I’ve selected several of my fabrics as fundraisers for specific charities, and I donate a portion of the proceeds from their sale every year. Thanks to all of you who purchased my designated fabrics and products this year, I was able to make donations to the following organizations in 2017:

International Rhino Foundation
Rhinos seem like such tough creatures, but due to poaching and habitat loss, all five rhino species are threatened with extinction. The IRF works for the survival of the world’s rhinos through conservation and research. I especially like the way they partner with local communities living near the rhino populations – many of them struggling for survival themselves – so the locals benefit from conservation efforts, too. Sales of Rhinoce-roses and Rhinoce-roses Tiny (and products made with them at Roostery) benefit the IRF.

Friends of the Oakland Public School Libraries
As a life-long library user, a one-time library employee and a long-time library volunteer, I was shocked to learn that 30% of OUSD schools – including 14 of the 17 high schools – don’t have working libraries. FOPSL’s goal is to have an up-to-date library at every OUSD school in order to support literacy and “provide access to quality literature, information and technology to all OUSD students.” Sales of the Library Tea Towel Calendar (also at Roostery) benefit FOPSL.

North Bay Fire Relief
I created my Tea & Hope Tea Towel (also at Roostery) explicitly to be a charity item, with proceeds going to a different non-profit every six months. The first cause I chose was the fires that burned through swaths of Sonoma and other North Bay counties in October 2017, which were darkening the sky to perpetual dusk even at my home 60 miles away as I was designing it.

The North Bay wildfires destroyed more than 8,900 structures and created problems both immediate and long-term for the area – officials estimate it will be 5-10 years before all the local infrastructure is rebuilt. We visited Sonoma recently and while the burn areas were sobering, it was inspiring to see signs everywhere thanking the first responders and confirming #sonomastrong.

I split my donation between the United Way Bay Area Northern California Wildfire Relief and Recovery Fund, which is helping with both immediate and long-term needs, and the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, geared toward helping with mid- to long-term needs and rebuilding.

For the first six months of 2018, the beneficiary of funds raised through sales of this tea towel will be the International Rescue Committee, which helps refugees and others suffering from humanitarian crises.

Heifer International
Last but not least, bees! I’ve been a long-time supporter of Heifer International because I like their model of not just giving a hand-out but a hand-up, giving things that help people improve their lives and then encouraging them to share with their communities. Bees provide honey for food and also help pollinate crops, increasing yields. This year, sales of my Bee Towel tea towel (also at Roostery) helped purchase two sets of honeybees for Heifer recipients.

And, because I can’t resist a good infographic, here’s how the donations break down:

None of these were huge donations, but they’re a start. Whether you can donate money or time, I encourage you to think about ways you can make your own corner of the world a better place in 2018, too.