Posted on April 5, 2023
Green America’s Commitment to Climate Justice
Note from the CREDO team: This April, Green America is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help Green America leverage consumer and investor voices to persuade corporations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition our food system to regenerative practices, and protect socially responsible investing from right-wing attacks.
Read this important blog post from Green America, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this April.
Like CREDO and its members, Green America is committed to advancing climate justice! One of the major ways we do this is through our Consumer & Corporate Engagement Campaigns, which harness consumer power and direct dialogue with corporations to create a more just and sustainable economy. Some of our current campaigns include:
HANG UP ON FOSSIL FUELS
This campaign builds on Green America’s 40-year history of campaign successes by calling on Big Telecom companies to add renewable energy to the national grid and ensure their renewable purchases further energy justice.
As Green Americans push these three phone carriers to accelerate renewable energy purchasing, our campaign is also urging the companies to ensure their purchases benefit communities and workers most harmed by fossil fuels.
Want to join our call to #CleanUpWireless? Sign our petition urging these telecoms to accelerate their transitions to 100% renewable energy with new solar and wind installations here!
TOXIC TEXTILES
Green America is also committed to combating greenwashing – defined as the practice of using vague terminology and/or unsubstantiated claims to make consumers believe a company and its products are more environmentally friendly than they really are. In the current era of greenwashing, labor issues are one of many “canaries in the coal mine” that can indicate when a company is merely giving lip service to its environmental and social impact, rather than investing in solutions.
We saw this with Amazon, which – while making strong commitments to renewable energy over the past few years – has been a laggard in ensuring worker safety. For two years, Green America has been calling on Amazon to specifically address toxic chemicals in its apparel supply chains through our Toxic Textiles Campaign. Nearly 40,000 Green Americans added their voices to our demands for Amazon (the largest clothing retailer in the U.S.) to ban hazardous chemicals. In response, Amazon announced in 2022 that its private label apparel brands will comply with AFIRM’s Restricted Substance List (RSL), ensuring that the chemical levels in Amazon clothing are safe for consumers.
Now we’re calling on Amazon to take the next step in its chemical management practices by eliminating the most toxic chemicals from its entire apparel supply chain to protect workers and communities. We invite you to join our call to Amazon to protect workers by adopting a Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) that would reduce toxic chemicals in all its suppliers’ factories, not just in the company’s clothes at the time of sale. It’s time Amazon put consumers and workers’ concerns before profit!
COOL IT!
Trader Joe’s is another company that uses greenwashing to make consumers believe it is more sustainable than its competitors. In particular, Trader Joe’s has long ranked poorly among supermarkets in terms of refrigerant management, a major driver of climate change. In 2016, the grocery chain settled a lawsuit the US Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency filed because Trader Joe’s was leaking hydrofluorocarbons (refrigerant gases) at levels so high it was in violation of the Clean Air Act.
After 20,000+ Green Americans urged Trader Joe’s to do better, the company announced in 2022 that all its new stores would use alternative refrigerants much better for the planet than hydrofluorocarbons. However, Trader Joe’s has a long way to go to catch up to its competitors. In 2023, Green America will mobilize concerned consumers to urge Trader Joe’s (along with Kroger and other major grocers) to end their use of high Global Warming Potential refrigerants in all stores.
You can stay up to date on these campaigns and Green America’s full body of work by sharing your contact information with us at www.greenamerica.org/signup. Thank you CREDO and CREDO members for your support and all you do to create a more sustainable and socially just economy!
Posted on April 3, 2023
Our March grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups preventing violence against women and children across the world, ending the use of dangerous pesticides and protecting Social Security. In March, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among Futures Against Violence, Pesticide Action Network and Social Security Works.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our February grant recipients thank you.
Futures Without Violence
“Thank you for your investment in the safety and well-being of women, children, and families everywhere. You make our work at FUTURES possible — enabling a global web of individuals and organizations to bring healing, hope, and prevention to homes, schools, and communities.” – Esta Soler, Founder and President, Futures Without Violence
To learn more, visit www.futureswithoutviolence.org.
Pesticide Action Network
“With your donation, we are able to push the ball forward on bold climate action that protects people & the planet. Support from CREDO members like you helps ensure we have the best chance at a more livable & equitable future. Thank you.” – Jamal Raad, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Evergreen Action
To learn more, visit www.panna.org.
