Friday, April 17, 2009

a very different kind of giveaway

Bloggers, I have been toying with the idea of doing this for a while now and am deciding to give it a try. A lot of us hear how in these hard economic times many non-profits are having a much harder time than normal raising funds and unfortunately, donations to worthy organizations are oftentimes one of the first things that people cut back on. I am offering all of you, my dear readers, the opportunity to help out your favorite cause. How, you may ask? Well it's simple. I have hosted several giveaways recently where there is always one winner who receives a cute purse or some nice perfume or a fun keyfob and at most, only 1 or 2 people ever benefit from it. This giveaway will be different. Instead of winning a material item, the winner of this giveaway will receive an $18 donation to the nonprofit organization of their choice. It can be an organization of any size, scope, etc. My only request is that it be a 501c3 non-profit. If you win, you will have the option of having the gift be made in honor of, memory of, or support of yourself or a loved one. $18 may not seem like a lot, but it is a step and to some people, it can make a world of difference. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment with the organization you would like to allocate your $18 to for one entry, follow me or become a follower for two entries, and blog about this giveaway for three entries. If you are passionate about supporting an organization, tell your friends to enter too. The more times an organization is entered, the better its chances of winning are. I will keep this giveaway up for two weeks to allow for more entries. It will close on Thursday, April 30th at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

41 comments:

  1. I am straight up entering this give away in support of NAMI - one of several philanthropies near and dear to my heart.

    NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has affiliates in every state and in more than 1,100 local communities across the country.

    www.nami.org

    ReplyDelete
  2. P.S. this is the best giveaway on any site. ever.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is an AWESOME giveaway!
    I am choosing MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION!
    You are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree, it's a wonderful giveaway! And if I were to win, there are so many charities I would want to help, but one that is near and dear to my heart is The Fisher House. Fisher House helps military families reunite after a vet has been wounded in war. From their website:
    Supporting America's military in their time of need, we provide "a home away from home" that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.http://fisherhouse.org

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think this is a great giveaway! If I won, I'd give the money to Autism Speaks. Autism is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart as I work with students who are on the spectrum and I have become very close to the family that I do home services for. They are big contributors to Autism Speaks and I do the local walk with them every year.



    I'm a follower :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an amazing idea! I love it! Please enter my choice: Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

    I'm a follower.

    I am def going to blog about this "giveaway."

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great giveaway!

    I'm a follower and I'll add it to my sidebar.

    If I win... I would like the money to go to Pets Inc in Columbia, SC. Clay and I hold no-kill animal shelters near and dear to our hearts. Which is why we are currently fostering a 2 week old puppy. One donation can help feed an animal or help spay/neuter one so that the stray pet population decreases.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this!

    My pick would be to the Save the Music Foundation.

    This is the non-profit that I donate the money from my necklaces to :)

    xo,
    E

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love this giveaway and the symbolism of 18- Chai! How awesome I would chose the children's cancer center. http://www.childrenscancercenter.org/home.html
    They do so much for families who are facing some of the hardest times anyone could ever imagine. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is awesome!!!!
    I am choosing ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This such a great idea! Living in Memphis, I must select St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I have many friends who work there and have also had the opportunity to meet some patients as well!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh Miss MRM, what a fabulous idea! Thank you *so* much for doing this!

    We would go with Fisher House (fisherhouse.org) helping families of wounded vets. The concept is similar to a Ronald McDonald house and the assistance is desperately needed. We are big fans, and already donate a % of our website sales to this group.

