Tuesday, November 28 marks the 12th annual #GivingTuesday, as what originated as a charity drive for the non-profit Mary-Arrchie Theater Company in Chicago in 2011 has turned into a day of giving across the globe.
GivingTuesday has evolved into a global generosity movement encouraging people and organizations to consider charitable donations as a part of their annual spending around the winter holidays, with national movements now in more than 85 countries.
Following major shopping holidays "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday," the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving is now dedicated to donating for the greater good.
In 2022, donors in the United States gave a reported $3.1 billion, with more than 20 million contributing to that total.
For this year's GivingTuesday, we're presenting some swimming-themed charities for you to consider.
Have other organizations worthy of donations? Leave them in the comments below!
SwimTayka is a UK-based charity that promotes water safety and provides free swimming lessons and drowning prevention education to underprivileged children who live in areas where open water -- oceans, lakes and rivers -- is predominant. The organization currently has projects running in Brazil, Peru and Indonesia (Bali), and they also have a relay dedicated to crossing the English Channel.
The future of college athletics, and especially college swimming, seems unstable. Budgets, scholarships, and even entire programs will be slashed to make room for the ramifications of multiple legal settlements. If you have never donated to your favorite college swim team, now might be the ideal time to do so. Be thoughtful about how you donate too: we at SwimSwam are advocating that the donations be made to endowments to ensure the long-term health of budgets rather than checking short term budgets, but ask the team's coach where the money could best be used.
The Swim With Purpose organization is working to build a new pool on the Kentucky State University campus. Dr. Jamaal Jackson, the school's head basketball coach, is leading the charge to help build a pool on the school's campus. A graduate of the HBCU, Jackson says:
I vividly remember rows of cars lined up outside the Exum Center as parents waited for their children to finish swim practice in the evenings. Clubs thrived, meets were held, and young swimmers grew into confident athletes. This all changed with the onset of COVID-19, which halted many activities, including those in the pool. Since then, students and the broader community have been unable to enjoy the benefits of the Exum Center pool. Today, there is no indoor pool in Frankfort or Franklin County.
The absence of a local pool creates significant challenges for our community. Swim teams and clubs now travel to other cities and counties for practices and meets, placing financial and logistical burdens on families. Even more concerning is the lack of access to swim lessons, especially for minority children. Studies show that Black children are five times more likely to drown than their white peers -- a statistic linked directly to the lack of swimming opportunities. Without access to safe swimming instruction, these disparities persist, leaving our youth at risk.
Local officials are citing at least $1 million in repairs to reopen the pool.
Board members are covering all administrative expenses, meaning that 100% of donations go directly to the pool.
Founded by Michael Phelps back in 2008, The Michael Phelps Foundation has continuously evolved over the years, with its primary mission to provide swimming lessons to those in need. The foundation features the "IM Program" which is a comprehensive water safety curriculum, and in 2018, the "IM healthy" facet was added to the program with dedicated emotional wellness lessons. Other missions of the organization include the Level Field Fund, supporting the mission of professional swimmers.
The Jesse Reese Foundation was founded in the honor of Jessie Rees, a 12-year-old swimmer who lost her battle with cancer in 2012. During a 10-month battle with cancer, she helped other kids fighting cancer who couldn't leave the hospital via the creation of JoyJars, and the organization continues to operate on the belief that every kid fighting cancer deserves to smile and be encouraged to "Never Ever Give Up" (NEGU).
There is also a free gift available to those who donate at least $125 on GivingTuesday:
STRIDE's mission is to provide adaptive sport and recreation lessons to individuals with disabilities, with a focus on youth and Wounded Warriors. STRIDE has hosted swimming programs that focus on teaching children with autism (ages 4-21) the basics of swimming and water safety; and for the more advanced swimmer, teaches stroke work and easy competition skills for Special Olympics.
The Mac Crutchfield Foundation was created to honor the life of Mac Crutchfield, who drowned while playing in a downpour in 2008 despite being a competitive swimmer with the Area Tallahassee Aquatics Team. The foundation is geared towards drowning prevention through education and aims to provide swim lessons to residents in communities in need. The foundation hosts an annual "Mac Event" which features a swim clinic and dinner with numerous Olympians, where donations are made to swim programs across the country.
SwemKids is a nonprofit school-based program based out of Atlanta that teaches children introductory swimming lessons and water safety skills as a part of their school's curriculum -- from elementary to high school students. With a mission to eliminate all barriers that keep communities with the highest drowning rates from having a healthy relationship with water, SwemKids' curriculum-based model ensures that children are exposed to the water early. In addition to a direct donation, you can also sponsor a student or a full class of swimmers with an introductory gift that provides students with swimsuits, goggles, swim bags, and other equipment.
The USA Swimming Foundation was established in 2004 and serves to help support free or low-priced swim lessons to reduce drowning rates in America, along with supporting professional swimmers in their quest for international success. The foundation added "Impacting Communities" to its mission statement in 2023, designed to support the foundation's efforts to grow a diverse community of champion athletes by creating competitive opportunities within traditionally underserved communities. This comes in the form of Community Impact Grants, HBCU Grants, and supporting Community Swim Teams.
The UK-based Black Swimming Association was founded by a group of individuals of diverse backgrounds, including international swimmer Alice Dearing, music producer Ed Accura, broadcast journalist and former college swimmer Seren Jones, and businesswoman and inventer Danielle Obe. The mission is simple: diversify aquatics at every level, from recreational to the Olympics, by addressing the systemic barriers to participation for the Black community.
Swim Across America is a full-on cancer organization that funnels money directly to cancer research, clinical trials and patient programs by hosting charity swims. The organization requires that 100% of grants be applied to approved projects and not ancillary costs like overhead or building costs. In 2021, the organization introduced SAA My Way, a virtual challenge you can create your own event and select which charity you'd like to support. Over 100 Olympians have attended Swim Across America events.
The Nica Nadadores is a competitive swim club in Nicaragua that offers a scholarship program for the country's underserved youth to empower them through both swimming and education. In addition to running workouts, the Nica Nadadores provide monthly community service activities and mentorship on life skills. Those in the scholarship program receive academic financial assistance to study at the top universities in the country. "Our goal is to help student-athletes reach their full potential by showing that their progress and success in the pool is transferable to the classroom and beyond."
Founded by Paralympian and American Record breaker Jamal Hill, the Swim Up Hill foundation that provides innovative and culturally relevant swim instruction to low to middle-income people of color in the U.S. and around the world. Specifically, it provides dry land swimming instruction to people who might not otherwise have access to in-water lessons.