By
Eniola Adeeko

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Black people comprise 12% of the US population but they only hold 3.2% of senior leadership roles at large companies, with a disproportionate number being in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion positions. As a result, nonprofit organizations are striving to eliminate systemic racism and provide access to equal opportunities for all. So we had to ask: What are the best charities that fight systemic racism?

The best charities that fight systemic racism are the American Civil Liberties Union and The Sentencing Project. Charities like Race Forward, United We Dream, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice fight to eliminate structures promoting racial inequality.

Whether you want to fight for access to equal justice, challenge discriminatory policies. or advocate for systemic change, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities that fight systemic racism are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities That Fight Systemic Racism Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their impact in fighting systemic racism.

They work hard to promote racial equality and equity in the US and worldwide. 

Many of these charities focus on campaigning for legislation promoting racial equity for all. Other charities raise public awareness about racism and discrimination.

Yet, they all share a common goal of fighting systemic racism. 

These Are the 9 Best Charities That Fight Systemic Racism in 2024

Below are our favorite charities that fight systemic racism (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

(At the end of this article, we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

American Civil Liberties Union: Defending the Rights of All People Worldwide

The American Civil Liberties Union has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We strive to dismantle systemic racism and repair centuries of harm inflicted on communities of color.”

American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union is committed to pushing for systemic change and ensuring racial equality in the US. For example, they file class-action lawsuits challenging discrimination against Indigenous Americans in education, voting, and the child welfare system. They also advocate for better laws and policies to ensure racial equity in Artificial Intelligence systems, particularly in employment, housing, and credit. In addition, they support affirmative action to promote racial diversity and guarantee equal opportunities for all people, irrespective of race.

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union comprises over 1.7 million civil rights activists. Their staff attorneys collaborate with 2,000 volunteer attorneys to handle nearly 2,000 cases annually, particularly racial justice-related ones. For example, in 2021, they filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 5 Indian nations and 18 individual plaintiffs challenging the state of Montana’s failure to fulfill its mandate to teach public school students the culture of Native Americans in consultation with local tribes.

You can donate directly to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) through their website. You can also support them by joining their campaign against discriminatory laws. In addition, you can contribute to the ACLU by purchasing from their online shop.

The Sentencing Project: Ensuring Voting Rights for All

The Sentencing Project has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We want to promote effective and humane responses to crime that minimize imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults by promoting racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice.”

The Sentencing Project.

The Sentencing Project combats practices that unfairly criminalize, stereotype, and marginalize minorities, particularly people of color. They achieve this by promoting voting rights for minorities with felony convictions. They also fight to end mass incarceration and challenge the ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system fueled by racial injustice. In addition, they create campaigns focused on empowering youth through advocacy and challenging legislation that hinders people of color from accessing their civil rights. 

Since their inception, The Sentencing Project has partnered with 220 state-level and 76 national organizations to address systemic racism by expanding voting rights for people of color in the US. They also successfully advocated for new legislation that automatically restores voting rights to over 11,000 citizens, including minorities, completing their felony sentence on probation or parole.

You can donate directly to The Sentencing Project through their website. You can also contribute to this nonprofit organization by supporting the Freedom to Vote Act.

Race Forward: Advancing Racial Justice in Our Policies, Institutions, and Culture

Race Forward has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.”

Race Forward

Race Forward seeks to eliminate systemic racism and promote social inclusiveness at all levels of society. For example, they established the Mass Freedom Initiative and the Policy Innovation Lab to address mass incarceration, criminalization of people of color, and immigration humanity. They also equip people through racial equity training workshops to effectively talk about racism and address systemic racism in their practice. In addition, through the Government Alliance on Race and Equity and the Federal Initiative to Govern for Racial Equity, they help governments integrate racial equity into their policies and systems.

Since their founding, Race Forward has worked hard to prevent racial injustice. For example, in 2021 and 2022, they contributed over $2 million to support about 40 organizations promoting racial equality. Also, in 2020, they distributed $100,000 in funds to families and communities of color to support them with emergency housing and food.

You can donate directly to Race Forward through their website. You can also support the charity by working with them to eradicate racial inequality.

United We Dream: Fighting for the Rights of Immigrants

United We Dream has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We create welcoming spaces for young people – regardless of immigration status – to support, engage, and empower them to make their voice heard.”

United We Dream

United We Dream strives to end racial violence, patriarchy, systemic racism, and structural oppression. For example, they fight to prevent immigrant families from inhumane deportations through advocacy, education, media campaigns, and leadership development. They also run the Deportation Defense Hotline to document inhumane deportations and ill-treatment of immigrant youth. In addition, they organize a 3-week training program to provide economic empowerment to young people from immigrant communities, including mixed-status families, refugees, and people of color.

Today, United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led network, reaching over 5 million people monthly through advocacy, media, and education. They have over 800,000 members in more than 100 local groups across 28 states in the US. In addition, their deportation defense hotline has received over 1,900 calls tracking rogue law enforcement and inhumane deportations of undocumented immigrants.

You can donate directly to United We Dream through their website. You can also assist them by joining their petitions and campaigns.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Advancing Human and Civil Rights for Asian Americans

Asian Americans Advancing Justice has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold the Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We fight for civil rights and empower Asian Americans to create a more just America for all.”

Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Asian Americans Advancing Justice raises awareness about racism and discrimination against minorities, especially Asian Americans, through their Stand Against Hatred platform. Moreover, their Anti-Racial Profiling Project offers resources for immigrant scientists and researchers affected by governmental agencies’ targeting and profiling. In addition, their Value Our Families campaign reduces family immigration backlogs and promotes the timely reunification of immigrant families.

