Donations Instead Of Gifts: 12 Charities To Help This Holiday

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 29: Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaks during a press conference November 29, 2016 in Washington, DC. During the press conference the Southern Poverty Law Center, in conjunction with additional human rights groups and education leaders, called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to ‘immediately and forcefully publicly denounce racism and bigotry.’ (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

7. Southern Poverty Law Center

Cause: Civil rights, legal advocacy

Why Choose This Charity: The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization based in the United States. It focuses in particular on civil rights issues, as well as public interest litigation. It is also well known for its database of hate groups and its efforts to expose the efforts of said groups to members of the public and legal system.

This database has been the subject of debate for years. Some opponents argue that the SPLC does little more than bully groups. Proponents, on the other hand, maintain that the database is an important resource for combating bigotry and civil rights violations throughout the country.

The Southern Poverty Law Center also conducts activities, such as education and outreach. Its “Teaching Tolerance” program provides educational materials to that end. These include free educational kits provided to classroom teachers.

The SPLC is also a common presence in courtrooms, as its members often undertake legal challenges in defense of civil rights. In addition to its work against hate groups, the SPLC also works to defend children’s rights, economic justice, immigrant rights, LGBT people, and reform of the criminal justice system.

Links to Send Gift Givers: The main donation page for the Southern Poverty Law Center.