Every month in 2024, we are highlighting the work of Give Lively member nonprofits in one category of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. 

The United Nations website states that “the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)... are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.”

We find inspiration and insight from these selected nonprofits and hope you do too. Is your nonprofit engaged in similar work? Use the feedback tool at the bottom of this article to tell us about it.

SDG Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

The Nonprofits

Nontraditional Employment for Women

This organization prepares, trains and places women from underserved communities and underrepresented backgrounds – including low-income girls, women, transgender and nonbinary individuals – to enter the building and construction trades in New York City, helping them achieve economic independence and a secure future for themselves and their families. Through 40 years of commitment, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) has increased women’s representation in trade careers from two to seven percent, with many apprenticeships approaching or exceeding 15% women.

The Give Lively-powered Branded Donation Widget placed on NEW’s website is an excellent example of showing the impact of each suggested donation amount through impact stories. 

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BraveWorks

This organization’s mission is to empower women and families overcoming trauma and injustice, bridging the gap from pain to purpose through specialized job training and connection to employment opportunities. BraveWorks teaches women in Charlotte, North Carolina, skills in jewelry production and other artisanal creations, and supports artisanal projects in eight other countries, with sales providing supplemental income for the women. Referred by nonprofit community partners, the women, called artisans, seek to overcome situations such as human trafficking, abuse, addiction, incarceration, generational poverty and ethnic persecution. BraveWorks then connects program graduates to employment opportunities and other resources in the local community to reach milestones and accomplish goals around employment, education, housing, continued sobriety, financial literacy, ESL, supportive community, emotional health and skill development.

BraveWorks uses a Core Profile fundraising page to collect donations through its website.

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The Wardrobe

For people experiencing barriers to employment and independence, clothing insecurity can make finding employment even harder. The Wardrobe provides a stable source of well-maintained and displayed clothing that is suitable for any need, from casual to workwear. While the clothing is available for sale, it is also free to anyone referred. The improved self-confidence that comes from a new outfit, combined with a complimentary appointment to help job candidates learn positive workplace behavior, sets each job candidate up for success. With renewed confidence and hope, 91% of the people who come to The Wardrobe stay engaged in their job search and more than 60% report working full time within six months.

The Wardrobe uses a Give Lively-powered Campaign Page to collect donations through its website.

Aspiritech

Aspiritech is a quality-assurance testing company that empowers adults on the autism spectrum to fulfill their potential through meaningful employment combined with social opportunity. Existing team members can take classes to learn new skills and develop their talents in other program lines or projects. Soft skill training courses are also available to team members, as well as neurodivergent members of the larger community. Aspiritech employees help clients achieve product excellence through end-to-end user testing, accessibility reviews and user experience optimization, plus a wide array of data services.

Aspiritech uses both a Simple Donation Widget and a Branded Donation Widget to collect donations on its website. 

Safer Foundation

Since 1972, this Chicago-based organization’s mission has been to reduce recidivism by supporting the efforts of people with arrest and conviction records to become employed, law-abiding members of the community. Safer Foundation operates on the principle that when people with records are provided with direct services focused on job preparedness, placement and other critical supports, then their reentry challenges are minimized and their likelihood of recidivating (returning to prison) is reduced. Safer Foundation's evidence-based programs are geared toward addressing barriers that impede employment and improving clients' abilities to successfully acclimate to society.

Safer Foundation uses a Core Profile fundraising page to collect donations through its website. 

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The Alpha Workshops

This organization aims to provide a new model of economic development for people living with HIV/AIDS and/or other visible or invisible disabilities and vulnerabilities. Dedicated to creating beauty and changing lives, The Alpha Workshops is the nation’s first nonprofit organization to provide decorative arts education and employment to the adults it serves. Its mission is to draw on the powerful healing potential of useful work and creative self expression; to provide training and employment in a flexible, compassionate workplace; to compete in the marketplace successfully at the highest level of craftsmanship and artistry; and to demonstrate the viability of its new model of economic development.

The multi-faceted organization encompasses The Alpha Workshops Studio School (AWSS), a vocational school licensed by the New York State Department of Education, and The Alpha Workshops Studios, an award-winning professional design and decorative arts atelier.

The Alpha Workshops uses a Core Profile fundraising page to collect donations through its website. 

More nonprofits

For more in our UN SDG series, see the previous article.