National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual August observance intended to highlight the importance of vaccinations for people of all ages. Through use of vaccines, smallpox has been eliminated and wild polio virus has nearly been eradicated. The devastation of preventable infectious diseases like measles, diphtheria and whooping cough affect an all-time-low number of people. Most recently, vaccines played a critical role in blunting the spread and severity of COVID. Medicine has come a long way since eight-year-old James Phipps was the first person inoculated against smallpox by Dr Edward Jenner in 1796. 

As infectious diseases become less common, we tend to hear less about the serious consequences of preventable illnesses like diphtheria and tetanus and more about the risks associated with vaccines. And yet, while it’s always advisable to make informed health choices, vaccines have never been safer than they are today. Learn how the vaccine safety process works. 

The following nonprofits work to ensure access to life-saving vaccinations and healthcare.

The Nonprofits

Health Betterment Initiative

Formerly the Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC, the Health Betterment Initiative (HBI-DC) provides free health education and screening services to underserved communities. HBI-DC envisions a world where all underserved communities are free from health disparities and are linked to sustainable care. After losing her brother and mother to hepatitis, Harvard student Leslie Hsu Oh reached out to allies and officially established HBI in 1996. It was the first organization to not only offer free hepatitis B screenings, but to leverage students’ ability to facilitate partnerships between community organizations and empower them to develop their own cultural and linguistically appropriate campaign. What started as outreach to at-risk communities with hepatitis B education, screening, vaccination and referral to care for those testing positive for hepatitis B, has grown to encompass all health disparities in vulnerable populations, including preventing infectious diseases and liver cancer. 

Health Betterment Initiative uses a Branded Donation Widget with dedications enabled to collect donations on its website. 

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Ryan Health

Ryan Health (formerly The William F. Ryan Community Health Network) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) based in Manhattan that has been providing high-quality, comprehensive and affordable primary and specialty care to New York City’s diverse and underserved communities since 1967. Ryan Health is dedicated to providing linguistically appropriate and culturally competent healthcare services to medically underserved populations. The team of dedicated individuals serves over 51,000 patients annually. 

The nonprofit uses a Give Lively-powered fundraising page to capture donations through the Support Us page on its website.

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Chinese Hospital Association

This San Francisco community-owned, nonprofit organization exists primarily to deliver quality health care in a cost-effective, culturally competent way. It is responsive to the community’s ethnic and cultural uniqueness at all socioeconomic levels. Chinese Hospital is a full-service, acute care facility with 88 beds for community members whether they need emergency care, a specialized procedure or surgery, a doctor visit or support to manage a chronic condition.

The nonprofit uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget to capture donations on its website. It also used a Campaign Page to raise over $1.5 million in donations through its 125th Anniversary fundraiser. 

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Volunteers in Medicine Jacksonville, Inc

This nonprofit based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a top-notch free healthcare clinic that serves the growing needs of the working uninsured. Many of its services have not been available to the working uninsured in the past, and Volunteers in Medicine is proud to offer them at no cost, made possible through the generosity of the physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, office staff and students who volunteer their time and expertise. Additionally, the nonprofit serves as a teaching site for physicians, nurse practitioners and other health-related educational programs.

The nonprofit uses a Give Lively-powered Simple Donation Widget to capture donations through its website. It also used a Campaign Page to raise over $11,000 during its “2024 Women with Heart Luncheon” event.

More nonprofits

Learn about six nonprofits working to ensure healthy lives for all