Last Minute Giving: Organizations Helping To End Energy Poverty Now

One of the greatest gifts we can give is to help end poverty around the world: a challenge of overwhelming dimensions. But a crucial step is access to energy. I've provided links below to 25 organizations which are working to end energy poverty now. They can all benefit from your help and generosity.

Imagine life without electricity, heat, refrigeration, adequate lighting and cooking facilities, air conditioning, modern transportation and health care, clean and safe water. When we are faced with these conditions for even a few days or a week following a natural disaster it creates a crisis we speak of for years. Yet this is the life billions live every day. When people don't have access to energy to begin with the challenge to move up from a life of poverty is all consuming.

More than a billion people still have no access to electricity. And almost three billion people still rely on biomass, wood, charcoal and dung for cooking, with disastrous health consequences. One in six people lack access to clean drinking water.

What can we do to help end poverty around the world? Access to energy is essential. Traditionally, much of the resource, service provision, investment and technology to address energy poverty is driven by government policy / funding and corporate, institutional and financial sector investment. Large-scale global initiatives are essential and may indeed over time help bring greater focus and funds at a national and regional scale to those in greatest need of access to energy. But as individuals we can each make our own contribution, now.

The list is certainly not all inclusive nor intended to be a specific endorsement, but is a good and reasonably efficient starting point. I hope you find it useful and welcome your additions and ideas - simply adding your favorite organization as a comment to this blog would be the best way to get information into the hands of people who want to help. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Select Non-Profit Organizations, Foundations, Funds and Institutions Helping to End Energy Poverty

Acumen
Borgen Project
CARE
Energy for All  
Engineers without Borders 
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Grid Alternatives
ImpactCarbon
Innovation: Africa
Light Foundation
ONE
Practical Action
Pritzker Innovation Fund
SolarAid

Solar Electric Light Fund
Solar Sister
STG International
UNICEF
Unite to Light
United Nations Foundation
US Aid 

WaterAid America
AidFor Africa
OXFAM
The Breakthrough Institute