Turks and Caicos Charities & Non-profits
The Turks and Caicos is home to an interesting spectrum of charity and non-profit organizations, many of which rely on donations and volunteers for survival.
Many of the country’s organizations are based on Providenciales, as the island is the home to most activity and the vast majority of the population. The focus of many local charities in the Turks and Caicos is children, animal wellbeing, and environmental protection.
For information on visitors seeking to volunteer in the Turks and Caicos, see Living and Working in the Turks and Caicos.
Turks and Caicos Reef Fund
The Turks and Caicos Reef Fund has a simple yet daunting mission—to protect and preserve the reefs and marine environment of the Turks and Caicos. This charge has taken many forms, including maintaining buoys and moorings at dive and snorkel sites, providing education to young and old alike, controlling invasive lionfish, and forwarding historical and scientific research.
The Reef Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization and welcomes both donations and volunteers.
Food For Thought
Food For Thought has an important objective: provide breakfast to every school child in the Turks and Caicos. Malnutrition has an enormous effect on physical and mental development, and the children’s ability to concentrate and learn. Food for Thought provides free breakfast every school day to approximately 450 children throughout the Islands.
The non-profit seeks donations and corporate sponsors. There are many ways to help, you can make recurring monthly donations, one-off donations, purchase merchandise, attend their fundraising events, or host your own fundraising event.
Food For Thought has also placed food donation bins for non-perishable breakfast items, in their signature purple color scheme, at many locations around Providenciales. Visit their website for more details.
Turks and Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Turks and Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TCSPCA), has long been established on Providenciales, rescuing and caring for animals in need across the country. In addition to Potcake dogs and cats, the organization has helped care for a wide range of animals, including local donkeys and goats!
One of the most important missions of the TCSPCA is finding good homes for unwanted local cats and dogs, both in the Turks and Caicos and abroad. The organization often has a need for couriers willing to take pets to their new home in the US or Canada, so a great way to help is to take a puppy or kitten with on your flight out of the Turks and Caicos.
Turks and Caicos National Trust
The Turks and Caicos National Trust oversees many historical and natural sites in the islands, including the attractions of Wade’s Green Plantation, Cheshire Hall Plantation, Haulover Plantation, Conch Bar Caves, Indian Cave, Little Water Cay, and Bird Rock Point Trail.
Maintaining sensitive historical sites requires constant care and attention, and the National Trust needs all the help it can get.
Turks and Caicos National Museum
Founded decades ago, the Turks and Caicos National Museum has striven to preserve, protect and display the incredible range of Turks and Caicos artifacts, including priceless treasures from the pre-Columbian Taino peoples, remains from one of the oldest European shipwrecks in the Americas, and much more.
The National Museum has primarily been based on the island of Grand Turk in the iconic Guinep House for decades, yet has worked in recent years to open a Providenciales museum branch.
The future Providenciales museum site is located in the Village at Grace Bay, and there’s a development office, reproduction heritage house, and some outdoor exhibits on historical cannons, anchors, and the Caicos Sloop.
Potcake Place
The Potcake Place is a dog rescue shelter located in the heart of Grace Bay at the Saltmills Plaza. This organization works to rescue and find caring homes for neglected dogs and cats in the Turks and Caicos, especially for our well-loved Potcake breed, which can be found feral on many of our larger islands.
Potcake Place welcomes donations of money and animal care necessities, and help with couriering adopted pets to their new homes outside of the Turks and Caicos.