August 17 is National Nonprofit Day, a time devoted to recognizing the positive roles that nonprofits play in communities around the world. 

As we at Give Lively are fond of saying: Nonprofits make the world a better place. They address tough challenges and complex issues like gender and racial equality, reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights, social and environmental justice, education, domestic violence, immigrant services and more. 

Even more commendably, the heroes who staff nonprofits do so because they care, turning civic compulsion into action, placing people and planet before (or at least on even footing with) profit, making real a belief that every living thing is deserving.

We are awed by nonprofits, inspired by them, humbled by their determination and excited by their successes. Nonprofits are central to who we are: a business committed to making their efforts a bit (or maybe even a lot) less burdensome – less complicated and less expensive.

And today, we honor them a little more loudly than we do every other day of the year.

Nonprofit values

The values espoused by nonprofits are forceful motivators. In October 2023, we published a word cloud generated from the mission statements of our member nonprofits:

Even just the top 10 words tell a powerful story: Over 5,500 nonprofits declare in their mission statements a commitment to programs fostering and helping community. Others provide services, many of them educational, in support of children, families and improved quality of life for the people with whom the organizations interact. 

Take a closer look at some of our incredible member nonprofits:
* Read their stories.
* Check out our nonprofit spotlight articles about select members engaged in certain sectors.   

Matching values

We believe that our own values dovetail well with those championed by nonprofits. In fact, we believe that our values set us apart. Unique among fundraising platforms, we place special significance on the purpose and safety of the space we share with our member nonprofits and their donors. 

With that in mind, we reserve use of our platform for nonprofits that elevate marginalized voices, strive to meet the needs of the underserved, imagine an inclusive future for their communities and advocate for equality, among other progressive priorities.

We accomplish this by using our publicly stated values as a primary membership criterion. We personally review every membership application to ensure a nonprofit’s alignment with our values. Because who nonprofits are means everything to us.

Importantly, we also abide by these values internally, encouraging and supporting our team’s efforts to rally around ideas that demonstrate our beliefs. This includes commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), sustainability and accessibility.  

Learn more about our values:
* Visit our Values page, recently redesigned to include more information. 
* Stop by our People & planet page to learn how we advocate for all people and the health of our one and only planet.