From now through December 31, 2007, One Laptop Per Child is offering a Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. This is the first time the revolutionary XO laptop has been made available to the general public. For a donation of $399, one XO laptop will be sent to empower a child in a developing nation and one will be sent to the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. $200 of your donation is tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving).
For all U.S. donors who participate in the Give One Get One program, T-Mobile is offering one year of complimentary HotSpot access.
If you participate in Give One Get One today, you will receive your XO laptop(s) in early 2008. Your donated laptop will reach a child in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Mongolia or Rwanda in the same early 2008 timeframe.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Give One Get One.
echoDonations.org Makes Donations More Rewarding
The latest innovation in online giving hit the web this week with the launch of echoDonations.org™, the first and only online donation processing website that rewards donors with Lifetime Cash Rewards™.
Cincinnati, OH, December 01, 2007
With donations as low as $25--donors are able to begin earning Lifetime Cash Rewards™ for themselves and their favorite charities. The benefit to nonprofits is exponential by way of the annual cash received and through the increased donor loyalty gained from receiving their rewards. echoDonations.org™ has taken a 40-year-old donation trust method, merged it with the latest in lean processing Web technology, and added social media marketing to pioneer the new generation of online giving.
“No longer is earning cash rewards income and tax breaks from donations exclusively reserved for the wealthy,” said Christopher Hytry Derrington, Board Member of nonprofitsherpa.org, an organization dedicated to helping nonprofits through technology and innovation. “Now donors of all ages and financial means can donate and earn cash rewards to share with their favorite nonprofits. Donors have the grass root power to change the world…$25 at a time.”
echoDonations.org™ leverages Web 2.0 technology to provide lean & secure donation processing and management. All donations, large and small, that come through echoDonations.org™ are combined in a single charitable mutual fund, which is invested and monitored for performance in the market. It is the power of this complete fund that builds investment return--which becomes Lifetime Cash Rewards™ for donors and charities while building an endowment for the charity.
The back-office tools required to run the web-based mutual fund of echoDonations.org™ were donated by Alta Financial Technologies, Inc., a Cincinnati based financial services technology company. “We like working with new organizations; especially one that is passionate about their cause” said Alta’s CTO Bert Bullock. ”We’re honored to have the opportunity to donate the use of the charitable mutual fund software.”
echoDonations.org™, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a charitable mutual fund sponsored by nonprofitSherpa.org. echoDonations.org™ is dedicated to strengthening nonprofit organizations by financially incentivizing donors to give more to their favorite nonprofits by offering Lifetime Cash Rewards™ for both the donor and nonprofit organization while at the same time building the nonprofits’ endowment. More information is available at www.echoDonations.org.
Alta Financial Technologies, Inc. is a financial services technology company whose patent-pending back-office products and services enables the creation of web based, paperless, mutual funds targeting specific demographics.
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Contact Information
echoDonations.org
Chris Hytry Derrington
513-276-4332
pressreleases@echodonations.org
www.echodonations.org
African Cookbook to Aid Refugees
The 'Recipes of Africa' cookbook brings together recipes from each country in Africa to support the Sierra Leonian and Liberian refuges of Senegal.
Macclesfield, United Kingdom, November 24, 2007
The Sierra Leonian and Liberian refugees of Sénégal are, in many ways, Africa's forgotten refugees. As part of their respecitive contries' diasporas they are effectively stateless and as refugees they have no status and very few rights in Sénégal. Indeed, they have no right to work there and many are women and children surviving hand to mouth on the poverty line.
In an attempt to help the Celtnet site has produced a cookbook of African recipes from each and every country on he Continent of Africa. These are a mix of local dishes and more complex and elaborate 'touristy' fare. All in all the book comes in at over 800 pages and there are over 1000 recipes. You also get some information about the various countries and regions of Africa.
The cuisines of Africa are, like its peoples and landscapes, extremely diverse and reflect the Arabic, European and Native influences on the land and its peoples. Indeed, African food can be surprising in its diversity and shows just how little we know about this land. In many ways Africa is the lost culinary continent and its cuisines deserve to be more widely disseminated. The 'Recipes of Africa' is there for an attempt at both educating people about the foods of Africa whilst at the same time generating a source of revenue for the 'Help Stefan' charity campaign.
