CHOICE Humanitarian (choice​humanitarian.org) tackles rural poverty in developing countries by enlisting entire communities to reach a consensus on the projects most important to them, whether it’s building a school, digging a well, or acquiring livestock to support a farming economy. It then helps community members realize the project, which the members themselves manage and execute. Putting the community in charge of projects ensures that development harmonizes with local political structures, cultural norms, and traditions. It also guards against the well-meaning paternalism and cultural blind spots that can turn good intentions into failures. Leadership emerges organically, building the confidence, self-reliance, and group identity that can lift entire villages out of poverty.
Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator ranks not-for-profit organizations on the effectiveness of their programs, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequelThe Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtripThe Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Sudoku medium: May 14, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
