Posts Tagged ‘Donations’

« Older Entries
May 7th, 2009  Posted at   Blogging, Family Stuff, Single Parents
, ,    |   1 Comment

Donate $7 on the 7th

By donating $7.00 to The Liz Logelin Foundation on the 7th of every month, you are helping provide financial assistance to families as they deal with the loss of their loved ones. In light of the country’s current economic crisis, $7 on the 7th is an easy, affordable way to impact the families of widows and widowers in a positive way.

The Liz Logelin Foundation was established to provide financial assistance to young widows and widowers with dependent children.

The following is a list of guidelines for the qualifications of recipients:

* Assistance is available to widows and widowers with dependent children under the age of eighteen who complete a one-time application.
* Eligibility is for a period up to one year (12 months) following the death of parent.
* Applicants must submit the following documentation in support of their applications: birth and death certificates, copies of your most recent 1040 or other tax forms showing dependency of child/children, and any other documents the Board may require. All requests for payments must be supported by appropriate and official documents.
* The amount of support given will be determined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

On March 24, 2008, little Madeline Elizabeth Logelin came into this world.

The next day, her mother left it.

From this impossibly tragic event, a community was born. A community of individuals, united in their desire to help and support Madeline and her father, Matt. This community formed the basis for what would become a worldwide charitable foundation:

The Liz Logelin Foundation – For the Love of Liz.

After the catastrophic loss of his wife, Matt Logelin coped by turning not only to his wonderfully supportive family and friends, but to the internet. He had already begun a casual blog to keep friends and family abreast of Liz’s pregnancy; within 2 weeks of her passing, that blog became what it is today: a place where Matt can share his joys and frustrations, challenges and heartbreaks; where concerned friends, new and old, can meet, talk, laugh, and cry with Matt; and most importantly, where other widows and widowers can offer – and be offered – support and friendship.

So strong and large was the community that spontaneously formed around Matt and Madeline, it seemed not only natural, but necessary to harness the strength of that network and turn it into something – something that could help ease the pain and lighten the load felt by widows and widowers everywhere.

April 7th, 2009  Posted at   Single Parents
, , ,    |   No Comments

Donate $7 on the 7th

By donating $7.00 to The Liz Logelin Foundation on the 7th of every month, you are helping provide financial assistance to families as they deal with the loss of their loved ones. In light of the country’s current economic crisis, $7 on the 7th is an easy, affordable way to impact the families of widows and widowers in a positive way.

The Liz Logelin Foundation was established to provide financial assistance to young widows and widowers with dependent children.

The following is a list of guidelines for the qualifications of recipients:

* Assistance is available to widows and widowers with dependent children under the age of eighteen who complete a one-time application.
* Eligibility is for a period up to one year (12 months) following the death of parent.
* Applicants must submit the following documentation in support of their applications: birth and death certificates, copies of your most recent 1040 or other tax forms showing dependency of child/children, and any other documents the Board may require. All requests for payments must be supported by appropriate and official documents.
* The amount of support given will be determined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

On March 24, 2008, little Madeline Elizabeth Logelin came into this world.

The next day, her mother left it.

From this impossibly tragic event, a community was born. A community of individuals, united in their desire to help and support Madeline and her father, Matt. This community formed the basis for what would become a worldwide charitable foundation:

The Liz Logelin Foundation – For the Love of Liz.

After the catastrophic loss of his wife, Matt Logelin coped by turning not only to his wonderfully supportive family and friends, but to the internet. He had already begun a casual blog to keep friends and family abreast of Liz’s pregnancy; within 2 weeks of her passing, that blog became what it is today: a place where Matt can share his joys and frustrations, challenges and heartbreaks; where concerned friends, new and old, can meet, talk, laugh, and cry with Matt; and most importantly, where other widows and widowers can offer – and be offered – support and friendship.

So strong and large was the community that spontaneously formed around Matt and Madeline, it seemed not only natural, but necessary to harness the strength of that network and turn it into something – something that could help ease the pain and lighten the load felt by widows and widowers everywhere.

March 7th, 2009  Posted at   Single Parents
, ,    |   No Comments

On March 24, 2008, little Madeline Elizabeth Logelin came into this world.

The next day, her mother left it.

From this impossibly tragic event, a community was born. A community of individuals, united in their desire to help and support Madeline and her father, Matt. This community formed the basis for what would become a worldwide charitable foundation:

The Liz Logelin Foundation – For the Love of Liz.

