charity Archives - MomStart

Chimp Haven, The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary

October 9, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

By Sarah Timms

Last year, two government decisions drastically changed the world for chimpanzees used in research and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that they would permanently retire 310 – the vast majority – of their chimps into the care of Chimp Haven.

Chimp Haven, The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary, is currently home to 210 residents and is located in Keithville, Louisiana, about 22 miles outside of Shreveport. Founded in 1995, Chimp Haven’s mission is to provide humane, lifetime care for chimpanzees no longer used in biomedical research, as pets or as entertainers.

Every resident of Chimp Haven has a beautiful, unique personality. Jimoh, beloved by both chimpanzees and sanctuary caregivers, recently passed away. He was born in the wild and taken from his natural environment at a young age, after which he spent most of his life in biomedical research. Let me repeat that: he was born in the wild.

Many chimps still carry the diseases that they were exposed to as research subjects. Crystal, a beautiful female with dark black hair and white whiskers, was infected with HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Chimp Haven is the only sanctuary in the U.S. equipped to care for a large number of chimpanzees infected with HIV and hepatitis. There, expert staff ensures that Crystal receives her medications on time, delivered in her favorite food, peanut butter banana sandwiches.

The recent and wonderful announcement by the NIH places Chimp Haven, in a difficult position. To accept the new retirees, the sanctuary must more than double in size and secure the additional resources it needs for the chimps’ lifetime care. While 110 of the NIH chimps have already arrived at the Sanctuary, the fate of the other chimps is still up in the air. That is why LoveAnimals.org and Alison Eastwood decided to run a crowdfunding campaign on nonprofit crowdfunding site LoveAnimals.org to raise $50,000 to help pay for the care of the chimps already at Chimp Haven.

"We owe them, these self-aware, social animals sacrificed so much for the benefit of humans. They deserve the best possible care during retirement, both physically and emotionally. You can make a difference right now by donating to my project – even $5.00 makes a difference. 100% of your donation will go towards giving research chimps the life in retirement that we owe them.” – Alison Eastwood.

Please, visit our campaign page to make a donation!

Anyone willing to donate $35.00 or more will receive a cool T-Shirt in return. We appreciate your help!

Sincerely,

Sarah Timms

CEO and Founder of LoveAnimals.org

“It’s our mission to increase giving to the animal welfare and wildlife conservation sector using crowdfunding technology.”

More About YouthSpark: Microsoft Expands Free Tech Resources

September 12, 2014 by Momstart 1 Comment

YouthSpark, launched two years ago this month to provide opportunities to 300 million young people around the world and specifically the technical skills and education that experts say youth need to get jobs and start businesses. In an effort to reach even more young people, Microsoft today announced:

· The TEALS program (Technology Education And Literacy in Schools) is doubling its reach in the U.S. This year, TEALS is placing software engineers as volunteer computer science teachers in 131 high schools across 18 states plus Washington, D.C. This is an increase from 70 schools in 12 states last year. The program’s expansion is an effort to meet the rising demand for computer science education.

· The popular YouthSpark Summer Camps at Microsoft retail stores won’t end this fall. Across all full-line Microsoft Stores in the United States and Canada, YouthSpark Summer Camps are expanding to a full school year program of field trips for K-12 students.

· To celebrate and support young innovators around the world, Microsoft is launching Imagine Cup 2015, the worldwide student technology contest. Students ages 16 and older are invited to register for the Imagine Cup 2015 season and learn about the many opportunities to compete throughout the year.

· And for the millions of youth around the world that still face a digital divide, Microsoft is expanding its Digital Literacy Curriculum to 10 more languages to increase youth access to the basic technology skills they’ll need to help cross the opportunity divide.

Joshua Uwadiae from the UK got a second chance when he enrolled in an apprenticeship program and went from being a high school dropout to an IT manager with a promising future. Joshua’s story, and the stories of other “YouthSpark Stars” underscore the program’s impact but also the movement that is being made to address the youth unemployment gap.

Truvia’s 3 Year Partnership with United Nations World Food Programme #SweetFuture

September 2, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I’m a Truvia brand ambassador sharing information and compensated for my time.

The Truvia^® business announced it has helped to feed 49,705 Bolivian schoolchildren in the first two years of its three-year partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, a collaboration made possible by World Food Program USA, a non-profit organization that connects the U.S. private sector with humanitarian partners to solve global hunger. The Truvia^® business launched its “Sharing a Sweet Future” $1 million charitable initiative in 2012 to help reduce childhood hunger in Bolivia.

