Our Marin Gives Back annual feature always ranks high among our most read stories of the year — and for good reason. Marin’s nonprofits make a real difference in our community, by helping children, seniors, the homeless, families, animals, the environment and so much more.
We asked our local nonprofits how they could benefit from contributions during the holiday season, and here’s what they had to say on how donations ranging from $50 to $10,000 would enable them to help others.
Now it’s your turn. Take a look at our list to see how you can help spread hope and goodwill this season by making a contribution to one or a few of these incredible organizations benefitting families in our community.
Canal Alliance
Canal Alliance empowers immigrants facing limited resources and unfamiliar surroundings, helping them achieve their dreams and build a Marin where everyone can thrive.
Photo courtesy of
$50
Provides transportation or a gas card.
$100
Provides holiday gift cards for four afterschool program participants.
$250
Covers the cost of college textbooks for a student enrolled in the College 2 Career Youth Education Program.
$500
Covers the cost of the annual immigration fees for five youth clients.
$1,000
Funds three months of snacks for 95 students in youth afterschool programs.
$2,500
Covers the cost for transportation and meals for 30 students to participate in a college visit.
$5,000
Funds 14 Chromebooks for daily use by youth or adult students.
$10,000
Funds six months of stipends for community members to participate in leadership development and community planning initiatives.
Ceres Community Project
Ceres Community Project promotes health for people, communities and the planet through love, healing food and by empowering the next generation.
Photo credit Melissa Hough
$50
Provides three organic, medically tailored meals for a Ceres client facing a serious illness.
$100
Funds one week of meals for a low-income client with serious health challenges.
$250
Nourishes one client and a family member for over a week, during a time when they lack the energy to shop or cook while managing their health.
$500
Provides one month of nutritious, 100% organic meals—prepared with love by our Teen Chefs and Gardeners—and delivered directly to the client’s door.
$1,000
Supports two clients with five weeks of medically tailored meals, while also funding 12 weeks of mentoring for a Teen Chef in our youth development program.
Gilead House
Gilead House has been a haven of hope for unsheltered mothers and their children for 25 years. More than a shelter, it serves as a lifeline, providing temporary housing and essential life skills that help families achieve financial stability, lasting independence and permanent housing. Many residents have experienced domestic violence, making the safety and support Gilead House offers not just meaningful but vital. Its mission is to inspire hope and empower single moms and their children to navigate the journey to self-reliance with confidence and dignity.
Photo courtesy of Gilead House
$50
Provides essential school supplies for kids.
$100
Funds nutrition classes for single moms.
$250
Supports specialized art classes for kids during holiday breaks.
$500
Covers bus passes or ride-share credits for six families to attend school, job interviews or medical appointments.
$1,000
Covers bus passes or ride-share credits for six families to attend school, job interviews or medical appointments.
$2,500
Helps pay for car repairs or licensing fees to help restore access to a family-owned vehicle.
$5,000
Provides several months of essential prescription medications for chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes or mental health.
$10,000
Enrolls a family in group support programs such as parenting classes, grief counseling or domestic violence recovery.
Lifehouse
Lifehouse supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in leading full lives.
Photo credit Jennifer Hudson
$50
Provides someone in need with essential personal grooming items for an entire month. These are everyday items many of us take for granted, yet they make a world of difference—helping someone feel confident, healthy and ready to engage with their community.
$100
Provides one teen or young adult in the RecLife program with a week of activities that build confidence, independence and lasting connections. More than just recreation, RecLife is a vital resource that helps young people develop social skills, form meaningful friendships and engage more fully in their communities.
$250
Provides one individual with developmental disabilities a week’s worth of groceries. Nutritious meals nourish the body, support overall health and bring peace of mind.
$500
Funds life skills training—such as cooking, budgeting, cleaning and personal care—for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Make It Home
Make It Home helps Bay Area families and individuals transitioning out of crisis by recycling, repurposing and curating gently used donated furnishings to transform empty spaces into homes. Its vision is to end furniture poverty while protecting the environment.
Photo credit Susan Brennan
$50
Purchases a kitchen kit with everything a family needs to cook and share meals, creating opportunities for quality time together.
$100
Provides bedding for a queen bed or two twin beds, with new pillows and cozy, curated bedding for each family.
$250
Purchases a new mattress and bed frame, giving someone a comfortable and personal space to call their own.
$500
Covers moving expenses to deliver new furniture and home essentials.
$1,000
Moves in a family with everything they need: furniture, kitchen and cleaning kits, bathroom essentials, and bedding.
$2,500
Purchases 10 brand-new mattresses, giving 10 people their own bed—often for the first time—and a comfortable place to rest.
$5,000
Covers moving expenses for 10 families, easing the burden on partner organizations and allowing them to help more people.
$10,000
Fully moves in 10 families, impacting the lives of 30+ people from all walks of life. Provides safe, stable homes for foster youth, domestic violence survivors, and those transitioning out of homelessness.
Marin Foster Care Association
Marin Foster Care Association provides support, services, and resources for foster children and their caregivers.
Photo credit Joanna Stott
$50
Provides diapers and wipes for a parent caring for a newborn placement.
