Better World Books

Better World Books (BWB) was founded in 2002 by three college friends who started selling textbooks online to make money and ended up forming a pioneering social enterprise- a business with a mission to promote literacy. They believe education and access to books are basic human rights. BWB uses the power of business to change the world. They collect and sell books online to donate books and fund literacy initiatives worldwide. There are over 8 million new and used titles to purchase.

All books are shipped free, and in case you're concerned about your eco-footprint, every order shipped is carbon balanced with Green-e Climate certified offsets from 3Degrees, a leading green power and carbon balancing services firm.

Impact:

To date BWB has:

• donated over 7,048,615 books
• raised $13,446,219.11 for literacy and libraries
• reused/recycled 97,959,917 books

So far, 58 million books have been converted into $10.4 million in funding, and over 40,000 tons of books have been saved from landfills. Books are collected through a network of 2,300 college campuses and 3,000 libraries.

Programs:

• Book for Book - for every book purchased, BWB donates a book to someone in need. 

• LEAP (Literacy & Education in Action Program) - funds literacy and educational nonprofits and libraries for specific projects- the frontline of the fight to reduce global poverty through education. Several times a year, BWB invites literacy-focused organizations to apply for grants to support high-impact literacy projects. Then BWB selects the projects they feel "have the biggest bang for the buck." Projects are funded through BWB's General Literacy Fund, which means they make grants in addition to the regular stream of revenue earmarked for libraries and their nonprofit partners.

• Donations - BWB sells new and used books, so you can donate your books (via one of their drop boxes or mail) and they will be sold online to help raise funds for nonprofit literacy organizations.

Partners:

BWB's four primary literacy partners:

• Books for Africa
• Room to Read
• Worldfund
• National Center for Family Literacy

I urge you to visit Better World Books' website to review their mission and values, read about their impact and buy some books! (They even have gift certificates).

If You Give a Kid a Book

BookEnds

In 1993, 8-year-old Brandon Keefe believed he could make a difference. By 1998, he was, forming BookEnds as nonprofit organization in Southern California that is about kids helping kids. The organization recycles children's books through student-run book drives and places them in schools and youth organizations in need of books. They believe that a literate child is the foundation of a thriving community. By providing access to books, children are given the resources to develop literacy skills and to experience the joy and imagination of reading.

Recipients of the BookEnds program include:

• Inner City Schools
• Youth Centers
• Homeless Shelters
• Family Literacy Centers
• After-school Enrichment Programs
• Children's Group Homes
• Juvenile Detention Facilities

For recipient organizations the ratio of books to kids is 3 to 1; the national average is 22 to 1.  Each dollar donated to BookEnds results in more than five dollars worth of books for kids.

BookEnds believes in the power of community service. Through Bookends students have the opportunity to change their lives and the lives of others through community service. Student volunteers collect, sort and personally deliver donated books to quality libraries and inspire a passion for reading.

The Stats to Date:

• 22,000 student volunteers
• 585 empty libraries filled in the Greater Los Angeles area
• 2.1 million books delivered
• Serving over 520,000 at-risk children

For more information please visit BookEnds.

GreaterGood

Background

GreaterGood is a network of websites that offer the unique opportunity to support causes you care about, with no cost to you. The organization partners with and funds leading nonprofit organizations around the world in order to alleviate poverty and hunger, promote peace, address cancer and other widespread health problems, foster literacy and education, preserve vital habitats in peril, and provide protection and care to vulnerable animals.

GreaterGood accomplishes this mission by:

• Alleviating and addressing the root causes of world hunger and food insecurity and promoting peaceful co-existence.
• Early detection and treatment of breast cancer and other widespread health concerns, particularly in women.
• Preventing and treating childhood illness, disease and other children's health and well-being concerns.
• Promoting children's literacy and education.
• Protecting and restoring the environment.
• Providing care and feeding of rescued animals in shelters and sanctuaries and addressing the root causes of their conditions.

How it Works

Each person's daily click on the Click to Give sites displays sponsor advertising. One hundred percent (100%) of sponsor advertising is paid as a royalty through GreaterGood.org. Supporters can also contribute directly to charity by purchasing Gifts that Give More, where 100% of the donations are given to charity, or by purchasing one of the over 4500 products they carry. There is a 5-30% charity royalty paid on every item purchased from any of the GreaterGood network of online stores.