Social Security Works
“Thank you for your commitment to and support of Life After Hate and its mission. Because of you, we have been able to help individuals leave the violent far-right. More importantly, together we have demonstrated that second chances are possible.” – Patrick R. Riccards, CEO, Life After Hate, Inc.
To learn more, visit socialsecurityworks.org.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in April, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on April 3, 2023
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): Helping Unaccompanied Children Around the World
Note from the CREDO team: This April, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help KIND achieve its mission to protect unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children and ensure unaccompanied children on the move will have access to protection, due process, and critical social services.
Read this important blog post from KIND, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this April.
Across the globe, the number of children migrating alone—due to war, poverty, gang violence, disease, climate change, and political upheaval—is rising. In the past five years, record numbers of unaccompanied children have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended nearly 150,000 unaccompanied children at or near the United States border, a near 10-fold increase from the 16,067 children who arrived in 2011. Unaccompanied children confront a U.S. immigration system designed for adults, in a language they do not speak, and alone and without legal representation. That is where Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) steps in. KIND provides legal representation and social services to thousands of these children and engages in policy and advocacy work to make the U.S. child immigration system more child centered.
KIND envisions a world in which children’s rights and well-being are protected as they migrate alone in search of safety. KIND work is trauma-informed, child-centered, holistic, and grounded in five core areas: legal representation, assistance, and litigation; partnerships, capacity building, and technical assistance; psychosocial programs; advocacy; and communications.
KIND was established in 2008 by the Microsoft Corporation and Angelina Jolie to address the gap in legal services for unaccompanied minors. Since then, KIND has grown to become the leading international nonprofit devoted to the protection of unaccompanied and separated children, with over 400 staff across more than 15 offices in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, as well as programming in Central America. We bring an innovative and comprehensive approach to child protection, using our vast experience to advance policies and practices centered on children’s rights and our collective responsibility to protect them.
We provide legal representation to unaccompanied children in their deportation proceedings to ensure that they have an advocate for every step of their immigration journey. KIND created the largest pro bono network for unaccompanied children in the United States, including more than 750 law firms, corporations, law schools, and bar associations. Through these partnerships, we train lawyers to represent children. Legal representation for these kids is essential; immigration judges are 100 times more likely to grant legal relief to unaccompanied children with lawyers than to those without.[1]
Alejandra, a client at our Washington D.C. office, expressed her gratitude for KIND’s representation of her sibling and herself: “Our experience with KIND was wonderful! They listened to us, and most of all, gave us the assurance that everything was going to be ok […]. My lawyer, Lucero…has been our guardian angel. She helped us through the entire legal process, went with us to court, and has helped us with school.”
KIND’s social services team connects children with essential medical and mental health care, educational opportunities, crisis intervention, and therapeutic activities such as art and music, to help them heal from the trauma they have endured and ensure their safety and well-being.
KIND also works internationally to address root causes of migration and respond effectively to global emergencies. KIND’s Mexico-based offices and its programming in Central America works with local partners on the ground to address the root causes of migration, protect children during migration, and connect repatriated children to essential services in their countries of origin. In Europe, KIND works with partners in Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, and the United Kingdom to ensure access to high quality pro bono legal assistance for unaccompanied children, including the thousands of children who have been forced to flee from Ukraine.
On the policy and advocacy front, KIND’s legal and policy experts advocate to change law, policy, and practice to improve the protection of unaccompanied children in the United States, by educating policymakers, the media, and the broader public about the violence that is driving children out of their home countries and their need for protection.
Our record of success helping unaccompanied children speaks to our effectiveness as an organization. Harvin, another client from KIND’s D.C. office said:
I feel so lucky to have met [my KIND attorneys] and I’m so grateful to them. They are so dedicated, and I really appreciate everything they’ve done for me. Without them, I would have likely been deported back to Honduras.” In a thank you letter to KIND’s U.S.-Mexico border team, one family wrote, “I have no words to thank you all for everything you’ve done for us. God is so good, that he put in our path people who helped us without asking for money for their immense help. It’s a very nice foundation that helps people, no matter where we are from.
With record numbers of children migrating alone, KIND’s work is needed more than ever before. We are committed to protecting children wherever they go and will continue to grow as the needs of children increase. To do this, we need your help. To learn more about our work, please visit our website. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
[1] Congressional Research Service, Unaccompanied Alien Children: An Overview, at 17, Sept. 1, 2021.
Posted on March 24, 2023
CREDO will always fight for women’s rights
For more than 35 years, CREDO has fought for women’s rights, reproductive freedom, equal pay in the workplace and the empowerment of women.
Since 1985, our members have helped us donate more than $11 million to leading women’s rights organizations like NARAL Pro-Choice America, UltraViolet and Women’s March — and we’re proud to be one of Planned Parenthood’s largest corporate donors.
This Women’s History Month, we’d like to highlight for you a few women’s rights groups we’ve recently funded to learn more about their important work for equality, reproductive freedom and more.
Futures Without Violence
March 2023 Grantee
For over 40 years, Futures Without Violence has led groundbreaking programs and policy solutions to create safer homes, schools, and communities for women, children, and families everywhere. Our vision is for all individuals to have equitable access to education, safety, justice, and economic freedom.
Since 1993, our members have helped us donate $487,161 to power their critical work for families and survivors. To learn more and get involved, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Equal Rights Advocates
January 2023 Grantee
Our grantee allies at Equal Rights Advocates fight for gender justice in workplaces and schools. Since 1974, they have protected and advanced rights and opportunities for women, girls, and gender-expansive people with free legal services, bold legislation, and community advocacy.
Since 1986, CREDO has donated $194,384 to help ERA provide free legal help to more students and workers challenging discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence and more.
To learn more and get involved with ERA, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
National Abortion Hotline
Grantee in September 2022
The National Abortion Hotline is the largest national, toll-free, multi-lingual abortion access hotline and patient assistance fund in the U.S. Every day, they help people access abortion care.
Last September, CREDO members voted to donate $31,391 to help support the organization’s Dr. Tiller Patient Assistance Fund, which covers travel and other practical support expenses for people seeking abortion care.
To learn more and get involved, please visit their website.
Women’s March
Grantee in August 2022
Our partners at Women’s March harness the political power of millions of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change. They are a women-led movement working to build a feminist future.
Since 2019, CREDO members have helped us donate $180,333, most recently last August, that helped to power travel and accommodations scholarships for the Women’s Convention, so everyday women activists can build the skills and community required to create the feminist future we all need.
To learn more and get involved, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram.
She the People
Grantee in August 2022
She the People is amplifying the leadership, insights, power and solutions brought by women of color across the nation. The organization is building a multiracial coalition to ensure women of color win racial justice, gender equality, and an inclusive Democracy.
Last August, CREDO members helped us donate $36,465 to support She the People’s efforts to elevate women of color as a core voting bloc and leaders of a new progressive political and cultural era.
To learn more and get involved, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Posted on March 16, 2023
Clean up your iCloud and Google Drive to save space and money
These days, we’re always looking for ways to save a little money.
One easy way? Avoid paying more every month for extra cloud storage. If you’re anything like us, your phone’s iCloud or Google Drive can get pretty full pretty fast — and you’ll be tempted to buy more storage to backup your photos, videos and other personal data when space runs out.
In this week’s tip, we’ll show you how to clean up your cloud storage to save space and a little money at the same time.
Now that our smartphones have incredible cameras that can take high resolution photos and videos, we’re increasingly using more and more storage space on our devices — and in our cloud backups.
On a new iPhone 14 Pro, for example, you can now take hi-resolution images that can use over 70MB of space, or film a ProRes video that can easily use up multiple gigabytes of storage! All those photos and videos will easily use up your basic cloud storage space — and Apple or Google will take no time in offering you the option to pay more for extra storage.
If you’re not ready to upgrade your online storage plan just yet, here are some tips to free up space on your devices.
How to clean up space on iCloud
Depending on your settings, you could have A LOT of data backing up to your Apple iCloud, including photos, videos, notes, application data, device and computer backups, emails and attachments, data from your computer, and more. Here are a few quick tips to clean it up (and here are some official tips from Apple).
Find out what’s taking up space — and delete it
- On your Apple device, go to Settings > [Your Account Name] > iCloud. At the top, you will see how much storage you are using and which kinds of data are using it.
- Tap Manage Account Storage to see detailed information about how much data each app and service is using.
- Most of the time, Backups are the reason you are using up your data. Check to see if you have backups of devices you no longer use and delete them.
- Then check which apps are using up a lot of data. For many apps, you don’t need a cloud backup for that data.
Delete old messages
In the last step, if you noticed that messages were using up a lot of cloud storage, it might be a good time to delete some.
- On your Apple device, go to Settings > [Your Account Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage
- Tap Messages > Top Conversations
- You should see a list of the message threads that are taking up the most space in iCloud. From here, you can tap edit, select the conversation you wish to delete, then tap the trach button.
