All of our nonprofits are changing lives, and you can help to be a part of that change and impact the world in a positive way. Read more about our nonprofits and the teachers that support them below.

All donations are 100% tax deductible as allowed by law.Read me.

Hold on to your receipts and talk to your accountant! Giving Hearts Yoga is a U.S. tax exempt organization under Internal Revenue Service Act Section 501(c)(3). Our Tax ID number is 85-2460116.

It all began in 2011 as an informal meeting of attorneys gathered in Donna Peel’s kitchen. Most had entered new phases in their legal careers: They were caring for family, considering retirement, or transitioning to new jobs. They all were looking for a way to use their experience to help provide free legal services to those in need.

More than 85 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income Americans go unmet every year. The legal aid community cannot meet the large and increasing demand for its services. And yet many attorneys want to provide pro bono legal services, but they lack a workable model to do so.

PBN was founded to provide a link between the client and legal aid community needs and the attorneys who want to help. We remove barriers and provide a support structure to make it easier for volunteer attorneys to help low-income people receive critical legal services.

Since 2011, PBN has recruited and supported over 425 volunteer attorneys who contributed 28,000 free legal hours to help more than 4700 clients — totaling over $7 million In free legal services.

As founder Donna Peel said at a recent fundraiser, It’s about spreading humanity and love.

If you are in the place to give, please consider joining Maria by donating towards this wonderful organization to support providing justice and equality through legal representation to marginalized communities by clicking the button below to make a donation to the fundraiser she created in support of PBN.

Teen suicide is on the rise, and as a mother Stefanie felt called to do something to help. This cause is important to Stefanie for so many reasons. Many moons ago, when she was an 18 year old freshman in college, a friend of hers, someone she viewed as a big brother type figure, died by suicide. It affected her deeply. The fact that someone can hurt so badly, the fact that she didn’t know/couldn’t help …..that took her a long time to come to terms with. She’s had her own struggles with eating disorders and bouts of depression. None of us are immune to feeling bad about ourselves.

Fast forward many years later, she is the mom of 2 amazing teens. Along the way, there have been stories about kids suffering that are heartbreaking, some she knows personally, some she’s read about. Either way, as a mom, as a human, these stories crush her. During the pandemic it’s gotten worse and worse.

With social media, cyber bullying, and isolation, ….. teen suicide has become an epidemic. She’s noticed in the past couple of years at the pediatrician’s office, on school and camp forms, there are mental health surveys for kids to fill out. Don’t get her wrong, the awareness and the processes in place to assess and create a safe space are very important and a welcome change. The fact that it’s very needed is indicative of a problem.

Her 17 year old daughter, who is on the mental health committee for JCC Teens Chicago, told her about Gabriel’s light. She saw Gabriel’s beautiful picture and smile, read his story, and her heart broke into a million pieces for him and his family. She loves their mission, and the work that they are doing to help prevent similar tragedies from occurring. which is to prevent youth suicide through outreach, suicide prevention education, cyber safety, and kindness campaigns. The work that they are doing to help prevent similar tragedies from occurring is inspiring.

Stefanie’s mission, her hope for every person, and especially every child is that they feel seen, heard, valued, loved and know that they are important and so needed. Times can be hard, she wants them to  know that they are not alone!!! She truly believes we all have a purpose, a dharma, if you will. She have come to realize that mine is to use the resources she has to help others.

Please join Stefanie in raising awareness about teen suicide either by sharing the resources that she shares or by making a donation of any amount, all proceeds go towards helping Gabriel’s Light prevent teen suicide.

If you would like to join Stefanie in helping Gabriel’s Light prevent teen suicide through education, cyber safety, and kindness campaigns, consider making a donation to her fundraiser  by clicking the button below.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Trish’s brother, Mike, was born with Cerebral Palsy. The doctors originally told her family he would never walk, talk or hold an IQ above a 2nd grader. Her parents refused to believe that Mike’s development would be so restrictive and stopped at nothing to give their son every opportunity to grow and progress with their other children. Because her parents never gave up, Mike is an outgoing communicator and took his first steps at age 10 after living in a body cast for 9 months. Trish has seen her parents sacrifice and fight to give Mike the best life possible.