The eBook itself, http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ebooks.php, is part of the large Celtnet recipes site: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes and is offered for only $10. It represents the first time that such an extensive collection of recipes from all over Africa has been collected into one volume and all proceeds will go to the site's 'Help Stefan' charity campaign.
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Contact Information
Celtnet
Dyfed Lloyd Evans
+441625575044
dyfed.lloydevans@btinternet.com
http://www.celtnet.org.uk/auctions/cb_ads.php
Monday, November 26, 2007
Kiva.org Gift Certificates Pay It Forward... and Back Again
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- 11/13/07 -- This year, give someone the opportunity to truly change the life of a person living in poverty in the developing world. Kiva.org, the world's first microlending website, lets individuals purchase gift certificates for friends and family, allowing them to make a loan directly to a developing world entrepreneur.
"A Kiva.org gift certificate is much more than a gift -- it's the start of a very positive cycle of loaning to a deserving entrepreneur, getting paid back and loaning again," said Matt Flannery, CEO and Co-Founder of Kiva.org. "We have seen so many lives changed by what we might consider a tiny loan in this country." President Clinton, who features Kiva.org in his new book, "Giving," said, "Through Kiva.org, people around the world can become micro-bankers to developing world entrepreneurs, who have their own ideas, so we can give them a chance to raise their kids with dignity, send their kids to school, and in troubled places like Afghanistan we can marginally increase the chance that peace can prevail, because people will see there is a positive alternative to conflict."
How it works
Kiva.org gift certificates are easily purchased on www.kiva.org in multiples of $25. Once received, the gift recipients go to www.kiva.org, redeem their gift online and then choose an entrepreneur to lend to, such as Damaso Clares of Bolivia, who needs $600 to buy a dairy cow, or Judith Mumbo of Kenya who needs $175 to purchase a machine for her candle-making business. Lenders then choose the amount they would like to contribute to the loan, starting at $25. Throughout the course of the loan (typically 12 months) lenders receive email updates on repayments made and the progress of the business. When the loan is repaid, the funds are returned in full to the lenders -- the ultimate recycling of money!
Why Lend
Kiva Lenders are attracted to the personal connection they feel with the entrepreneur whose business they have invested in, and the feeling of mutual respect and dignity encouraged through lending rather than donating. Ann, a lender from Seattle, said: "This was my opportunity to invest in someone else's dream. It's rewarding to know that you don't have to give much to make a huge difference in someone's life."
Lenders even find themselves "addicted" to the Kiva.org website, watching their portfolio of investments grow as loans are repaid, reloaned and new loans added. Kiva Lender Steve, of Illinois, compares his Kiva portfolio to his personal banking investment portfolio: "Conventional investment wisdom is to have a diversified portfolio of investments; this was the first time I considered emotional rewards as something I could expect besides the occasional dividend. It certainly is habit-forming." More testimonials can be found on the Kiva.org website.
Since its launch in Q4 2005, more than $14 million has been loaned by 140,000 Kiva Lenders to 22,000 entrepreneurs in 37 countries through Kiva.org. The organization has been covered by "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Today Show," The New York Times, PBS, ABC World News, CNN, Time, BusinessWeek, and the BBC, among others.
About Kiva.org
Kiva.org (www.kiva.org) is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to an entrepreneur in the developing world. Founded in 2004 by Matt and Jessica Flannery, Kiva.org's mission is to connect people, through lending, to alleviate poverty. Kiva.org currently connects lenders in more than 50 countries with entrepreneurs in 37 developing countries, through 65 microfinance partners. Kiva.org is headquartered in San Francisco.
CONTACT:
Fiona Ramsey
Kiva.org
(415) 358-7515
Email Contact
Sunday, November 25, 2007
MicroPlace Launches Investment Website to Address Global Poverty
New service allows U.S. consumers to invest in microfinance with as little as $100
San Jose, California, October 24, 2007
MicroPlace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY), today announced the launch of a new website (www.microplace.com) that provides an easy way for everyday people to invest in the world's working poor by leveraging the power of microfinance, a proven solution to alleviate global poverty.
