Cape Cod Charities Supporting A Wide Range of Causes

As you’re getting into the holiday spirit this season, consider making it a season of giving. Cape Cod charities need your help this season to help them with their important work. The Cape and the Islands have a wide variety of charitable organizations working to make life on the Cape better for a number of groups.There are groups working to make life better for people living on the Cape and Islands, from groups working on food security and food assistance, to those working on housing and early childhood education.

Many Cape Cod charities are working to support the arts and culture on Cape Cod and the Islands, with museums, art centers, and more. Still more Cape Cod charities are working to protect the Cape and Islands’ environment, from land conservation to research, to rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife, to educating the public about the environment.

Cape Cod Charities: The Perfect Gift

There’s always someone on your gifting list that doesn’t seem to want any more stuff! They’ve gone all in on Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or they live on a boat, or in a small apartment, or just don’t love the whole material focus of the season. Making a donation in someone’s name to a Cape Cod charity they care about can be the perfect solution to this conundrum. Gifts to Cape Cod charities can show just how well you know that person, and is a meaningful way to do good, supporting a cause they care about.

Cape Cod Charities

So, if you’re sold on giving a donation to one of the Cape Cod charities as a gift, or simply want to support one of the groups yourself as a way of giving back and spreading the holiday spirit, let’s take a look at some of the Cape Cod charities that would appreciate your support.

Cape Cod Charities Working to Help People

Lots of groups on Cape Cod and the Islands are working to help make life better for people living on the Cape and Islands. Many are working to be sure that folks, including children, have enough to eat. Others are working to serve the community by providing programs and opportunities for children, seniors, those with disabilities, and more.

The Cape Cod Coalition for Children works to provide free early childhood education through play groups, as well as a range of parenting classes, support groups, and community resources.  Read more from our spotlight on them from June here.

Cape Kid Meals works to provide elementary aged students meals to take home on weekends and vacations to supplement the food they are provided at school. A donation of $150 will provide a child with meals every weekday of the school year. Cape Kid Meals is open to donations, volunteer support, and other funding assistance.

The Cape and Islands offer a number of food pantry organizations providing food to those in need of assistance. These groups often accept donations of funds, food, and volunteer help.

The Cape Cod Hunger Network is a growing coalition of organizations working to relieve hunger on the Cape. Their site provides a comprehensive listing of Food Pantry groups on the Cape and Islands including pantries serving the entirety of the Cape such as: The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, Calvary Baptist Church Pantry, Cape Cod and the Islands Veterans Outreach, Elder Services of Cape Cod, Independence House, Local/Lunch and Dinner, Salvation Army Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, and the Yarmouth Food Pantry. They also provide a listing of food pantries by town.

Cape Abilities works to serve people with disabilities on Cape Cod by offering a number of programs and services. They offer education, counseling, and residential, therapeutic, social ,and employment support. They also run a farm, thrift shop, and farm market.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands provides youth mentorship to support young people on Cape Cod and the Islands.

Housing Assistance Corporation Cape Cod aims to help folks find affordable year-round housing on Cape Cod and the Islands, providing a number of resources and services.

Homeless Not Hopeless works to advocate for the needs of the homeless community, providing shelter and training for individuals experiencing homelessness.

The Cape Cod Center for Women provides emergency shelter for women and children fleeing domestic abuse on the Cape and Islands.

Community Connections is working to provide opportunities for inclusion for people with disabilities.

The Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and the Islands provides services and resources for low-income folks.

Good Grief Cape Cod works to help children and families cope with death.

Cape Cod Charities Supporting Art & Culture

Many nonprofit groups on the Cape & Islands are working to support the arts. Still more are working to educate visitors about a wide range of topics on the Cape and Islands by running museums, from maritime history to the history of the Wampanoags in the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum. For a list of museums on the Cape and Islands, visit the “Activities” dropdown menu on the website homepage.

The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod aims to support, promote, and celebrate arts and culture on Cape Cod and the Islands.

The Cotuit Center for the Arts provides performances, classes, and exhibits covering a wide range of mediums, techniques, and instruction. Stop by for a show, take a class, or stroll through their gallery.

For more organizations supporting intellectual and creative pursuits on the Cape and Islands look no further than the local libraries and historical societies in your town. They often offer resources and programming that enriches Cape Cod communities.

Cape Cod Charities Focused on the Environment & Animals

Lots of Cape Cod charities work to preserve the natural environment, protect wildlife, and to help animals. Land trusts work to keep natural outdoor spaces protected from development, and many offers great trails that are a joy to explore. Many groups work to rescue, rehabilitate, and release marine animals that are injured or cold stunned on the Cape. These groups need financial as well as volunteer support. Still other groups are working to research the natural world, protect the Cape from the changing climate, and mitigate the impacts of pollution on the Cape. There are also a number of Cape Cod charities working to help stray animals, and to facilitate pet adoption.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare works to protect wildlife around the globe.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is on the cutting edge of marine science and is based right here on the Cape!

The Woodwell Climate Research Center in Falmouth works to understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change globally.

The Association to Preserve Cape Cod focuses on environmental issues including climate change, water quality, cyanobacteria monitoring, sustainability, and habitat protection.

Wild Care Cape Cod works to support wildlife through habitat restoration and enrichment, and by rescuing wildlife.

The Center for Coastal Studies aims to understand, preserve, and protect marine and coastal ecosystems. They focus on applied research, education, and public policy initiatives.

The Trustees of Reservations protects and manages a number of lands in trust across the Cape and Islands. They offer trails, gardens, and more on their properties.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy works to study and inform the public about white sharks in the waters around Cape Cod and the Islands.

CARE for the Cape and Islands aims to inspire stewardship of the Cape and Islands’ natural, cultural, and historic treasures.

Other Ways to Support Cape Cod Charities

If making a financial contribution isn’t in the cards this year, there are other ways you can help Cape Cod charities beyond your checkbook. Many groups accept donations of food or other needed supplies. Others could use your help volunteering! Some groups run thrift stores to support their work, and you can shop there to help support the organization. Spreading the word about these Cape Cod charities and why you think the work they do is important is also valuable.

Shop Local

After you’ve contributed to some of the non-profit organizations as part of your holiday checklist, be sure to support some of the great small businesses, artists, and craftspeople on the Cape and Islands. Not only will you avoid any supply chain shipping woes, but you can also feel good about shopping locally this holiday season. This is an exciting time of year to visit craft fairs and to pick up a unique and handmade item for everyone on your list! If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly way to shop, be sure to check out the new retail location of Green Road Refill! Lots of local artisans, businesses, and more offer unique and perfect holiday gifts.