When he reached high school, the Best Buddies program furthered their efforts by teaching life skills to help transition Mike into adulthood and made him feel connected to his peers. This organization stands with people suffering from developmental and intellectual disabilities when many people tend to ignore or look the other way. Best Buddies shines a light on the huge hearts of these people and gives others the opportunity to befriend and curate long-lasting relationships because no matter the differences, we are all human and no one should be alone.

Please join Trish in helping Best Buddies provide life enhancing opportunities to people living with Intellectual and Developmental Disorders by making a donation of any amount by clicking the button below and selecting “Trish Gusich- Best Buddies” from the PayPal dropdown menu, all proceeds go towards helping Best Buddies support people living with IDD.

The Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.

 As a yoga asana and meditation teacher who works within a “wellness industry” Shevy has learned how important our mind body connection is to our wellbeing. She also has seen firsthand how not everyone has access to health and wellness, that it’s usually the most marginalized among us who are denied access to life saving services.

This disparity is what inspired Shevy to raise money for The Loveland Foundation Therapy fund. This fund matters to Shevy because there’re so many socio-economic barriers that make it difficult for folks who are of diverse ethnic and racial groups to access therapy treatment. The therapy fund makes it possible for Black women and girls to financially afford access to healing and that healing will impact generations. They also work to destigmatize therapy and share the message of how important mental health care really is and how for many it can mean the very difference between life and death.

Self care and community care go hand in hand. If you are in the place to give, please consider joining Shevy by making a donation towards the fundraiser she created in support of this inspiring organization to support communities of color and help normalize seeking therapy by clicking the button below.

Together may we become the change we want to see in the world.

The Accessible Yoga Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is based on the belief that all people, regardless of ability or background, deserve equal access to yoga. The AYA shares the teachings and benefits of yoga with those who have been marginalized through education and advocacy.

The AYA’s vision of a yoga culture where everyone has access to the yoga teachings that offer individual empowerment and spiritual awakening, resonates deeply with Rose who believes yoga, and movement practice, belong to all on their terms.

If you would like to join Rose in helping Accessible Yoga Association bring the healing benefits of yoga to all, regardless of ability or background, click the button and select “Rose Sunila- Accessible Yoga Association” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

901 Girls With Goals was founded in 2018 by Paula Seward and Carrie Hough as a means to continue to support local area girls’ school soccer programs and share their love of the game that has given them so much. They supply schools with soccer equipment, free training clinics for coaches, free skills clinics for players, and create additional opportunities for play and personal development.

People like Carrie and Paula are true heroes for what they do to help others. They provide opportunities for children thru sport, specifically soccer, which is where Zac has made his own life’s work. He would really like to shine a bright light on the work of Carrie and Paula and what they are doing in a city that desperately needs some love right now. These two women have created a program from their own hearts to make a difference in the children’s lives through the sport he loves, all in his hometown. Carrie and Paula are really living Zac’s dream and he wants to support them and raise awareness and donations for their program so that they can continue to build a brighter future in the 901.

If you would like to join Zac in supporting 901 Girls with Goals and help provide opportunities to young girls through soccer, click the button below and select “Zac Crawford- 901 Girls with Goals” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

The LoveYourBrain Foundation is a non-profit organization that improves the quality of life of people affected by traumatic brain injury and raises awareness about the importance of brain health.

Isolation, unemployment, failed relationships, and suicidal ideation are stark realities, compounded by gaps in community-based services and resources. On top of that, TBI is often invisible, leaving people misunderstood and without compassionate care.

Love Your Brain envisions a world where everyone affected by TBI can fully access their resilience, connect with a compassionate community, and reach their full potential.