With the launch of MicroPlace.com, for the first time, consumers in the U.S. can use the internet to make microfinance investments that can provide a financial return while also addressing global poverty. Additionally, MicroPlace's unique business model was designed to create a self-sustaining marketplace to serve as an efficient and scalable way for capital to flow into the microfinance industry.
"In the past, microfinance investing has generally been pursued by large financial institutions or high- net-worth individuals, and has been less accessible for most people," said Tracey Pettengill Turner, Founder and General Manager of MicroPlace. "MicroPlace now offers an easy way for the everyday investor to participate in microfinance; the opportunity to receive a return on their investment; and empower the world's working poor to lift themselves from poverty."
Through MicroPlace's secure platform, everyday people can purchase investments – for as little as $100 – from microfinance security issuers. MicroPlace also enables investors to direct the impact of their investment to a specific country and microfinance institution in the developing world. The microfinance institutions use the funds to make small loans to the working poor, who in turn use the loans to start or expand small businesses and lift themselves out of poverty.
At launch, MicroPlace will offer the ability to direct investments to Africa, Eurasia, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Individuals can visit www.microplace.com to research investment opportunities, make investments, and learn more about microfinance and global poverty. Investments can be purchased using PayPal or a checking account at a U.S. bank. As a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA (formerly NASD), MicroPlace is currently the only broker-dealer specializing in microfinance securities for retail investors.
Working with an industry-leading security issuer
MicroPlace has selected Calvert Social Investment Foundation – a leader in community investment that manages investments for over 2,500 individuals and institutions seeking to support communities around the world through their portfolios – as the first issuer to sell investments on MicroPlace. Calvert Foundation will use the funds generated from the sale of securities on MicroPlace to invest in the specific fund selected by individual investors. Calvert Foundation will also be responsible for making interest and principal payments to investors.
"Calvert Foundation has been working hard for over 10 years to mobilize individual investor capital to support microfinance," said Shari Berenbach, executive director of Calvert Foundation. "Working with MicroPlace gives us the opportunity to offer microfinance investments for as little as $100 for the first time. We believe this will enable more individuals to invest in microfinance and help grow the industry as a whole to significantly improve the lives of the working poor around the world."
Understanding the demand and power of microfinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to the working poor, primarily in developing countries. Widely recognized as an effective tool against poverty, the most common microfinance service is the provision of small loans – often as low as $50 – to assist the working poor in their efforts to lift themselves from poverty through their own hard work and entrepreneurial spirit.
Today, 1.3 billion of the world's working poor live below the international poverty line, earning less than U.S. $2 a day¹. Since the inception of microfinance in 1974, more than 100 million people – the majority of them women² - have borrowed microfinance loans with historic repayment rates averaging 97 percent³. It is estimated that about 500 million people run microbusinesses, yet fewer than 10 million of these people – or about 2.5 percent – are able to obtain loans from banks or traditional lending institutions4. To satisfy this demand, the microfinance industry will need substantial amounts of additional investment capital. By providing access to everyday investors in the U.S., MicroPlace has opened up a substantial new channel to acquire the investment capital the industry needs to grow.
About MicroPlace
MicroPlace (www.microplace.com), founded in 2006, is an investment marketplace whose mission is to alleviate global poverty by enabling everyday people to invest in the world's working poor. As a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA (formerly NASD), MicroPlace is currently the only broker-dealer specializing in microfinance securities for retail investors. MicroPlace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY).
Editor's Note
Oikocredit (www.oikocredit.org), one of the world's largest financiers of the microfinance sector worldwide, became an issuer on MicroPlace on the day of the MicroPlace.com launch. "It was fitting to have Oikocredit as part of our launch because it is such an innovative pioneer in the field of microfinance" says MicroPlace Founder Tracey Pettengill Turner. "Because they are so well respected in the industry, we are proud to offer their investments on the MicroPlace platform." Oikocredit is a worldwide cooperative financial institution offering loans, capital and technical support to more than 300 microfinance institutions, cooperatives and small and medium sized enterprises in developing countries around the world. Oikocredit has an ever-growing number of listings on MicroPlace, enabling investors to choose from among many different investment opportunities. Oikocredit will be responsible for making interest and principal payments to investors.