After the catastrophic loss of his wife, Matt Logelin coped by turning not only to his wonderfully supportive family and friends, but to the internet. He had already begun a casual blog to keep friends and family abreast of Liz’s pregnancy; within 2 weeks of her passing, that blog became what it is today: a place where Matt can share his joys and frustrations, challenges and heartbreaks; where concerned friends, new and old, can meet, talk, laugh, and cry with Matt; and most importantly, where other widows and widowers can offer – and be offered – support and friendship.

So strong and large was the community that spontaneously formed around Matt and Madeline, it seemed not only natural, but necessary to harness the strength of that network and turn it into something – something that could help ease the pain and lighten the load felt by widows and widowers everywhere.

Donate $7 on the 7th

By donating $7.00 to The Liz Logelin Foundation on the 7th of every month, you are helping provide financial assistance to families as they deal with the loss of their loved ones. In light of the country’s current economic crisis, $7 on the 7th is an easy, affordable way to impact the families of widows and widowers in a positive way.

The Liz Logelin Foundation was established to provide financial assistance to young widows and widowers with dependent children.

The following is a list of guidelines for the qualifications of recipients:

* Assistance is available to widows and widowers with dependent children under the age of eighteen who complete a one-time application.
* Eligibility is for a period up to one year (12 months) following the death of parent.
* Applicants must submit the following documentation in support of their applications: birth and death certificates, copies of your most recent 1040 or other tax forms showing dependency of child/children, and any other documents the Board may require. All requests for payments must be supported by appropriate and official documents.
* The amount of support given will be determined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

February 7th, 2009  Posted at   Single Parents
, ,    |   1 Comment

Donate $7 on the 7th

By donating $7.00 to The Liz Logelin Foundation on the 7th of every month, you are helping provide financial assistance to families as they deal with the loss of their loved ones. In light of the country’s current economic crisis, $7 on the 7th is an easy, affordable way to impact the families of widows and widowers in a positive way.

The Liz Logelin Foundation was established to provide financial assistance to young widows and widowers with dependent children.

The following is a list of guidelines for the qualifications of recipients:

* Assistance is available to widows and widowers with dependent children under the age of eighteen who complete a one-time application.
* Eligibility is for a period up to one year (12 months) following the death of parent.
* Applicants must submit the following documentation in support of their applications: birth and death certificates, copies of your most recent 1040 or other tax forms showing dependency of child/children, and any other documents the Board may require. All requests for payments must be supported by appropriate and official documents.
* The amount of support given will be determined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

On March 24, 2008, little Madeline Elizabeth Logelin came into this world.

The next day, her mother left it.

From this impossibly tragic event, a community was born. A community of individuals, united in their desire to help and support Madeline and her father, Matt. This community formed the basis for what would become a worldwide charitable foundation:

The Liz Logelin Foundation – For the Love of Liz.

After the catastrophic loss of his wife, Matt Logelin coped by turning not only to his wonderfully supportive family and friends, but to the internet. He had already begun a casual blog to keep friends and family abreast of Liz’s pregnancy; within 2 weeks of her passing, that blog became what it is today: a place where Matt can share his joys and frustrations, challenges and heartbreaks; where concerned friends, new and old, can meet, talk, laugh, and cry with Matt; and most importantly, where other widows and widowers can offer – and be offered – support and friendship.

So strong and large was the community that spontaneously formed around Matt and Madeline, it seemed not only natural, but necessary to harness the strength of that network and turn it into something – something that could help ease the pain and lighten the load felt by widows and widowers everywhere.

December 26th, 2008  Posted at   Politics
, , , ,    |   2 Comments

One of my longtime blog readers sent me an e-mail this week asking how I could afford to make charitable donations if money was really tight for me as a single mom. Well, I thought I would just e-mail her back directly. But then I thought, nah, if she is thinking this, so are others. So here’s the deal:

In November, I got hit with massive expenses between the law school demanding $2,500 repayment for summer classes, the deductibles for my car being broken into, the car payments I was making for Chapin, the need to replace my purse, makeup and other items stolen, etc. When I wrote on my blog “I’m financially fucked”, I was whining about my immediate situation. Fortunately, as I knew He would, God showed me a way out of each of those situations and I was able to make all of the payments through creative money movement and other blessings that came my way. In addition, I continue to pay $140/week for cognitive behavioral therapy for Pumpkinhead, plus $40/month for his medication, each unexpected expenses that I had not budgeted for (and we won’t even talk about my stupid meds!). I would say that no matter how much money a person makes or does not make, unexpected budget hits hurt, correct?

