Dollar Philanthropy

There's something about feeling "small"

These days I've been feeling small.  Honestly, it is really doesn't make much sense.  The seatbelt is tighter.  I can no longer just 'squeeze' by people in the office hall.  I step out of the shower each morning to see the evidence of this growing bundle of promise and hope blossoming before me. Yet, despite the physical changes to the contrary, I still feel small.

This juxtaposition is further brought to my attention by the sickening quantities of infomercials for the latest pop psychology gurus. I don't know if they actually sell books or tapes or whatever they are hocking, but they do make for some engaging, energetic programing when the insomnia (read: baby) 'kicks' in. Curiously, I've noticed a pattern. Everyone's presentation tells of how by listening to them, you can transform your life.  Specifically--within just a few minutes, they begin the ancient practice of appealing to the ego and begin fervently selling you on the importance and power of "you." Here again, even in my sleep deprived and vulnerable state, I still feel small.

Then today I read an article (more, journal citation & abstract, pdf full-text from Author) about how thoughts of a higher power/ "God" or spiritual concepts increase the probability of altruistic behavior, independent of the person being a believer or a non-believer. The authors' (Shariff & Norenzayan) discussion of the findings focuses "on the hypotheses that the religious prime had an ideomotor effect on generosity or that it activated a felt presence of supernatural watchers."

After thinking about it... while I have my spiritual side, my giving is definitely not motivated by the feeling of being watched by a higher power.  Instead, I realize that my giving is out of a combination of two things that seem somewhat contractictory--- a true understanding of the fact that I CAN HELP and an existential feeling of smallness. 

First, my self-improvement focus this year has been letting go of my cynicism.  Subsequently, I have found empowerment--- the simple understanding of that "I Can" give of myself and make a difference.  Not that I was ever confidence impaired, but I have allowed myself to fully understand that none of us can solve the problems of the world alone.  Instead, we are morally bound to chip in and do our part.  What I have discovered was that by believing that I can make a difference, I have found synergy with others who care about the same causes.  So by doing my part-- I've been inducted into a team united with compassion and caring. 

Second, feeling small makes me understand that I'm not all that special.  Like every other living being on this planet, I am just one heart beat away from moving on past this plane of existence. This one notion-- unites me with everyone else.

Back to the altrusim study...  Words and concepts that make people think about a higher truth or greater purpose remind people that they are small...a cog in this wheel of life... and that we all share some common experiences of living. