philanthroper

I get it. It's impossible to donate money when you don't have any. I totally get it. But you know what? You can still make a difference.

Check out Philanthroper. Every day, they share the story of a new 501(c)3 nonprofit and if you like it, you can give them $1. Yes...$1. That's it. They figure that if you make tiny donations - even $1 - on a regular basis, you'll donate more over time than you would have otherwise. Plus, it won't sting your bank account too badly. It's a brilliant strategy to make doing good a habit.

What's more, they never take a fee from any user donation. And charities don't pay to be featured on the site, either. The payment system that they use, mPayy, takes 1% of your donation - a penny - to cover unavoidable banking fees. So, $.99 out of every dollar goes directly to their featured charities. And you can suggest charities to them, too.

Listen, I know this is something everyone can afford to do. And if you can't, well, you let me know and I will send you the dollar to get started. Best dollar I will have ever spent. (Caveat: I don't think this here ol' blog has quite a big enough readership to get me into trouble with that statement, but I promise to stick to it. I would, however, greatly appreciate it if you could make an honest effort to scrape together the buck, if you can. Thanks.)

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swipegood

So, I know you're all awesome peeple and you want to help the world. I know you do. But philanthropy takes time. And effort. Ugh. If only it were instant and you didn't have to think about it...

I've got it. SwipeGood rounds up all of your credit card purchases to the nearest dollar and allows you to donate the difference to the charity of your choice. It's the easiest way to give to charity!

You can choose a specific charity you'd like to donate to and then switch your charity any time you want, and they're always adding new ones. Some of the charities they support now are charity: water (love them!), Actions Against Hunger International, Buy This Satellite (whut whut?), Outfest, and lots more. Also, while it's a good thing that the change from your purchases adds up quickly, you can always set a monthly limit for your roundups so you don't end up donating more than you can afford. Couldn't be easier, my friends.

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changing diapers changing lives

Today, we're going to get down and dirty and talk about diapers. Yes...diapers. Ew...diapers. I have a ton of new mommy & daddy friends who must by now must be so sick of and yet utterly beholden to the power of these little bomb shields. Can you guys imagine NOT having diapers? Or not having enough? Sadly, many families across the country can not afford diapers, and benefit programs like WIC don't pay for them, either.

To help these families cover their butts (literally), Gifts in Kind has announced a new Changing Diapers Changing Lives campaign that aims to raise and distribute 10 million Seventh Generation diapers for families who are struggling to provide basic needs for their families. Donate $5 to Gifts In Kind International by texting BABY to 52000. With every donation received, Gifts In Kind will be able to purchase, store, and ship diapers to its nonprofit network free of cost.

A quick plug for Seventh Generation - not only are they providing chlorine-free, environmentally friendly diapers for the Changing Diapers Changing Lives campaign, the company's mission is to inspire a more conscious and sustainable world by being an authentic force for positive change. (They are also a partner of one of my previously touted organizations, FITE.) It's a good reason to choose their products when you're out shopping or scheduling a food drop from FreshDirect (my husband, already a fan of Seventh Generation, is going to be so happy to hear me say that).

Also, a quick word about Gifts In Kind International - according to their website, they are the world's leading nonprofit in product philanthropy and one of the largest nonprofits in the United States. Their mission is to bring corporate America together with the nonprofit world to help people in need. There are lots of ways you can support their causes by providing them with products, donate money, volunteer your time, or nominate your favorite charity.

Finally, one last shout out to a cool fellow philanthropist blogger, the Blogunteer, who writes about a diaper bank in the Detroit area. I've got a lot of peeps back home...whattup D-town?! The Detroit Area Diaper Bank, located in Canton, serves babies from low-income households, the elderly, and people with disabilities from all over the Metro Detroit area and is a great little charity that you can support with donations or diapers. 100% of all donated funds goes directly toward purchasing diapers and incontinence supplies.

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FITE

Today's post is all about girl power...and I have a serious girl crush on today's organization.  Just officially launched on Jan. 6, FITE is a global empowerment platform powered by Kiva.org, the nonprofit leader in microfinance, that is designed to foster Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship for women in the developing world. Their mission is to provide women entrepreneurs access to small loans that will help them start or grow a business; and to help educate the public at large about the benefits of empowering women entrepreneurs so that they “can hold up their half of the sky.” In just the first 2 years, they aim to help at least 25,000 women.

There are several ways you can join FITE and help fund an entrepreneur.  You can help fund a microloan for as little as $25.00!

You can also help by gettin' purty.  Dermalogica, the world’s preeminent professional skin care brand, is the founding partner for FITE, and has invested all the research and development to make FITE possible.  Buy a FITE-sleeve Dermalogica product and then redeem the code inside to activate a donation to fund a business of your choosing!

Also, be sure to check out the businesses and organizations who are already supporting FITE and the empowerment of women and give them a little love.

GIRLZ RULE!



P.S.  Huge exploding knuckle touch to my creative and talented husband for the awesome new design!  You like?

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project 7

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I have returned from a short hiatus during which I caught up on my Netflix and did. not. clean. anything before returning to the grind of this new year.  And here I am.  Hellooo!  With a brand new, shiny, first-of-the-year, easy-as-chewing-gum-and-doing-nothing-at-the-same-time way to give back.

Who knew giving back could be so easy? Apparently the people at Project 7 knew this, and they developed a line of consumer goods that we all use every day, like gum.  They then give more than 50% of their annual profits toward 7 areas of critical need in the world (hence, the name):


Save the Earth
Heal the Sick
Teach them Well
Hope for Peace
Feed the Hungry
Quench the Thirst
House the Homeless

Project 7 was created as a way to give back, inspire others, and educate people on real needs throughout the world. Their goal is to “Change the Score," which means to make significant, measurable differences in the world.  Awesome.  Buy Project 7 products like coffee or water, or freshen your breath and save this crazy little world of ours today!  (Pick some up when you check out at Barnes & Noble, Caribou Coffee, and Whole Foods...hint hint.)

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