New York Times Communities Fund

Sebastian KönigThis article also appears in the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning and on Saturdays.I’m excited to announce the return of Times Opinion’s annual giving guide. Over the course of the next two weeks you will find recommendations from our columnists and writers for nonprofits that deserve your attention as 2024 comes to a close. Each year that we have undertaken the guide, I’ve been impressed with our readers’ generosity, and I hope you will consider donating again this holiday season.Today, the columnist Nicholas Kristof kicks things off, suggesting several organizations around the globe that positively affect change. “If you’re feeling dispirited by national or global events,” he writes, “remember the adage that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Nick has been Opinion’s guiding light when it comes to raising money for worthy causes, and this year his list offers many good options.One of my favorite parts of this tradition is offering you some of my own suggestions: I’d be remiss not to start with The New York Times Communities Fund. The campaign, started by the paper more than a century ago, this year supports nine organizations focused on feeding families, offering educational opportunities and much more. You will hear more about their work from me and our editorial board over the next several weeks, but please consider giving to the Communities Fund.I’ve spent the weeks since the election thinking a lot about the future of education in the United States, as the president-elect and his allies have pledged to rethink the federal Department of Education and its mission. One model that I’ve been impressed with is the Cristo Rey Network. Its Catholic high schools across the country give students a curriculum that helps prepare them for college while also placing them at professional jobs once a week during the school year. Students, on average, come from families of four making $38,000 a year or less.What impresses me is that Cristo Rey’s approach offers students multiple pathways coming out of high school, giving them true choice combined with hands-on work experience. I’m most familiar with and have supported the Cristo Rey campus in Milwaukee, which has proved transformational to its community, but you’ll likely find one of the network’s 40 schools nearby if you are interested in supporting its efforts.There are few things that can bring joy like helping those in need. Wishing you all that satisfaction in abundance this year.This article is part of Times Opinion’s Giving Guide 2024. If you are interested in any organization mentioned in Times Opinion’s Giving Guide 2024, please go directly to its website. Neither the authors nor The Times will be able to address queries about the groups or facilitate donations. More