"At Oikocredit, we've always believed in the power of the everyday investor to transform lives through microfinance investing," said Terry Provance, Executive Director of Oikocredit USA. "The capital we can raise through MicroPlace will enable us to dramatically expand our reach to more of the world's working poor."
Contacts:
Catherine England
eBay Inc. on behalf of MicroPlace
cengland@ebay.com
408.376.8315
Holly Patience
Social Planets on behalf of MicroPlace
holly@socialplanets.com
206.619.1094
1 Source: International Labour Organization's Global Employment Trends Brief
www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/global.htm
2 Source: Microcredit Summit Campaign Report
www.microcreditsummit.org/pubs/reports/socr/2006/SOCR06.pdf
3 Source: www.gdrc.org/icm/data/d-snapshot.html
4 Source: www.ruralpovertyportal.org/english/topics/rural_finance/statistics.htm
Monday, November 19, 2007
Attention All Non-Profits; Logobee Announces Third Logo Design Makeover Giveaway
LogoBee is having its third annual logo design Makeover Giveaway. This is where non-profit organizations submit their information to LogoBee and a group of them will be selected to receive a logo and stationery design package donated by LogoBee.
Montreal, Canada, November 08, 2007
LogoBee.com, one of the internet’s most respected online graphic design firms, is happy to announce another Logo Design Makeover Giveaway this year. For the event, LogoBee donates its professional logo design services to select non-profit and charity organizations that need a fresh or new logo.
Most non-profit groups do not have the time or graphic design expertise to deal with this important aspect of marketing on their own. LogoBee offering their services free of charge presents these organizations with a fantastic opportunity.
Due to the overwhelming response in past Makeover Giveaways, LogoBee has donated its graphic design services to 25 non-profit organizations; 15 of these were chosen in the 2006 event. Last year the organizations that were selected included PEPY Ride, Florida Atlantic Research & Development Association, MEDICO, International Primate Protection League, Voluntary Committee of Lawyers and Women Helping Women. This year LogoBee will again be donating up to ten logo design packages, valued at $425 each. These packages include business card and stationery layouts that incorporate the new logo.
Contest Details:
LogoBee’s Makeover Giveaway is open to any and all non-profit and charitable organizations in North America. No existing logo design is required; however the applicant should be able to express how a new logo will contribute to the efforts and success of their organization. The applicant should also provide a brief summary of their organization/charity and their mission statement. Deadline for entries is December 4th, 2007 at 11:59 pm (EST). Please submit an entry at http://www.logobee.com/contact/contest-premier-form.htm to register.
About LogoBee.com:
LogoBee offers complete customer satisfaction and a variety of packages that include business card, brochure and stationery design; they also offer top-quality web design services to businesses everywhere. For more information or to view their logo design gallery, please visit their website at http://www.logobee.com
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Contact Information
LogoBee, Inc.
Adam Seguin
1-888-905-6462
sales@logobee.com
www.logobee.com
The Miracle Worker Foundation Launches "Rebuild Fund" to Re-Inhabit Devastated Gulf Regions
Foundation effort includes a unique housing program that allows victims to own their homes in 10 years
Irvine, CA, November 15, 2007
In the aftermath of Katrina's massive destruction, the Miracle Worker Foundation (MWF) and several other housing developers in the Mississippi and Louisiana areas are teaming up to help finance the redevelopment of devastated Gulf Region communities and provide affordable housing to hurricane victims who wish to return to their communities.
Along with their respective partners - the Miracle Worker Foundation (MWF) is focusing on efforts to build new homes and support the restoration of the critical commercial and neighborhood infrastructure that is desperately needed throughout all areas devastated by Katrina. The foundation’s philanthropic effort has been orchestrated by its founders, Geno Brunton and Shannon Marie and is called the ‘Rebuild Fund’, which will be orchestrated in concert with local developers and through local community-based development organizations, focused on the revitalization of their neighborhoods.