    Good for you!
    tp

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh MRM!! That is just a stunning idea. Thanks for being such sweetie and for thinking of others. It is contagious! Xoxo-BLC

    ReplyDelete
  14. what a great giveaway. I'm a follower and pick St Judes's.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Okay I will definitely step away from my giveaway sabbatical to enter this one! What a lovely idea MRM! I choose CMN as my non profit organization because in high school and college I was very devoted to raising money for this great group. I even got to participate in the annual telethon one year! Who doesn't want to help raise money for medical research and community awareness of children's health issues! They are our future after all :)

    I am a follower and I blogged about this giveaway as well:

    http://sweetteadiaries.blogspot.com/2009/04/im-so-glad-its-friday.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. Fabulous idea..my head is spinning with ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh..and I meant to leave this...I would donate to Autism Speaks...doing such awesome research!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wonderful giveaway! I am choosing Pug Hearts of Houston - a rescue near and dear to my heart! I am a follower also!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is the best give away I've ever entered!!! I would ask that the $18 be donated to the American Cancer Society in honor of my friend Tanya that lost her battle with cervical cancer a year ago.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Such a wonderful and non-materialistic giveaway. I am a follower and posting about this giveaway. The charity I would like the money to be donated to if I win would be: http://www.youngsurvival.org/ They help young women dealing with breat cancer.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would give to a charity that helps children in abusive situations. I just found this one:

    Coalition on Child Abuse and Neglect
    Here's a link to an overview:
    http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?partner=justgivews&ein=11-2630560

    ReplyDelete
  22. And I just blogged about your giveaway. So that's three entries for me!

    http://shawna-mygirls.blogspot.com/2009/04/awesome-giveaway.html

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi, Just found your blog through Sweet Tea Diaries - what a GREAT idea for a giveaway. I would donate to the Humane Society - www.hsus.org/.

    I'm a follower, and also blogged about this on my blog. :) http://myveryownsitcom.blogspot.com/2009/04/giveaways-giveaways-giveaways.html

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love this idea. After thinking about it, I've decided to go with Invisible Children. (invisiblechildren.com) They work on the belief that there are invisible children all over the world, and have created a powerful documentary. $18 is perfect for them, as the majority of their donations are $20 or less as it is widely student supported.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This is an awesome idea, I would have to pick the ASPCA, since in these hard times the animals are being left when homes are foreclosed upon:(

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a great, great giveaway!

    My charity of choice is Ronald McDonald House, which is a world-wide charity that "offer families a way to stay together, in proximity to the treatment hospital, and be comfortable and cared for during their stay." This is for when sick children need to receive treatment at a non-local hospital.

    I am already a follower.

    ReplyDelete
  27. FABULOUS idea!

    If I win I'd like the money to go to the JCAPL ... where I adopted my furry best friend!

    ReplyDelete
  28. hi. sorry! i got so busy and never got back to you. Habitat for Humanity would be my pick. I follow and will blog later about this!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a wonderful idea!!!! If I win, I would like for the money to go to the National Alzheimer's Foundation. I lost my father to Early Onset Alzheimers, and miss him every day!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love it. I am going to go with my ALL time favorite charity St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I would have to say Service for Sight. This is my sorority philanthropy. It is a cause that became close to my heart during my freshman year of college. Half the money my chapter raised went to fund a local camp for children with visual disabilities. The money paid for entire families to have a week at this camp. We were able to go to the camp and participate with the kids, really getting to see how the money was helping.

    I am also a follower!

    ReplyDelete
  32. such a fantastic idea! I'd have to choose the Meriden Humane Society. It seems all the more appropriate as I'm wearing a sweatshirt from them now!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Since April is Autism Awareness month, I am going to enter the Autism Society of North Carolina! I worked at their summer camp for 3 summers and it was the BEST EXPERIENCE EVER.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I'll take a 3rd entry please :) I just blogged and linked back. Can't believe more people haven't signed up!!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love the Figure Skating in Harlem Organization. They tutor young girls and after their tutoring session, they get a skating lesson. Over the years they have shown that they have a positive impact on the education of girls at risk.

    http://www.figureskatinginharlem.org/

    ReplyDelete
  36. I blogged about this again here: http://myveryownsitcom.blogspot.com/2009/04/future-leaders-of-america.html
    Hope that helps!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Great giveaway! I'd love for you to donate to World Wildlife Federation :)

    ReplyDelete