Philanthropy - Michael T. Roberts

The following are organizations that I think do great work, and which I choose to support with my time (when possible) and money (however modestly!).

AmeriCares

www.americares.org: These folks do amazing work with disaster relief, and regularly receive top ratings from Charity Navigator. A great place to support when something horribles happens (doesn't it always?) and you think, "What can I do?" I also have a soft spot for them because they used to be located in my hometown of New Canaan, CT (and are currently in the next town over).

www.sfspca.org: I volunteered weekly at "Maddie's," the SF-SPCA's primary shelter, for three years, matching adopters with new pets and spending time with the cats. The cushiest volunteer job ever! This is a great place to adopt or volunteer.

www.savesfbay.org: In addition to my normal membership, for a few years I also volunteered at their wetlands restoration site at the MLK Shoreline near the Oakland Airport, tearing out exotic plants and replacing them with natives. A very satisfying way to help take care of Mama Earth.

www.olc.edu: I've had a deep interest in the Lakota people since taking a class on Native American religion at Dartmouth. In the summer of 2007 I finally visited the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, spending a week volunteering with a community organization there. On that trip I visited OLC, and was very impressed by the work they do bringing affordable education to the Lakota community. This place is an oasis of learning and opportunity in a community that has unfortunately had more than its share of hard times.

www.sierraclub.org: I'm not a fan of the lobbyist culture in Washington, and that's a large part of what the Sierra Club does, but they do play a crucial role in organizing and educating the public on important environmental issues. Their magazine and local newsletter help keep me in the loop.

www.bestfriends.org: My wife likes to make fun of me for reading their magazine (it's hilarious), but this organization does do truly amazing work sheltering an enormous menagerie of homeless animals at their ranch in Utah. Every time some sort of disaster happens (Hurricane Katrina, the Israel/Lebanon war, the Michael Vick dogfighting ring), they always seem to at the forefront of the animal rescue. I'm not sure how they do it (they must have a lot of space there), but I'm glad to support it.

www.famsf.org: Umbrella organization for the magnificent De Young and Legion of Honor museums in San Francisco. Aesthetic delights aplenty!

www.asianart.org: One of the great joys of Bay Area living; few other American cities could support such a stupendous institution dedicated solely to Asian art!