"We have focused our resources on making sure displaced residents have homes to come back to," explained Geno Brunton, MWF’s Chief Executive, “and will do so with the inclusion of local businesses. With over two years passed since the devastation of these areas and no real progress made by local or federal government efforts, it seems like it’s up to the private sector to provide substantive progress in helping families realize some sense and semblance of normalcy in their lives”. Mr. Brunton is also chairman and CEO of The Brunton Corporation.
The Miracle Worker Foundation has committed to procure a combined amount of over $10 billion over the next 5 years in support for the development of affordable housing on a nationwide basis to all disaster afflicted areas. The Foundation will focus on helping residents return to their communities and own their homes. "Given the enormity of this disaster, it just makes sense that we create partnerships with those capable of assisting us in realizing our goals. So we invite all other organizations that see our vision, to partner with us on the ‘Rebuild Fund’," says Shannon Marie, President of the Foundation.
This initiative also includes a low-income housing investment program that will be managed MWF. The Miracle Worker Foundation will initially invest more than $1 billion in the disaster struck areas of Mississippi and Louisiana with affordable housing efforts that support the development of 10,000 homes for residents that is vital to rebuilding devastated neighborhoods.
About Miracle Worker Foundation
The Miracle Worker Foundation was founded to assist America's families with their struggle out of the effects of disaster by providing homes that they can eventually own, while providing opportunities to companies looking to regenerate commerce in disaster-struck areas. Working with a select group of partner organizations nationwide and through its own efforts, The Miracle Worker Foundation has put in place vital relationships to leverage close to $5 billion in investments and donations to help build planned communities totaling almost 500,000 affordable homes. For more information, please call 949-225-4782.
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Contact Information
The Miracle Worker Foundation
Michelle Kujawa
949-225-4782
genob7@gmail.com
Sunday, November 18, 2007
VISIONARIES WANTED: 2008 Echoing Green Fellowship
* Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country, or world?
* Are you an entrepreneur who won't rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?
If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.
Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Teach For America, City Year, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 3, 2007.
Watch the video: http://www.echoinggreen.org/video
Find out whether you qualify: http://www.echoinggreen.org/shouldyouapply
Apply online: https://apply.echoinggreen.org
Questions? Contact us at apply@echoinggreen.org.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
National Adoption Month, 2007
A Proclamation By the President of the United States of America
During National Adoption Month, we recognize the adoptive and foster families who have shared their homes and hearts with children in need, and we encourage more Americans to consider adopting young people of all ages.
Families who adopt show the generous spirit of our Nation. Every child desires a permanent home, and when parents adopt a child to love as their own, lives are forever changed. For parents, the decision to adopt a child is among life's greatest and happiest turning points. On November 17, families across the country will celebrate National Adoption Day by finalizing their adoptions, and each one of these homes will be richer for the addition of new family members.
My Administration is committed to promoting adoption of children of all ages. We are working to bring together more children with loving, adoptive parents through the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids at adoptuskids.org and by providing States with financial assistance through the Adoption Incentives Program. The Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program helps improve care and services to children and families and ensure more young people in America have a caring, secure, and permanent home. Together, these efforts are building a brighter future for our youth.
During National Adoption Month, we honor adoptive and foster parents as they raise children of conviction and character. By accepting the gift of these children, parents are helping shape lives and contributing to the strength of our great Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2007 as National Adoption Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities to honor adoptive families and to participate in efforts to find permanent homes for waiting children.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
# # #
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Nothing But Nets Helps Deliver 200,000 Anti-Malaria Nets to Children in The Republic of Congo
Washington, DC (October 15, 2007) - Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to prevent malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa, announced today it will fund the distribution and delivery of over 200,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to children under five and pregnant women in Congo-Brazzaville from October 15-19, 2007. Purchased with over $1 million in donations from individual donors, these nets will be distributed as part of an integrated health campaign organized and implemented by the Congo’s Ministry of Health and the Measles Initiative -- a partnership of the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF.
“By working together, we can help make a difference and protect children and their families from malaria. Thank you to our tens of thousands of supporters that each donated $10 or more to send nets and save lives,” said Kathy Calvin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the United Nations Foundation, creator of Nothing But Nets.