If you would like to join Sarah supporting the LoveYourBrain Foundation in helping those with TBI access their resilience, connect with a compassionate community, and reach their full potential, click the button and select “Sarah Moody- LoveYourBrain Foundation” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Our Founder, Laura Maynard’s cousin Noah Feehan is fighting terminal brain cancer that he got from burn pits* while deployed in the military. After serving this country for 18 years, the Department of Defense is effectively denying him his pension/military benefits. She can’t get rid of Noah’s cancer, nor can she make the DOD do the right thing. What she can do is tell Noah’s story and raise awareness about burn pits and funding for Burn Pits 360 through Giving Hearts. You can join her by either sharing Noah’s story or supporting an organization that is protecting the rights of service men and women whose lives have been destroyed due to toxic exposure – making a donation of any amount makes a difference.

Noah is a Master Sergeant in the Air National Guard and has served this country for the last 18 years. He’s served 3 tours overseas, 2 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like many soldiers deployed in the Middle East, Noah was exposed to toxic fumes 24/7 from burn pits located just outside his base where in some places, the military was burning up to 227 metric tons of hazardous waste a day. The EPA outlawed use of burn pits on U.S. soil in 1980, however the U.S. military continues this practice abroad. Burn pits contained batteries, weapons and ammunition, human feces, oil, gas, electronics, whole vehicles, human body parts…you name it, they threw jet fuel on it and burned it.

Due to this toxic exposure*, Noah has developed Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of terminal brain cancer. 3 other young service men on his base that he was deployed with have also developed brain cancer. Noah is only 39 years old and has no family history of cancer. He is a family man and the father to 3 young boys. This diagnosis has been devastating to all who know and love him.

Due to his condition, the DOD is terminating Noah’s contract before he is eligible to receive his pension. The DOD is also refusing to grant him an early/medical retirement, claiming his condition is not “service connected” despite the VA 100% service connecting his cancer to his burn pit exposure while deployed. As such, Noah is not eligible for any of his military benefits/pension until he is 60. Due to the aggressive nature of Glioblastoma, it is highly unlikely that he will make it to 60. Further, based on my reading of the Air Force Survivor Benefit Plan, Noah’s wife Jenny and their kids are not eligible for ANY survivor military benefits.

The DOD denying Noah (and his family) the pension/benefits he worked 18 years to earn after developing a terminal illness that the VA has connected to his burn pit exposure while serving this country is both shocking and appalling. To top it off, the DOD is STILL using burn pits at military bases abroad, continuing to expose our soldiers to toxic fumes while denying responsibility, pensions, and military benefits.

The men and women who serve our country deserve better. Noah deserves better.

*The VA has 100% service connected Noah’s cancer to his exposure to burn pits while deployed in the military

For over a decade, Burn Pits 360 has been working tirelessly to improve the outcome for current and former military personnel suffering from post-deployment health conditions related to toxic exposure. They maintain the first and only independent burn pit registry, created 3 years before there was a national registry. To date, 325,000 soldiers have reported toxic exposure. Through research, outreach, and advocacy, they have supported our veterans and their families for years and were a driving force behind the PACT Act (the only reason Noah is getting any benefits at all). The work they have done has been so influential that their co-founders have been recommended for the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the contributions they have made for bettering veteran health care.

The work Burn Pits 360 does is beyond important. Our soldiers risk their lives to protect us. It’s our duty to protect them. There is still more work that needs to be done to ensure that what has happened to countless military families and what IS happening to Noah does not happen to other men and women who serve our country.

If you have the ability to join Laura either by sharing Noah’s story or by making a donation of any amount to the fundraiser she created to help support the work Burn Pits 360 is doing for our troops by clicking the button below, it would mean more to her than words can describe.

Courtney has chosen to dedicated her Power Yoga series to Chicago Rush Soccer Foundation, an incredible organization that provides soccer scholarships to talented underprivileged children who deserve high level coaching and access to youth soccer programs who might not otherwise have the opportunity to receive them.

