The Respite Association: Caring for Carers

Based in Lincolnshire, England, The Respite Association provides care for caregivers. The charity was founded in May 2001 when a group of people with firsthand experience of the stress put on carers realized that there was very little support available for individuals caring for loved ones. Being “on duty” 24/7 without any breaks can be overwhelming, and that small but determined group decided that the best way to help carers was to start an organization whose sole mission was to provide respite for them.

Since then, The Respite Association has helped countless caregivers take a much needed break by funding qualified care for their loved ones. The Respite Association has helped a woman in North Yorkshire caring for her tetraplegic husband and elderly mother, a mother in Stockton-on-Tees caring for her daughter who has autism, a married couple in Cleveland caring for their son who has Down syndrome, and many more.

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation: Planting Fruit Trees for the Benefit of All

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) is an award-winning, international non-profit organization dedicated to planting fruit trees and plants to improve the health of the environment, alleviate world hunger, combat global warming, and strengthen communities. The primary mission of FTPF is to plant and help others plant a collective total of 18 billion organic fruit trees worldwide to benefit the planet and all its inhabitants. The charity leads a variety of planting programs as well as offers resources and support to anyone interested in planting edible fruitful trees and plants. FTPF's programs are aimed at enriching the environment, providing food sources for wild and rescued animals, and enhancing human health. FTPF also secures land throughout the globe with the intention of restoring native plant ecosystems with fruit trees and plants that benefit the surrounding soil, water, air, and wild animals.

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's programs strategically donate orchards where the harvest will best serve communities for many generations, at places like city parks, public schools, international hunger relief sites, low-income neighborhoods, animal sanctuaries, and Native American reservations. FTPF members and supporters share a love for fruit trees, respect for nature, and a desire to build a harmonious relationship between humans and plants, animals, and the environment. The charity envisions a self-sustaining world where people can enjoy their lunch break or have a picnic anywhere and just pick and eat the healthy, delicious fruits growing overhead.

Fruit trees clean the air, prevent erosion, improve soil quality, sustain water sources, create animal habitat, and provide healthy nutrition. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's programs benefit humans, animals, and the environment all at once. Its work has influenced households, corporations, and governments to plant more fruit trees. A featured partner in the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign, FTPF has been covered by The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The New York Times, The Today Show, and more.

A Plan for the World's Underprivileged Children

One of the largest and oldest children's development organizations in the world, Plan promotes children's rights and helps millions of kids get out of poverty. The non-profit works in 50 developing nations across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, aiming to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged children. In 2013, Plan reached 78 million kids in over 90,200 communities.

Plan is a child-centered community development organization that not only works with children but also with their families, communities, organizations, and local governments. Plan believes that its programs are more like to succeed and be sustainable when children and adults work together as part of the change process. The organization's approach includes listening to what kids have to say about their rights and concerns and giving them the encouragement and assistance they need to actively find solutions to their problems and realize their full potential.

Plan's work, which is connected to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, focuses on eight core areas: education, health, economic security, protection, water and sanitation, child participation, sexual health, and emergencies.

Plan was founded in 1937 by journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge as Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain. The organization's original goal was to provide food, accommodation, and education to kids whose lives had been affected by the Spanish Civil War. During World War II, Plan helped displaced children from all over Europe. It gradually moved out of European nations as they recovered and subsequently launched new programs in less developed countries.

Plan has offices in 21 countries around the world, including the UK (international headquarters), Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Norway, Colombia, South Korea, Spain, and Finland. The Plan team is currently led by CEO Nigel Chapman, who previously served as the director of BBC World Service.

ACLD: Individuals With Developmental Disabilities Can Lead Enviable Lives

Based in Bethpage, New York, Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities (ACLD) is a non-profit agency dedicated to serving the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Founded in 1957 by a group of families whose children had developmental challenges, ACLD helps children, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities to increase their independence, improve the quality of their lives, and pursue enviable lives. The organization carries out its mission by assisting individuals with developmental conditions to make meaningful choices, create significant relationships, and lead productive and healthy lives. ACLD also works closely with families to ensure that kids and adults with developmental difficulties are always supported.

ACLD has more than 1,000 staff members across 70 program sites in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The agency's broad range of services include day habilitation, supported employment, early childhood services, recreation programs, family support services, evaluation and training, medical and behavioral health services, and Medicaid service coordination.

The March of Dimes: Helping Families Have Healthy Babies

Headquartered in White Plains, New York, the March of Dimes is dedicated to helping mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. The non-profit organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to combat polio, which he struggled with personally. With the disease on the rise at that time, the foundation launched a polio patient aid program and funded research for vaccines, which effectively ended the epidemic in the US.

After accomplishing its original mission, the March of Dimes shifted its focus to preventing infant mortality and birth defects. Since then, the organization has led the way to promote newborn screening, discover the genetic causes of birth defects, and educate the public and medical professionals about best practices for healthy pregnancy.

In the United States, more than half a million babies are born prematurely each year and the premature birth rate has increased by 36 percent over the last 25 years. Across the world, 15 million babies are born too soon annually. Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns, and babies born a few weeks early have a higher risk of developing health problems and lifelong disabilities. In addition, premature birth costs society over $26 billion every year.

The March of Dimes is working to address the crisis both at home and abroad. In 2003, the March of Dimes introduced the Prematurity Campaign to help American families have healthy babies. The campaign was expanded globally five years later. Through the Prematurity Campaign, the March of Dimes supports lifesaving research and advocates for legislation that improves care for mothers and babies.

The March of Dimes has also launched Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait (HBWW), a comprehensive initiative to prevent preventable preterm birth with a focus on reducing elective early deliveries. HBWW comprises an education and awareness campaign, community intervention, and hospital quality improvement programs.

The Long Island Elite: Cultivating Long Island's Leaders and Community

The Long Island Elite (LIE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth and development of young business professionals across Long Island, as well as raising awareness and funds for local charities and agencies that make a positive difference in the community. Founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Dawn Strain, LIE believes in supporting the region's emerging business leaders and helping those who are less fortunate. The group aims to keep Long Island a wonderful place to live and work. To this end, LIE organizes programs, activities, and events that support and raise funds for the local non-profit community.

The Long Island Elite has selected Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island to be its charity partner for this year. Previously, LIE has supported the American Cancer Society, Dress for Success, Canine Companions, Life's Work, Long Island Cares, North Shore Animal League, the Nassau County Museum of Art, the National Center for Disability Services, and many more.