Results

Last year GreaterGood  gave over $3.07 million to charity. And how's this for transparency, you can view exactly where the money went. The organization's website provides a breakdown of every charity they donated to, and the amount of money it received. Site visitors can even look at GreaterGood's giving from the last three years. The IRS 990 forms filed by GreaterGood are also easily accessible.

For more information please visit GreaterGood.org.

Project H.O.M.E.

Project H.O.M.E (Housing, Opportunities for Employment, Medical Care, Education)

None of us are home until all of us are home.

Background

Since 1988, Project H.O.M.E has been a leader in providing comprehensive and effective services to persons who experience chronic homelessness. The organization empowers people to break the cycle of homelessness, address the structural causes of poverty, and attain their fullest potential as members of society.

Co-founded by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson-McConnon, Project H.O.M.E is a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project H.O.M.E. has grown from a winter shelter to 447 units of housing and three businesses that employ formerly homeless individuals.

What makes this organization so effective, is its mission to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, not simply treating the symptoms and its commitment to the dignity of every person.  They strive to create a safe and respectful environment where everyone supports one another in their struggle for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move towards self-actualization. This mission is achieved through a continuum of care comprised of street outreach, a range of supportive housing, and comprehensive services. Project H.O.M.E. addresses the root causes of homelessness, through neighborhood-based affordable housing, economic development, and environmental enhancement programs, as well as providing access to employment opportunities; adult and youth education; and health care.

Project H.O.M.E is committed to social and political advocacy. An integral part of Project H.O.M.E.'s work is education about the realties of homelessness and poverty and vigorous advocacy on behalf of and with homeless and low-income persons for more just and humane public policies. It is also committed to nurturing the spirit of community among persons of walks of life, all of whom have a role to play in making this a more just and compassionate society.

The organization's website provides resources and facts about homelessness, particularly in Philadelphia, where Project H.O.M.E. is based. It is also important to note that Project H.O.M.E.'s board of directors include residents from the housing units, as well as program alumni.

Values 

The work of Project H.O.M.E. is rooted in their strong spiritual conviction of the dignity of each person. They believe:

• that all persons are entitled to decent, affordable housing and access to quality education, employment, and health care.
• in the transformational power of building relationships and community as the ultimate answer to the degradation of homelessness and poverty.
• that working to end homelessness and poverty enhances quality of life for everyone in the community.
• that the critical resources entrusted to Project H.O.M.E. to achieve its mission must be managed honorably and professionally.

Programs

Housing & Street Outreach- designed to deal with the complex issues of persons with special needs such as mental illness and addiction. The program consists of street outreach, a range of supportive housing from entry-level to permanent housing, and comprehensive services including health care, education, and employment.

• Street Outreach: Outreach Teams develop trusting relationships with homeless individuals who have severe mental illness or substance addiction.
• Women's Emergency Respite Center: serves women with a long history of street homelessness, many of whom are incompatible or resistant to city-run shelter services.
• Supportive Housing & Services: enables each person to break the cycle of homelessness, move towards self-sufficiency and achieve his or her full potential.
• Alumni Program: provides residents with the opportunity to stay connected to Project H.O.M.E. community even after moving out of the supportive housing programs.
• Affordable Rental Housing: an eleven-story building developed to help address the gap in Philadelphia's affordable housing inventory.
• Affordable Homeownership Program: designed to stimulate housing production in North Philadelphia, create positive community impact and scale, and increase development and transformation of a distressed urban community into an attractive place to live. The program includes Block Preservation and Place Making Initiatives, and  the Homebuyer Reservation Program

Community Development- The organization's revitalization work is focused in the North Central Philadelphia community known as 'St. Elizabeth's/Diamond Street" neighborhood and Ridge Ave commercial corridor, (a 33-square block neighborhood).

Since 1995, Project H.O.M.E. has been working in partnership with neighborhood residents, corporations, foundations, government, faith communities and others to revitalize this neighborhood. Efforts include the development of affordable rental housing, renovation of affordable homes for homeownership, greening of vacant lots, adult and youth education and enrichment programs and community based health care services.

• Economic Development: the program addresses the persistent challenges of long-term economic disinvestment: "vacancy, blight, and high rates of unemployment."
• Health Services Program: is committed to addressing the health and wellness needs of the urban community.
• Community Organizing: works in cooperation with local Block Captains and civic associations on activities such as community emergency food banks, block clean-ups, and the nationally ranked youth drill team, the North Philly Footstompers.
• Honickman Learning Center & Comcast Technology Lab: programs at this 38,000 square foot, three-story technology center are tailored to help residents of the community- children, youth, adults and families- move towards greater prosperity by increasing their educational and employment opportunities.