With nearly 40 percent of the Bolivian population unable to afford adequate food for a healthy life and 65 percent of all rural households unable to afford the minimum recommended caloric intake, the Truvia^® business launched its “Sharing a Sweet Future” initiative to help improve these communities through better nutrition, safety and education.

In the program’s final year, You Can Get involved in raising awareness for the efforts Bolivia or combating hunger globally by:

· Spreading the Word: We encourage you to share one of their videos or new infographic on Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness for childhood hunger in Bolivia using #SweetFuture

· Donating to Global Hunger Relief: Fans can also donate to the WFP’s efforts worldwide

This year, we also invite you to visit their page and cast a vote that will help shape how we give back to the community in the coming years by selecting our next charitable partner.

“By providing two meals a day to children in schools, we are providing nutrient-rich meals and motivating children to come to school and learn,” said Matthew Jacobs, international product line manager of the Truvia^® brand. “The goal of this initiative is ultimately to help establish a self-sufficient community and the best way to do that is through better nutrition and education.”

The Truvia^® business is encouraging consumers to visit www.sharingasweetfuture.com to view five videos that tell the stories of children, families and farmers living in Bolivia. Consumers can share these videos on Facebook and Twitter using #SweetFuture in an effort to raise awareness for and combat childhood hunger.

In the first two years of its partnership with World Food Program USA, the Truvia^® business has provided 97 metric tons of vitamin-fortified vegetable oil through its funding. Truvia^® business donations also contributed to the building of 125 fuel-efficient stoves in rural schools, which 750 parents and school employees were trained to build and use. These cleaner stoves replaced traditional cook stoves, allowing users to make food with safer stoves that use less fuel. The new stoves also generate less harmful smoke, which will benefit over 17,000 children in the years to come and minimize environmental destruction.

The "Sharing a Sweet Future" campaign is one element of the Truvia^® brand’s comprehensive corporate responsibility program. As the leading stevia brand, the business is committed to sourcing responsibly, stewarding natural resources and working to improve communities. Consumers can visit www.sharingasweetfuture.com to learn more about “Sharing a Sweet Future” and to tell the Truvia^® brand what organization they’d like to see the brand partner with next year.

Charitable Giving: A Guide

June 9, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

This guest post is brought to you by LinkVehicle.

Finding Charities to Donate To

Charitable giving can make more of an impact than the giver may realize. While the giver may think that his or her donation of $10 isn’t going to do much, it may be able to feed dozens of kids or provide school supplies for an entire community of children. If you are going to give to charity, how do you know which ones to give to?

Look for the 501c(3) Designation

A charity that has a 501c(3) designation means that the organization has been recognized as a charity by the government. This means that your donation could be tax deductible. In other words, giving to such a charity could enable you to help others while helping to lower your tax burden for the year. Looking for charities with such a designation is important as well because all of their financial records are public information. This means that you can see where the money goes once the charity receives it.

Find Out Who Solicits the Donations

If a professional solicitor calls and asks for a donation, you may be better off declining that offer. This is because an organization that uses a professional solicitor may have to pay that person a large fee for his or her services. Instead of giving $10 to needy children, you are going to give $1 to a needy child and $9 to pay the solicitor. Therefore, if you want to make the largest impact with your money, look for charities that give a large percentage of your money to those who need it.

Give Directly to Those Who Need It

If you aren’t satisfied with your options, you could give money, time or other items directly to those who need them. Instead of giving money to a third-party to build a school, you can help to build the school or give tools to builders who are going to help with the construction.

Giving to charity can be a great idea for those who are looking to make an impact in their community. If you want to donate to charity, you can go online or ask local churches what causes they are looking to help.

Mother’s Day Giveaway: Gift Ideas Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

May 9, 2014 by Beeb 20 Comments

Travel and prizing provided by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; shipping provided by MomStart.

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting Memphis, Tennessee in order to tour St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Although I was familiar with this organization as a charity that helps children facing cancer, I had no idea of the extent of what St. Jude does for its patients and their families until I saw it in person. Did you know that St. Jude provides care for all kinds of catastrophic childhood illness, from cancer to sickle cell anemia to pediatric HIV and AIDS? Did you know that St. Jude has a research lab on-site which they fund themselves in order to investigate cutting-edge treatments for rare childhood cancers? Or that since St. Jude opened its doors in 1962 and began its then-radical approach to treating childhood cancers, overall survival rates have increased from an average of 20% to as much as 80% or more? And despite the plethora of medical treatments, patient housing, travel, and countless other services provided for both the physical and mental well-being of patients and their families, no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude; all of their incredible work is completely funded by donations.

