On Monday I told you about this week’s charitable mission to give a little bit of money away each day to a nonprofit that could really use the help. A little goes a long way and I may not have a lot to give but you all can help. Comment on this post with your ideas for other charities to support so that other readers can get ideas. The top five suggestions will go up in a poll Friday for you all to pick who the last $25 goes to. Plus every comment to each day’s post earns the organization another 25 cents in donation (up to a max of $40 for each day’s post – can’t afford more than that guys). And please feel free to go back and comment on posts from past days (I really need more recommendations for Friday’s five picks).
Now here is today’s selection, which I have chosen in honor of my late Nana, an amazing woman who was a dedicated reading teacher and literacy champion in New Zealand her whole life: First Book
First Book is a nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. We provide an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs.
First Book was founded in 1992. The First Book model was developed to leverage the work of local heroes who reach children through existing literacy programs in a variety of settings, such as Head Start centers, libraries, soup kitchens, churches, housing projects, and afterschool initiatives. Working through this vast network of organizations, First Book plays a critical role in transforming the quality of preschool and after-school programs nationwide.
First Book’s model is national in scope and local in impact. In our first year, First Book distributed approximately 12,000 books in three communities. Since that time, First Book has distributed more than 50 million books to children in over 3,000 communities around the country.
The awesome news is that since I will make the donation before December 31 (and if you would care to donate as well), First Book’s partner, Random House, will match every donation, book-for-book, up to a million books.
To read more about First Book’s costs and expenses or to research any potential charity, visit Charity Navigator, a non-profit that reports on charitable organizations so you can make sure that you drive your donations to the organizations that will best utilize those funds.
Sara
December 19, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Found you through pseudostoops. First Book sounds familiar–I think that Cheerios has a big project with them every so often. I am an avid reader, so anything that promotes literacy is incredible!
Sara’s last blog post..Seven Husbands
pseudostoops
December 18, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Wahoo books! Love it!
pseudostoops’s last blog post..Giving My Money Away, Part 4: College Summit
Ashante
December 18, 2008 at 10:36 am
This is an awesome charity. Right up your alley. I’m proud of you!
Law Ingenue
December 18, 2008 at 7:57 am
Another great charity!
Wish I had some recommendations for you for a charity but you already have better ones than I can suggest!!!
Law Ingenue’s last blog post..Finals, Once Again, are OVER!!!!
Ana
December 17, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hope the paper is going well!
Ana’s last blog post..Some things never change…
blonde.counsel
December 17, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I am commenting for the sake of commenting and helping a worthwhile charity. Books are my favorite present to both give and receive. I am sorry for so few words but I am trying to close five deals before the end of the week so that Christmas is actually a day off.
blonde.counsel’s last blog post..blackberry-less
just_jenn
December 17, 2008 at 8:42 pm
i like the idea of giving books. then again, i loved reading until i went to law school.
cee
December 17, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I love this one! Great choice- I firmly believe education is the key to eliinating poverty. All children need books!
M.L.
December 17, 2008 at 6:58 pm
another great beneficiary, PTLM.
kh
December 17, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Check out DonorsChoose.org. It is an organization where teachers from public, low-income schools put their wish list of projects up and you can donate to help fund their project. You can fund an entire project or just a portion of the project. You can also designate if you want none of your donation to go to the administration of the charity. Once the project is fully funded you get a thank you letter from the teacher and individual thank you letters written by the students along with pictures of them with the items you funded!
I’ve donated for microscopes, books, plastic human bodies, etc… I love that charity.
zach
December 17, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Tried to post a comment b/f, not sure it worked.
Basically that I think this one sounds cool and I may end up donating myself!
zach
December 17, 2008 at 4:05 pm
This sounds cool. I am looking for a good place to donate for my aunt’s hanukah present, maybe it will be this!