Since their founding, Asian Americans Advancing Justice has raised awareness about systemic racism in the US. For example, in 2021, they conducted 168 presentations and press conferences, spreading awareness about minority rights to over 28,000 people. They have also completed 220 training sessions for over 100,000 people across the US and Puerto Rico, empowering them to intervene safely and stand up to hate. Moreover, through citizenship workshops organized by their New Americans Campaign, they simplify the immigration process for 97,000 Asian immigrants annually. 

You can donate directly to Asian Americans Advancing Justice through their website. You can also support them by joining their Community Partner Network.

Center for Constitutional Rights: Fighting for Justice for All

The Center for Constitutional Rights has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“We fight for a world without oppression where people can achieve justice and guarantee the rights of all.”

Center for Constitutional Rights

The Center for Constitutional Rights advances racial justice by defending the rights of minorities. They do this by providing free legal services to minorities and immigrants without access to justice. They also challenge and campaign against local and federal discriminatory policing, profiling, racial injustice, and torture of minorities. 

Since their founding, the Center for Constitutional Rights has fought xenophobia, settler colonialism, and racist oppression. For example, in 2020, they ensured the passage of the Safer New York Act to hold the New York police accountable for brutality and anti-Black policing.

You can donate directly to the Center for Constitutional Rights through their website. You can also get involved by going to one of their events, or directly joining them by applying to one of their open job and fellowship or internship and volunteering positions.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: Advocating for the Rights of Minorities

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes.”

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People seeks to address structural inequities to promote racial and social justice in the US. For example, they mobilize activists to fight systemic racism and protect the rights of members of the Black community. They also campaign to eliminate economic and social bias to promote equal access to opportunities for all people. In addition, they challenge discriminatory policies that unfairly target Black people in courts and incarceration. Furthermore, they advocate for a reform of the criminal justice system to ensure justice for all people, irrespective of their race.

Since their founding, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has grown into a nonprofit organization comprising 2 million members in 2,200 units across the US. They have spent over $8 million in grants and scholarship awards to support colored people in the US. In addition, they have mobilized more than 17,000 youth activists to fight systemic racism and advance the rights of the members of the Black community. 

You can donate directly to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People through their website. You can also support them by joining a local unit in your city. In addition, you can join their campaign to invest in Black communities.

National Urban League: Empowering Communities. Changing Lives.

The National Urban League has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator. They also hold the Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We want to help African-Americans and others in underserved communities achieve their highest true social parity, economic self- reliance, power, and civil rights.”

National Urban League 

The National Urban League fights systemic racism to guarantee civil rights for all people in the US. They achieve this by organizing initiatives to ensure that all Americans have equal rights and responsibilities to participate in democracy and civic processes fully. In addition, they strive to increase access to public education for Black and Brown students, urban students, and marginalized students in the US. 

Today, the National Urban League fights for access to equal opportunity for 2 million people annually in 300 communities across 37 states in the US. For example, in 2021, they enrolled 198 marginalized individuals into their tech job program and 136 people into a local apprenticeship program to help them make a living. Also, through Project Ready, an initiative that addresses the issues facing colored youth in marginalized areas, they achieved a 54% college enrollment rate with 2,000 enrolled students.

You can donate directly to the National Urban League through their website. You can also contribute to the charity by joining their digital community.

Anti-Slavery International: Fighting for Freedom from Slavery

According to their financial report, Anti-Slavery International spent 85% of their income fighting for the oppressed and eradicating systems of racial inequality.

“We want to help end the systemic inequality that hampers efforts to bring freedom and justice for everyone, everywhere, always.”

Anti-Slavery International

Anti-Slavery International works to eliminate all forms of slavery and the systems that enable modern slavery. They do this by investigating and exposing cases of slavery and supporting local initiatives to secure freedom for the oppressed. They also campaign for more effective implementation of national and international laws against slavery, discrimination, and racism.

Since their founding, Anti-Slavery International has addressed racial inequality gaps and human rights violations worldwide. For example, in 2022, they supported 2,000 migrant workers to address 113 workplace grievances, including racial injustice, resolving 64% of the issues. They also assisted 100 children with completing six months of vocational training to help them earn a living and close the economic gap created by racism and discrimination.

You can donate directly to Anti-Slavery International through their website. You can also support them by joining their movement to eliminate racism and slavery worldwide. 

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities that fight systemic racism. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarise yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. The charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to fighting systemic racism – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

• LinkedIn: 100 Statistics that Prove Systemic Racism is a Thing
• LinkedIn: 100 Statistics that Prove Systemic Racism is a Thing
• American Civil Liberties Union: Home Page
• Charity Navigator: American Civil Liberties Union
• GuideStar: American Civil Liberties Union
• American Civil Liberties Union: American Indian Rights
• American Civil Liberties Union: Accountability in Artificial Intelligence
• American Civil Liberties Union: Affirmative Action
• American Civil Liberties Union: ACLU History
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• American Civil Liberties Union: End Discriminatory Profiling by the Government
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• The Sentencing Project: Home Page
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• The Sentencing Project: Freedom to Vote Act
• Race Forward: Home Page
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• Racial Equity Alliance: Home Page
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• United We Dream: Home Page
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• United We Dream: We Are Undeniable 
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Home Page
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• Stand Against Hatred: Home Page
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• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: Annual Report 2021
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