In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In this article, we look at some of the most notable nonprofit organizations working tirelessly to ensure that children worldwide have access to a quality education.
Education is the gateway to achieving one’s full potential and becoming a well-rounded member of society. Still, 251 million children worldwide lack access to this basic human right. Thankfully, education nonprofits are working to break the cycles of poverty and give more children a brighter future.
In this article, we share 10 of the top education nonprofits changing the lives of children by enabling access to education.
Mission: To lift people out of poverty by changing the way people think about and donate to charity.
The Life You Can Save uses its Evaluation Framework to curate a list of recommended high-impact nonprofit organizations. These NPOs are committed to ending poverty that restricts access to basic human rights, including education.
By donating to these charities, donors can feel confident that their contributions will have the greatest impact.
Donors can also contribute to their other initiatives, including the Maximize Your Impact Fund and cause funds like the Education Fund. Donations made to their Education Fund help enrich educational opportunities focusing on literacy, math, and life skills for children who live in impoverished communities.
Since its founding in 2013, The Life You Can Save has raised more than $100 million through its community of donors supporting recommended charities and interventions on its platform.
These funds are distributed among results-driven organizations – including education nonprofits – to reduce global poverty.
You can donate to their education fund here.
Mission: To cultivate joyful connections with the natural world through outdoor learning and edible education!
Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability (PEAS) is taking a unique approach to unlocking barriers to education in its local Austin, Texas community.
This nonprofit delivers year-round outdoor learning and edible education programs to participating schools that are disadvantaged in the area. It also runs a community farm, hosts camps, and provides consultation and professional development services to educators teaching key academic concepts and social-emotional learning – from the garden to the classroom.
These programs are led by trained outdoor and edible education specialists who partner with classroom teachers to host outdoor and kitchen lessons in a hands-on environment.
Since its founding, PEAS has engaged with more than 4,500 students across 28 schools in the Austin, Texas area.
Show your support for PEAS here.
Mission: To utilize dirt bike culture to end the cycle of poverty, disrupt the prison pipeline, and build bridges in communities.
This education nonprofit stands out for its commitment to equipping young students under the age of 16 and former dirt bike riders older than 16 with skills in STEM education, mentoring, and entrepreneurship.
Through their STEM education curriculum, B-360 teaches young students technical STEM skills through a hands-on approach to learning, along with dirt bike riding safety. Former riders are trained in their curriculum and hired as instructors.
B-360 has served more than 9,500 youth and employed 67 former street riders.
B-360 not only equips students with valuable STEM skills and offers career opportunities, but also enhances public safety through advocacy and builds community through events where riders of all ages can showcase their skills in safe spaces.
Take a look at this recap video of one of their events to see the impact this nonprofit has on its community:
Visit their donation page to make a one-time or recurring donation.
Mission: To partner with local communities to provide inclusive access to quality education and opportunities for children and youth through a holistic approach.
HOPE for Ariang provides education-based programs and training to help students in Ariang Village, South Sudan, access education.
The Ariang Network of Schools Program provides three local primary schools with education resources, teacher training opportunities, and school leadership and management training.
Through their Scholars Empowerment program, they select a handful of top students and sponsor them – covering school fees and uniforms, and enrolling them in boarding school. In addition, they facilitate teacher training to help ensure academic success.
HOPE also trains women and youth in business development and management skills. Graduates then receive the funds to start and build their businesses!
Since 2011, the Ariang Network of Schools has:
If you’d like to help HOPE for Ariang realize its mission, donate here.
Mission: Every child deserves a chance to learn – no matter their family’s income.
The Homeland Ghana Educational Foundation was established in 2017 following the founder’s visit to her home country, Ghana. After seeing the overcrowded classes and lack of resources in local schools, Rhoda Apent started Homeland Ghana to create lasting change and ensure more children can have a brighter future.
This education nonprofit partners with local schools in the Builsa North District in Ghana to understand their unique challenges and needs. They then create and implement a plan to ensure long-term success for students and teachers.
The organization goes beyond merely providing students with access to resources and school supplies – they also educate on child rights and protection, run workshops to address barriers to learning, and provide girls with sanitary pads, menstruation education, and safe spaces to talk.
Homeland Ghana has a fantastic monthly giving program called The Honor Roll. Recurring donors receive exclusive updates, invites to virtual meet-ups, and more in exchange for repeat gifts. Platforms like Donorbox make it easy for organizations like these to foster long-term support through recurring donations – critical to boosting funds that help them realize their missions.
Through its holistic approach, Homeland Ghana helps keep more children in school and equips them with the tools they need to thrive.
To donate, volunteer, or partner with Homeland Ghana, visit their website to learn more.
Mission: To help empower, transform, and improve lives by providing resources for access to quality education and safe, clean water.
This education nonprofit stands out for its commitment to creating generational impact, providing solutions to education that can be carried down to future generations and across communities.
The Kikulu Foundation is a small grassroots nonprofit that aims to relieve poverty and improve education for children in Uganda. They provide school scholarships to impoverished children while supporting teachers, students, and schools with books and classroom materials, educational resources, and solar lights for nighttime learning.
In addition, they supply community water wells to ensure adequate access to clean water.
Since 2012, the Foundation has:
If you’d like to donate, fundraise on their behalf, or get involved in other ways, learn more here.
Mission: To break down barriers, empowering all, especially the vulnerable, to fulfill their potential through education, healthcare, child rescue, and outreach.