Education & Employment- Project H.O.M.E recognizes that education and employment are critical tools to help all people improve the quality of their lives. This is particularly vital for formerly homeless people and people from economically distressed neighborhoods that may not have access to meaningful educational and employment opportunities.

• Honickman Learning Center & Comcast Technology Lab
• Kindergarten-Sixth Grade Program
• Teem Program
• Adult Education and Workforce Development
• Employment Services
• Employment Initiatives
• Art Program
• Social Enterprises: Cafe & Thrift Shop

Awards & Honors

(Just to name a few)

• The National Alliance to End Homelessness' Nonprofit Sector Achievement Award
• STAR award from The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
• Named as one of the "16 most efficient and innovative charities [they] know of anywhere," by Philanthropy Roundtable.

Click here for more information on Project H.O.M.E.'s initiatives.

I'd love to hear about any organizations in your city that are addressing the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty in the community.

Operation Kids

Operation Kids is a 501(3)c dedicated to improving the lives of children. Recognizing the many dimensions to a healthy, happy child, they support a researched community of charities providing solutions to issues affecting children's education, health, safety, and well being.

Their mission is to identify the most pressing issues facing the largest number of children, and then support a community of qualified charities and programs most effectively addressing those issues. Issues are determined under the direction of their Whole Child Committee, a select group of experts in children's issues. The Committee helps Operation Kids staff identify effective solutions to those issues. The staff then seeks to identify who demonstrates the most impact and efficiency when implementing those solutions. Operation Kids demands full accountability and transparency in use of its donations. Therefore an "OK" endorsement that a charity or one of its programs receives identifies it as a effort deserving of complete donor confidence.

Their corporate giving consultant service helps companies identify and partner with charities that demonstrate the highest standards of effectiveness and impact, and whose partnership contributes to the company's brand-building efforts. Operation Kids also has competencies in media relations, special events management and Online charitable marketing and fundraising.

Founded in 1999 and incorporated in 2000, the organization is dedicated to sound principles of charitable giving. They:

1. Measurably improve the lives of children

• Improving Safety through The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's "Net Smartz" program
• Improving Health through the life-changing and life-saving medical procedures of Operation Smile and the Children's Organ Transplant Association
• Improving Well-Being through Right to Play's effective programs teaching conflict resolution through sport, in more than 23 countries
• Improving Education in New Orleans through the Edible Schoolyard Project, funding for summer science internships at New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School and programs for intellectually disabled children provided by Best Buddies

2. Provide donors with a more accountable and fulfilling experience

• Individual donors- your donation, combines with others, support programs and charities where they make a measurable impact. You can know your gift made a real difference
• Corporations/Businesses- By understanding the strategy behind corporate philanthropy, they can carefully design and manage corporate giving for maximum impact, thereby better serving your employees, customers, and communities
• Foundations- They vet charities and programs and help guide the foundation's giving based on its mission and focus, to ensure maximum impact
• Charities- They share best practices and efficient management principles to increase efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness

3. Research the most pressing issues facing the largest number of children

• While any issue affecting children is important, some affect greater numbers in more significant ways. Understanding issues in context is valuable to those looking to make the greatest impact with their charitable contributions.

4. Identify charities and programs most effectively addressing key issues

• Charities exhibit a wide range of effectiveness and efficiency. Many are well-managed. Some though well intended are not. Donors deserve to understand the effectiveness of a nonprofit organization before giving.

The organization's administrative expenses are fully met through monthly payments from an investment fund, so all contributions to Operation Kids:

• Reach the child in need
• are focused on your area of interest
• are leveraged through matching funds campaigns
• are managed every step of the way

For more information please visit Operation Kids website.

Center for Development in Central America

Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) is a nonprofit organization seeking to address human needs created by poverty in the Western Hemisphere's second poorest nation: Nicaragua. This mission is accomplished by helping communities become self-sufficient, sustainable, democratic entities. CDCA works with the Nicaraguan community to help them realize their own goals, rather than bringing in "ready made solutions."

CDCA's involvement includes community organization, a flexible approach to needs and priorities as they shift over time, identifying areas where the CDCA can be of service, and following through in those areas, while empowering Nicaraguans and gradually phasing out the need for CDCA's assistance.

