#GivingTuesday in the fediverse: instance admins, mutual aid, 501(c)(3)s, and more

Giving Tuesday is a non-profit whose supporters include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Amazon's aws non-profits, Google.org ... I know, totally aligned with fedi's values, right? Oh well, it is what it is. At least in the US, many 501(c)(3) non-profits have campaigns focused on #GivingTuesday – and many employers will match gifts. Before we get to non-profits, though ...

Unlike corporate social networks, the fediverse is powered by people. So please keep the people here in mind a part of your giving, today and throughout the rest of the year. A few suggestions:

• If you're on an instance run by an individual or a coop, that's a great place to start!
• The #MutualAid hashtag is filled with people who rely on giving from the fediverse – and giving money directly to people in need has a huge impact
• Black-led instances like blackqueer.life, diaspora.im, and blacktwitter.io play an important role in the fediverse – and need support as well

That said, non-profits play a key role too. If you're looking to support a fediverse-related 501(c)(3) non-profit, IFTAS (Independent Federated Trust & Safety) supports volunteer moderators, community managers, and administrators with a moderator community, a library of resources, DSA Guide for the Fediverse, and tools like FediCheck. Erin Kissane (who, like me, is on IFTAS' advisory board) has a short thread with more.

As well as individual donations, IFTAS also appreciates (and recognizes!) supporting instances, so if your instance has a bit of money to spare, please encourage your admins to help improve safety on the fediverse!

Two other 501(c)(3)'s who consistently do great work and align with fedi's values

• MediaJustice challenges corporate media and big tech power in pursuit of racial justice
• Fight for the Future Education Fund is a group of artists, engineers, activists, and technologists fight for a future where technology is a force for liberation— not oppression.
• Spritely Institute, led by ActivityPub spec co-author Christine Lemmer-Webber, is building new foundations for the internet: safer, more decentralized and distributed, community-centric tech. See Christine's detailed #GivingTuesday thread for a lot more information.

And there's more to society than the fediverse and digital rights! Here are three other 501(c)(3)'s I'm supporting this year. If you've got the resources, please also consider supporting them – or similiar organizations in your area.

• Palmetto State Abortion Fund, a 100% volunteer run nonprofit that serves South Carolinians seeking abortion care
• Gender Justice League, a civil & human rights organization that focuses on elevating the rights of TwoSpirit, Trans, & Gender Diverse (2STGD) communities in Washington State & beyond
• REBUILD, a Darkness RISING program connecting formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted people of color with culturally competent therapists of color

Image credit

• Heart logos from Giving Tuesday's web site.
• Fediverse logo originally designed by @eudaimon and @drq in June 2018 and dedicated to the public domain. Stefan Bohacek's The history of the fediverse logo has more of the very interesting – and very fedi – background.