My sister-in-law sent me over to Philanthroper a couple months ago given my penchant for what I call flash fundraisers. The idea being: low-barrier involvement to benefit a topical or worthy cause. One example was “Happy Hour for Haiti” immediately following the Haiti quake in 2010. Knowing that Boston had the third largest Haitian population in the US, I partnered up with a local group who was chartering a jet directly to Port-Au-Prince. After a few email and social media blasts, I had people gathering at a bar to bring clothing, first-aid and basic necessities. Fairly easy, helped people in need and didn’t require a great deal of time or money per contributor.
This is why I love Philanthroper. While making one large solo donation is helpful, many of us are limited to what we can personally give. Small donations by a very large group is an easier way to make a big impact. If you put all your goodwill towards one cause, it’s more difficult to contribute to others. Unless you’re Bill or Melinda Gates, you probably have finite resources. Giving only a little can go a long way when you’re getting others involved. Take a minute to give Philanthroper a look – it’s only small money to you but it’s spread across a big pool of people. Passing word along is just as helpful as a donation. Give it a shot!
PS – I was chatting with a successful family friend the other day who has been heavily involved in a few charities for years (sitting on the board for two of them). One of the topics we covered was the problem that people can sometimes become too self-important in charity work and obsess about starting their own organization.
If there are already several successful groups in your city focused on clean energy, don’t start another clean energy group that focuses on the exact same goals – it spreads the talent too thin. Unless you see an obvious problem in another organization’s mission, methods or motives, why create a clone? Leadership is important in philanthropy but don’t be afraid to join rather than start. If you sincerely believe in the cause, work with like-minded people and draw your network to an established organization.
Again, ignore the equipment for just a moment and remember that music is still an art form, it’s part of what makes us human. Records take it a step further and make a deeper connection; it’s why people buy a painting versus a print. What you’re getting is the original version of what was created. Granted, there are thousands of copies of a LP, but it’s the raw sound of what happened in the studio, less digital cleanup.
The Bees are disappearing. Even if you’ve been juggling 23 games of Words With Friends, you might have caught a whisper about the rapid loss of nature’s free pollination system.
