Philanthropic Ways To Get Involved In Your Own Neighborhood

November 11, 2015 by

Being involved in philanthropy is a great way to give back to your community and contribute to making the world a better place. These days in our busy and overscheduled world, it can become hard to find the time to attend philanthropic events or groups. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, and feel like we don’t have the time or energy to give back to the community in a big way. However, giving back isn’t measured by the amount of money you donate or the number of fancy events you attend. There are plenty of ways to be philanthropic right in your own neighborhood.

If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community with a group of people or by yourself, here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling.

Clean Up! You don’t have to be an official cleaning crew to get to work! Gather a few families, friends or do it by yourself! All you need is some trash bags and some gloves. Head to a place that could use a little love, and leave it better then it was when you found it. Maybe you’ll even inspire others to do the same.

Offer to help. Is your neighbor going through something that makes life stressful? New babies, moves, or the loss of a relative can really throw people for a loop. If you know someone who might need some help, show up at their house with a simple meal, or maybe mow their lawn. Small gestures can make all the difference during a stressful time, and giving back can happen even on the simplest level.

Sing a Song. You have the potential to brighten the day of an entire retirement home by walking in and signing ONE song. It’s something so simple, but so greatly appreciated by the residents. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy—folk songs and old standards are great, because everyone can sing along. Bonus points if you can bring someone who knows how to play a guitar or piano!

Keep Someone Company. Many communities have senior centers with programs linking seniors and younger people, offering companionship and company for an hour here and there. Childrens Hospitals are another great place to go and spend time with someone who could really use the company and conversation. Do a search for your local centers and hospitals and inquire how you might help.

Plant Something. Want your neighborhood to be a little greener? Make it happen! Organize a planting party and beautify your surroundings. Whether you’re building a community garden or planting some flowers in your neighbor’s yard, you are giving back to your community in a big way! Just make sure to check with your city to ensure you’re planting in the right areas, especially if you’re planting trees.

Neighborhoods are made great by the people within them, so don’t be afraid to lead the way. Your efforts will come back to you tenfold, as you enjoy the neighborhood that you’ve fostered!

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A Different Kind of Diamond

September 28, 2015 by

When we talk about diamonds, we usually reference jewlery; but diamonds also symbolize importance, unique qualities, and beauty that reaches way beneath our skin and touches deep into our hearts. The Four Diamonds Fund is an example of this beauty. It is a charitable organization based out of Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, whose ultimate goal is to conquer childhood cancer. After all, children are the diamonds of the world – nothing can shine brighter than them.

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The Four Diamonds Fund was established in 1972 after Charles and Irma Millard lost their 14-year-old son to cancer. The name of the fund, The Four Diamonds, derives from a fantasy story Christopher wrote shortly before passing away from pediatric cancer. A fund whose foundations are built on compassion and hope, and whose objectives are built from love and support. A child whose dreams can live on through charity.

The fund assists children who are being treated through Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, and their families by providing support, research, and valuable care. There is a three-pronged approach to the way the Four Diamonds Fund is organized and functions: through medical care, financial and emotional support, and through pediatric cancer research. Any child who is being treated for pediatric cancer at Penn State Hershey is eligible to take part in this program, in which the fund’s policy covers all medical costs not paid by insurance in hopes that families never have to see a hospital bill. Each year, there are around 90 new families that receive support.

Overall, The Four Diamonds Fund shows us that diamonds live deep within, through charitable acts, smiles, and most importantly, through love. Diamonds may be seemingly rare in the world of jewelry, but in our everyday life they surround us – they are our brothers, sisters, parents, friends, the people closest to our hearts.

 

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Giving Back: Diamonds International

September 14, 2015 by

Diamonds International is a nonprofit organization that supports dozens of charity causes in impoverished communities each year. Some of these causes include: funding education, construction efforts to rebuild areas destroyed by natural disasters, cancer research, providing treatment. You can find out about Diamonds International’s many locations and support a cause that you feel most connected with by visiting their website here.

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Diamonds International was first found on the Caribbean island, St. Thomas, and now holds over 125 stores across the world after just twenty years. The main goals of the organization is to sell high quality, affordable jewelry to various customers whose profits are donated to the many charity causes the organization supports. The organization’s owners and employees are unbelievable grateful for the opportunities they get to “say ‘thank you’ for allowing us to be part of your life than with a gift to make a less fortunate person’s life a happier one,” (Diamonds International Corporate Responsibility: What We Do).

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The organization gives back to communities all around the world, from the Caribbean, to Africa, Guatemala, and areas all over the United States. Diamonds International caters to various aspects of certain communities. For example, the Lend-a-Hand project that takes place annually in Aruba gets together 17 Diamonds International employees with teachers and member of the parents committee from Anglo Kleuterschool located in Madiki, Oranjestad to show the true essence of teamwork. In past years, remodeling of the school has been one of their largest projects, which included uplifting the playground, repainting classrooms, and ensuring that all areas of the school were safe and secure for students.

Diamonds International’s mission statement is “Making the world a bright place one gift at a time.” Which is exactly what they do.

