Check out the below link and give 5 dollars if you can spare it. This young lady is doing her part to give solar ovens to communities in need. The reasons for doing so are listed on her page and will shock you. This is a great small, sustainable solution to many of the worlds BIG problems. A small donation will make a huge impact for this start up.
Ryan Sheckler is arguably the best skater of his time. Like most major athletes these days he too has his own foundation.
His foundation is there to allow an avenue for himself, his friends, family and coworkers to give back. It seems to be two fold. 1. To contribute to the many causes that directly benefit and enrich the lives of children. 2. To support and fund programs that help action sports athletes who are injured in their line of work. They hold fund raising events and then partner with existing foundations that already do the work they want to be associated with.
I respect him wanting to give money to fallen athletes. That’s a karma thing and a great way to pay it forward. The kids thing seems a bit generic but better to be generic than nothing.
The thing that caught my eye was the way they are raising money. Ultimate fighting. Check out www.shecklerfoundation.org Seems like an interesting way to raise money for kids… 
It’s a new approach though and who knows, maybe it will be the next “big” thing.
I was in the LA Airport today and reading Utne Magazine for my first time. Some really great stuff there. Check out Utne.com I came across an article about giving in this economy and the changes we are seeing. Most of the article focused on large foundations making world impact but there were some great “lower level” takeaways. They suggested starting a giving circle. The way this works is you and a few friends (10-15) get together and name your circle based on the cause you care about. This will help keep you on track down the road. One example would be “Women for Breast Cancer Awareness” Then each person in the group is responsible for 1k/year. The group then decides where to put that money. This a great way to be involved and put your money to the best possible use.
I would suggest raising the 1k through an athletic event/pursuit like running a marathon. Raise the money through friends to help raise awareness for your cause.
Check out givingforum.org for more info on starting a giving circle.
Are you a hard core athlete trying to date but having trouble meeting someone with something in common. Keeping with the spirit of athletes giving, here is a site where they might be giving a lot more than usual…
Need a hot girl to train with in and out of the bedroom? Well then, try this site:
http://www.fitness-singles.com/register-camp.asp
Personally, I have always believed that time would work this out for me, not a dating site. But if you’re a dating junky and willing to try this out, let us know how it goes for you!
This is interesting. We have seen time and time again how people align themselves or their businesses with athletes for personal or financial gain. It’s the way of the sport world and there is nothing wrong with it. Well, most of the time anyway.
I just saw this page and couldn’t help but chuckle a bit: http://www.homes4athletes.com/
This real estate company is saying that an athlete needs a specialized athlete broker who understand their needs to buy and sell a home for them. As an athlete who has dabbled a fair bit in real estate myself, I don’t buy it. Where I think they are spot on though is setting themselves apart from the other agents as one an athlete can speak to and trust. Clever!
Please take a second to read this article in USA Today. Kevin aka Boa has some powerful perspective to offer all of us on our time with our family.
Enjoy everyday you have, tell your family you love them and cherish each moment you’re given with them.
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By Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY
When Kevin Lebret-White’s oncologist examined him in December 2006, the prognosis was not
good. The then-36-year-old Wellpinit, Wash., elementary school teacher was told that his
colorectal cancer had metastasized and, at best, he had two years to live.
“I thought about my wife and my two daughters,” Lebret-White recalls. “How would I take His life after that was a series of chemotherapy sessions that robbed him of his strength and Then his dermatologist told him about First Descents, a Colorado-based group that helped Last July, he attended a First Descents kayaking camp with former world champion paddler “My camp nickname was Balboa, but that soon became just Boa,” he says. “I went there with He did find a world where every thought was positive and everyone was supportive. “It is hard to explain, but in those five days I was able to trust in everyone,” Lebret-White The organization was founded in 2001 by Ludden, whose aunt had been diagnosed with cancer “I wanted to give young people an identity other than cancer,” Ludden says. Programs include mountaineering and biking, but kayaking is the core for 2009. “Kayaking is a legitimate challenge,” Ludden says. “We don’t make the water warmer or the Giving campers control is a big part of the program. “There is an urgent need to educate people about the growing young-adult cancer population The camp is free, and the only requirements are that the person have cancer and be between It is a lean operation with a budget of only $600,000 a year. Other than three paid staff The sports programs run during the summer months. The rest of the year is spent fundraising. “The perspective this job gives is great,” Ludden, 27, says. “Life is terminal. To be around For teacher Lebret-White, the experience was liberating. “I’m not an emotional person, but I found myself crying and opening up. I learned a lot about “Seven months later, I’m more positive with my family. The girls see the difference. My focus As for the oncologist’s 2006 prediction that he would be dead by now, Lebret-White says he “Now I want them to grow faster so I can see it all,” he says. “I don’t want to miss anything.” |
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Check out this link:
http://excelstrength.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/local-athlete-uses-strength-for-charity/ (yes I know the link is old but the concept is timeless)
This guy John is a strongman and is using his talent as an athlete to raise money for cancer research because his brother-in-law’s diagnosis. John’s heart is in the right place with all of this but he may be exerting too much energy to raise the money.
This is a classic case of working harder not smarter. He has one part of the equation right and that is doing something he is good at and passionate about to help a cause. However, he’s not reaching out through a viral component to bring in enough money. He’s relying on the people who will attend the event to raise the money. That won’t cut it. They can be a part of the success but the easiest way to add money to this muscle event is by sending out a letter to all of his friends and family asking for pledges per pounds lifted (I’m guessing A LOT). Then you have not only reached the people who physically attend your event but added a viral component to the event allowing anyone to be a part of the cause and donate.
Events like these take a LOT of work to put on and usually come with some overhead that needs to be offset before any funds get distributed. It’s a noble effort but could be stronger with a few added components. The easiest solution would have been for John to compete at existing events and include the viral fundraising component. This would eliminate the event planning and overhead while still producing a lot of money for the cause.
Obama has caused quite the stir in the non profit world. Lately, I have heard mumblings from several LARGE non profits saying that Obama’s new tax plan will really hurt their ability to fund raise by not allowing the same tax deductions for charitable giving that we’ve had in the past. In my short readings on this, I have found two things.
1. The foundations that are more likely to get F-ed are the ones that rely on a few MAJOR donations from a small pool of donors.
2. Smaller foundations will do just fine because most of the time the average donation is well below 1,000. Is that responsible? It is with Obama’s new tax plan!
I don’t see this as “terrible” largely because change is good and this is no different. If you’re going to go out there, sell passion, get a lot of people bought in at a smaller financial level and do what’s right by and for them, then this won’t effect you. However, if you’re a MONSTER charity providing shelter for rich dollars then you’re probably gonna feel this.
If Obama taught the world anything about fundraising it’s this: If you have a strong message fueled by passion and you ask people to believe in that message by giving ANYTHING then you will have the masses on your side and that will amount to more support, money and visibility than any black tie dinner.
Like it or not, the times are changing. For all of you who are interested in getting involved in or starting a foundation driven by passion, don’t let this stop you. For all of the BIG foundations out there bracing for impact, I suggest you get a facebook and twitter account and get to work like the rest of us!
Here’s an article weighing in on the issue: http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=7244
Here it is, you’re second good deed of the week. It’s your chance to start your monday off right by knowing that you’re doing something for humanity.
Donate 5 dollars to- www.imermanangels.org
Mission: Beginning January 1, 2013, every cancer fighter in the United States will have free access to a cancer survivor within 24 hours of being diagnosed.
madagascar photo- Dan Armstrong
“Time is a great teacher but unfortunately it kills all its pupils…”
-Louis Hector Berlioz
