Top Charities in Alabama (2026)

The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama serves Birmingham and the surrounding region through more than 300 partner distribution agencies — soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and meal programs. In central Alabama, 246,000 people and 68,000 children live without reliable food access. That's 1 in 5 children and 1 in 6 people experiencing hunger regularly in the region. The Food Bank stretches each donor dollar to feed four people — a ratio that reflects both disciplined operations and the buying power that comes with large-scale food sourcing.

The October 2025 SNAP suspension — which cut off $140 million per month in food benefits for 750,000 Alabamians overnight — created immediate, severe demand at food banks statewide. The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama was on the front line of that response, working to expand mobile pantry distributions and partner agency capacity in a matter of days. They are a Feeding America member and work under the Feeding Alabama statewide coordination network. Volunteers sort and pack food at their Birmingham facility; mobile pantry volunteers serve community distribution sites across central Alabama.

The Heart of Alabama Food Bank (HAFB) in Montgomery covers 35 Alabama counties directly or through four affiliated food banks: West Alabama (Tuscaloosa), East Alabama (Auburn/Opelika), Wiregrass (Dothan), and Selma Area (Selma). This geographic footprint includes some of Alabama's most economically distressed counties — the Black Belt counties of west-central Alabama have some of the highest food insecurity rates in the entire country, driven by a long history of poverty, limited employment, and sparse food retail infrastructure.

Feeding Alabama — the statewide coordinating network of six Alabama food banks — worked to coordinate the emergency response after the October 2025 SNAP suspension. The Black Belt, where food deserts are common and transportation to pantries is difficult, felt the SNAP suspension acutely. The Heart of Alabama Food Bank works with local pantries to address both the food gap and the transportation barrier, with mobile distributions reaching communities that have no fixed pantry nearby. The Montgomery Area Food Bank is listed separately but coordinates with HAFB on 35-county coverage.

The Greater Birmingham Humane Society is Alabama's largest humane society, handling animal control services for portions of the Birmingham metro alongside private shelter operations, adoption, spay/neuter programs, and community outreach. Alabama has high rates of pet homelessness and euthanasia relative to many other states — the state's warm climate, high stray dog populations (particularly in rural areas and the Black Belt), and limited low-cost veterinary access combine to create persistent animal welfare challenges. GBHS works with rescue organizations statewide to maximize animal placements.

Volunteer roles at GBHS include animal care, dog walking, cat socialization, foster care, and adoption event support. Foster families are particularly needed for neonatal kittens, nursing mothers, and animals recovering from medical procedures. Alabama's other major humane societies include the Montgomery Humane Society, Humane Society of Tuscaloosa County, and various county animal shelters — but Birmingham's is by far the largest in the state.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham builds affordable homes and provides critical home repairs in Birmingham's underserved neighborhoods. Alabama's housing challenges take two distinct forms: in Birmingham and other cities, there's a need for affordable homeownership options in neighborhoods with aging and deteriorating housing stock. In rural Alabama — especially the Black Belt — homes often need critical structural repairs (roofs, HVAC, plumbing) more than replacement, as elderly homeowners can't afford maintenance on fixed incomes. Alabama Habitat for Humanity received ARPA funding to address both dimensions statewide.

Alabama has Habitat affiliates in every major city — Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa — and in smaller communities serving the rural population. Birmingham's affiliate is the most active by volume. ReStore locations accept furniture, appliances, and building materials. Build days are open to first-timers and corporate groups — UAB, Regions Bank, and other Birmingham institutions regularly provide volunteers. The home repair program specifically targets elderly and disabled homeowners who can't safely maintain their homes.

United Way of Central Alabama distributes grants to nonprofits across Birmingham and Jefferson County, and manages workplace giving campaigns for major Alabama employers — Regions Bank, BBVA, UAB Health System, Alabama Power, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, and others. They operate 2-1-1 Alabama, connecting residents to food, housing, utility, and health resources statewide — including the food banks and pantries that became critical during the October 2025 SNAP suspension. 2-1-1 is the first number to dial when someone in Alabama doesn't know where to get help.

