Opinion

Ralph Nader: Favorites for charitable giving

Here are some of my favorite, frugal, effective nonprofit citizen action organizations that you may wish to favor with your tax-deductible generosity.

1. Veterans For Peace: Composed of veterans from World War II to the present, VFP takes strong stands, including peaceful demonstrations and marches, for peace and against a militarized, aggressive foreign policy and wars of choice.

2. Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility: PEER’s staff is knowledgeable, organized and relentless in protecting federal employees’ right to bring their conscience to work and speak out against unlawful or reckless devastation of our environmental resources and health.

3. Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest: This group works tirelessly to find solutions in one of the poorest regions of America through the application of practical science. They teach how to preserve forests, protect drinking water sources, how to cook without electricity or gas, how to grow their own food.

4. The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance opposes the nuclear arms race, seeks enforceable treaties abolishing nuclear weapons and monitors government arms contracts, radiation hazards and facilities.

5. The Pension Rights Center, the only national civic organization dedicated to reforming pension policies, unfair regulations and protecting and promoting retirement security.

6. The North American Students of Cooperation works to start and expand consumer and housing cooperatives, especially for young people in colleges and universities.

7. Organization for Competitive Markets OCM is a ferocious, detail-oriented champion of small family farms in our country against giant agribusinesses squeezing farmers from both the supplying and buying their crops.

8. The Center for Auto Safety: Without this watchdog group holding accountable the auto industry and its federal regulators, tens of millions of cars would not have been recalled over the past four decades.

9. The Indian Law Resource Center, generates justice and safety for Indigenous Peoples. The center seems to be everywhere, protecting American Indian and Alaska Native families.

10. Whirlwind Wheelchair helps people in less developed countries construct sturdy, inexpensive wheelchairs from local materials, building self-reliance and addressing the critical needs of safe mobility.

Consider these organizations’ selfless work, in the age of Wall Street profit-glutted greed, and support their activities for the New Year.

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, former presidential candidate and Connecticut native.