Once I experienced the facility first-hand, I realized why it was so important for me to see it in order to best convey the enormity of what is being done for these children and their loved ones. In coming posts, I will be sharing more details, photos, and my personal experiences interacting with patients and staff at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – there is far too much to sum up succinctly and I personally believe that what St. Jude is doing is so important and needs more attention. So to start us off, I wanted to share these quick facts on the organization and share a very timely promotion that St. Jude is doing to raise funds!

This Mother’s Day, St. Jude has partnered with several corporate supporters to bring you a variety of wonderful gifting ideas, a portion of whose proceeds will benefit St. Jude:

The Nine West Western Loop Scarf retails for $32 and can be purchased in stores or at NineWest.com. $10 of the purchase price on this lovely scarf benefits St. Jude.

The Open Hearts Mother’s Day Card is available in Kay Jewelers stores through May 11th for $3; $2.50 from each card goes to St. Jude. No Kay Jewelers stores near you? Then visit St.Jude.org/Mom to find a selection of Mother’s day cards for sale which you can print or send via email. Perfect for last-minute shoppers!

The Loft Cares “Feel-Good” Card is available in stores now through June 1st, 2014; this discount card entitles the recipient to 20% off any $100 purchase. The card retails for $25, with 90% of the proceeds benefiting St.Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

I cannot think of a better gift for a mother than something which supports the most important thing to any mom: Keeping children safe and healthy.

Enter to Win:

In honor of Mother’s Day, we are giving away one Nine West Western Loop Scarf, one Open Hearts Mother’s Day Card, and one Loft Cares “Feel-Good” Card!

To Enter:

Enter this giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway ends at 11PM PST on Mother’s Day, May 11th; winner will be drawn and notified on May 14th. This giveaway is open to residents of the continental US, 18 years of age or older – no PO boxes (Sorry!!). To read our giveaway rules, click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seattle Teens Choose Selflessness Over #Selfies Teen Action Fair

April 24, 2014 by Momstart 2 Comments

I love seeing all the ways that the youth can give back to the community and it takes us as parents to teach them to want to give back. It takes us to be an example and help them find opportunities and help them think of others. While the selfie craze shows no sign of abating, Seattle’s youth go against the grain and lean into a different movement – one fueled by Northwest entrepreneurship, philanthropy and acts of selflessness

Amplified at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, Seattle’s middle and high school youth will gather for a TEEN ACTION FAIR on May 10^th (10-2 p.m.) – a youth-led, community celebration that showcases their voice and leadership on local and global issues. Day-of-event highlights will include:

· Volunteer exhibits hosted by organizations and youth groups from around the Puget Sound – from Seattle Globalist to Seattle Parks & Recreation – that are focused on empowering young leaders in their communities. For teens looking to get involved in their community, this is a great event to discover ways to volunteer and make a difference.

· Dynamic youth speakers that will engage in a lighting round/pecha kucha styled speaking series on issues they’re passionate about. For teen Malaya Medrano, it’s bringing joy to homeless children through the gift of a birthday party through Birthday Dreams – a Puget Sound based non-profit that celebrates homeless children and foster children.

Learn more about Teen Action Fair on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1pnviQs

We Day California and Seattle Washington

February 14, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We Day first came to the U.S. last spring when it arrived in Seattle, with the support of Microsoft and Amway. We Day is now global with events in the United States, Canada and the UK, bringing together 180,000 youth this year alone to get involved in active global citizenship.

Students attending We Day explore how they can make a difference by turning their passions and talents into social action. Every young person in attendance to a We Day celebration makes a commitment to contribute their time to one local and one global social action project.

This stadium-sized celebration rewards kids for their participation in the yearlong We Act program, which provides students and educators with free educational resources to help kids use their passion and talents to get involved in their local and global communities. Since 2007, youth involved in the We Act program have raised $37 million for over 1,000 local and global causes and logged more than 9.6 million volunteer hours.

