Support 8 Amazing Nonprofits Promoting Fitness in our Communities
We bring you our first Thankful Thursday of 2018, in celebration of eight women led nonprofits that directly benefit the overall health and wellness of young girls and families. We hope to inspire you as much we are by these women and the incredible work they do. Join us on Present and head over to the “Social Good” category to connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating to these nonprofits and others in your community.
Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative
Jennifer Smith, CEO
San Francisco, CA
BAWSI Girls is a free after-school fitness and confidence building program where female athletes inspire young girls to get active, believe in themselves and improve their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors about physical activity.
Their programs focus on 2nd to 5th grade girls at Title 1 eligible schools where about 70% of students receive free or reduced lunch. They focus on fun, physical activity to move the body and promote mindfulness. By building connection with a caring adult it also provides unconditional encouragement and models positive choices and an alternative path for life. This provides the students with a sense of belonging, feeling like a valued member of a positive group or community.
BAWSI believes in creating contributors out of each and every participant in the belief that her/his own actions, beliefs, and ideas matter. Positive recognition for expressing, sharing, and leading. This creates a sense of belonging, feeling like a valued member of a positive group or community.
To learn more about Bay Area based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
Women’s Sports Foundation
Billie Jean King, Founder
New York, New York
Tennis legend Billie Jean King, founded the Women’s Sports Foundation in dedication to creating leaders by ensuring all girls have access to sports. They provide financial fuel to aspiring champion athletes and fund ground breaking research. Their programs aim to fulfill the many needs of girls and women in sports, needs that are identified through expert, evidence-based foundation research. These programs help shape healthy bodies, minds and aspirations for success on the field, in classrooms, and in boardrooms across the country.
Their GoGirlGo!, program is their signature New York market however, it is available nationwide as a curriculum and sports education landmark for elementary, middle, and high school girls. This program aims to improve the health of sedentary girls and keeps girls involved in physical activity by supporting programs and organizations that work with girls. GoGirlGo! identifies and connects quality resources within each community to provide comprehensive support reaching over one million girls providing more than $5.6 million in funding to girl-serving organizations.
To learn more about NY based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
Girls Today, Women Tomorrow
Theresa Martinez, President
Los Angeles,CA
Girls Today, Women Tomorrow was founded as a small after school club for girls to address the lack of gender-specific programming for women in East LA, where teenage pregnancy and drop-out rates are extremely high. The founders saw a need for guidance from mentors to reach these girls so they could reach their goals. Their efforts to empower girls at the GTWT Community Empowerment Center serves as a place to prepare inner-city girls for achievement and leadership along with giving community members and families the skills to build a strong community.
Today, more than 200 local girls are served between the ages of 12–21. All activities operate on the foundation of four pillars; education, leadership, service, and wellness creating a path with opportunities for successful lives through contributing to the community as young leaders guided by mentors who are dedicated to expanding their horizons.
To learn more about LA based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
National Fitness Foundation
Jane Wargo, Program Director
Washington D.C.
When President Obama signed the “National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act”, The National Fitness Foundation was congressionally chartered as a private nonprofit on a mission to accelerate solutions that prepare children for a lifetime of health & fitness. Their staff and board represent the leading fitness and health professional practitioners, advocates, and researchers appointed by the President to educate, engage and empower all Americans to live a healthy lifestyle.
Studies show physical education is the best way to encourage students to be active. On average, American physical activity is getting worse with billions of dollars spent annually in healthcare costs associated to physical inactivity according to CDC guidelines. They believe physical activity does more than just burn calories, but improves overall wellbeing with higher test scores and productivity, improved mental health and esteem, creating lower healthcare costs and reduced life-threatening diseases.
They do this through a variety of programs including their signature initiative, the Presidential Youth Fitness Program which trains physical educators on how to empower students to be fit using high-quality PR resources at schools across the country.
To learn more about DC based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
Girls on the Run
Elizabeth Kunz — CEO
Seattle, WA
Girls on the Run inspires young girls to take charge of their lives and define the future on their terms without limits. By investing in each girl, they start by getting a better understanding of who she is and what’s important to her. They then, take this information and positively connect the girls with the role of teams and healthy relationships. They meet twice a week in small teams teaching life skills through fun, engaging lessons that celebrate the joy of movement. Curriculum is taught by trained coaches including three integral parts: understanding theirselves, valuing relationships, and teamwork creating healthy girls who can.
You can get involved by learning how to donate, become a coach, SoleMate, or running buddy. Coaches facilitate curriculum with smalls groups of girls over the course of 10–12 weeks. Running buddies lace up their sneakers to get active with the girls and squeeze that final energy forward before crossing the the finish line while walking, skipping, sprinting, or whatever she needs along the course. SoleMates are charity runners who raise money by running a marathon or 10K event donating essential funds that ensure councils are able to serve more girls each year.
To learn more about Seattle based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
KEEN Chicago
Ayana Geiger, Program Director
Chicago, IL
KEEN Chicago is dedicated to its mission of providing recreation activities to KEEN athletes and their families through its services; entirely free of charge. In order to do so, we rely upon the generosity of our donors: corporations, foundations, and individuals in our community. They empower youth with disabilities by providing free, non-competitive one-to-one programs of exercise, fitness and fun, led by volunteer coaches. Their programs create confidence, self-esteem and strengthen communities through education and provide families with respite and a supportive network.
Their programs are based on pairing a trained volunteer one-to-one with an athlete facing significant challenges to have fun and be successful in an open and supportive environment. They start with a group warm up, and then break into individual sessions tailored solely to the needs of the athlete, in the morning and afternoons at multiple locations in the Chicagoland Area.
To learn more about Chicago based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
Skate Like a Girl
Jamie Brown, Instructor
Portland, OR
Skate Like A Girl is a direct way to make a meaningful impact in the lives of youth in the PDX area by empowering women and girls through skateboarding and creating an inclusive skateboarding community. Skateboarding is fun for the girls and pushes their boundaries of what we thought was or wasn’t possible. They believe skateboarding with women provides an environment that is conducive to learning, fostering friendships, building confidence, and learning the rewards of practice through patience. They are predominantly funded by our immediate community with grants, direct clinic donations, and community partnerships that fuel the organization.
Women and girls who learn how to skateboard learn more than just how to balance; girls who skateboard learn to push their own personal boundaries, test their capabilities and in the process, teach and encourage others.
It has been proven that their program attributes rewards outside of the skatepark and directly into the immediate community. Girls and women who believe in themselves are more likely to raise their hand in the classroom, advocate for themselves in the workplace, and attract the company of those who respect them.
To learn more about PDX based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
Lift for Life Gym
Lauren Sauer, Development Manager
St. Louis, MO
The beginnings of a simple weightlifting program grew over the years into a full service after-school youth activity center offering services that are designed to alleviate the burden of poverty and build a sense of resiliency that will help them achieve success personally, academically, and professionally. Lift For Life Gym now serves over 440 youth each year and provides over 30 different programs.
They offer daily transportation between the gym and members homes along with summer camps, social activities, college guidance counseling, community garden, and a teen transition program.
To get involved you can volunteer as a coach, or mentor. You can also donate funds, athletic wear, bottled water & sports drinks, birthday gift cards, equipment, and personal hygiene essentials.
To learn more about St. Louis based nonprofits join the “Volunteer With Me” circle on Present and connect with other women interested in volunteering or donating in the Social Good section of the Present.