Alabama has multiple United Way chapters — United Way of the Tennessee Valley (Huntsville), United Way of Southwest Alabama (Mobile/Baldwin Counties), United Way of Lee County (Auburn), and others. Birmingham's chapter is the largest. Their annual Community Campaign generates tens of millions for nonprofits across central Alabama. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is a separate organization that complements United Way's work with longer-term endowment and grantmaking capacity.

The Red Cross Alabama Region responds to home fires (particularly common in older rural housing stock), tornadoes, flooding, and severe weather statewide. Alabama sits in a highly active tornado corridor and regularly experiences devastating severe weather — April 2011 remains the state's worst recorded tornado event, but significant outbreaks occur multiple times each decade. The state also has significant flooding risk along the Mobile-Tensaw river system in the southwest. Blood collection runs at donor centers in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa.

Blood donation is particularly important in Alabama because several major trauma centers — UAB Hospital, Children's of Alabama — depend on local supply for complex surgical cases. Appointments are available within days at most Alabama chapters. If you were displaced by a tornado or other disaster in Alabama and need immediate help, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. CPR and first aid classes are available at chapter locations across the state.

Catholic Charities of Alabama operates through two dioceses — Birmingham and Mobile — with programs including refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, emergency food assistance, counseling, and housing support. Alabama has received refugees from various countries and has a significant Hispanic and immigrant worker population, particularly in the poultry processing and agriculture industries in the northern and central parts of the state. Catholic Charities provides legal services and social support for those communities, including DACA renewals and family petitions.

During the October 2025 SNAP suspension, Catholic Charities' food assistance programs — both in Birmingham and Mobile — saw immediate increases in demand. Their emergency assistance covers rent, utilities, and food for families in crisis regardless of faith background. Volunteers assist with food distribution, resettlement support, and administrative roles. Services are available to people of all faiths.

The Salvation Army operates across Alabama — Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, and many smaller communities. Programs include emergency food pantries, rent and utility assistance, overnight shelter, after-school programs, and disaster canteens that deploy after tornadoes and floods. During the October 2025 SNAP suspension, Salvation Army corps statewide activated emergency food distribution for affected families. In Alabama's smaller cities and rural communities — particularly in the Black Belt — the Salvation Army corps is often the only organized emergency assistance facility available within reasonable distance.

The Salvation Army's critical repair program for homes in Alabama's rural counties supplements Habitat's work — elderly homeowners with failing roofs or HVAC systems often turn to the Salvation Army when they fall through other program eligibility gaps. Red Kettle campaign runs November through Christmas. Emergency assistance is available at local corps statewide — call before visiting to confirm current program availability.

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham manages endowment funds, donor-advised funds, and grants for Birmingham-area nonprofits and provides statewide policy research through its partnership with the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and the Alabama Association of Nonprofits. Their mapping of Alabama's nonprofit sector produced the most comprehensive data available on how the state's charitable infrastructure actually works — including the finding that $16.9 billion in nonprofit revenue is controlled almost entirely by the 21 largest organizations, while the median nonprofit runs on $200,000 a year.

The Foundation also manages disaster relief funds that can activate after tornado events and other Alabama disasters. For donors with ties to specific Birmingham neighborhoods or causes, the Foundation manages designated funds that direct giving to particular organizations or geographic areas. Their scholarship programs support Birmingham-area students pursuing higher education.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham matches children facing adversity with adult volunteer mentors across the Birmingham metro. Alabama has significant child poverty — Jefferson County has pockets of extreme poverty alongside its middle-class suburbs, and the educational outcome gaps between Birmingham city schools and the wealthier suburban districts are among the widest in the state. BBBS research consistently shows matched youth are more likely to graduate, less likely to encounter the juvenile justice system, and more likely to find stable employment as adults.

Community-based mentoring requires meeting 2–4 times per month for at least a year. School-based mentoring runs weekly during school hours. Alabama also has BBBS affiliates in Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery. Demand for mentors consistently exceeds available volunteers across all Alabama BBBS chapters.