If you would like to join Courtney in helping talented underprivileged children gain access to high level youth soccer programs that they might not otherwise have access to, consider making a donation by clicking the button below and selecting “Courtney- Chicago Rush Soccer Foundation” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Plenitud Puerto Rico is a non-profit educational farm dedicated to service and sustainability. They provide people with the skills and knowledge needed to encourage inner growth and to live in harmony with themselves, each other, and the natural world. They are currently on the ground helping Santa Maria recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Fiona by providing food and water, controlling landslides, installing rainwater cisterns and filters, and helping rebuild local farms so that they are both sustainable and resistant to severe weather.

Sarah’s visit to Plenitud PR in December 2019 transformed her in a way she never expected, by awakening her heart to a life that her soul was desperately craving – one of devotional, loving service in everything she does. She now strives to support Plenitud PR in any way she can, both by living a life inspired by loving service, and by spreading the mission of Plenitud with those who also feel called to live a life in accordance with the soul’s true nature.

As such, Sarah has dedicated her series to her friends at Plenitud PR to help them with their ongoing hurricane relief efforts and to further their overarching mission of taking care of the community by demonstrating love through service and providing education about sustainability. If you are inspired by Sarah and would like to join in helping Plenitud PR carry out its important work, consider making a donation to the fundraiser she sweetly created in support of her friends at Plenitud PR  by clicking the button below.

The right to choose an abortion is no longer federally protected with the Supreme Court’s decision this past June reversing Roe vs. Wade. This ruling has differing consequences depending on your state and personal access to resources. Even when Roe vs. Wade was still intact many states had passed legislation limiting access to abortion based on earlier time-markers (like Texas’s heart-beat Act) than viability.

Our feature teacher Stephanie Sandleben specializes in pelvic floor health and has seen first hand the uneven care one receives depending on gender, race, and socioeconomic status in the United States. The reversal of Roe vs. Wade has been a wake-up call to the importance of bodily sovereignty and the importance of creating equity in our healthcare system, especially now that many people will be experiencing compromised care due to the fear of criminal repercussions.

She has chosen the National Network of Abortion Funds’ Crisis Relief Fund because of their decades long work of supporting and providing any person with the non-negotiable human right to determine whether, when, and how to create family. They achieve this through a network of organizations that remove the logistical and financial barriers that are a reality for many. The National Network of Abortion Funds values intersectionality, autonomy, collective power, and compassion.

Click the button below to find out more about the National Network of Abortion Funds along with how to become a member or to make a donation towards their incredible cause.

There is no graver miscarriage of justice than for an innocent person to be imprisoned for a crime that they did not commit. The Innocence Project’s mission is to free innocent people who remain incarcerated through DNA testing, and they do not stop at exonerating the wrongfully convicted, they tackle injustice from every angle.

In addition to freeing innocent people, the Innocence Project also seeks to secure justice for future generations. Their Litigation department works to improve existing case law through the Courts by targeted legal works so that it can help prevent wrongful convictions in the future, while their Policy department works with Congress, state legislatures, and local leaders to pass laws that prevent wrongful convictions and future miscarriages of justice. Their Science and Research team uses data to understand the patterns in wrongful conviction cases and conducts comprehensive reviews of research to help aid the Innocence Project’s reform efforts. The team provides resources to researchers, lawyers, and others, including statistics, data sources, literature and critical analysis and ideas for future research.

That’s amazing you say? There’s more. Once the wrongfully convicted are released, they must completely reinvent their lives and identities after years of incarceration. This is often a huge struggle, one that they never deserved to have to face. The Innocence Project’s Social Work department supports them in any way that they need, from locating birth certificates, to securing housing and arranging for critical medical and psychological treatment.

The Innocence Project not only frees innocent people, but they also seek to fix the cracks in our legal system that wrongfully convicted them in the first place. If you have a strong sense of justice and want to be a part of ensuring that these wrongful convictions are a thing of the past, this is the charity for you. Learn more about the Innocence Project below or make a donation in honor of Sammy. by clicking the button below and selecting “Sammy- IP” from the PayPal dropdown menu.

