Philanthropy at the Pudding

Al Madad Foundation is working to empower some of the world’s most vulnerable children by providing safe spaces to heal, learn and grow. Everything we do is in pursuit of two goals – healing the heart and expanding the mind. We also aim to bridge the educational gap to allow displaced children to successfully reintegrate into mainstream school. With our partners, we ensure that parents are informed how to apply for places for their children in mainstream school, and we follow-up on their progress when they get there.

APIE is a British charity working in Rwanda in partnership with the Rwandan Government, local and other international organisations to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of Inclusive and Quality Education. Based at Umubano Academy, our founding school in Rwanda’s capital city, we provide teacher professional development and leadership development support. We aim to raise standards of education through developing best practice in the Rwandan context and supporting the development of model schools which become self-sufficient teaching and learning hubs. Through this, we aim to contribute to the development and maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity in Rwanda.

The mission of Arlington Children’s Theatre is to embrace, enrich, educate, entertain, and encourage children and their families, within the Boston area, through its commitment to a unique, quality theatre program. Every year, Arlington Children’s Theatre produces four plays and three musicals. Directorial staff are theatre professionals who embrace ACT’s desire for children to have fun while being challenged to learn and grow. ACT strives to make its registration fees affordable and are generally lower than peer organizations. ACT offers school vacation programs for children ages 6-12, and workshops throughout the year that focus on teaching students beginning acting, dance, and song.

To honor the legacy of Arthur Miller and his NYC public school education, the Arthur Miller Foundation is dedicated to providing access and equity to quality theater and film education in our public schools, and to increasing the number of students that receive a dedicated theater and film education as an integral part of their academic curriculum. We believe that arts education is a right of every public school student. As an organization, we affirm that if arts education assumes its rightful place in the public school curriculum, we will foster generations of imaginative graduates, enhancing the evolving worlds of theater, film and other fields of human endeavor.

Founded in 1991, Artists For Humanity‘s mission is to provide under-resourced urban youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in art and design. Each year, AFH’s Youth Arts Enterprise employs hundreds of Boston teens in the visual arts and creative industries, bringing diverse young people together as a community of artists. Through mentoring teens to apply design-thinking methodology to authentic art projects, giving them access to advanced creative technology and professional networks, and supporting their academic endeavors, AFH empowers young people to embark upon avenues to economic security, educational attainment, and upward mobility.

The Harmony Program provides intensive musical training to children in historically underserved communities across New York City with the goal of supporting their healthy social development and academic success. Students receive intensive, year-round musical training, in small groups, choruses, and ensembles, free of charge. Our instruction, guided by a curriculum aligned to City and State music education standards, is provided by professional musicians formally trained, observed and supported by the Harmony Program to ensure their effectiveness in the classroom.

Lalela provides educational arts for at-risk youth to spark creative thinking and awaken the entrepreneurial spirit. Lalela uses the power of the arts to help students navigate a clear path that is often cluttered with the hazards of extreme poverty, including gang violence, HIV/AIDS, and physical and substance abuse. Through our arts curriculum and its critical messaging component, we ignite imagination and teach children how to map and manifest their dreams and goals, launching a possibility of a different future for themselves and their communities.

Since its beginnings in 2012, Maestro Cares has completed construction on projects in Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Bolivia. These projects have helped to provide housing, nutrition and education to over 500 children, victims of neglect and abuse. Maestro Cares not only commits itself to the construction and building of safe homes and environments, but also to provides education to these disadvantaged children. In 2015, Maestro Cares funded an interactive Educational program in Peru that provides tablets to over 300 children in Lima. This year, Maestro Cares looks to break ground on projects in El Salvador, Chile, and the United States. Projects currently underway and in construction include additional projects in Cali, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.

In 1984, in New York City’s East Village at Tompkins Square Park, the first Wigstock took place. It was born out of the nearby Pyramid Club, including the likes of musicians The Fleshtones and Madonna, along with drag legends such as Lady Bunny, RuPaul, and Linda Simpson. In 1985, Lady Bunny took the reins and brought the event to new heights by turning it into a full-fledged festival. Wigstock eventually outgrew Tompkins Square Park and was later moved to the piers of the West Side of Manhattan in the mid-‘90s. The last Wigstock was held in 2001 before being revived as Wigstock 2.HO by Lady Bunny and Neil Patrick Harris in 2018.

Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) is the world’s first HIV/AIDS service organization. GMHC is on the front lines providing services to over 13,000 people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Programs include: testing, prevention, nutrition, legal, supportive housing, mental health and substance use services. GMHC also advocates for stronger public policies at the local, state and federal levels with the goal of ending AIDS as an epidemic.