Delete unwanted photos and videos
Your photos and videos are probably taking up the most space in your iCloud — and for good reason! You don’t want to lose all those important moments, it’s likely there are many photos and videos that are taking up space for no reason. It’s time to delete them.
Unfortunately, there’s no simple solution to finding the photos and videos you no longer want. Go to your Photos app and start deleting the images and videos that you don’t need.
Pro-tip: Use the search function and type “videos” to pull up only videos, which can get you started on deleting data that’s using up the most space.
Delete files in your iCloud drive
If you are syncing data from your Apple computer to your iCloud account, you may want to clean up your iCloud Drive. Just like with your photos, your drive may get filled with unwanted files you never knew were being backed up and taking up space in your iCloud.
The easiest way to clean out your iCloud Drive is from your computer (not your handheld device). Open Finder and browse to your iCloud Drive. From here, you can browse and sort your drive to find and delete unwanted files.
How to clean up space on Google Drive (and Gmail)
You can perform these clean up tips from either your smartphone or your desktop; we are providing the step-by-step instructions below for your desktop in case you want to save files to your hard drive before deleting.
Cleaning up large files on Google Drive
- Log into your Google Drive account from a computer.
- Click on the Storage menu on the left hand side.
- You should have a list of large files sorted from largest to smallest. If not, click Storage Used to resort them.
- Now, you can delete any big files stored in your Google Drive. If you want to save the file before deleting, right click/secondary click on the file and choose Download.
- When you’re finished, go to Trash > Empty Trash > Delete Forever.
Cleaning up large files in Gmail
Emails and attachments in your Gmail are also calculated in your total storage allotment for Google Drive, so you’ll want to check to see if you have some long-forgotten emails that could be taking up a ton of space.
- Log into your Gmail account on your computer.
- Click the Show search options button on the right hand side of the Search bar.
- In the dropdown menu under Size, choose greater than 10MB. You will receive search results that show your largest emails (likely with large attachments).
- Delete the emails you don’t need any longer, or open the emails to save the attachments before deleting.
- Click Trash in the left hand menu. If Trash is not visible, click More > Trash, then click Empty Trash Now.
- While you’re logged into Gmail, click on your Spam folder, then click Delete all spam messages now.
Posted on March 7, 2023
Going Boldly Forward to End Violence with Futures Without Violence
Note from the CREDO team: This March, Futures Without Violence is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will power FUTURES to collaborate and implement innovative solutions with community-based partners and meet the high demand for resources, materials, and programs to support survivors, their families, and broader communities.
Read this important blog post from the group’s founder and president Esta Soler, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this March.
At Futures Without Violence, we are being called to step boldly into this moment.
It’s a time when places like Buffalo, Half Moon Bay, and Uvalde have become household words. When more than 1 out of every 3 children will grow up in homes exposed to domestic violence. And when a pandemic has left many of us facing serious health and economic struggles.
We believe we don’t have to live like this – and that everyone can play a part to prevent and respond to violence. How?
FUTURES has always put those who are most in harm’s way at the center of our work, whether it’s a woman facing violence, a child in crisis, a school devastated by gun violence, or a community – and country – facing deep division.
Our Love Letter to Survivors is one tool in our work with individuals. It reminds people living with violence or abuse now, and those who survived it, that they are worthy of love, of joy, of thriving – that they are strong and resilient, and that tomorrow is within reach. It sends the message that hope and change are possible and is a call to action for anyone who wants to help.
We also support the organizations that step in, instead of stepping away, when times are tough. From a nationwide network of community organizations confronting hate crimes in their communities, to a collective of California nonprofits pioneering new ways to prevent and end early childhood adversity, we identify resources and create ways for local innovators to share ideas and wisdom so that, collectively, they become stronger, surer, and even more effective.
Last year, we:
- Pioneered groundbreaking research that showed for the first time that 8 in 10 teens who experience dating violence also report financial abuse
- Unlocked with partners more than $2 billion in public funds for programs that prevent violence, provide economic supports, and help survivors heal in the U.S. and internationally
- Equipped thousands of first responders across healthcare, education, legal systems and more, to reach survivors with lifesaving support
- Launched with partners a first of its kind national network of mental health responders embedded in the activities young people love – like sports, video games and mentoring
- Continued our track record of financial excellence, receiving the highest possible marks from charity watchdog groups like Charity Navigator – 4 out of 4 stars for over a decade and counting (fewer than 5% of charities share that distinction).