As for the charitable donations, I recently got paid for some contract legal document work I did this summer. It was a sizeable amount that helped with Christmas and some upcoming tax payments and homeowners association dues I must face. But I have a policy that whenever I get a large sum of unexpected money, I give some away. Sometimes that means helping a friend fulfill a dream that they could not otherwise afford; sometimes it means buying my brother’s college textbooks in the hopes that one day he would actually graduate and get a life; sometimes it means a little cash sent to my sister-in-laws in Guatemala so they can travel by bus to the city and buy some pretty shoes to counterbalance the hard life they live with no running water or electricity. Usually it also means giving to charity or two or to a local church. I hope not to grow out of this as I get older or more cynical but I believe in karma and that you get back what you put out there. I like to help people, always have. Whether it’s a lead on a job opening, a tip about a life-changing book, an invitation to join my Divorce Care group, etc., I believe that compassion is one of the gifts God gave me and it is something I like to show to others. Whether I can actually afford to do so in reality is another story. But the Lord provides. I don’t live life for tomorrow, but for today. I might (okay probably will) regret not putting that money into some sort of savings account in case of emergencies like that I faced in November, but I know that what I did feels 10,000 times better than hoarding the money for myself.

One of the things I really like about Barack Obama is his idea of attaching charitable work to a variety of financial gains. For example, students will be able to finance their educations but in return must dedicate time to charitable service. I think mandating that is an excellent idea that serves not only the student but also the nonprofits (assuming they start to actually put plans in place to properly utilize interns, which I have heard can be a challenge). I also feel some guilt about not regularly attending church (this is where the religion part comes in) and not tithing so my charitable giving throughout the year, whether as planned donations to United Way, one-offs to Dress for Success or fundraisers throughout the year, or end-of-year charitable donations, makes me feel like I’m doing what I am supposed to do.

So there’s my answer. Not sure if that is what you are looking for. Yes, money is tight many months. Fortunately sometimes I get little surprises that make things better. Other times the surprises suck and I’m living on credit. I think many people live this way. It may not be smart but it’s my life. Now, readers, go forth and buy all your Amazon products through my sidebar, get your sensual side taken care of through the Babeland links, or clink on any of the other ads to send a few (really, just a few) dollars my way and I will be sure to send the karma back your way. I’m not a hypocrite, no matter what the questioner who asked me all of this may think. I always click on someone’s affiliate banners before I shop (like Melting Mama’s ads for all my vitamins and protein!) because I feel like someone should be getting that percentage, so why not someone whose blog I read? I bought my Christmas cards through Trannyhead’s VistaPrint sidebar ad (go, buy! The cards turned out great, as did the address labels and playdate calling cards I ordered, and you can’t beat the prices.)

December 24th, 2008  Posted at   Politics, Single Parents
, ,    |   No Comments

Thanks to all of you who participated in my week of charitable giving. A little goes a long way and I may not have a lot to give but you all really helped with your comments, each of which earned the organization an additional 25 cents on top of my $25 donation. Please consider giving to some of these wonderful small non-profit organizations in 2009 (or even in 2008). Every penny counts and even small donations like mine add up. Here are the final totals:

Day One – Houston Interfaith Ministries – Refugee Services: $27.25

Day Two – Born2Fly: Because of the strong showing of support for this very worthwhile organization, I am choosing to max my contribution to $40 and would encourage my readers to pitch in through their web site or using the Chip In widget in my sidebar. Help put an end to child sex trafficking.

Day Three – First Book: $27.50

Day Four – Foundation for the National Institutes of Health: $26.50

Day Five – The Winner, by one vote, is Donors Choose: $27.50

Thanks to all of you for participating. Please consider your own donation to these great charities and perhaps doing a similar charity roundup on your blog next year. I will definitely keep all of your great suggestions in mind for my giving throughout 2009. Tomorrow I am taking Pumpkinhead to work with me and we are going to pick up some canned goods and other items for a woman who is doing some mission work on a reservation over the holidays. I’m going to have him help me deliver those and then I’m going to write out these checks/donate online and have him help me, explaining what each organization does and why it is so important to support them with our money, time and resources.