The organization's projects are focused in the municipality of Ciudad Sandino, which has been a dumping ground for victims of natural disasters, and is located just outside the capital city of Managua. Ciudad Sandino is the most densely populated area of Nicaragua and the poorest urban area in Nicaragua, with an estimated 80% of the population lacking formal employment, and many living on less than $1.00 U.S per day. 

CDCA works in the following areas:

• Sustainable economic development- developing long-term jobs so families can feed their own children
• Sustainable agriculture- so that poor farmers don't lose their land
• Primary health care- in the face of privatization of health care
• Education- both technical training for Nicaraguans as well as education of first world volunteers both in the U.S. and Nicaragua
• Appropriate technology- seeking to care for the earth as natural resources are consumed, and introducing work techniques that are maintainable

Since its founding in 1994, the organization has:

• Organized 1,600 small farmers into a cooperative business to market their organic crops
• Built three health centers and one school in rural communities
• Built a preschool/feeding center in a community where they also got water and latrines to every house
• Organized five cooperatives of workers from the poverty-stricken resettlement community of Nueva Vida (created in response to Hurricane Mitch in 1998)
• Started a full-time health clinic to meet the health care needs of poor people in Ciudad Sandino
• Hosted nearly 100 delegations and 400 individual volunteers in Nicaragua, all of whom go back to their homes and teach people about Nicaragua
• Developed solar composting latrines, stoves that use less wood, and a bio-diesel project

For more information on CDCA's projects and how you can get involved, please visit their website.

The New Teacher Project

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap between poor and minority students and white students, by ensuring that high need students get outstanding teachers. The organization was founded in 1997 to address the growing issues of teacher shortages and teacher quality throughout the country. TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses to the most acute teacher quality challenges.

Their Approach:

"TNTP believes that the fundamental structures, policies and institutions that influence teacher quality (from certification providers to district Human Resources offices to collective bargaining agreements) must be re-aligned to maximize teacher quality in high-need schools. TNPT provides school districts and states with a range of services, all of which are designed to increase the concentration of highly effective teachers in high-needs schools. They:

• Create innovative programs that bring high-quality teachers into hard-to-staff schools
• Identify the policy barriers that keep schools from hiring the best teachers possible, and advocate for necessary reforms.
• Work hand-in-hand with school districts and school leaders to staff the lowest-performing schools with excellent teachers
• Develop new and better ways to prepare, develop, and certify teachers for public schools

TNTP services include:

• Teacher recruitment
• School staffing
• Training and certification
• Research and advocacy

The organization's mission: The New Teacher Project partners with educational entities to:

• Increase the number of outstanding individuals who become public school teachers
• Create environments for all educators that maximize their impact on student achievement

Their vision: Once day, our nation's public schools will be thriving organizations that offer all children an excellent education.

TNTP Core Values:

• Foundation- Their work is driven by what they believe to be best for students and their goal of closing the achievement gap. As a disciplined, revenue-generating nonprofit organization, they remain accountable, focused and motivated to meet their goals.
• People- Their people drive their success as a company. They strive to recruit and retain a diverse group of dedicated individuals representing the best talent available. TNPT work to ensure these individuals feel valued and supported, and that they have opportunities to develop and grow.
• Work- TNTP do what it takes to achieve results. They are purposeful in providing high-quality, responsive and innovative services. They endeavor to work in close collaboration with their clients to develop models that challenge the status quo and raise expectations for what is possible in the effort to increase student achievement, and they strive to inform and influence the national dialogue on education policy.
• Culture- They believe in a healthy, productive work environment. They strive for a trusting, supportive culture that emphasizes collaborations and flexibility amongst all staff members. They push themselves to higher levels of performance, they celebrate their successes, and learn from their failures.

Since its founding, TNTP has trained or hired approximately 33,000 teachers, benefited an estimated 4.8 million students, and established more than 70 programs and initiatives in 28 states. For more information please visit The New Teacher Project website.

These Numbers Have Faces

I want to thank Executive Director Justin Zoradi for making me aware of the wonderful organization he founded, and Communications Director Jonathan Saur for providing us with such amazing information on this organization.

"These Numbers Have Faces is a Portland, OR based nonprofit organization working in Cape Town, South Africa. These Numbers Have Faces exists to confront generational poverty in South Africa by providing college scholarships for youth in the township of Gugulethu. It is our goal that through education, we can give young people the opportunity to make positive change in their own communities. These Numbers Have Faces isn't about a cause, it's about people.

No matter what the news media tell us, our dear friends in South Africa are not numbers. They are not color coded charts, pie graphs, or economic statistics. These Numbers Have Faces."