There’s a fundamental truth that drives all our work: We’re all connected. We’re in this together. None of us can be strong and safe when any of us face poverty, toxic stress, discrimination, violence or hate.
For more than 40 years, FUTURES has been a powerful force for healing, compassion, equity and unity. We bring people, families, and communities together. We lift people up when others tear them down. We inspire people and help them find courage, show empathy, offer support, and counter abuse, discrimination and oppression.
We make progress, even in these tough times. And we will continue working to heal and strengthen families and communities.
We invite each one of you to be a part of our journey and change the world with us. For more information, you can find us at www.futureswithoutviolence.org.
Posted on March 3, 2023
Pesticides & Climate Change: A Vicious Cycle
Note from the CREDO team: This March, Pesticide Action Network is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help PAN challenge the global proliferation of pesticides, defend basic rights to health and environmental quality, and champion agroecology — a transformative farming system rooted in social justice and biodiversity.
Read this important blog post from Pesticide Action Network, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this March.
Climate change will have sweeping impacts on agriculture, some of which we’re seeing in real-time with unpredictable precipitation patterns and increases in the severity of extreme weather events. But how do pesticides specifically intersect with climate change? A new report by PAN Organizing Co-Director Asha Sharma, Senior Scientist Margaret Reeves, and Policy Fellow Calista Washburn explores this question.
The bottom line is pesticides contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while, at the same time, climate change is expected to increase pesticide applications. It’s a vicious cycle.
Pesticides drive climate change
Very few studies calculate the GHG emissions of pesticide use over the full life-cycle (production, storage, shipment, application, breakdown) of the chemicals, which likely causes underestimates of true impact. In terms of production, 99% of all synthetic chemicals – including pesticides – are derived from fossil fuels. But they receive much less attention than nitrogen fertilizer, another key agricultural chemical input that creates dangerous levels of GHG emissions. Research has shown that the manufacture of one kilogram of pesticide requires, on average, about 10 times more energy than one kilogram of nitrogen fertilizer!
Pesticides can also release GHG emissions after their application, with fumigant pesticides shown to significantly increase nitrous oxide production in soils. Many pesticides lead to the production of ground-level ozone, a greenhouse gas harmful to both humans and plants.
Climate change & pesticide use
At the same time pesticide use is driving climate change, research shows the effects of our changing climate will likely lead to increased use of synthetic pesticides. Here’s why:
- Rising temperatures, heat stress and altered rain patterns are leading to decreased crop resilience. For example, drought conditions weaken plants’ natural defenses and change their biology, leaving them more vulnerable to pests.
- Rising temperatures will likely stimulate insect population growth in certain regions. Scientists also expect to see continued shifts in insects’ geographic regions and potential to survive winter.
- Because they have more diversity in their gene pool and a greater ability to acclimate, weeds are more resilient to climate change than cultivated crops. Research suggests weeds will have an increased ability to outcompete agricultural crops in many regions, leading to declining yields.
- Climate change speeds up pesticide degradation, meaning pesticides will be effective for less time, leading farmers to increase their pesticide application rates.
An environmental justice issue
Scientists caution that climate change will increase the movement of pesticides away from their intended targets, further polluting our environment and endangering public health. Increased temperatures are expected to result in more pesticide volatilization – when pesticides transform into a gas – meaning more pesticides in our air. Severe rain events are also expected to increase pesticide loss to our waterways.
In the US, people living in communities most exposed to pesticides – agricultural workers, rural communities, and residents living where pesticides are produced and wastes are dumped – are disproportionately low-income and people of color. The predicted increase in pesticide use will also compound other climate change effects that impact these communities, such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
This is both a climate crisis and a racial injustice.
Real solutions
Despite these findings, the reduction of synthetic pesticide use has been omitted from climate change solutions. Instead, synthetic pesticide use has been presented as a climate change mitigation strategy by industrial agriculture interests.
The real solution addresses all sides of this vicious cycle: agroecology. The adoption of alternative agricultural systems minimizes or eliminates synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use while increasing the resilience of our farming systems to better withstand climate change impacts.
Governments can start by adopting measurable goals to reduce synthetic pesticide use in climate policies. Laws and regulations should be written to uphold and promote the rights of groups most impacted by synthetic pesticide use. And finally, policies should be developed that provide improved technical assistance and incentives for farmers to adopt farming practices that protect community and ecosystem health.
And, while we work toward future policy and practice change, we can collectively support the advocacy work of organizations and impacted communities fighting for climate justice now.
