2006 – 2026 · 20 Years of Impact
Showing up. Filling gaps.
Amplifying good.
Two decades of listening locally and mobilizing
globally — for people, animals, and the environment.
Executive letter from the CEO
Real impact doesn't come from the most expensive projects, but from solutions designed to change lives locally.
Reaching our twenty-year milestone is a moment to reflect on how far Greater Good Charities has come and to honor the team, partners, and supporters who make it possible. From funding high-impact projects and launching our first programs to reaching $1B in global impact in 2026, these two decades have shown that real change happens when a community comes together.
We’ve learned that real impact doesn’t come from the most expensive projects, but from solutions designed to change lives locally. Twenty years of listening and partnering with communities worldwide have shown that people, animals, and the environment are deeply connected, and complex challenges can’t be solved by any one organization alone. By working with local leaders, we identify what’s missing and fill those gaps, sometimes with surprisingly simple solutions.
When girls in Kandahar couldn’t get to school safely, we funded a bus; when shelters closed during COVID, we created the world’s largest foster database, placing tens of thousands of pets. From immediate relief to long-term resilience, our programs are grounded in these connections and built to mobilize help where it matters most. When billions of bees risked starvation after Hurricanes Helene & Milton, we sent emergency syrup and pollen substitute, saving bees, local businesses, and our food supply. When the war in Ukraine broke out, we supported refugees, internally displaced people, and their pets by providing food, hygiene, warmth, windows, and other basic needs—and we are still there, 4 years later.
Crises today rarely happen in isolation, climate change, displacement, biodiversity loss, economic instability, and conflict often overlap. That’s why Greater Good Charities focuses on both immediate relief and long-term resilience, building programs grounded in the connection between people, animals, and the environment. While the world may be uncertain, our mission remains the same: respond to urgent needs and fill critical gaps so communities can thrive. You are essential to making that possible, and we are grateful for your support.
I have seen what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose. That gives me great confidence in the future. With your support, we will continue to strengthen our programs, support innovative solutions, and respond thoughtfully to emerging needs. We will deepen our impact while staying true to the principles that have guided us from the start.
Liz Baker
CEO, Greater Good Charities
Twenty years at a glance
$1.1 Billion. 121 Countries. One Mission.
From grassroots support to over $1B in total impact—two decades of growth driven by trust, generosity, and relentless focus on need.
Evolution of programming
Greater Good Charities was founded by GreaterGood.com in 2006 as a trusted platform to connect people to impactful nonprofit projects around the globe. We knew we didn’t want to be confined to traditional aid categories because crises don’t follow neat boundaries.
GreaterGood.org was created to help protect people, pets, and the planet.
First disaster response: Australian Bushfires. We award over $73,900 in grants to organizations on the ground to provide disaster relief for humans, pets, and wildlife.
We celebrate $10 Million Given to Charity
We respond to 2010 Haiti earthquake, awarding our partners on the ground $552,771 in grants to support relief efforts for both humans and animals.
Rescue Bank (Now GOODS) sends out first truck as a national pet food donation network
New program, GROW (Girls' right to opportunity worldwide), is launched, removing barriers that prevent girls across the globe from attaining their right to quality education.
Emergency Animal Medical Case fundraising begins
We respond to Nepal earthquake, awarding $152,600 in grants to provide relief for those affected
We fly 33 lions rescued from illegal circuses to safety
We celebrate $100 Million given to charity
First annual National Feed a Rescue Pet Week
Girls' Voices program is launched to raise funds for girls' secondary education through media made by girls.
Project Wildcat is launched to establish a 31,704-acre wildlife corridor to protect the majestic jaguar.
We conduct our largest disaster response effort to date, awarding $8 million in cash and in-kind grants to support recovery efforts after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. while our staff in Houston is directly impacted
The Madrean Discovery Expedition uncovers an incredibly rare salamander and brand-new species of small scorpion
We launch our new program, Good Packs, providing backpacks full of supplies to help local veterans and their pets
#StayHomeAndFoster is launched, a national effort to provide a solution to the countless at-risk pets due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rescue Bank (Now GOODS) reaches 4,000th truck and 400 million meal milestone
GreaterGood.org becomes Greater Good Charities
We launch the ‘Feed Thy Neighbor’ campaign with Chris Pratt and 12 Tomatoes, providing 4,628,822 meals to people struggling to put food on their tables
We raise $28 million for Covid relief worldwide
Greater Good Charities launches new program, Good Fix, a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter program
We launch Good Home, our national pet fostering program designed to connect local animal shelters with potential foster volunteers.
We mobilize a response to help displaced people, refugees, and pets affected by the war in Ukraine
We launch GOODS Program to distribute food, essential supplies, clothing, housewares, toys, and more to pets and people during times of crisis
We respond to devastating wildfires in Maui, and conducts aid deliveries and pet transports with Southwest Airlines
We establish regional disaster hubs to store aid all over the U.S. for faster response times
We respond to the record-breaking Hurricane Helene, with its largest disaster response to date
We respond to Hurricane Melissa, among the first agencies to get aid on the ground to support people and animals
Greater Good Charities celebrates $1B in aid and 20 Years of Amplifying the Good
Global Reach
Our impact over 20 years
We’re there when it matters, mobilizing urgent relief for people, animals, and the environment the moment disaster strikes, then staying to rebuild long after the headlines fade.