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How to Make the Most Out of Your Community Serivce

August 28, 2015 by

Community service should be looked at in a positive light in order for you to get the most out of your experience. You may think back to a time when your parents forced you to volunteer at the local community center, or participate in a midnight run around Christmas time, and thought of it as a chore. But, if you change your mindset community service can be something you look forward to and dedicate to on a more regular basis. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your community service:

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First, helping others makes you feel good. Not only are you giving back to your community and helping those in need feel better, but the actual act of charity can elevate the levels of serotonin in your brain – making you feel great about yourself. By giving back, you recognize the power that a single person has on other lives, that you really can make a difference in the world, despite what you may have thought before.

Second, you can cater your community service to something you are passionate towards and therefore spend time working in a field you love. For example, if you love teaching and one day hope to become one (or if it’s just for fun), you can volunteer at after school programs and help children with subjects they are struggling in. This way, you can gain experience teaching all while helping children become better students and inspiring them along the way. If you are passionate about the environment, you may want to think about volunteering at a community clean-up day, or perhaps an event that raising awareness of pollution or anything else environmentally-related.

That being said, you can use community service as a resume-builder to help you gain experience in a field that you are looking to make a career out of. This way when you are going for job interviews, your interviewer will not only notice that you have experience, but that you are an active member of your community and are so motivated to work in a particular field that you’ve done it for free. Side note: having volunteer experience in your resume always looks good.

Last, being involved in your community will help you develop strong relationships that will stay with you wherever you go. Committing to community service helps you make friends you may not have otherwise met or thought of speaking to, and you’ll realize that the world is filled with wonderful, different types of people with kinds souls.

Community service will lift your spirits on the world as a whole, and you will be astonished by how much of a difference one person can make.

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Queen of Philanthropy

July 28, 2015 by

Mark Bronner Diamonds 55b46a307dbb6.imagePageants are renowned for churning out crown-worthy queens, each with their own “personal mission” to answer the many questions thrown at them during the Q&A portions of their competition. Topics range from solving world hunger, to fighting the AIDS epidemic, but few winners make good on their promises to change the world. McAlester’s pageant winner, Sanders, is looking to change that tradition.

Many philanthropic issues are used as a stage, a platform for attention. Sanders feels that if you’re to champion a cause, it needs to be seen through. “One in four children in America will grow up without learning how to read,” Sanders says. “Two out of three children who cannot read by 4th grade end up in jail or on welfare.” Pioneering her program “The Storybook Exchange,” Sanders hopes to get books into the hands of those young minds who so desperately need to be stimulated.

During the years following her coronation, Sanders’ program was able to give away 15,000 books to children in the surrounding area thanks in part to financial support from corporate sponsors. With lofty goals for this year, the philanthropic spirit still burns brightly inside this pageant queen. “This year I hope to give away 25,000 books, and this year we hope to get $5,000 [in corporate donations].” Encouraging anyone to give whatever they can, Miss McAlester believes that no donation is too small.

In a time where promises made eclipse promises fulfilled, Miss McAlester has risen above her peers. Deserving of the crown placed upon her head, this queen will not let her reign pass unmarked. Giving the gift of education, inspiration, and imagination to thousands is a treasure beyond measure, and one the people of McAlester are sure to remember. For more on the queen who truly rules, follow the link here.

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New York City Charity Events

June 25, 2015 by

Whether you are a resident of New York City, or just there for a visit, there are always ways for you to make one of your days spent in the big apple extra meaningful by devoting it to charity work. Organizations like City Meals on Wheels, the Robin Hood Foundation, Learning Leaders, and Seeds of Peace always have opportunities for you to lend a hand to help out those who struggle in NYC.

Along with these great organizations comes charity events that you won’t want to miss if you’re in New York. Year-round there are different events that you can partake in depending on what kind of charity or nonprofit organization you feel most strongly about. Whether you want to raise money for cancer research, promote a green environment, or improve education, there are plenty of philanthropy events that you can choose from.

Not sure what kind of organization you want to help raise awareness for? It’s always nice to gleam at what some of the most prominent figures in philanthropy and the arts are doing. Here are three of the most infamous charity events that take place in NYC throughout the year to help give you some inspiration:

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First is the annual New York Junior League Winter Ball, which usually takes place at The Pierre at the beginning of March. This event is the organization’s largest fundraiser of each year, and focuses on honoring seven outstanding volunteers. The New York Junior League is one of the oldest and largest women’s nonprofit volunteer organizations in the city and aims to give volunteers leadership skills needed to take charge and help change their communities for the betterment of humanity. Over 550 guests will attend this black tie event, which typically has a specific theme that attendees always admire.

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Second is the New Yorkers for Children Fool’s Fete, an event that brings together not only elite member on the guest list, but passionate volunteers who care whole-heartedly about the needs for foster children living in NYC and other parts of New York. Past attendees have included Selita Ebanks, Josh Hartnett, and Coco Rocha. In previous years, the event has taken place in mid April at the Mandarin Oriental.