December 19th, 2008  Posted at   Law School
,    |   No Comments

The Washington Post has an article about Good Cards. They are like gift cards, but instead they help the giver make a charitable donation to the charity of their choice (selecting from about 250 different options). What a neat idea and a great stocking stuffer or main gift to go along with something else small. Check one site out at TisBest.org – http://www.tisbest.org/Default.aspx

December 19th, 2008  Posted at   Law School
, ,    |   11 Comments

Okay, my commenters have spoken and these are the five charities up for my last donation. Leave a comment below telling me which of these five you think should get the $25 (plus 25 cents for each comment I receive, up to $40). I have also given links directly to each donation page so that you, too, can donate should you so desire. I look forward to seeing which one you all pick!

1) CARE – CARE fights global poverty by empowering women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities. Donate by clicking here

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

Our Mission
Our mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change by:

* Strengthening capacity for self-help
* Providing economic opportunity
* Delivering relief in emergencies
* Influencing policy decisions at all levels
* Addressing discrimination in all its forms

Guided by the aspirations of local communities, we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom we serve deserve nothing less.

2) Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati — saved our very own MILP baby, little Miss Cora, and is responsible for a variety of groundbreaking research in the area of maternal/fetal health.
Donate directly by clicking here

The fetal surgery unit is the first inpatient and outpatient unit in the world specifically designed and dedicated to fetal surgery patients, and learn more about how the facility caters to the medical, surgical and emotional needs of mothers and their families. The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati provides excellent, comprehensive maternal fetal health services for high-risk pregnancy patients — renowned physicians, comprehensive services, advanced technologies and comforting support — all in a single, family-oriented center. The Center is the only one of its kind in the Midwest that offers a complete range of services, from prenatal diagnosis through fetal interventions, including open fetal surgery.

3) Donors Choose – providing teachers with the resources they need to help low income students or to take on special projects outside their budgets.

DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

Proposals range from “Magical Math Centers” ($200) to “Big Book Bonanza” ($320), to “Cooking Across the Curriculum” ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.

Fulfilling Student Projects

DonorsChoose.org performs a good deal of work to ensure the integrity of its philanthropic marketplace. Here’s how it works:

1. Public school teachers create student project proposals at DonorsChoose.org. This consists of writing a one page essay and listing the exact resource(s) needed.
2. DonorsChoose.org volunteers screen each project proposal before posting to the website. Volunteers verify that the teacher and project meet our eligibility requirements, emailing follow-up questions to the teacher if anything is unclear.
3. Concerned individuals fund the student projects of their choice—in whole or in part—and are emailed immediate email gift acknowledgments from DonorsChoose.org which can be used for tax deduction purposes.
4. DonorsChoose.org emails the school principal, alerting him/her to the funded project.
5. Within the next week, DonorsChoose.org forwards the donor an “e-thank-you” from the teacher, which notes the date by which the donor can expect his/her full feedback package.
6. DonorsChoose.org purchases the student materials and ships items directly to the school along with a disposable camera, guidelines for preparing feedback packages, and a stamped envelope in which to enclose the feedback.
7. Students experience the project that the donor made possible! The teacher photographs the students participating in the project and writes an impact letter to the donor. Students write their own thank-you notes. This feedback is then mailed to DonorsChoose.org headquarters.
8. DonorsChoose.org develops the photos, and compiles the letter and thank-you notes. This feedback is mailed to the donor(s) who completed the project or made a partial contribution of $100 or more.

DonorsChoose.org works equally hard to strengthen the framework which enables citizen philanthropists to connect with classrooms in need. In order to ensure a secure, efficient, and effective exchange, we:

* Negotiate discounts and partnerships with vendors to get the best prices available.
* Continually upgrade our web technology to make DonorsChoose.org more user-friendly and effective for donors and teachers.
* Acquire and update databases of all the public schools in the regions we serve. We track everything from the principal’s name to the number of students who receive free or reduced price lunch (a measure of poverty) to ensure the information we provide donors is accurate.
* Create community awareness about DonorsChoose.org to increase funding of student projects.

Sustaining Operations

The price of a student project includes an optional fulfillment fee covering the work performed by DonorsChoose.org (see Fulfilling Student Projects). After clicking to fund a project, the donor may decide not to include this fulfillment fee. By choosing to include it, donors support the necessary resources—staff time, office space, and technology—to bring their chosen projects to life.