These Numbers Have Faces- The Introduction from These Numbers Have Faces on Vimeo.

For more information please visit the These Numbers Have Faces website. You can also watch more videos about the organization by visiting their Vimeo page.

Global Playground

Global Playground's mission is "to raise awareness and share resources with people of the developing world to create educational opportunities where they do not exist."

The organization was founded by young professionals in New York and Washington D.C., and was incorporated in 2006. The organization funds projects that increase access to and quality of education to children in the developing world.

Global Playground is committed to funding the education of children in underdeveloped and developing countries, and promoting the importance of education and cross-cultural understanding in the developing world. They believe education is the most promising means to eliminating violence, poverty, intolerance, and misunderstanding in our world. They also believe that young minds are most open to cross-cultural understanding and the appreciation of differences.

The organization's first project: Project Uganda, is a school for 300 children in the rural Wakiso District. Their new initiatives include: Project Cambodia, a middle school for 150 children in the outskirts of Kandal, and Project Thailand, a library for 400 children in the remote Mae Hong Song province. Global Playground is currently researching Central American and Eastern Europe for future projects.

For more information, please visit Global Playground's website.

Cambodian Children's Fund

Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF) was founded by Hollywood film executive Scott Neeson after a visit to Cambodia in 2003. Having been forever changed by his experience, Neeson left the glitz of Hollywood to live in Phnom Penh year round as CCF's Executive Director.

CCF was originally developed as one shelter providing a safe haven for 45 children in critical need. Today the organization has grown to five separate facilities, where nearly 400 children receive nutrition, housing, medical treatment, dental services, and vaccinations. The also receive an education, job training, and access to cultural and athletic activities.

CCF is also increasing  their community relief efforts to provide suffering families better access o education, healthcare, food assistance and safe drinking water- which is essential in an environment where an estimated 80% of illnesses are water related.

CCF Programs include the following:

• The CCF Education Program- which provides a comprehensive education, culture and sports and extra-curricular activities, and eventual public school integration. Subjects include: multi-level English,  local language reading and writing, social studies, and math. In addition evening cultural classes teach traditional Khmer music, dance and drama.
• Region of Lazio Community Leadership Program- designed for students who are smart, articulate and charismatic- children who are demonstrably natural leaders, regardless of their education status or grade level. The program emphasizes entrepreneurship, human rights issues, social activism and media studies, as well as land rights and community intervention. The goal of this program is to prepare a select group of promising students to enter Cambodian society with skills, ambition, and integrity to become progressive leaders and spokespeople for the emerging generation.
• The CCF Vocational Training Program- is invaluable to older children who came to CFF with limited schooling, as they are unlikely to complete high school at a reasonable age and go on to higher studies. The program encourages children to pursue on- and off-site studies in: computer training, cosmetology, hair-dressing, graphic design, restaurant management, and language instruction. In 2006, CCF also opened Star Bakery, a facility that provides training in baking techniques, bread production, food hygiene, and business management.
• CCF Healthcare Program- the program oversees the healthcare, nutrition, and medical treatment of over 300 students.

"Cambodian children are some of the most deprived and abused in the world. They've had no choice in being born into a country with some of the highest rates of child prostitution and domestic violence in the world... In such a plentiful world, it is inexcusable that any child should have to live this way."

The above statement appears to be ever-present in the minds of those working to advance CCF's mission. It is a call to action for all of us. As Bono has said, we cannot let the misfortunes of geography determine the fate of others.

For more information, including how you can sponsor a child, please visit CCF's website.

Global Visionaries

Global Visionaries' mission is "to educate and empower youth to become active leaders and global citizens who promote social and environmental justice through community service at home and abroad."

The organization's programs "educate young people on peace, justice, and environmental issues, foster cross-cultural understanding, and strengthen communities and families, uniting diverse local communities and building international ties, fostering the tangible hope of lasting peace." Educators, community leaders, parents, and high school students partner with local and international organizations to broaden and further their common goal for social and environmental justice.

Founded in 1997, and incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 2002, Global Visionaries serves Seattle, Washington high school students. The students participate in a year long leadership program which includes "various cultural and antiracism workshops, a cultural immersion trip to Guatemala,  and local and international development projects, where Global Visionaries Work Teams partner with various organizations to collectively address important issues such as poverty, immigrant's and civil rights, protecting ecological resources, and preserving Mayan indigenous culture."

