We Are Together is a film about children living in the Agape orphanage in Africa. It chronicles their lives, individual personalities, and incredible journeys through life. They are also all part of a choir and have recorded an album that coincides with the film (absolutely beautiful music!), with profits from the both the film and CD going to benefit children in South Africa.
There are lots of ways to support the cause, including joining their email list (which includes getting a free music track download), donating money, or simply by purchasing the CD and watching the film (coming soon to HBO).
Bands and musicians often have foundations but not every band's foundation wins an award from eBay for their work. The Make Yourself Foundation, which was founded by the members of the rock band Incubus recently won eBay's 2008 Golden Ribbon Award for a nonprofit. The foundation auctions tickets and memorabilia via eBay Giving Works using a portion of their proceeds from all band-related activity and online eBay sales to fund various environmental and arts-related causes such as the Surfrider Foundation, Save the Music, Future Forests and Heal the Bay. Last year, the Foundation raised over $600,000 for causes like these through eBay. The band encourages fans to donate by buying Incubus bootleg CDs, Make Yourself Foundation gear or selling things on eBay through Mission Fish and donating to the foundation that way.
All children should have the right to play but for some on the world's most disadvantaged communities, the simple joy of sport and play is not always available. The Right to Play program uses the medium of sports and activities for a variety of purposes including teaching HIV prevention, helping rehabilitate children affected by war, encouraging the healthy, phsycial, social and emotional deveopment of refugees and simply bringing laughter and play to children in need. The program accepts donations and trains volunteers as coaches but one simple way you can help is by buying a mini red ball which is available at Adidas stores.
Posh Paws is an idea put into motion by Cantoni furniture store and inspired by a small polyethylene dog originally created by designer Eero Aarnio as part of his children's collection. The Posh Paws version takes the original dog, adds in a few local and national celebrity designers, and comes up with an entire line of adorable and unique puppy toys (toys that are puppies, not toys for puppies) that are up for sale to benefit various charities in the name of animal rescue and helping stray pets find permanent homes. My favorite is this one by Zsofia Mezey Koppani.
Jenny's Light is a charity devoted to raising awareness about perinatal mood disorders. The organization was founded by the family of a woman named Jenny who suddenly took both her and her husband's life while suffering from untreated post partum depression. Jenny's Light funds research into post natal mood disorders and also provides support to women suffering from the darkness and hopelessness that sometimes occurs after giving birth. Help shine light on this serious health issue, donations are greatly appreciated as much research still needs to be done!
Sporting triumphs are often marked with the splash of victory, that moment when the Gatorade hits the winning coach's unsuspecting head. Celtics coach Doc Rivers got a good soaking in orange Gatorade when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. His Gatorade-stained shirt has now brought in $55,000 for The Shamrock Foundation through an auction on sports radio WEEI (850 AM). The Boston Globe's Celtics Blog reports that an anonymous bidder pledged $35,000 for the shirt and the Gatorade bucket used in the soaking. The Gatorade company donated an addition $10,000 and a second anonymous donor gifted a $10,000 pledge.Steve Pagliuca, Celtics managing partner and president of The Shamrock Foundation has offered another $35,000 if the shirt's new owner will let the Celtics show off the shirt to fans at certain points during the next season.
The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation benefits children in Boston, partnering with community based organizations that provide healthcare, shelter and vital services for children in need. The foundation's current community partners are Perkins School for the Blind, Childrens Hospital Boston, Horizons for Homeless Children, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). They accept donations if you want to commemorate the Celtics victory with a little giving of your own.
The 46664 Foundation, named after the number former South African President Nelson Mandela wore while imprisoned for 27 tears, aims to raise awareness and to educate people about the global HIV/AIDS crisis. The campaign began in 2003, when Mandela realized that to reach the youth of the world he needed to engage the support of the people who most appeal to them. Mandela, supported by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, and Bono (natch), persuaded more than 30 of the world's top artists to come together to perform at a global awareness concert for HIV/AIDS in Cape Town.
Mandela will be 90 this year, and to celebrate, as well as to raise funds for 46664, there will be a global launch of limited-edition 46664 wrist bangles during the birthday celebrations in London on June 27. The goal is to create jobs as well as bring at least R1-billion (R=South African Rand, equal to $0.12587 on June 23) to the fight against HIV/Aids. Offered will be 90 platinum bangles (at the cost of R135 660 each), 90 24-carat gold bangles (R67 260), 466 18-carat gold bangles (R54 948) and 46,664 silver bangles (R1 995). The initiative will be a South African effort using metals from local suppliers, the skills of local craftsman and domestic suppliers from the tooling, machining and packaging industries. At least 60 percent of revenues from the sale of bangles will go to the 46664 HIV/Aids prevention campaign.
