2020 has been a rough year, for everyone. Compounding global issues has been an ongoing pandemic, divisive politics, and increased violence against Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). We’ve seen the worst of humanity splashed across the nightly news, making things seem gloomier with every passing day. But that doesn’t mean giving up. It means digging in and taking a stand for the things we care about most.
Girl Museum has been lucky this year – thanks to CaptainIzzy and his streaming community, we were able to reach our fundraising goal for the year. So instead of asking you to support us, we want to spread kindness by showcasing charities and causes that could use your help. If you’re looking to increase your charitable tax deduction (which is a max of $300 for most tax filers in the USA, and potentially more for those who itemize), here’s how you can use those dollars for good.
Our third spotlighted charity is WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization that promotes creativity, critical thinking and leadership skills to empower teen girls. To do so, the organization matches girls with women and nonbinary writers who mentor them from October through June and participate in workshops, panel discussions, and special events. Workshops and mentoring sessions explore poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, songwriting, journalism, screenwriting, playwriting, persuasive writing, journal writing, editing and more. All of these offerings are entirely free for WriteGirl members, and they provide all materials – ensuring that each girl has equal opportunity to participate.
Based in Los Angeles, but having moved to an entirely virtual format, WriteGirl serves over 500 girls per year. Amazingly, 100% of their participants are accepted to and attend college. Additionally, they publish anthologies of the girls’ work, which have collectively won over 80 book awards. WriteGirl was honored by First Lady Michelle Obama with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. Individual members have gone on to be youth delegates for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, produced web series and films, become Fulbright Scholars, work in public health and immigrant rights, and work in a variety of publications, museums, and philanthropic initiatives. By empowering girls, WriteGirl has been creating the next generation of literary leaders and changemakers.
Additionally, in August 2020, WriteGirl provided an update on their Action Plan, which has guided the past 20 years of their efforts. We were especially thrilled to see their statements prioritizing equity in all aspects of their organization and their stance in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. This plan includes engaging a DEI specialist who will work with their committee to analyze and improve the organization; providing professional development for all staff and volunteers focused on inclusion, equity, and racial justice; internally reviewing their recruitment, onboarding, professional development, and management practices to foster greater opportunities for people of color to join their organization; and seeking more people of color as mentors and teaching artists in their programs.
Though still based largely in Los Angeles, we look forward to seeing WriteGirl expand across the nation
You can donate money or blank notebooks to support WriteGirl. Click here to learn more.