From the Start, For the Long Haul: A Vast and Enduring Response in Ukraine
Since the earliest days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, we’ve stood alongside Ukrainian communities, helping people and animals navigate life amid destruction, displacement, and fear.
Our Largest Disaster Response to-Date: Hurricanes Helene and Milton
In fall 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the southeastern United States just weeks apart.
Hurricane Melissa: On the ground in Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa was the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall, quickly devastating the southern and western parishes in Jamaica.
Rebuilding Lives, Reuniting Families
When the wildfires that swept through communities in Maui, we met the moment—listening, mobilizing, and adapting to many different needs on the ground.
On the Ground in Türkiye: How We Provided Food, Aid, and Animal Support After the 2023 Earthquake
Following two massive earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, hundreds of thousands of people were killed, injured and left without food, water or shelter.
Fighting Food Insecurity: How Feed Thy Neighbor Supported Communities Nationwide During COVID-19
At the coronavirus pandemic's peak, the need for food assistance surged to levels not seen since the Great Depression.
There When It Matters: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was unlike anything the United States had seen in decades. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria left a trail of destruction valued at $339.2 billion in damages.
Wildfires Devastate the Pantanal: Saving Brazil’s Wildlife
Wildfires scorched over 3 million acres of the Pantanal in 2024— the world's largest tropical wetland, spanning Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay — devastating three wildlife reserves, destroying rewilding enclosures, and killing or injuring countless animals.
We deliver meals, renovate shelters, and provide life-saving medical care and transport to help animals and the people who care for them.
Reaching Veterinary Deserts: Delivering Care to Underserved Communities
Many communities across the world lie in “veterinary care deserts,” where social and geographic factors severely limit access to veterinary care.
Paws Across the Pacific
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, animal shelters in Hawaii experienced an immediate and severe disruption in operations. Commercial flights were suspended, and the regular flow of pet transports to the U.S. mainland stopped almost entirely.
Kaua’i: From Spay/Neuter Services to a Holistic Community Response
In Kaua’i, what started as an effort to provide spay and neuter services for feral cats and local pet owners grew into something much more.
Pandemic Pet Relief: From Crisis to Community Action
In the midst of 2020’s kitten and puppy season, already-strained animal shelters suddenly faced an unprecedented reality when hit with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Filling the Gap for Families & Pets in Need
When disaster strikes, pets are often the first to go without, and we are determined to change that. Through our GOODS Distribution Network, we deploy pet food and essential supplies to families and their animals in the wake of disasters and times of crisis, recognizing that when a family is struggling, every member of that household feels it.
Providing Safe Spaces for Pets & People
Animal shelters, wildlife facilities, domestic violence shelters, and housing for those experiencing homelessness or veterans in need all share one thing in common — they often lack the resources to maintain safe, functional spaces for the people and animals who depend on them.
Helping Animals Through Emergencies
For a shelter pet facing a life-threatening illness or injury, the difference between survival and euthanasia often comes down to one thing — resources.
Emergency Animal Medical support
We raise funds to support specific shelter animal medical cases. Our first case was Ziggy from the San Diego Humane Society, who was in dire need of cataract removal.
Flying Circus Lions to Freedom
For most of their lives, 33 African lions knew nothing but circus cages, starvation, and abuse. Rescued from illegal circuses in Peru and Colombia in late 2015, the lions arrived malnourished and broken.
We safeguard critical habitats and rescue endangered species through grants, fieldwork, and scientific expeditions.
Protecting Land and Vital Species in Argentina
La Payunia Reserve is a proposed UNESCO site known for its striking volcanic landscape and its wide range of native plant and animal species that have adapted to its harsh, arid environment.
Protecting remote areas of the world
Our scientists and experts venture into some of the world's most remote biodiversity hotspots, cataloging plants and wildlife to build a living database of nearly 200,000 records, including newly describes species, that fuels research, education, and habitat protection. In the Sky Island mountain ranges of the Madrean Archipelago, the rarely seen Rock Horned Lizard had vanished from scientific record for 73 years.
Saving Pollinators, Protecting Livelihoods
Pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems, plentiful harvests, and resilient economies. Without them, over a third of the world’s food crops wouldn’t grow. When hurricanes, floods, or conflict wipe out the plants pollinators rely on, colonies can starve within days.
Providing Sanctuary for Rescued Elephants
When the coronavirus pandemic brought global travel to a halt in 2020, the animals that depended on tourism-funded sanctuaries didn't stop needing care. At Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, more than 3,000 animals, including 87 elephants, faced an uncertain future as visitor revenue disappeared overnight.
Protecting Biodiversity from Mexico to Vietnam and Beyond
Up to one million species at risk of extinction, biodiversity is under threat. That's why we expanded our existing program to lead scientific studies in key biodiversity areas, uniting multinational teams of scientists from a variety of fields, students, and local experts to observe, document, and study native plants and animals in biodiversity hotspots under imminent threat.
