I know this post doesn’t fit in with what I normally write about, but this week I am giving away $100 to the charity of my readers choice.
Why, you ask?
Because Millennials care about the world. And I’m always going around saying that Millennials care about the world. So here I am, putting my money where my mouth is.
Because I have to. It’s true. I’m a member of The Luci & Stan Sunshine Family Foundation and every year I’m in charge of giving away a certain amount of money to charity.
Because I need help. There are sooo many charities, and when it comes time to give money away I never know who to give it to. But my readers are very smart (some much smarter than me) and I know you will help guide me into choosing a good charity.
Because I love my readers. I really do! I love my loyal readers, one-time readers, and even the mean comment posters. And I want to give you a chance to help me give back.
Help me choose: All you have to do is comment on this post with the name of the charity you think I should donate to. The charity with the most comments wins the money. You can only vote once! I don’t care how many people you tell to vote, but you can only physically vote once. Your vote must be cast by 9/7 at midnight CDT.
Rules: These are important!
- The organization must be a 501(c)3 organization (because the Government says so!)
- No religious or political organizations (because I said so!)
- You can only vote once (because I want it to be fair!)
Oh, and one last disclaimer: The final decision is up to me and the other members of the foundation. I don’t see anything happening that would prevent us from donating the money to the winning charity, but if something goes horribly wrong I can pull the plug at any time.
Ok, GO FOR IT! Comment and let me know where I should donate this $100 to. Share and evangelize your favorite charity.
(Also, if you don’t think $100 is a lot of money to a charity, you are wrong. It buys ten mosquito nets for kids in Africa, or over 100 meals for people who have no access to food. I’m sure these charities would agree that every little bit counts.)
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First Book. I worked with them this past summer and they are an amazing organization.
First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.
You can check them out at….. http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674095/k.CCA8/First_Book_Homepage.htm
Blake,
This is slightly political, but such a beautiful, helpful and caring organization. OneFamily is dedicated to aiding families and citizens after a terrorist attack occurs in the middle east. Even if you do not choose this one, I would love to tell you more about it.
I visited this summer and met both staff and survivors at OneFamily. OneFamily aids victims financially and emotionally. They have helped to pay medical bills for deformations and injuries, and they offer therapy for post traumatic stress. They also take in multiple children who have lost their parents, and host a summer camp where children who have lost family can bond with one another while getting help. Their goal is to give each victim back their humanity, and they really do amazing work.
For more information, feel free to visit their website http://www.onefamilyfund.org/
Thanks for being a great individual and blogger!
Hi Blake,
How about Poverty Stops Here? http://www.povertystopshere.org/
A couple of the folks behind it are NI employees.
- Christina
I’m a firm believer in giving where the money will be further multiplied. Give this one a shot!
http://the1010project.org/
Blake,
Since your favorite dog in the world, Lula, is a rescue. I suggest something along those lines.
It’s already been suggested but I’m also going to have to say First Book also. They give books to disadvantaged children…what could be better??
Awesome idea, Blake. I want to throw my hat in. While I don’t have a foundation that I’m associated to, I do know how to write a $50 check. So consider this the second place prize. I’ll donate $50 to whichever suggestion gets the second highest number of votes.
Oh yeah, I was supposed to vote when I read this blog post: My vote goes to OneFamily.
I love Kiva (kiva.org)…the microfinancing concept is powerful, encourages entrepreneurship, and helps in many economic facets from education to basic food supplies. The cool thing is that your loan is re-paid over time and you can make another loan with the same money. Very cool and worth checking out.
I am all in for any cancer related cause. BUT right now my family is becoming very involved with the Chordoma Foundation which is raising money to research my brother’s type of tumor. Donors are few and far between considering its rarity. But that is my vote!
Blake – My vote is for Big Hearts for Brave Hearts, a young professionals group whose purpose is to support Hospice Austin’s Camp Brave Heart, a free summer camp for children who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
Camp Brave Heart is a free, two-and-a-half-day camp experience designed to combine the fun of a recreational camp with grief support for children ages 6 through 17 who have experienced the lost of a loved one due to death.
http://www.bhbh.org/
Blake,
I vote for a pet rescue charity in honor of our little Lula Bean. She was a victim of abuse and was rescued by the humane society from dog hoarders.
Here are a couple of charities that I researched:
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, and is America’s mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect. The organization seeks social change for animals by advocating public policies, educating the public about animal issues and joining with corporations on behalf of animal-friendly policies, among other topics.
PetSmart Charities works to improve the quality of life for all companion animals by creating and supporting programs that save the lives of homeless pets and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. Through its PetSmart Charities Adoption Centers, the organization helps save a homeless pet’s life every two minutes. PetSmart Charities also funds the innovative and collaborative programs of more than 3,400 animal welfare agencies across the U.S. and Canada. These programs help raise awareness of and support companion animal welfare issues, provide urgently needed pet emergency relief and educate and professionalize the animal welfare field.