Pratham USA was started in 1994 by UNICEF, with the goal to educate the children of India in the areas of reading writing and basic math. Based on the principal that children who attend school make more productive members of society and are less likely to fall into poverty, Pratham works by improving India's schools instead of replacing them or imposing new ways of life. Recently Google awarded a $2 million grant to Pratham to assist their efforts! Check out the amazing work this organization is doing here.
The Tony Hawk Foundation has a very broad mission of working to foster lasting improvements in society and it aims to do this mainly by empowering and supporting the youth of today. The Tony Hawk Foundation creates and supports various recreational programs around the country but usually favors (of course!) putting up skateboard parks in low income communities.
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world's oceans, waves, and beaches, and works to further that mission through educational programs and the development of grassroots awareness. Their programs include everything from the expected like monitoring water quality and teaching kids to respect the beach to the slightly less expected, like information on how to create an "ocean friendly garden" that reduces runoff and harmful pollutants.
You can take part in their programs hands on if you live near any of the nations coasts (they have chapters pretty much everywhere) or join online and support them from anywhere.
Luke's Wings is an organization dedicated to supporting veterans who have been wounded in battle. Their unique mission is to reunite veterans with their immediate families during their hospital stay away from home. Recognizing that additional time away from loved ones can hinder the healing process on an emotional and physical level, Luke's Wings flies the family to wherever the wounded soldier is! Luke's Wings shops around for the best deals on air fare tickets and receives special deals from travel agencies, the tickets are purchased with money from generous donors around the globe. Get involved with this innovative organization and help a family in need during their most trying time!
Living Goods has a unique model for doing good in the world. They have created a network of door-to-door Health Promoters in Uganda who sell essential health products at prices affordable to the poor in developing countries. This method combines the worlds of microfinance, franchising, and public health with an end goal of defeating diseases of poverty. Living Goods helps reduce illness and death through basic health interventions focusing on diseases that can be easily treated or prevented and yet can often prove fatal in underserved areas. These diseases include malaria and TV and the Health Promoters also help with basic family planning and reproductive health services to both lowering fertility and reduce the mortality rate for pregnant women and newborns. This method also empowers the Health Promoter who earns wages for her services. Living Goods hopes to recruit, train and deploy 4,000 agents in two target countries serving a total population of 4-5 million during their first five years. They also hope to replicate this model elsewhere and partner with other groups to export this model to to other countries including Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana and India.
Want a stylish way to help solve one of todays most urgent humanitarian crisis? Relief Beads is a campaign that sells handmade African bracelets to raise awareness and money for the people of Darfur. Funds from bracelet sales go directly to refugee camps and medical clinics in the most urgently needed locations. The funds from every eight bracelets sold, provides medical care for 100 refugees! Since conflict begin in 2003 over 2.5 million people have been forced to leave their homes. Support this worthwhile cause, pick up your bracelets today!
Epic Change has a unique philosophy toward doing good in the world. They believe that people's stories are assets that can be used as resources to improve their lives. They help people share their stories in innovative, creative and profitable ways to help them acquire the financial resources to create change in their communities. Their first project involves rebuilding and expanding Shepherds Junior, a small pre- and primary school located in Arusha, Tanzania. The school is taught in English but includes courses in the country's primary language, Swahili, and celebrates the culture and history of Tanzania. The school's goal is to give the children in the area a high quality education at an affordable price and charges less than 30% of the cost of private schools of similar quality within the area. They charge nominal tuition to most students and uses income to subsidize the costs of orphans and lower income children who attend the school. The land on which the school is based was sold to a hotel developer. Epic Change is working to help rebuild and expand Shepherds Junior in a new location adding a computer lab, library, cafeteria, playground, classrooms and solar panels for power. An acre of land has been purchased and students are currently attending school in four new classrooms. The Epic Change group and some volunteers are headed back to Tanzania this summer and future story-related projects include a greeting card line that includes pictures of the children and a post card line that includes photos by the children. Epic Change is actively looking for donations as well as volunteers to join them in helping work epic change in the lives of these children.
Women For Women improves the lives of women in war torn regions with their holistic whole health approach, they address both mental and educational needs as well as physical health issues. Women who enter their amazing one year program have no where else to turn. Through education, they're transitioned from victim to survivor then active citizen. Over the years this organization has empowered hundreds of thousands of women in Congo, Afghanistan, Sudan and Nigeria. They're able to do so because of their successfull sponsor program. It matches potential donors with a woman in need within four weeks, once you've been matched you recieve all the information about your new "sister", and you assist her with your monthly contribution. Learn more about Women For Women's inspiring work and then get involved!