The We Day California has a long list of amazing performances and speakers

Selena Gomez (@SelenaGomez) – Actress and multi-platinum recording artist
Seth Rogen (@SethRogen) – Canadian-born actor, writer, director, and producer
Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) – NBA legend, two-time hall of famer, philanthropist and co-chair of We Day California
Orlando Bloom – Actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Martin Luther King III – Human Rights advocate and eldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lauren Miller (@IAmLaurenMiller) – American actress and screenwriter
Martin Sheen – Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award-winning actor and activist
Jesse Giddings (@JesseGiddings) – E! News correspondent and Free The Children ambassador
The Tenors (@TenorsMusic) – Award-winning, multi-platinum vocal super group joined by up-and-coming hip hop sensation, Young Stitch (@YoungStitchSS)
Craig and Marc Kielburger (@CraigKielburger) – Co-founders of Free The Children
Spencer West (@spencer2thewest) – Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador, author and double amputee who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro
Molly Burke (@mollymetowe) – Visually impaired Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador and author, who speaks about bullying and the power of hope
Hannah Alper – 11-year-old Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador, blogger and youth activist

Microsoft announced a three-year commitment to Free The Children as part of its YouthSpark initiative, which aims to close the opportunity divide for 300 million youth by 2015. You can learn more about the commitment and why Microsoft is supporting We Day in this blog post by Lori Forte Harnick

We Day Seattle on March 21 or We Day California on March 26.

Franz Spirit of Giving Year’s Supply

November 22, 2013 by Momstart 1 Comment

This is a compensated post.

It’s the time of year where everyone starts thinking of giving and Franz is no exception. My favorite local bread company is offering $500 to a deserving individual, family or organization & they want you to nominate someone. Then the nominee that is chosen will also win a year of free bread from Franz. Can someone nominate me? I love bread and $500 would be nice too (I kid I kid don’t nominate me, find someone deserving to nominate) It’s the Spirit of Giving from Franz.

Franz Bakery will be offering $500 each to 20 deserving individuals, families or organizations here in the Northwest. {They have doubled the number of folks they’re helping this year!} All winners will be selected from the Franz distribution areas in Washington, Oregon, Idaho Western Montana, & Northern California (here’s more information about the Franz distribution area).

How to Nominate Someone:

Head to FranzBakery.com
Fill out the form & a short 100 word essay explaining why you feel that Franz should choose your nominee. {Make sure you have the nominee’s permission to nominate them first!}
Entries must be submitted between now and December 2nd, 2013. {Only 1 submission per person, per email address}
Franz will then contact the winners and the nominees who win this special giveaway.

I really do love Franz and companies that give back to their community. Franz just gave me 20 more reasons to like them since they are looking for 20 deserving individuals. I would love for you to tell me about who you want to nominate in the comments.

If You love TOMS Shoes You’ll Love TOMS Marketplace

November 12, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

TOMS, pioneer of the One for One movement with its iconic shoes & eyewear, today announced the launch of TOMS Marketplace – a new online retail destination that curates, sells, and promotes more than 200 socially conscious products from 30 different companies, just in time for the holiday shopping season!

We believe commerce can be about more than just profits.
But it takes more than belief to make this a reality. So we’re giving other social entrepreneurs a platform right here on our site to help them succeed. Introducing The Marketplace, a new destination for making a difference.

TOMS Marketplace brings together a diverse collection socially conscious products – from accessories, apparel and bags, to home goods, sports equipment, tech, and much more – all of which give back to people and communities in need around the world.

Anyone can shop the marketplace by brand, cause or geographic region of impact, making it the best place to buy gifts for everyone on your list, knowing your purchases are helping give back to those in need.

The marketplace features 200 socially responsible products from more than 30 different companies, large and small, including:

· The Honest Company (founded by Jessica Alba)

· Movember

· Charity:water

· Cleobella

· Lemlem

Shop beginning today through the holiday season, and purchase by December 22 to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

The Office Depot Foundation Sackpacks Charity

September 18, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

A month ago I wrote a post about making back packs for kids in need. We love to do this for our community and we found out that Office Depot feels the same way. The sad reality is many families can’t afford the items needed for back to school time. Making a difference to change this is The Office Depot Foundation and its National Backpack Program, which over the past 12 years has provided more than 2.9 million backpacks to children around the world.

This year, to mark the 13^th anniversary of the National Backpack Program, the Office Depot Foundation will donate 300,000 backpacks with essential school supplies to deserving children in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and internationally. By the end of 2013, Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation will have donated more than 3 million backpacks and sackpacks since the inception of the program in 2001. But while these numbers are very large, the sackpacks make an impact on a singular level − one child at a time.

They sent me samples of this year’s sackpacks designed in six different color combinations with kid-friendly graphics. Each one includes a zippered pouch containing a pen, pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, 6” ruler and four crayons. They do not have any Office Depot Foundation or Office Depot logos or markings. I just received them, which is fine with me. I’d rather they put their efforts into giving to their resources than making sure I had mine in time for back to school. I can always find someone still in need.

Fore more Information on the Office Depot Foundation:

Website –

Facebook –

Twitter – @OfficeDepotFndn