12 days of nonprofits: Celebrating local organizations that provide services to our community

The Tucson Wildlife Center is a local nonprofit organization that has rescued, rehabilitated and released local injured or sick wildlife. Founded in 1998, the organization has remained true to its goals in its 23-year history.

Since 1986, Youth On Their Own has helped support youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County by giving them the tools to graduate high school.

Coyote TaskForce runs Cafe 54, Re-Threads Thrift and Our Place Clubhouse, all of which aim to de-stigmatize mental illness and provide community and hands-on training to people living with mental illnesses.

Friends of Saguaro National Park is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Saguaro National Park, promoting environmental education and reconnecting the community to the park.

What started out as nine storage units with bins of items through Tucson nonprofit More Than A Bed became a warehouse stocked with toys, clothes and beds, free for foster families to take. 

Native Seeds/SEARCH aims to conserve arid-adapted seeds of the Southwest. There are 1,900 accessions in the seed bank, translating to about 1,600 crop varieties, many of which are endangered.

The Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce's sister organization, the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce Foundation, aims to support local LGBTQ+ business leaders through mentorship, leadership and education.

This year alone, Tucson's Casa Alitas, which is under the Catholic Community Services, is expected to help 14,000 immigrants.

The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona helps artists and arts organizations through grants and professional development. The nonprofit also manages the city and county public arts programs and aims to make the arts more accessible.

Felicia's Farm in Tucson grows produce and delivers it to soup kitchens and other organizations helping fight food insecurity, such as Casa Maria, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Pantry and Casa San Juan.

Every year, students across Tucson and Southern Arizona participate in the SARSEF Regional Science Fair where they get to conduct research projects to represent their schools.