For more information on Global Visionaries, please visit their website.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Traditionally I've tried to share with you a variety of organizations and causes you may not be familiar with. Today I thought it would be good to provide information on an organization many people have heard of, but few actually know the specifics of its work: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

At the core of the foundation's mission is the belief that every life has equal worth. Their goal is to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. Formed in 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed a total of $19.8 billion since its inception, giving $2.8 billions in grants in 2008. Their work reaches all 50 United States and the District of Columbia and over 100 countries internationally.

The foundation work is defined by 15 Guiding Principles:

1. This is a family foundation driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family.
2. Philanthropy plays an important but limited role.
3. Science and technology have great potential to improve lives around the world.
4. We are funders and shapers- we rely on others to act and implement.
5. Our focus is clear- and limited- and prioritizes some of the most neglected issues.
6. We identify a specific point of intervention and apply our efforts against a theory of change.
7. We take risks, make big bets, and move with urgency. We are in it for the long haul.
8. We advocate- vigorously but responsibly- in our areas of focus
9. We must be humble and mindful in our actions and words. We seek and heed the counsel of outside voices.
10. We treat our grantees as valued partners and we treat the ultimate beneficiaries of our work with respect.
11. Delivering results with the resources we have been given is of the utmost importance- and we seek and share information about those results.
12. We demand ethical behavior of ourselves.
13. We treat each other as valued colleagues.
14. Meeting our mission- to increase opportunity and equity for those most in need- requires great stewardship of the money we have available.
15. We leave room for growth and change.

This principles reflect the Gate's family's beliefs about the role of philanthropy and the impact they want this foundation to have.

Their approach to giving is a cyclical process: develop strategy, make grants, measure progress, adjust strategy, repeat.

The Seattle based foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Their work is divided between international and national work. In developing countries the focus is on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the U.S. the foundation seeks to ensure that all people- especially those with the fewest resources- have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on grant making in three areas:

1. Global Development Program- focusing on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people. They work closely with partners to support innovative approaches and expand existing one so they can reach the people who need them the most. They also support policy and advocacy efforts to accelerate progress against the world's most acute poverty. 

Their work supports: 

• Agricultural development, financial services for the poor
• Special initiatives (libraries, water, sanitation, and hygiene, urban poverty, emergency relief)
• Policy and advocacy.

2. Global Health Program- its mission is to help ensure that advances in health are created and shared with those who need them most. They work with organizations around the world that are using innovative methods to improve health in developing countries. 

They focus on three priority areas: 

• Discover new insights to fight serious diseases ad other health problems affecting developing countries
• Develop effective and affordable vaccines, medicines, and other health tools
• Deliver proven health solutions to those who need them most.

The foundation targets diseases and health conditions that cause the greatest illness and death in developing countries, yet receive little attention and resources. They support advocacy efforts to build awareness of global health challenges, develop new ways to finance health programs, and improve health data.  In particular they support the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative, which funds research on scientific problems that, if solved, could lead to advances against multiple diseases.

3. United States Program- its mission is to help ensure greater opportunity for all Americans through the attainment of secondary and post-secondary education with genuine economic value. The foundation works with partners to tackle some of the difficult problems we face in the United States. Their primary focus is on improving public education. 

Their priority areas include:

• Education- work to make sure high school students graduate ready for success ad prepared to earn post-secondary degrees. They fund college and graduate school scholarships. They support high-quality early learning programs in Washington state.
• Libraries- support efforts to supply and sustain free public access to computers and the internet through local public libraries.
• Pacific Northwest- assist struggling families by supporting early childhood learning programs and efforts that help break the cycle of homelessness.
• Special Initiatives- explore new ways to increase opportunities or respond to unique challenges in the U.S. These currently include grants that support post-secondary education and emergency relief efforts. They also offer support to many dedicated and innovative community organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

They also use advocacy to raise awareness of the issues we face, inform government policy, and develop new and innovative ways of financing initiatives that improve outcomes.

I should note that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does not and will not solicit for donations. They have the funds needed to advance their mission. Instead they preference donors to give directly to the foundation's grantee organizations. If you still wish to donate to the foundation, you should read their guidelines for accepting individual donations.

Their website is filled with information on the foundation and the organizations and causes they support. I urge to visit the website to learn more about the foundation you've heard so much about.

           

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

Today's feature focuses on the power of the arts in community building and healing. Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program (MAP) is a public art program that works in partnership with communities, grassroots organizations, city agencies, prisons, and schools. Though focused on serving the Philadelphia area, the organization's work has drawn national attention for its use of the mural to help prevent crime and rehabilitate those convicted of crimes, all while beautifying city neighborhoods. MAP is one of the largest public arts initiatives of its kind in the United States.