We empower communities around the world with essential supplies, food, education, and long-term projects so vulnerable people can recover and thrive.
Supporting Girls Globally: Empowerment through education, storytelling, and breaking down barriers
When a girl receives an education, it does more than empower her and her future—it’s a long-term investment toward entire communities. We have followed a decade-long path of partnership, collaboration, and service with a simple goal: supporting girls and young women globally.
Showing Up—and Staying—for a Nation Facing Disaster: Tackling hunger, expanding education, and empowering Haiti’s communities through recovery
The people of Haiti, and its future generations, are battling deep economic distress, political uncertainty, and escalating gang violence.
Improving Lives Through Clean Cookstoves
In the world's poorest communities, families cooking over open fires face a cycle of health risks, financial strain, and environmental damage — from harmful smoke and burns to deforestation.
Safe Rides and Changed Communities: Empowering girls to continue their education in Afghanistan
Through a legacy of partnerships and support spanning years, we continue to honor the efforts of the people of Afghanistan continuing to make a difference.
1.5 Million Meals for Children Along the Thai-Burma Border
Along the Thai-Burma border, thousands of children have been sent across the border by parents desperate to give them access to safe housing and education.
Providing Support to Veterans
For too many veterans, hunger comes before homelessness as the impossible choice between groceries and rent leaves families going without food. We are helping change that by funding meals for veterans and their families who have fallen through the cracks of existing support systems.
Simple Measures Saving Lives: Access to Lifesaving Screenings in Sierra Leone
Today, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime—it is the most common form of cancer among women. Together, we’re working to prevent, identify early, successfully treat, and eventually eradicate breast cancer.
About us and our values
Who We Are
We respond to needs, showing up to fill critical gaps so communities can reach their full potential.
We recognize that crises do not happen in isolation—human, animal, and environmental needs are deeply connected.
Greater Good Charities listens locally and mobilizes globally with aid, expertise, and funding.
We address the needs of people, animals, and the environment, responding across a range of crises—from disaster response and recovery to prolonged challenges. We create meaningful impact by focusing on these needs not just independently but also at their intersections.
What we do
Crisis and disaster response
We’re there when it matters, mobilizing urgent relief for people, animals, and the environment the moment disaster strikes, then staying to rebuild long after the headlines fade.
Animal health and wellbeing
We deliver meals, renovate shelters, and provide life-saving medical care and transport to help animals and the people who care for them.
Biodiversity and conservation
We safeguard critical habitats and rescue endangered species through grants, fieldwork, and scientific expeditions.
Humanitarian relief and development
We empower communities around the world with essential supplies, food, education, and long-term projects so vulnerable people can recover and thrive.
How we do it
In every context and community, we listen thoughtfully, respond flexibly, and solve creatively.
These operating principles shape how we work—from field response, logistics, and transport to safe housing and shelter, health and safety, food and nutrition, education, veterinary care, environmental protection and research, and community partnership.
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We fill critical gaps in need
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We combine program excellence with operational expertise
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We bring global reach and resources to local needs
People powering our impact
Turning passion into action
At Greater Good Charities, we recognize that at the core of our impact is you: our supporters and volunteers. Day in and day out, it’s your passion and commitment that make our work possible.
Our volunteers
Volunteering means offering your time and skills to help make the world a better place. Everyone has something they can offer; you just have to find an organization that fits your personality and has the same passions
Teresa Myers
Greater Good Charities Volunteer
I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to find this organization, and to be able to volunteer with them, the amount that I have learned and gained from them and the friendships I’ve built is just amazing.
Elise Korican
Greater Good Charities Volunteer
Yes, I’m tired. Yes, I used vacation days to be there. Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY! This was the most rewarding event to volunteer. The people of the community, the animals and the teamwork were incredible!
Carlene Teterud
Greater Good Charities Volunteer
Our leadership
Jam Stewart
Board Chair
Dr. Julie Ryan-Johnson
Board Vice Chair
John Gehrt
Board Treasurer
Julia Christopherson
Board Secretary
David Yaskulka
Board member
Ben Hamilton
Board member
Jeffery R. Zuba, D.V.M.
Board member
Greg Hesterberg
Board member
Liz Baker
Chief Executive Officer
Noah Horton
Chief Growth Officer
Jemimah Okantey
Chief Financial Officer
Kelsey Berkeley
Chief Legal Officer
Francesco Paganini
Chief Impact Officer
Sára Varsa
Chief Alignment Officer
The good we have done
together: our brand partners
Our partners mean the world to us. Together we have collaborated to develop mutually beneficial campaigns, media coverage, and corporate volunteering experiences that result in increased brand awareness and marketing power; greater trust among consumers and communities, and deeper company and employee satisfaction through giving back. Thank you for your continued commitment and support.

Our Financials
We are proud to hold a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid. See prior year audited financials and 990s here.
| FY25 Total Support: | 173,325,399.84 | % of Total Expenses |
| Programs & Grants Expenses: | 152,802,631.14 | 92.9% |
| Fundraising Expenses: | 8,849,782.19 | 5.4% |
| Management Expenses: | 2,799,048.32 | 1.7% |