Being the cautious and skeptical type, I did a little digging about the new charity organization “Idol Gives Back”. From what I understand, last year’s fund raiser monies were distributed by Charity Projects Entertainment Fund. This year the project is more directly overseen by the American Idol execs. I also learned that, according to an article at The New York Times, only about 7% of the total raised funds were used for administrative expenses such as phone lines to take in calls and legal expenses, etc. However, I read in other mini articles that the financial report for the 2007 fund raiser is not currently available.

I love that this program supports a variety of organizations both US charities and abroad. I also love that the focus is children.

This program is so inspiring to me on so many levels. Entertainers take time out of their schedule to not only visit the areas these charities help.. but also to entertain during the show and share their message. It’s a fun night with a real purpose and really it takes all of 5 minutes to make a contribution.. no matter the amount. It also only takes 5 minutes to stop and consider what the program is all about - the people involved, the potential life changes, the impact even a dollar can make.. or better yet, the impact of passing on the message. Take a minute to Help someone that needs help

My Favorite comment of the night was (paraphrased) “We though Bono had enough money to help everyone in africa… but he only has half, so we need your help”. - Rob Schneider (he plays a fun and funky Hawaiian man in one of my all time favorite movies - 50 First Dates)

I love this effort to help!

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To get things started, I’ve set up a registry at DonorsChoose.org

Donors Choose is a fantastic resource for both teachers/students/classrooms in need and the community wanting to help in the area of education. It’s a very personal experience to get involved with, regardless of location or ability to help. Teachers submit “projects” they need funded and the public then comes through and donates to the projects of their choice. You can search for projects to fund in a variety of ways… by state, subject, age, need, etc. All finacial information for each project is readily available before you send in a single penny. You can see exactly what the project costs are, who benefits and decide for yourself if it’s something you want to support.

I discovered Donors Choose right after Christmas 2007. For me, the most exciting part of the whole opportunity is the teacher and student feedback. After a project is completely funded, the teachers and students write up thank you notes and send photos so each donor can see how their money helped. It’s an awesome feeling to know there are real people involved.

So come along, join the joy of giving, if you want to get involved, now’s the time to do it! Check out my registry, if something sparks your interest, jump in! It would be such a great birthday gift! I’ve selected projects that reflect my personal interests… art, creativity, reading, colorado and of course, penguins.

Check out my
DonorsChoose.org registery!

It’s so exciting to me to see this kind of sharing - at such a grass-roots level - happening in the world! There is no minimum donation nor limit to how you can help

Reminder: If you find something else at Donors Choose that I haven’t listed, and you get involved - I’d love to hear of your experiences!

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we’d love to hear from you
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your ideas and thoughts and suggestions

If we GAVE you a $100.00, what would YOU do with it?

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