MAP's mission is "to engage in art education and community public art collaborations, and to increase public access to art." Their goals are to:

• Develop sustainable partnerships with community organizations in order to create murals that reflect the community's culture, history, and vision.
• Catalyze community development, neighborhood activism, and civic pride.
• Foster youth development through experiential art education and mentorships with professional artists.
• Support artists and artisans in sharing their talent and experience with youth and communities in Philadelphia.
• Use the power of art and the mural design process as tools for community engagement, blight remediation, beautification, demonstration of civic pride, and prevention and rehabilitation of crime.

MAP creates over 100 community murals per year. To date the organization has educated of 20,000 under served youths and produced over 2,800 murals. 

Their programming provides free, quality art education programs to at-risk youth, and programs in restorative justice serving youth and adult offenders in local prisons and rehabilitation centers. Using the restorative power of the arts to break the cycle of crime and violence. 

More recently MAP has gone "off the wall" to include Special Projects. These projects include Gateway projects, public sculptures, art along major commercial corridors, and a range of other creative projects designed to transform the city and its residents through art.

For more information on MAP's programs, articles on their work, and how you can get involved please visit MAP's website.

Somos Children's Village

Today's organization is working towards a significant goal- building a village for abandoned and orphaned children in Guatemala.

The Somos Project is creating Children's Village, housing 49 children, in seven homes with seven foster mothers raising the household of children. These children will not be adopted out. The homes are meant to be long-term,  creating a permanent foster family. The Village will focus on education, leadership, and the arts, with the children attending the local community school.

Beyond the seven homes, the Village will also have buildings for activities, guest rooms, art and music workshops, a library, administrative space, a larger playground and soccer field. The Village will be eco-sustainable, with alternative power, rain water capture, grey water recycling, solar energy, and organic gardens and orchards.  

The Village is working with the local Guatemalan community. Children's Village will be managed by the Village Director, who is a local Guatemalan. More local Guatemalans will be employed in various areas of the Village.

I urge you to visit the site. It's filled with detailed information about every aspect of the project. There is a very clear mission, and very clear plan how to achieve that mission. This is a wonderful project to provide a loving home and happy life for children whose young lives have already experience a great deal of sadness. For more information about Project Somos' progress or how you can get involved please visit their site.

John Legend

John Legend's mostly known as a grammy winning, multi-platinum artist, but today it's his philanthropic work that's getting recognized. Listed below are the organizations Legend has founded or advocates for. Inspired to create songs about the tragedies in Africa, Legend took those words and decided words weren't enough. And now he encourages us to move beyond words toward action. Please check out this amazing organizations, and visit their sites to find out more information.

The Show Me Campaign - Launched in 2007, the organization works to improve the living situations and prospects of victims of extreme poverty in Mbola, Tanzania. The mission of the organization is, "to fight economic and spiritual poverty through fostering sustainable development (personal, social, education, economic) at the individual, family, and small community levels. The Show Me Campaign is grassroots movement that engages all of its participants as agents of transformative change from the bottom up."

The Campaign supports Mbola, a remote village in Tanzania, in an effort to permanently lift itself from extreme poverty. The Campaign works with Millennium Promise and the local Mbola community to implement practical solutions to advance its mission. I highly recommend visiting the Show Me Campaign's website to see an outline of the seven initiatives to help this village. They range from providing fertilizer to help farmers to education and internet. They  not only provide relief, but also offer sustainable solutions. These life-changing initiatives can be secured for just $60 per villager per year over 5 years. 

Millennium Promise - their mission "is to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty in Africa by 2015. To that end, Millennium Promise works with impoverished communities, national and local governments, and partner organizations to implement high-impact programs aimed at transforming lives on the continent and engaging donor nations, corporations, an the general public in the effort. Our work is premised on the belief that, for the first time in history, our generation has the opportunity to end extreme poverty, hunger, and disease." They envision the end extreme worldwide poverty by 2025.

"Millennium Development Goals are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion- while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights- the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security." 

These eight goals are:

• Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
• Achieve Universal Primary Education
• Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
• Reduce Child Mortality
• Improve Maternal Health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
• Ensure Environmental Sustainability
• Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) - a national nonprofit that develops African American, Hispanic and Native American young people for leadership positions in corporations, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial ventures where these minority groups are under-represented. The organization partners with MBA programs and blue-chip corporations to provide programming at critical career transition points: high school to college, college to early career, early career to MBA, and MBA to executive leadership. MLT provides high-potential minority talent with the skills needed to succeed. To date the organization has over 300 Career Prep alumni and 500 MBA Prep alumni.

