Longtime Wag! Partner Greater Good Charities Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary!

Guest Post by Lesley McCave, Greater Good Charities

Greater Good Charities officially turns 15 on Monday, September 19th! Throughout the month, it is celebrating how it amplifies the good in the world with on the ground activities.

What is Greater Good Charities, you ask?

In 2007, Greater Good Charities (then GreaterGood.org) was formed as a granting organization that raised funds online for partner nonprofit projects around the world. In 2012, the organization began to operate its own programs and today Greater Good Charities has evolved into a global nonprofit to help People, Pets, and the Planet. To date, Greater Good Charities has given more than $475 million in cash grants, in-kind supplies, and programmatic support to charitable partners in 121 countries, including over $70 million in disaster relief.  

From funding the education of young women and renovating domestic violence shelters, to leading biodiversity expeditions and responding to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine crisis and catastrophic natural disasters, to flying thousands of at-risk pets to new homes and providing spaying and neutering services to thousands more, Greater Good Charities has spread the good wherever it’s needed.

But this huge impact wouldn’t be possible without partners like Wag!, which, since 2017, has donated more than 16 million meals to help shelter pets in need through the Greater Good Charities’ GOODS program. 

Wag! is proud to help support the GOODS program to distribute food, essential supplies, clothing, housewares, toys, and more to pets and people in need across the world. GOODS has delivered more than 530 million animal shelter meals across 44 states and over $10M lifesaving pet medications. Helping more than 4.4 million pets, this included hard goods for people and pets in need with a value of $30M+. 

Here’s how other Greater Good Charities’ pet programs #AmplifyTheGood:

Rescue Rebuild helps renovate animal shelters and domestic violence shelters, homeless and veteran housing to accommodate animal residents. Rescue Rebuild has tackled 175 projects, put in 150,000+ volunteer hours, and helped more than 720,000 animals and 3,200 people. 

Good Fix deploys specially trained, high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgical teams and professional trapping teams to help control pet overpopulation in communities that need it most. Since its launch in 2021, Good Fix has spayed or neutered 4,700+ dogs and cats. In one 10-day clinic on Kauai, 1,700 animals were sterilized – the equivalent of two years of normal sterilizations done on the island! 

Since Spring 2021, Good Flights has conducted 83 life-saving airlifts that transported more than 5,700 at-risk shelter pets out of disaster areas or to give them a better chance at finding their forever home. This included treating many heartworm positive dogs to give them a chance at life. In addition, they have completed 32 ground transports for pets, as well as transports of food and humanitarian supplies. With 68 total partners covering more than 125,000 miles, this program has truly touched lives.  

The Emergency Animal Medical (EAM) program provides emergency funding for adoptable pets in need of medical intervention. Since 2015, EAM has granted $1.7M+ to help treat and save 875+ pets in 40 states and nine countries.  

The Jackson Galaxy Project seeks to improve the health, quality of life and adoption outcomes for at risk shelter cats and help the people who care for them through innovative initiatives that educate, inspire, and empower staff, rescuers and adopters. Since 2018, The Jackson Galaxy Project has helped 227 US shelters, shelter staff and volunteers enrich the lives of 2,800+ cats in shelters, thereby increasing adoptions. 

Good Home, a suite of foster programs that connects pets and people for the benefit of both, is helping to expand volunteer foster programs in support of overcrowded shelters in the US. With 14,000+ shelters registered with 92,000+ foster volunteers, this program will help with shelter overcrowding nationwide.

How can you help Greater Good Charities amplify the good?

• Follow the celebration as the Greater Good Charities' team shares live updates from the field, as well as story highlights from over #15YearsofGGC by tuning into Facebook live streams, following GGC’s Instagram page, and checking out this interactive timeline, and be sure to share!

• Get involved by donating, fundraising or volunteering to help one of Greater Goods Charities' pawmazing programs! Brands can also develop mutual beneficial partnerships with GGC that can positively impact the world. 

• Become an emergency foster volunteer to help homeless pets during the overpopulation crisis happening at shelters around the country. Be the hero an animal needs on their way to finding their furever home!