If you need to donate some money before the end of the year, consider giving it to one of these fine organizations supporting skateboarders by promoting skateparks and skateboarding. Follow the links below and click on their donate button. You can give the government everything you owe, or you can direct a portion of what you owe to your favorite skate advocacy organization and reap the tax benefits. You might also check if your employer has a gift matching program.
Skaters for Portland Skateparks
Tony Hawk Foundation
Complete Skate
Benton County Skateboarding Alliance
Grind for Life
Skatistan
Skaters for Public Skateparks
Marginal Way Skatepark
Board Rescue
Colorado Coalition for Public Skateparks
Descriptions of the organizations after the jump.
Skaters for Portland Skateparks advocates for free public skateparks in Portland, Oregon. The folks who brought you Pier Park skatepark and Portland’s 19 skatepark plan.
Tony Hawk Foundation supports recreational programs with a focus on the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income communities through special events, grants, and technical assistance.
Complete Skate is a school-based program that keeps kids connected to school through skateboarding.
Benton County Skateboarding Alliance partnering with all levels of the community and governmental agencies to provide safe, clean and respectful environments for skateboarding in Benton County (Corvallis), Oregon.
Grind for Life provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families when traveling long distances to doctors and hospitals. In addition, they educate and inspire these patients and families concerning cancer survival and recovery.
Skatistan is a co-educational skateboarding school in Afghanistan engaging urban and internally-displaced youth in Afghanistan through skateboarding, and provides them with new opportunities in cross-cultural interaction, education, and personal empowerment programs.
Skaters for Public Skateparks provides a forum for sharing techniques, materials, data, and principles to advocates for public skateparks.
Marginal Way Skatepark is a skater-built skatepark project in Seattle Washington.
8 comments
tobin_dave@hotmail.com
Dont forget SK8TOPIA.ORG !
Tom Miller
Good call, Mark. An anecdote on the employer match opportunity:
In years past, a Portland skater employed by a large tech company has made terrific employer-matched contributions to Skaters for Portland Skateparks. Super easy for him, very important for the non-profit organization. If you’re fortunate enough to be employed these days, and even more fortunate to have an employer that matches your charitable giving, this is a great opportunity to stretch your dollars away from the federal government and towards your preferred cause.
Gary Holl
Hey don’t forget about us…
Board Rescue
we provide skateboards and safety equipment to underprivileged and/or at risk youth.
thanks!
gene
Very nice post, MC. It’s that time of year and I’ve always had reservations donating to organizations I wasn’t familiar with, especially big organizations.
Estes' Ghost
What about a S&A Kilwag Retirement Fund?
conahan
Please add your organization via comments. Makes sense to support your local scene. I fixed the BCSA description, thanks.
CCPS
For those in Colorado, please don’t forget about CCPS – http://coloradoskateparks.org
CCPS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization run by Colorado skaters, and its mission is to promote and help facilitate quality and free skateparks throughout Colorado.
BCSA Admin
Thanks MC, the Benton County Skateboarding Alliance is based in Corvallis though. Our work may have inspired another up and coming organization in Salem (check them out at http://oregonskatersunite.ning.com/) but I do not think they are an official tax exempt non profit organization yet.