Morning Star Center is one of the best education nonprofits dedicated to helping those in some of Africa’s most impoverished communities. They take a holistic approach by providing comprehensive programs in education, healthcare, child rescue, and community outreach.
The organization strategically focuses on educational empowerment by equipping people of all ages – from children to adults – with classroom training and the tools to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
If you’re looking for some of the best education nonprofits to work for, you can volunteer, partner with, or sponsor Morning Star Center. Learn more here.
Alternatively, donate to their education campaign.
Mission: To promote STEM education through an exciting, mentor-based process.
Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) is changing the way STEM education is viewed while promoting its application through mentorship and thrilling competitions for high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area.
PiE is led by a group of students from the University of California who create STEM learning opportunities and educational outreach programs for high school students and college student mentors.
At their core, they create self-starter robotics kits and programs where students are mentored and encouraged to pursue a higher education in STEM. Students get to showcase their budding skills at PiE’s robotics competitions.
More than 350 Berkeley students have contributed to their competitions, and over 700 high school students have competed in their events.
You can donate to their cause by contributing via their Donorbox-hosted donation form:
You can also learn more about jobs, mentoring, and volunteering opportunities at PiE here.
Mission: To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
As one of the largest education nonprofits, Save the Children is committed to transforming the lives of children worldwide. They ensure children have proper access to quality education, healthcare, and safety, along with disaster relief during times of crisis.
Save the Children has a global footprint and has assisted more than 8.5 million children through its education projects alone. They’ve also trained and supported over 87,500 teachers and facilitators to enhance education for students.
They do incredible work with national and local governments to improve access to education and increase investment in national school systems.
If you’d like to show your support to this education nonprofit, you can donate a one-time or recurring gift via their website.
Mission: To work for a world where every girl can learn and choose her own future.
This is one of the best education nonprofits working in countries where adolescent girls face the biggest roadblocks to education. Malala Fund takes a two-step approach that includes grantmaking and advocacy for young girls’ right to education.
They advocate for governments and international institutions to uphold this right and implement the required policies to put it into effect.
Malala Fund also ensures the necessary resources are in place to provide girls with learning opportunities. They work with governments and institutions, advocating to increase education funding and invest in the resources that drive the delivery of quality education.
If you’d like to show your support for their cause, you can donate to Malala Fund here.
Here’s what makes the organizations featured on our list some of the best education nonprofits out there.
A concise mission statement shapes and influences everything – from your marketing strategy to how your nonprofit engages with others. It also describes who you are and what you stand for.
Your mission should communicate why your nonprofit organization was created, who you serve, and how you serve them. The education nonprofits on this list have done a fantastic job of creating impactful mission statements that clarify their purpose.
Powerful fundraising software is essential to make sure that nonprofit organizations can raise the funds needed to fuel their missions. With the right fundraising platform, you can create compelling fundraisers ranging from donation forms to peer-to-peer campaigns.
Plus, being able to provide donors with multiple ways to give – including recurring donation options – is important to ensure sustainability for your nonprofit.
See how The Life You Can Save created a brand-aligned donation form powered by Donorbox to raise funds for their Education Fund:
Create a Donation Form in Minutes
Being honest about your impact and where donations go is the key to maintaining trust with your donor base.
The education nonprofits on this list maintain transparency by sharing impact reports, keeping donors informed through newsletters, and being open about their approach.
They also share their leadership and team roles and responsibilities on their websites for donors to learn more.
Working with a strong and efficient nonprofit leadership team is essential to fulfilling your mission. A strong leadership team helps establish and put the organization’s mission and vision into practice while providing strategic direction.
Leadership teams also acquire the funding and resources needed to serve communities – including developing effective fundraising strategies that maximize impact. Advocating for your mission, building trust in communities, and developing internal skills are other key focus areas for leadership teams.
The nonprofits on this list are backed by powerful leadership teams that often comprise their board members.
From donating to fundraising on their behalf, here are some ways you can support education nonprofits.
Giving to a cause you are passionate about is a fantastic way to show your support for their mission and influence their impact! Education nonprofits – like the ones on this list – often utilize donation software that makes it easy for supporters to give online.
You can donate a one-time or recurring gift, opt to give an in-kind donation or a planned gift, or give in the form of stock or cryptocurrency.
Most nonprofits include a compelling fundraising story and information on where your donation will go, so you should take the time to read deeply and understand. Here’s an example:
62% of nonprofits say that recruiting volunteers is a huge challenge.
Nonprofits are often understaffed and overworked. As paid time off for volunteering becomes a growing trend among 60% of companies, volunteering is a fantastic way to get involved directly with your favorite nonprofits for education and provide much-needed support.
Many nonprofits have small marketing budgets, making it difficult for them to spread the word about their causes.
You can help mobilize their missions by sharing their crowdfunding campaigns on social media. Take it even further and fundraise on their behalf with peer-to-peer fundraising that multiplies their reach to more networks!
See how this fundraiser helped boost donations to a campaign for students’ college education by fundraising on behalf of Stepping Stone organization:
Raise More with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Education is the third-largest subsector in the nonprofit world, receiving 14% of charitable donations – which indicates a high level of support for the all-important missions of these nonprofits. Despite the progress made, there is still a long way to go.
Donorbox is here to help nonprofits in education and beyond raise the critical funds needed to realize their missions. From donation forms to in-person fundraising and events, we create the features and tools you need to thrive.
If you haven’t already, sign up today to start fundraising for your cause! For more fundraising ideas and tips, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog.
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Jamy-Lee Holt