Posted on March 3, 2023
Our February grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups supporting independent journalism, climate justice, and the fight against violent right-wing extremism. In February, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among Democracy Now!, Evergreen Action and Life After Hate.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our February grant recipients thank you.
Democracy Now!
“None of our work would be possible without you and our global audience of listeners and viewers. Thank you so much for supporting our independent journalism.” – Amy Goodman, Host and Executive Producer, Democracy Now!
To learn more, visit www.democracynow.org.
Evergreen Action
“With your donation, we are able to push the ball forward on bold climate action that protects people & the planet. Support from CREDO members like you helps ensure we have the best chance at a more livable & equitable future. Thank you.” – Jamal Raad, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Evergreen Action
To learn more, visit www.evergreenaction.com.
Life After Hate
“Thank you for your commitment to and support of Life After Hate and its mission. Because of you, we have been able to help individuals leave the violent far-right. More importantly, together we have demonstrated that second chances are possible.” – Patrick R. Riccards, CEO, Life After Hate, Inc.
To learn more, visit www.lifeafterhate.org.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in March, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on March 1, 2023
Vote for Futures Without Violence, Pesticide Action Network and Social Security Works
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly grant to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This March, you can support preventing violence against women and children across the world, ending the use of dangerous pesticides and protecting Social Security by voting to fund Futures Without Violence, Pesticide Action Network and Social Security Works.
Futures Without Violence
For over 40 years, FUTURES has led groundbreaking programs and policy solutions to create safer homes, schools, and communities for women, children, and families everywhere. Its vision is for all individuals to have equitable access to education, safety, justice, and economic freedom.
Funding from CREDO will power FUTURES to collaborate and implement innovative solutions with community-based partners and meet the high demand for resources, materials, and programs to support survivors, their families, and broader communities.
Pesticide Action Network
Across the US and around the world, PAN works with those on the frontlines of industrial agriculture — farmworkers, family farmers, rural communities, Indigenous people and children — to eradicate pesticide use and build a just, healthy food system.
Funding from CREDO members will help PAN challenge the global proliferation of pesticides, defend basic rights to health and environmental quality, and champion agroecology — a transformative farming system rooted in social justice and biodiversity.
Social Security Works
Social Security Works knows that the best defense against right-wing lies is a good offense. That’s why they fight every day to expand―never cut―our Social Security system!
Wall Street has been plotting to cut Social Security for nearly a century. Funding from CREDO members will help SSW defeat the plot to create a program to fast-track cuts to Social Security.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donations among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by March 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and join our movement.
Posted on March 1, 2023
How to scan your important tax documents right from your phone
Tax Day is right around the corner, and if you haven’t filed yet, it’s time to quickly get all your documents in order.
The best way to save, store or upload your tax documents, especially if you have paper copies, is by digitizing them.
You don’t have a scanner? Not a problem! You can easily scan all your documents right from your smartphone. Here’s how.
Scanning tax documents from your iPhone or iPad
There are a few ways to digitize your tax documents from an iPhone or iPad. The simplest way is to simply open your camera app and take photos of each document. Make sure you place your documents on a well-lit, flat surface and snap a picture of each one. This method will be a bit time consuming, since the files will be stored as images (not PDFs) and you will need to manually crop and organize each one.
However, our preferred method is using the Files app, which will automatically recognize, scan and crop your documents and help you organize them for easy sharing at a later date. Here’s how to get started:
-
- Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap the Browse tab (likely in the bottom corner)
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose Scan Documents
- Position your document on a well-lit flat surface and hover your phone’s camera over the document. The app should automatically recognize and scan it. The file will be placed in your scanned documents
- Continue scanning documents until you are done. Click Save.
- Choose the folder you would like to save your documents in, or click the three dots at the top of your screen to create a new folder. Click Save to save your documents.
Scanning tax documents from your Android device
Scanning documents on Android devices can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some models have a built-in scanning function in the Camera app, while others do not. However, you will likely use Google Drive on your Android to store your documents, photos and other important information, so here’s how to use Google Drive to scan your tax documents, which should work across all Android models.
- Open the Google Drive app. (If you don’t have Google Drive installed on your device, download and install it from Google Play here.)
- Tap the “+” button, then tap Scan.
- Position your document on a well-lit flat surface and hover your phone’s camera over the document, then tap the shutter button. You can now edit, crop or rotate the image.
- To add more documents, tap the + button.
- When you’re finished scanning, click Save. Now give your document a name and organize your files in Google Drive.