According to UNICEF, only about five percent of pregnant women and children under five sleep beneath insecticide-treated bed nets in Congo. This month, a total of 500,000 insecticide-treated nets will be delivered by the Measles Initiative throughout Congo, in an effort to reach nearly every child under five with a net. In addition to the insecticide treated nets, children will also receive measles and polio vaccines, as well as Vitamin A and de-worming medicines as part of the integrated health campaign.
To date, Nothing But Nets has distributed close to 200,000 insecticide-treated nets in Nigeria, Chad, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. By the end of 2007, nearly half a million insecticide-treated nets will be distributed to Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, and Mali. A new, interactive map offering more information about past and future distributions can be found at www.NothingButNets.net.
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About Nothing But Nets
Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, tens of thousands of people have joined the Campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006. Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. It only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease. Visit www.NothingButNets.net to send a net and save a life.
Press Contacts:
Amy DiElsi, United Nations Foundation
(o) 202.419.3230, (e) adielsi@unfoundation.org
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The founder of Cirque du Soleil Guy Laliberté launches a global foundation to deal with access to water issues
October 29, 2007
Foundation lauch
Montreal, Monday, October 29, 2007 — Guy Laliberté announced today, in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International, and Gordon Nixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of RBC, the official launch of the ONE DROP Foundation to fight poverty in the world by giving everyone access to water. “No one can remain indifferent when we know that at least every eight seconds, a child dies from a disease caused by drinking contaminated water,” said Guy Laliberté. “With the creation of ONE DROP, we want to mobilize people everywhere in the world to find sustainable solutions to the problem of access to water, and to adopt better practices for the use of this precious resource.”
Access to water is one of the planet’s most pressing issues. Over a billion people do not have access to water in sufficient quantity or adequate quality. Almost half of the world’s population drinks untreated water.
Inspired by the creative experience of Cirque du Soleil and its international program for street kids, Cirque du Monde, the ONE DROP Foundation makes use of the circus arts, folklore, popular theatre, music, dance and the visual arts to promote education, community involvement and public awareness of water issues. Technical projects in developing countries will improve access to water, ensure food security and promote gender equality in communities. The Foundation will unveil its program for developed countries in 2008.
The operating costs of ONE DROP will be covered by a $100 million contribution from Guy Laliberté over 25 years. Field activities will be financed by donations from the employees of Cirque du Soleil and from the public, as well as through funding commitments by Canadian and international partners.
Oxfam International, through Oxfam-Québec, has been associated with ONE DROP since 2005 in a three-year pilot project in Nicaragua. A leader in development aid, Oxfam brings expertise in selecting and implementing field projects.
“Water is central to many health and agricultural issues and to the development of communities throughout the world,” said Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International. “Our involvement with the ONE DROP Foundation is based on a common desire to support sustainable development with concrete actions and in collaboration with local partners.”
RBC announced a $10 million commitment over ten years to support ONE DROP projects in Canada and around the world. The leading financial services company in Canada, RBC employs approximately 70,000 people in 34 countries. This is the largest donation ever given to a single organization in RBC’s 138-year history.
“ONE DROP is the first grant recipient of our new RBC Blue Water Project, a program to support charitable organizations dedicated to improving water access, conservation, protection and education,” said Gordon Nixon, President and Chief Executive Officer of RBC. “We are proud to be associated with the ONE DROP Foundation to support projects that will ensure a better quality of life for communities in Canada and around the world.”
Active in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and water, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is the first international organization to sign a collaboration agreement with ONE DROP.
“Water issues transcend the boundaries of countries and affect the whole of humanity,” said H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. “This is a major challenge of this century and it is essential that organizations throughout the world come together in a global movement of solidarity to ensure the preservation and better management of a resource that is both irreplaceable and fundamental to life.”