Having to stay at home during these difficult times has been hard on all of us, but it is especially hard for victims of domestic violence If you want to understand the severity of this situation, visit CAWC’s website here. The first thing that pops up is directions on how to use the “Escape Button” should your abuser walk into the room. Think about how scary your situation would be if you had to be thinking about using an Escape Button. Countless women and children are hurting and living their lives in fear, and CAWC seeks to help them find a way out.

Mothers do not have to choose between finding safety and protecting their children because CAWC provides emergency shelter for mothers and their children. Often, victims of domestic violence are cut off from their friends and family by their abuser, so that they feel like they have nowhere else to go, no option but to endure the abuse. CAWC offers these women and their children a safe place to escape. The Greenhouse Shelter is the oldest domestic violence shelter in Chicago. Also, CAWC does not discriminate, their shelter is multilingual and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Additionally, CAWC provides a 24 hour domestic violence hotline to support victims of domestic violence (1-773-278-4566) and offers programs to train healthcare providers, schools, and police officers to identify the signs of domestic abuse. They also provide legal advocates to help survivors obtain immediate and long-term legal protection.

 On top of helping survivors of domestic violence escape the abuse, CAWC also has programs in place to help to heal the women and their children emotionally. The emotional effects of domestic violence can be significant and can continue to harm the survivors for years, it can even lead to post-traumatic stress disorder or long-term substance abuse. CAWC seeks to prevent all of this from happening. Through their outreach program, they provide individual and group counseling to the survivors and their children so that they are given the long-term tools that they need to live the violence-free, happy life that they deserve.  

CAWC not only provides immediate safety to women and children who are victims of domestic violence, they also seek to assist the survivors as they begin to build a better, safer future for themselves and their children. If the thought of anyone being physically violent to women and children breaks your heart, or makes your blood boil, this is the nonprofit for you.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Thoughts of suicide know no age, race, gender, or religion. It does not matter if you are rich or if you are poor, chances are, you or someone you love has experienced suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. When times get hard, these suicidal thoughts can become deafening. Times are harder than ever, and suicide is a preventable public health issue. The AFSP is doing everything that they can to prevent the loss of life from suicide.

Since 1987, the AFSP has been paving the way for suicide prevention. They shed light on suicide and mental health issues that have historically been brushed under the rug, because you cannot prevent something that you are not aware of. On top of bringing awareness to this leading cause of death, they fund scientific research and have shaped legislation and public policy at the federal, state, and local levels all with the goal of preventing suicide.

The AFSP understands the significance of community and has established local chapters in all 50 states. They provide mental health education, community programs, research, advocacy, and support not only for those experiencing suicidal thoughts, but also for the friends and family of those whose lives have been lost due to suicide. Whether you have lost someone, are experiencing suicidal thoughts yourself, or are worried about a loved one, the AFSP is there to support you. You are not alone. The work that they are doing is not only incredible, but it is essential, especially during these uncertain times. Find your local AFSP chapter here.

If you want to have a part in actually saving someone’s life, the AFSP is the charity for you. Learn more about the AFSP here.

 If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide, please, talk to someone. Reach out to a loved one, call (1-800-273-8255), or text (text TALK to 741741). You are special. You are valuable, and this world would not be the same without you. 

CARE works to save lives, fight poverty, and achieve social justice around the globe. They focus on aiding women and girls because they believe poverty cannot be overcome until all people have equal rights and opportunities. In Ukraine they are providing immediate aid and recovery, food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash assistance — prioritizing women and girls, families, and the elderly.

One weekend, Kristin was rocking her sweet baby to sleep in her quiet, peaceful home and realized how there are many mothers there were rocking their sweet babies to sleep with an uncertain, violent future in Ukraine. She kept asking herself: “What can I do?”

On CARE’s website they stated their mission was to “save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice.” But with a focus on women and girls because “we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.” She thought: “Yes. This resonates. This is what I can do to help.”

Kristin generously dedicated her series, her paycheck, and created a fundraiser in support of the CARE Ukrainian Refugee Fund. Between donations made via her fundraiser, our website, and the generous donation match provided by MathWorks, Kristin raised over $5,000 for this Fund.