Want to soothe election nerves? Donate to causes doing the work.

No matter who wins, there's still work to be done.
By Chase DiBenedetto  on 
Want to soothe election nerves? Donate to causes doing the work.
Election anxiety isn't over, and many people are calling for continued post-election work to address important social issues. Credit: LightRocket via Getty Images

As the country awaits the final call on the 2020 presidential election, many Americans are understandably stressed by the uncertainty. While millions of votes still need to be counted, some online have highlighted the need for continued work in the days after the election and beyond, no matter who wins.

Regardless of the election's results, community organizers, activists, and advocacy groups will need continued support to address issues like reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, voting rights, immigration, and climate change. Doing so can be a productive use of the anxiety-riddled time ahead, and prepare us to continue the work of the last four years.

Here's a list of organizations that you can support now and moving forward. While it's not an exhaustive list of every issue or organization, it highlights some of the most pressing concerns coming out of this election.

Reproductive Rights

The reproductive justice movement has been fought across the political aisle for decades and will continue post-election. The Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding for abortion services, and state-specific policies typically decide the fate of reproductive healthcare. A predominately conservative Supreme Court also worries many reproductive activists.

  • The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood, lobbies for reproductive justice policies at the national level. Donate to the overarching Planned Parenthood organization here or directly to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund here.

  • Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE) is a reproductive rights organization focused on the intersectional fight for reproductive justice, including equitable access to abortions and inclusive sex education. Donate here.

  • The Center for Reproductive Rights defends reproductive rights in U.S. courts and through international bodies like the United Nations. Donate to the center here.

  • The Black Women's Health Imperative is a national organization working to address the specific health needs of Black women and girls, including reproductive health. Donate to the organization here.

  • The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice organizes and educates members of the Latinx community to fight for equitable reproductive healthcare. Donate here.

  • Local abortion funds also need donations to continue providing assistance to people across the country seeking abortions. Check out the National Network of Abortion Funds to donate to the national organization or find a local abortion fund near you to support.

Racial Justice

With the rise of increased protesting earlier this year, racial justice and police brutality were considerations — 52% of voters reported racial and ethnic inequality would be important factors, according to the Pew Research Center. But neither presidential candidate has made clear commitments to the protesters' demands, including defunding police forces. And many policies are now up to local legislation.

  • As the largest civil rights organization in the country, the NAACP has spent more than 100 years fighting for the end of race-based discrimination. Donate here.

  • Color of Change is an online-based national organization that centralizes and leads campaigns for racial justice. Find a specific campaign to support here or donate to the organization itself here.

  • Black Lives Matter has nation-wide chapters advocating for the end of police brutality and racial violence against Black communities. Find your local chapter or donate to the nationwide organization here.

  • Campaign Zero, a project from the nonprofit WeTheProtestors, supports policy analysis and legislation that seeks to end police violence. Donate to the campaign here.

Related Video: Want to donate to help the Black Lives Matter movement? Here's how.

Voting rights

Voters across the United States continue to face barriers, with millions disenfranchised due to felony convictions, voter suppression, or misinformation campaigns. It's essential to continue voting rights campaigns regardless of the presidential winner.

  • The ACLU has already been on the frontlines of the fight to count every vote this election, and will continue battling for equitable policies in the U.S. court system. Donate to the ACLU here.

  • CommonCause is a nonpartisan coalition working to promote democracy and enfranchise voters across the country through grassroots organizing, litigation, and public education. Donate here.

  • For more than 100 years, the League of Women Voters has empowered equitable access to voting through education, advocacy, and policy research. Donate to the league here.

  • The Sentencing Project advocates for criminal justice reform, including the voting rights of Americans with former convictions. Donate to the organization here.

LGBTQ rights

The journey towards expanded LGBTQ rights has been tumultuous. The 2020 election has already held tremendous victories for LGBTQ candidates, but, like with the fight for reproductive justice, activists are concerned the Supreme Court might reverse current protections and threaten progress.

  • The Transgender Law Center is a national trans-led organization advocating for inclusive laws to help transgender and gender nonconforming people. Donate to the center here.

  • The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth across the country. Donate to the project here.

  • GLAAD promotes and monitors LGBTQ representation in the media and provides educational resources to facilitate stories from and about the community. Donate here.

  • The Marsha P. Johnson Institute advocates for the protection of the Black transgender community through community education and organizing. Donate to the institute's work here.

  • The Okra Project employs Black transgender chefs to provide food to Black trans people, and organizes mutual aid funds for those in need across the country. Donate here.

Immigration, refugee, and migrant rights

Broadly, immigration policy has remained a conflict ground across parties. Activists have fought for immigration reform, the safety of migrants and refugees, and the end of deportations for decades, long before the Trump administration. Even presidential candidate Joe Biden called deportations of immigrants under the former Democratic administration a "big mistake." Experts expect an increase of migrants reaching the U.S.-Mexico border post-election. Given the Trump administration's restrictions on the number of legal immigrants, and the fact that programs like the Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) remain in limbo, it's essential for advocates to continue fighting for the protection of these groups.

  • The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is a nonprofit providing free or low cost legal and social services to immigrants and refugees. Donate here.

  • Justice for Migrant Women works to end gender-based violence and workplace abuse among migrant women, including farmworkers and their families, through community outreach, education, and political advocacy. Donate to the organization here.

  • The National Immigration Law Center works to defend the economic, social, and political rights of immigrants in the United States through legal cases and a national immigrant justice movement. Donate here.

  • United We Dream is an immigrant youth-led organization advocating for the rights of both documented and undocumented immigrants, and provides a variety of educational and social resources for youth across the country. Donate here.

Climate policy

With the country officially out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change — the internationally binding agreement adopted by 189 countries (that's almost all of them) to address climate change — only candidate Joe Biden has committed to rejoining. The United States has faced criticism for its hesitance (or refusal) to join global environmental policy, which requires quick action.

  • The Climate Justice Alliance is a community-based climate justice organization creating clean energy models, sustainable food sources, housing, and more for communities on the frontlines of climate change in the United States. Donate to the alliance here.

  • The Sunrise Movement is a youth-led organization working to educate and organize young people around climate issues, and lobby for national policies like the Green New Deal. Donate to the movement here.

  • The Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment is an environmental justice organization that provides legal and technical help to grassroots organizations in low-income communities. Donate here.

  • The Indigenous Environmental Network is a coalition of indigenous grassroots leaders working to address environmental racism and food sovereignty. Donate to the network here.

Chase sits in front of a green framed window, wearing a cheetah print shirt and looking to her right. On the window's glass pane reads "Ricas's Tostadas" in red lettering.
Chase DiBenedetto
Social Good Reporter

Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also touches on how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.


Recommended For You
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrives for a bail hearing at Manhattan Federal Court on August 11, 2023 in New York City. Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan to revoke Bankman-Fried's bail and to be jailed until his October criminal trial. Bankman-Fried who has pleaded not guilty to multiple conspiracy and fraud charges was accused of witness tampering after the New York Times published a story featuring personal documents of Caroline Ellison, former Alameda Research CEO. Judge Kaplan will also hear arguments on the gag order placed on Bankman-Fried that was placed as part of his bail agreement for the alleged witness tampering.

Meta and Google fuel abortion misinformation across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, report finds
In this photo illustration, a person looks at an Abortion Pill from Mifepristone displayed on a computer.


Amazon Pharmacy launches same-day prescription delivery in New York and LA
A photograph of an Amazon box with medicines.


Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 29
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 29
a phone displaying Wordle

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 28
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 27
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 28
a phone displaying Wordle
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!