The ONE DROP Foundation is based at the Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters in Montreal (Canada). To know more, please visit http://www.onedrop.org/
For information, please contact:
Cirque du Soleil
Renée-Claude Ménard
Public Relations Director
514-723-7646, ext. 7366
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
Isabelle Peters
Media and Communications
+377 98 98 43 27
+377 (0)6 78 63 51 68
RBC Financial Group
Beja Rodeck, Director
Global Media Relations
416-974-5506
Raymond Chouinard
Director, Media Relations (Quebec)
514-874-6556
Oxfam-Québec/ Oxfam International
Justine Lesage
Media Relations
514-513-0013
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Donations Needed for Victims of California Wildfires
Fresno, CA, October 27, 2007
www.uanditrade.com is making it simple to donate goods to the families of the California Wildfires.
UandITrade connects parents across the nation so that they can trade items their children have outgrown like clothes, books and toys.
UandITrade founders have recently created a special option on their website for people to post items they would like to donate to the fire victims. The families who have suffered losses simply login and request items based on their needs. Once an item is selected, the donator will mail it out and a good deed is done. The donated items should be new or used and in good condition.
If everyone posts at least 2 or 3 items, families who lost everything will get a faster start getting back on their feet. UandITrade knows that many people don’t feel comfortable asking for help, and the site will allow them to receive help anonymously and easily. The more items posted, the more family members will be helped.
UandITrade encourages you to help these displaced families.
Full details of the program are available @ www.uanditrade.com. Simply click on the link “California Fires Donations Group.”
The service is free, and UandITrade is not profiting from this service. Their goal is to help these families as soon as possible.
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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Co-Founder Matthew Wilbourn, please call Matthew at 559-312-5569 or email Matthew at matt@uanditrade.com.
Contact: Matthew Wilbourn
Tel.: 559-312-5569
Email: matt@uanditrade.com
Friday, November 2, 2007
“Wugging” on the web could generate cash windfall for UK charities
Wugging (web use giving) could create a massive windfall for good causes without costing web users a penny, according to research released today by Everyclick.com.
A new survey by YouGov reveals that lack of time is the main reason people give for not raising money for charity (45 per cent), but nearly a third said they would be encouraged to raise more money for charity if this could be integrated in to their daily life.
Wugging allows anyone on the web to raise money for charity simply by doing something they do every day – using a search engine. On average in the UK there are 22.8m web searches per day; 949,000 per hour; 15,800 per minute and 264 per second1. If just 10 per cent of those web users in the UK switched to Everyclick.com for their search, it
would generate £172,000 for UK charities per day2, without costing them a penny or taking a moment more of their time.
Polly Gowers, co-founder of Everyclick.com, believes wugging has the potential to become a major new source of income for charities.
She says: “Wugging is win:win – web users generate money for causes they care about without it costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding. If you’re a web user who cares about good causes, it’s time to become a wugger!”
Everyclick.com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can specify which of the UK’s 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick.com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. 12 per cent of the British public questioned by YouGov currently give to charities online, but only 1 per cent do this on a daily basis.
Commenting on this Polly says: “Our research reveals people genuinely wish they could do more for charity yet only one in ten (12 per cent) are giving online. 91 per cent3 of Internet users make use of a search engine, if we could encourage all these individuals to become wuggers, by using Everyclick.com, funding for registered charities of all sizes would increase dramatically, all through the click of a mouse.”
Launched in June 2005 Everyclick.com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK. The site has more than 1,350,000 unique uses, has yielded over 8 million page impressions and has over 67,000 registered uses.
- Ends -
Notes to Editors:
For media enquiries, photography or interview requests please contact
everyclick@geronimocommunications.com or call 020 7299 8751.