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The last charity event on this list is the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award Gala, located in the Avery Fisher Hall section of the Lincoln Center. Typically, this event takes place in late April and has included guests like Barbara Streisand and Bill Clinton. The Chaplin Award Gala aims to support ongoing work in education, artist development, and cross-cultural film outreach – the core qualities of the organization.

For more information on various charity events and organizations across New York City, make sure to check out this link, which will provide an extensive list of NYC nonprofits.

 

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How can a Non Profit Be Profitable?

April 8, 2015 by

mark brannier non profitWhen one thinks of an non profit, you don’t often think of there actually being a profit. It needs to be realized that a nonprofit is actually a business and not just volunteer work. You need actual revenue in order to keep your non profit viable and sustainability. Furthermore, your staff should also be compensated for their time that they put into keeping your non profit running. Of course you should always be cognizant of the profit and exactly how much profit you make and show. Legally, there are restrictions on what a non profit can make in revenue. But this doesn’t mean that your nonprofit can’t be a profitable. There are a number of ways a non profit can make money in order to be a profitable organization. These suggestions will not only help bring in profit, it will also help with promotion and marketing.

One of the main ways that you can bring money into your nonprofit is to apply for a grant. In this instance, the main grants that are available are foundation, government, and corporate grants. When writing a grant, be sure to outline all expenses, operational, and administrative costs. These costs can include staff salary, any benefits, and as well as additional costs for basic upkeep (supplies, travel expenses, etc.). Be sure to be as specific as possible and outline each possible scenario.

Another suggestion is to hold a some sort of a fundraiser. There are a number of ideas and avenues you can go with this route. Furthermore, any donations made through this channel can be a tax write off for the person donating. A good way to go about this is to highlight that that the proceeds of the fundraiser is going to a specific purpose. You can create a marketing campaign surrounding this in order to get the consumer emotionally invested. By getting your guests to be emotionally invested, people will become more compelled to donate and they will feel like they are an actual part of the process.

You can also generate revenue by passive resources. you can obtain profit through rents, royalties, investments and/or interest payments. However, being that your organization will most likely be a 501(c) 3 tax exempt organization, you have to be 100% transparent with exactly where the money is coming from and what purpose the money is for. Be sure to check any legal restrictions to make sure that you are up to code and that you can accurately generate revenue.

As stated earlier, just because you are nonprofit, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be profitable. Running a nonprofit as a business will only ensure that you remain relevant and sustainable.

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4 Ways to Raise Money for a Fundraiser

December 11, 2014 by

Raising money can be a tough challenge for anyone involved. Many times an organization will prompt for someone to raise a certain amount of money in a set amount of time. That’s not always the easiest task. If you don’t do fundraising for a living, starting from scratch can be a frustrating experience. Where do you start? What’s the best avenue to actually raise money? And more importantly, how do I get people to give me money toward my cause? These are all questions that people may have. Due to my experience in the Philanthropy sector, I have gained a vast experience in the industry of fundraising.

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Below are the top fundraising plans that have helped me:

Hold a Rummage Sale

A rummage sale can be an easy way of not only raising money, but also purging your life of items you don’t necessarily use or want anymore. You can get the members on your team to donate items to the rummage sale so that you are able to have a nice variety of items. Additionally in an effort for extra promotion advertising, you can also get other people to donate items for the sale. One thing that will be key to the success of the rummage sale will be to actively advertise and promote the sale. This can be done a number of ways. If it’s something a little more local, one of the best ways to go about this would be regular snail mail and flyers. Make sure the flyers are visually entertaining and don’t contain too much wording. In addition to that method, make sure to utilize social media. Most social media properties are free and one can easily take advantage of that medium and reach a vast audience.

Sell Meals and Baked Goods

The way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. Selling food is a good way to get people to give money to your cause. Everyone loves a good meal and people don’t feel like they’re necessarily wasting money on something they may never use. However, all the cooking that takes place for the event can be not only exhausting and tiring but actually not to mention ridiculously expensive. The best way to combat this is to split the responsibilities up between members of your group. This will split up the costs as well as all the responsibilities. Another tip is to buy food that is able to be bought in bulk. Examples are hot dogs, burgers, wings, etc. You can feed a large mass of people as well as cut down costs.

Crowd-funding

In this new digital age, we have the opportunity to reach a large range of people in different regions and parts of the world than we are in. There are a myriad of websites that offer services to put your cause out to the public. When going the crowdfunding route, be sure to have a clear concise plan for your target market to read. Don’t have the plan written in jargon specific to your field because it automatically turns people who may not understand off to your cause. Before to write the plan in your words and convey your personality so people feel personally attached to the project.

Submit For a Grant

This option is the most successful but definitely the hardest option on this list. Grants are highly competitive and are tough to get. When using this option, be sure to search for the grant that applies to you and your cause. There are usually applications to fill out, be sure to be thorough and concise in this process to reduce any room for error. In addition, when it comes to writing the proposal, be sure to enlist the help of a professional writer or have your proposal edited by a couple of eyes. You want to make sure it’s easy to read and to the point all the while telling your story.

These are some of the ways that have helped me in the past raise money for my fundraiser. What are some of the ways that you have raised money?

 

 

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