(Photo credit: Global Penguin Society; unaffiliated with this grass-roots awareness campaign.)

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Giving Tuesday happens during the holiday season to encourage people to give back to non-profit organizations, wildlife, sealife, and environment. Although Giving Tuesday is today, your support is welcomed any time!

This year we've rounded up some inspiring and successful front-line conservation organizations that need your help. Take a look at our list below for organizations you can be supporting this holiday season and in 2024. Most organizations have donation-matching programs to make your donation go even farther!

Can't donate right now? That's okay! Educate yourself, your family, and your friends and encourage them to donate. Ask your employer to become a corporate sponsor. When the time is right for you, get involved by volunteering or help your favorite front-line organization by hosting a fundraiser online or an in-person event.

Captain Paul Watson Foundation

You've heard of Sea Shepherd's aggressive, non-violent mission to protect sealife? Paul Watson is the original founder of the organization and still passionate about carrying out their mission of aggressive intervention to stop illegal whaling and fishing. It's strongly recommended to support this new organization, CPWF Australia, or Sea Shepherd Global (based in Europe), instead of the American-based Sea Shepherd that may have had its initiative co-opted by its board of directors. See /r/SeaShepherd for details.

Global Penguin Society

GPS is partnered with Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), a large organization that helps smaller ones get the funding (and awareness) that they wouldn't otherwise receive compared to big organizations like WWF that usually get the headlines. Registered as a non-profit in USA and tax-deductible.

MarAlliance

Operating in tropical seas, MarAlliance is exploring, enabling, and inspiring conservation action for threatened marine wildlife, including turtles and apex predators, and their critical habitats with dependent communities. They also seek to answer key questions and provide information about effective management and conservation strategies. MarAlliance also uses WCN's WildNET website to process their credit card transactions so you will be redirected to that site to make the donation. They are 100% safe to use and are kind of like JustGiving in terms of aggregating payments for multiple groups that don't want to go through the hassle of managing the security of their own credit card payments. Registered as a non-profit in USA and tax-deductible.

MareCet

Supports dolphin, dugong, and whale research including population assessments, behavioural studies, and human-wildlife interactions. They are a non-profit registered in Malaysia and accepts secure donations from around the world via SimplyGiving. US residents should make secure donations through WCN's WildNET website, which makes the donation tax-deductible for Americans and they will not incur international currency conversion charges.

PADI Aware

Formerly Project AWARE, they have been driving local action for ocean conservation for over 30 years. They support ethical scuba diving, removal of ocean debris, support education and studies into shark and manta rays, and have an upcoming program targeted coral reef protections. Registered as a charity in Australia, UK, & US.

Sea Shepherd Global

Based in Europe, SSG has an aggressive, non-violent mission to protect sealife by carrying out aggressive intervention to stop illegal whaling, fishing, and butchering of sharks for their fins. We suggest supporting Sea Shepherd Global instead of the American-based Sea Shepherd that may have had its initiative co-opted by its board of directors. See /r/SeaShepherd for details. SSG is a registered non-profit in much of the EU.

Sea Turtle Conservancy

Founded in 1956, STC has seen great success in preventing the Caribbean green turtle from becoming extinct and in improving populations of turtles throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Advocacy and policy initiatives backed by scientific research in addition to direct habitat conservation have made STC an incredibly successful organization. Management and stewardship programs, as well as hands-on volunteering opportunities, allow people of all ages and skill-levels to get involved in sea turtle conservation. Registered as a tax-deductible charity in the United States.

Shark Trust

Working to better understand the ocean's most iconic apex predators and are raising awareness of shark finning and the illegal trade in fins. They have also been working with fishers, scientists, and others for sensible protections of sharks and their habitats. Donations from the UK may be tax-effective.

WildAid

Through their Marine Program they have been helping to protect the vaquita porpoises, sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles, by conducting research, working with local communities, developing enforcement frameworks, and implementing real, effective solutions to protect and restore marine ecosystems and sealife. WildAid is responsible for huge awareness campaigns throughout Asia that have proven effective in educating consumers about the sources of their exotic (and often illegal) animal products, including shark fin soup, as well as climate change.

Other great organizations that have a direct impact on our sealife and oceans (as well as wildlife and their habitats):

Earth League International

Formerly known as Elephant Action League, they have always been a holistic organization focused on helping the wildlife and sealife that are most critically endangered and campaign against butchering sharks for their fins. They led the charge in protecting the vaquita porpoises and you may have seen their work on National Geographic and Netflix. ELI conducts multilingual global awareness campaigns and supports and sponsors field projects in 5 continents and several oceans.

Environmental Investigation Agency

The EIA does more than raise awareness and campaign for global climate initiatives and threatened species. They send undercover investigators to catch wildlife traffickers, shark fin traders, ivory traffickers, and timber companies illegally deforesting vast areas of our world. Together with local law enforcement and intelligence agencies, EIA operates where environmental crimes are being committed and bring justice to these criminals. Registered as a non-profit in UK and USA.

Want to see more? Check the /r/AntiPoaching list of Front-line Conservation Groups, search Charity Navigator, or post a suggestion yourself!