Sexual philanthropy may sound like a euphemism for a sex act (as in, "would you like to come to my place so I can tell you about my HUGE sexual philanthropic efforts"). But it's much more than that. Sexuality is an intrinsic part of human experience, yet rarely do we put our money where our mouths have been, or want to go.
If you're looking for tips on donating, About.com has you covered. If you are interested in supporting sexual health, sexual rights, and sexual pleasure, consider giving to any of these interesting groups and outstanding, and always underfunded organizations that are working to better the human condition through a more complicated understanding of sexuality.
Advocates for Youth
An organization dedicated to creating programs and advocating for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates provides information, training, and strategic assistance to youth-serving organizations, policy makers, youth activists, and the media in the United States and the developing world. They build amazing spaces (like Amplify) for youth to develop their own voices, and set the agenda for sexual and reproductive rights work.
California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ)
California Latinas for Reproductive Justice (CLRJ) is a statewide policy and advocacy organization whose mission is to advance California Latinas’ reproductive health and rights within a social justice and human rights framework. CLRJ works to ensure that policy developments are reflective of the priority needs of Latinas, their families and their communities. They are also doing some of the most exciting sexual rights work letting folks speak out and speak for themselves.
Center for Sex and Culture
If you're looking for a sex radical bang for your buck, consider a donation to the CSC. Founded by Drs. Carol Queen and Robert Lawrence, two people who have been putting their money where their collective mouths are for decades, the CSC mission is to provide non-judgmental, sex-positive sexuality education and support to diverse populations through workshops and the development of a publicly accessible library and archive.
ISIS (Internet Sexuality Information Services)
Founded in 2001 ISIS works to develop innovative strategies and high-tech solutions for sexual health education and STD/HIV prevention. Their mission is to provide leadership, innovation, educational resources and research in online sexual health promotion. They are behind award-winning interventions like inSpot.org, and are the organizers of Sex::Tech, an annual conference on new media, youth, and sexual health. (Disclosure note: I am a proud volunteer board member of ISIS).
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction
Since 1947 the Kinsey Institute has been an oasis sexological research and level heading thinking about sexuality in a wasteland of American fear mongering about sex. Their stated mandate is to promote interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the fields of human sexuality, gender, and reproduction which they do through one of the larges sexuality library collections in the world along with academic research and training programs. Your donations can be directed to a specific program (e.g. library, art collection, graduate training).
Scarleteen.com
Since 1998 Scarleteen has been the best source of honest and accessible sex information and education for teens. They are also the highest ranked online young adult sexuality resource. They average 25,000 unique users every day, and have tens of thousands of users having respectful, supported (and facilitated) conversations on their message boards. There is simply nothing like Scarleteen anywhere. But they are so busy doing good work that they don't do enough schmoozing and fundraising. Whatever you've got to give, you won't find an organization that will do more with your money than Scarleteen.
Sins Invalid
Sins Invalid is a performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and queer and gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized. Their performance work explores the themes of sexuality, embodiment and the disabled body. Conceived and led by disabled people of color, they develop and present cutting-edge work where normative paradigms of "normal" and "sexy" are challenged, offering instead a vision of beauty and sexuality inclusive of all individuals and communities.
Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance
Named after Victoria Woodhull, an outspoken nineteenth-century activist who introduced sex-positive values to America during the repressive Victorian era, the Woodhull Freedom Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right by protecting and advancing freedom of speech and sexual expression. WFF promotes sexuality as a positive personal, social and moral value through research, advocacy, activism, education and outreach.
Karma Pervs
A different kind of philanthropy, Karma Pervs is a project from Jiz Lee an award-winning genderqueer porn star who describes themselves as "an advocate for ethical empowerment of realistic bodies and equal gender agency in pornography." Jiz wanted to take some of the attention they get for their work and direct it toward organizations in their community. The idea is simple, you become a member ($10 a month) and get access to exclusive content shot by photographers and visual artists. And all your money goes to non-profit organizations and charities. It's a literal example of coming for a cause. Organizations that have received donations include STOP AIDS Project, St. James Infirmary, Communities United Agasint Violence, to name a few. Site includes explicit sexual imagery.