While the cost of fulfilling student projects remains the same, DonorsChoose.org offers a “scholarship” to higher need schools by discounting the fulfillment fee. Depending on the school’s poverty level, fulfillment is assessed at 15%, 20%, or 25% of the project’s cost. The vast majority of schools using DonorsChoose.org have high rates of poverty, so most proposals carry the 15% fulfillment fee.

Donors’ inclusion of the fulfillment fee is essential to the existence and success of DonorsChoose.org. Thankfully, 90% of donation dollars come to us with the fulfillment fee included, and income thus earned allows us to continue our work.

As more student projects are funded and donors continue to include the fulfillment fee, DonorsChoose.org becomes increasingly self-sustaining. However, during this early stage in our growth, we also depend on grants and contributions to support our operation.

4) Homeward Bound of Marin

This group, which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless people, is really needed. Marin is a very wealthy community and it’s easy to look past those who are struggling. This group helps families and individuals get back on their feet, with dignity, and trains them to help them become more marketable. You can donate directly here.

What makes Homeward Bound different?

Innovative. Our holistic approach to ending homelessness addresses each stage of the issue: providing help to those in crisis, teaching life and job skills, developing inclusionary housing options.

Empowering. Homeward Bound residents find our culture of recovery and self discovery empowering. We give them the support needed to take responsibility for themselves and turn their lives around.

Compassionate. Homeward Bound staff and volunteers are committed to treating residents with dignity and respect.

Homeward Bound’s overarching goal is to end homelessness in Marin County.

We are dedicated to helping homeless people in Marin County obtain the option of independent living. Our work includes:
• Emergency, transitional, and long-term housing, food, support services, and advocacy for homeless adults and families.
• Transitional and residential services for adults with mental-health disabilities.
• Job and life-skills training and assisted re-entry into the workforce.
• Advocacy and construction of inclusive housing for Marin’s lower-income residents.

For those committed to change, Homeward Bound provides structured programs that require a drug- and alcohol-free environment. All programs require residents to set realistic and individual goals with action plans for achieving those goals. Each resident must save 75 percent of his or her earnings for a new beginning.

5) Northwest Assistant Ministries — my super-strong friend, Hope, fled an abusive relationship with her infant daughter many years ago and this organization helped her recover. Here’s what she says:

“NAM – Northwest Assistant Ministries – is an organization that helps women, especially abused, get out of a bad relationship and mentor them until they get back on their feet through group counseling and life skills training. I personally have had experience with this organization and I would NOT be where I am today without them. :) That’s why I always giv’em a plug when I can.”

You can donate directly here

October 2007 – September 2008

Northwest Assistance Ministries touched the lives of 120,264 individuals during the 2007-2008 fiscal year, including 3,566 people impacted by Hurricane Ike. Many NAM clients receive more than one service and participate in more than one program. NAM truly is a “one stop shop” for services. One of the most effective and cost-efficient charities in the community, NAM is a good steward of the resources it receives. Approximately $0.90 of every dollar donated in the 2007-2008 fiscal year went to direct services.

The Assistance Program served 32,256 people with emergency assistance for basic needs, including: shelter, clothing, transportation, prescription medicines, and medical referrals. The Back to School Project provided 2,758 children with school supplies and clothing, enabling the students to return to school ready to learn. In November and December 2007, the Holiday Project provided 1,226 families with holiday dinners and groceries as well as toys and gifts for 3,583 children and teens.

The Shelter and Energy Assistance Program distributed $978,997.00 in assistance to 6,736 people. Funded by government grants, this program is geared to prevent homelessness and to help homeless families become self-sufficient.

The Rotary Learning Center provided 2,151 hours of instruction in English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education and GED, English Literacy, Civics, and Computer Training. The Workforce Development Center embarked on a partnership with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) in early 2008, assisting 64 physically and mentally disabled individuals to identify and secure employment.

The Children’s Clinic offers primary health care for children from infancy to age 18 and provided office visits, referrals, appointment calls, and case management to 7,717 children. The Clinic’s annual Shot Blitz provided 1,700 immunizations to 514 children.

The Family Violence Center provided crisis intervention, support groups, adult and children’s counseling, emergency shelter, legal advocacy and education to 2,504 people. In addition, 11,885 students participated in 399 educational presentations through The Youth Education program. The Counseling Center, which operated from September 2007- March 2008, provided mental health services to 205 people.