$100
Provides four new sets of cozy warm pajamas for foster youth this winter.
$250
Provides a new car seat or stroller for a foster parent with a toddler.
$500
Enables a foster child to attend summer camp or cover dues and equipment costs for a foster child to play a new sport.
$1,000
Provides ‘welcome home’ baskets of basic household goods—such as laundry detergent, a broom, cleaning supplies and trash bags—for four transition-age foster youth moving into independent housing.
$2,500
Helps fund Opportunity Project grants for five foster youth, which may include a musical instrument for a budding musician, a Chromebook or tablet for school, a prom dress or a sports uniform.
$5,000
Supports the Say ‘Yes’ Fund, which helps offset or cover the costs of obstacles to saying ‘Yes’ to a foster child. Examples include repairing a lift for an ADA-compliant vehicle, replacing a faulty water heater or air conditioner, purchasing new kitchen appliances or buying mattresses for a new resource parent.
$10,000
Enables the organization to serve 10 additional resource parents in the Fostering Interconnection Through Therapy (FITT) program by providing one-on-one counseling sessions that offer proactive strategies and coping tools to improve daily functioning and strengthen security at home.
Sparkle Foundation
The Sparkle Foundation’s mission is to ensure that single mothers and children have a sparkle in their eyes. The foundation supports women, who often hesitate to ask for help, and children, who are too often victims of circumstance.
Photo credit Lisa Fuentes
$50
Provides essential items for one child, including an outfit, socks, undergarments, toiletries, and a shirt.
$100
Adds small comforts to the necessities for one child, such as toys, books, bedding, sporting goods and additional clothing.
$250
Supports one child with basic necessities over the holidays, including groceries, pants, shoes, books, toys, housewares and toiletries.
$500
Provides a memorable holiday experience for a single mother and her child, complete with a holiday dinner, toys, books, a bicycle, kitchen supplies, towels and more.
$1,000
Help cover costs to expand a single mom’s business, which will provide her not only with financial stability, but also a sense of pride and self-sufficiency.
$2,500
Helps cover the costs of expanding a single mother’s business, providing her with greater financial stability as well as a sense of pride and self-sufficiency.
$5,000
In 2025, the organization’s goal is to bring holiday magic to the homes of 100 single mothers and their children—families who might not otherwise experience the season. It aims to put a sparkle in their eyes and joy in their hearts. A donation of $5,000 will help bring that magic to five families.
To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation
To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation is a volunteer-based organization whose mission is to raise money and award grants to Bay Area nonprofits that provide critical emergency and direct services to underserved breast cancer patients.
Photo credit Kim Wimer
$50
Covers the cost of one of the following: one week of nutritious, delivered meals for a breast cancer patient or round-trip transportation to chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
$100
Provides one of the following: payment for a monthly PG&E bill, two weeks of meals or groceries or two round-trip rides to chemotherapy or radiation treatment for a breast cancer patient.
$250
Grants one of the following: a month of groceries, a week of round-trip transportation to daily radiation treatments or two months of utility bills for a breast cancer patient.
$500
Covers the cost of one of the following: a 3D mammogram and breast ultrasound for an uninsured patient, two weeks of round-trip transportation to daily radiation treatments, two months of groceries or nearly one month of delivered meals for a mother and her children during breast cancer treatment.
$1,000
Provides one of the following: 3D mammograms for five uninsured patients, four months of groceries, two months of delivered meals, three diagnostic mammograms, one month of daily round-trip transportation to radiation or payment of overdue utility bills for a breast cancer patient in treatment.
$2,500
Grants one of the following: a breast biopsy for an uninsured patient, two months of groceries for five patients, one month of rent or over three months of healthy meal deliveries for a single mother and her children in treatment.
$5,000
Covers the cost of one of the following: nearly two months of rent for a single mother in treatment, two months of groceries for 10 patients and their families or one month of healthy meals for 50 breast cancer patients.
$10,000
Funds one of the following: 50 uninsured patients to receive 3D mammograms, covers 29 diagnostic mammograms for early treatment or nearly two months of rent for two breast cancer patients and their families.
Wednesday’s Gift
Wednesday’s Gift is an all-volunteer-run organization with a mission to provide basic necessities to Marin County residents on a one-time basis, without delay.
Photo courtesy of Wednesday’s Gift
$50-$10,000
Donations—from $50 to $10,000—directly fund groceries, utility bills, vehicle repairs, medical needs and other essentials. Each request arrives by email or phone, and each response, made possible by donors, makes a meaningful impact in the community.
West Marin Housing Collaborative
The West Marin Housing Collaborative includes three local community land trusts, partner nonprofits providing supportive services and a small community foundation that work together on projects and fundraising to address the displacement of 70 families due to court-mandated ranch closures in West Marin.
Photo credit
$100
Supports a pathway to stable housing for local families and residents.
$250
Helps us partner with local organizations to provide supportive services.
$1,000
Provides relocation support to a family at risk of displacement.
$2,500
Supports property management for permanent affordable housing units.
$10,000
Keeps a local family living and working in the community and their children enrolled in West Marin schools.