The Gentlemen's Fund -  an initiative established in 2007 to commemorate GQ's 50th anniversary. The Fund has partnered with five charities and five celebrity ambassadors to support the five cornerstones essential to men: Opportunity, Health, Education, Environment, and Mentorship. As an ambassador, John Legend, raises support and awareness for organizations that embody these five principles.

For more information about these organizations, their work and how you can help please visit their websites.

Habele

Habele: Outer Island Education Fund

Habele translated means to realize a future; to wish.  Based in South Carolina, the organization makes this wish a reality through its dedication to the advancement of educational opportunities in the remote islands and atolls of Micronesia, an impoverished former American trust territory in the Central Pacific. This mission is achieved through two objectives. 

The primary goal of Habele is to provide scholarships and tuition-assistance grants to children living in the "low" or "outer" islands, so these children can attend independent schools located in larger district centers.

Secondly, the organization supports public schools through book donations, material assistance, and performance-based teaching awards.

What's great about this fund? Well for starters, the Board members are all former teachers, who have lived and taught in the Outer Islands. They understand the needs of the children and schools to help cultivate the educational process. It's also worth noting that the organization is run entirely by volunteers, as in no paid employees. 

Please visit Habele's website for more information on how you can donate money, books, supplies or time.

Living Earth Television

Living Earth Television (LETV) is the world's first global, noncommercial broadcasting service. LETV finds nonfiction programs made by local tv producers and independents around the world, and translate them for broadcast to an international audience. It's mission is to "promote understanding, appreciation and respect as foundations for sustainability and peace."

Founded in 2001 by Martha Foster, LETV's Executive Director, it is the organization's belief that by sharing these programs, from around the world, viewers can learn about their global neighbors. Through understanding and celebration of similarities and differences they can build a more peaceful and sustainable world.

Programming showcases the following facets of life:

• Our global neighborhood
• The World of Children
• Earth works
• Arts and Artisans
• Spiritual Practices
• Peace Makers
• Bridges

You can see LETV's first series on LinkTV and select PBS's stations this year. For more program information and information on how you can get involved, including how you can submit programs visit LETV's site.

Infinite Skies

Founded in 2006 and based in Alexandria, VA, Infinite Skies is "dedicated to improving the life of children and promoting awareness of children's needs and issues." They have a special focus on children with special needs, including the seriously ill, abused, neglected, and socio-economically disadvantaged.

Their call to "Reach for the Stars" is a collection of programs under the categories: Research, Education, Awareness, Culture, and Health to pursue the organization mission. Here's a brief overview of each category.

Research for Kids- raises and contributes funds to programs, centers, and hospitals dedicated to research on issues and illness affecting infants through adolescents. 

Educating Kids- designed to promote learning and provide educational opportunities for children and schools in need. These programs include providing educational supplies, scholarships, learning conferences, and tutoring services.

Awareness Makes a Difference- programs dedicated to inspiring community involvement, addressing subject matter concerning children, and promoting awareness of children's issues through its volunteer program, educational seminars, discussion clubs for adults, and newsletters.

Cultural Kids- programs include a series of activities and field trips designed to provide exposure to the arts and music, promote cultural awareness, and inspire creativity and confidence.

Healthy Kids- programs are designed to improve the physical and emotional well being of children, including entertainment, performances, and gifts.

For more information please visit the Infinite Skies site.

Academy for Educational Development

Academy for Educational Development's (AED) mission "is to make a positive difference in people's lives by working in partnership to create and implement innovative solutions to critical social and economic problems."

To achieve this AED implements more than 250 human and social development programs throughout the US and in more than 150 countries. The organization works with local and national partners, developing sustainable strategies, to improve education, health, civil society, and economic development.

Programs focus on education, economic development, health, HIV/AIDS, and leadership. AED uses a variety of approaches to combat these issues, including research and evaluation, behavior change, partnerships, social marketing, and training.

Founded in 1961, the organization "envisions a world in which all individuals have the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to the well-being of their family, community, country, and world." 

Please visit AED's website for more information on how you can contribute.  And for anyone concerned about how much money goes to running an organization of this size, 91% of expenses are directly related to AED programs. In other words, you know your dollars are going to support AED programs.