Everyclick.com
* Everyclick.com is a search engine that has been purpose built to automatically donate 50% of
its revenue to charity
* Launched in June 2005, it has to date 67,220 registered uses and 955 corporate uses
* Everyclick.com is a Hitwise Top 10 Award winner, winner of the Netimperative “Best Start Up
of the Year” Award and is ranked as the eighth most visited search engine in the UK
* Polly Gowers, CEO winner of Triodos Bank sponsored “Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Women in Ethical Business Awards 2007
* The site is free to join and free to use, there is no cost to the use or the charity
* All search results are powered by Ask.com
* A special agreement with Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) everyclick.com enables uses to support any of the UK’s 170, 000 charities. The money is allocated by intelligent software and is distributed to charities every month by CAF
Research
* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc
* Total sample size was 2,141 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th and 20th
August 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
1 Internet Statistics Compendium - E-consultancy January 2007
2 Internet Statistics Compendium - E-consultancy January 2007 states that the paid search market was
worth a total of £1.26 billion in 2006. 10% of this market is £126,000,000 yielding £63,000,000 annually therefore £172,000 daily for charities through Everyclick.com
3 Office for National Statistics
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The Charles Bronfman Prize Announces Call for Nominations Prize Seeks Young Humanitarians from All Fields
New York -- The Charles Bronfman Prize has launched its 2008 award cycle, marking the start of this year’s international quest for extraordinary, young humanitarians. The Prize celebrates the vision and talent of an individual or team under 50 years of age whose humanitarian work has contributed significantly to the betterment of the world. Its goal is to bring public recognition to dynamic individuals whose Jewish values infuse their humanitarian accomplishments and provide inspiration to the next generations.
Nominations guidelines and forms for the $100,000 award are available at www.TheCharlesBronfmanPrize.com. Nominations for the 2008 Prize will be accepted through November 30, 2007.
Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman together with Stephen Bronfman and Claudine Blondin Bronfman established the Prize to honor their father.
The Prize Founders are encouraging submissions. “Our father has spent a lifetime developing, implementing and supporting initiatives that help to strengthen the unity of the Jewish people,” they said, adding “the Prize reflects his values and dedication to young people, and aims to carry on his legacy of commitment to Jewish life and community.”
In identifying the kinds of nominees being sought, Charles Bronfman pointed to past Prize recipients Jay Feinberg, Dr. Alon Tal, and Dr. Amitai Ziv, calling them “next generation leaders whose vision for change in their respective fields is bettering the world in exciting and meaningful ways. Each has created a mechanism for acting on their vision and delivering measurable results. Their leadership, innovation, and impact are the best indicators of the kinds of nominees we are now seeking for the 2008 Prize cycle, and the work we hope that this Prize can draw attention to.”
The Founders noted, “The Prize has been an early identifier of young visionaries who are changing the world around them. We have been privileged to see the amazing body of work that our recipients have achieved, and we are honored to pay tribute to them through this Prize.”
The 2008 Prize will be awarded in the spring of 2008.
www.TheCharlesBronfmanPrize.com
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You can make a difference: Raise money for your favorite cause
Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace make it easier than ever to share what you’re passionate about and expand your pool of supporters. And with PayPal, you can collect donations from your friends and family for the charities and causes you believe in.
Jump-start your grassroots campaign.
MySpace and Facebook badges let you raise money using your PayPal account. It’s easy to get started:
1. Choose your cause.
2. Copy or build the badge of your choice.
3. Send a broadcast message to your friends.
On MySpace, you can use the new PayPal fundraising badge to raise money right from your personal page. The site offers a selection of popular nonprofit groups as well as presidential candidates. Your friends can copy your MySpace badge to their websites and blogs, which gives your cause even more exposure.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace make it easier than ever to share what you’re passionate about and expand your pool of supporters. And with PayPal, you can collect donations from your friends and family for the charities and causes you believe in.
On Facebook, PayPal offers a badge that you can personalize with your own colors and background. Put the badge on your profile page, and track its progress on the “giving tree” page. See which of your friends has copied the badge to their Facebook page – and who’s helped you raise the most money!
Use your social network to collect money for various causes:
* A nonprofit group dear to your heart
* A walk-a-thon raising money for cancer, Alzheimer’s or other causes
* New books for your local school, place of worship or community center
* Uniforms for your sports team
* Gifts for children who would otherwise go without
Make your fundraising more successful
Tell how the money will be used.
People feel more comfortable giving – and often give more – when they get details about the cause they’re supporting.
Spread the word about your effort by email, broadcast message and more.
Your MySpace and Facebook networks are a great place to start – encourage them to share your message with others.
Keep your MySpace/Facebook page updated.
Keep the momentum going by letting people know how much money you’ve raised so far.
Social networking makes giving more fun. Start your drive today. Learn more about raising money online using MySpace and Facebook.