The Food Pantry provided groceries for well-balanced meals to 25,280 people.

The Interfaith Hospitality Network served 302 homeless adults and children by providing housing, parenting and life skills classes, and counseling for substance abuse, mental health, and family issues.

Meals on Wheels provided 128,150 nutritious meals to an average of 390 homebound seniors and disabled individuals each weekday and 120 on Saturdays.

I look forward to seeing which organization you all pick. I will post a summary of each this weekend along with donation totals. You all can go back and comment on any day this week until I do my summary (probably Saturday or Sunday) so please do. The organization will receive an additional 25 cents for every comment received.

December 18th, 2008  Posted at   Blogging, Health
, , , ,    |   6 Comments

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 tomorrow for you all to pick who the last $25 goes to (winner announced this weekend). 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).

As many of you know, health is a big issue for me. I’ve faced a lot of health challenges. I have also lost some wonderful women in my life to cancer, most importantly my best friend Ashante’s mother, who passed about a month before Pumpkinhead was born. My mother’s cousin, a devoted kindergarten teacher, sister, and friend, is also fighting a hard battle against ovarian cancer and has already lost her father and younger brother to this insidious disease. Finally, my awesome, inspirational classmate, Stephanie, along with my brother, are both fighting the incurable Type I Diabetes, which struck each of them at a very young age and requires daily insulin, constant specialist visits, and other inconvenient and painful life-altering things.

Because I wanted to find a way to support a cause that would help fund cutting edge medical research to help all of my friends and family, I chose the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health received a four-star rating by Charity Navigator and was ranked the # 1 charity in the medical research category and #1 overall in the health category out of 585 rated charities. The Foundation is ranked #10 among the 5,300 American charities that Charity Navigator rates. Most importantly, of every dollar spent by the foundation, 97 cents is used to support programs, and just 3 cents for administration and fund-raising.

Our Mission

The mission of the Foundation for NIH is to foster public health through scientific discovery, translational research, and the dissemination of research results through specially-configured, high-impact public-private partnerships consistent with the priorities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The foundation is not only involved in large, ambitious initiatives with potentially high impact on the lives of millions of the world’s citizens, but it also supports smaller focused programs in clinical training and ancillary support programs.

The foundation helps to underwrite biomedical initiatives that might not be attractive for private funding alone, or for one reason or another are not appropriate for wholly public funding. The foundation may take on projects that are particularly risky in terms of the likelihood of success or where companies may be willing to forgo profits because of early stage nature of the program or in the case of some global health initiatives due to the charitable nature of the project.

The foundation’s projects tend to be longer-term, operating on a time scale that can be unattractive for private investors. At the same time the foundation is capable of responding quickly and nimbly to funding needs that are immediate and pressing.

With the goals of NIH as its guide, the foundation serves both the public and private sectors, helping them achieve significant breakthroughs in human health in areas of interest that overlap with those of NIH.

The Foundation for NIH is involved in nearly 50 public-private partnerships and has raised approximately $350 million since its inception in 1996. In 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $200 million grant to the foundation to establish the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative and in 2005 provided $33 million as part of the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery. Other top donors include Pfizer ($35.7 million), Merck ($22.7 million), GlaxoSmithKline ($22.2 million), the Avon Foundation ($9.4 million), and Novartis ($8.3 million). These days, the foundation receives between $70 million and $100 million in revenues per year.

The Foundation for NIH is a leader in the creation of specially-configured public-private biomedical research partnerships and is now the world’s leading foundation for biomedical public-private partnerships.
During 2006, the foundation spent $56 million on program services. For every dollar spent by the foundation, 94 cents is used to support research programs, 2 cents to support other types of programs (fellowships, events, lectures, and events) and just 2 cents to pay for administration and fund-raising.

Please leave a comment to help earn this charity additional donations and also tell me who you would have me support in tomorrow’s reader selection. I will put out five charities and you choose the winner.

P.S. Don’t forget to go over to Pseudostoops’ blog and comment there to help out some of the awesome charities she is supporting!

December 17th, 2008  Posted at   Blogging, Politics
, , , , , ,    |   12 Comments

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.

« Older Entries

Copyright 2010 PT-LawMom | Designed by Rebecca Ring
Powered by WordPress