generations.”
Parks, reserves, sanctuaries in U.S., Canada, Europe, S Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, Chile, Pacific Islands
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 100 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is “a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.”
Active in North America, Latin America, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, India, Asia Pacific
Charity Navigator score: “good” score of 85.32 out of 100 based on finance & accountability and leadership factors
World Resources Institute
WRI is a global research organization that works with businesses, governments, and other organizations, focusing on several areas: food, forests, water, energy, climate, oceans, and cities.
Active in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America
Charity Navigator score: “exceptional” score of 98.23 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
DISASTER RELIEF / SOCIAL ISSUES
Doctors without Borders / Medecins sans Frontieres
An independent, global movement providing medical aid in regions of the world where it’s needed most.
Active in 70 countries around the world: North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, SE Asia, Papua New Guinea
Charity Navigator score: “exceptional” score of 92.25 out of 100 (for DWB – USA) based on finance & accountability factors
All Hands and Hearts
This organization is committed to “effectively and efficiently addressing the immediate and long-term needs of global communities impacted by disasters. All Hands and Hearts arrives early for first response and stays late to rebuild schools and homes in a disaster-resilient way.”
Active in North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Australia, SE Asia, Africa
Charity Navigator score: “exceptional” score of 96.66 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
Habitat for Humanity International
This organization has helped build, renovate and repair more than 600,000 “decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 3 million people worldwide. Habitat for Humanity has an open-door policy: All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people.”
Charity Navigator score: “passing” score of 91 out of 100 based on finance & accountability factors
America’s Top Charities (2021, Forbes) – #6
Direct Relief
With a mission to “improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay,” Direct Relief’s programs, which focuses on emergency preparedness and disaster response and the prevention and treatment of disease, are “tailored to the particular circumstances and needs of the world’s most at-risk populations.”
Active in all 50 U.S. states and 80 countries
Charity Navigator score: “exceptional” score of 100 out of 100 based on financial & accountability, leadership, and other factors
Susan Baerwald has been the principal of Baerwald Research LLC and an AIIP member since 2012. She provides custom research services for architectural, engineering, and construction firms to help them make thoughtful business and design decisions.
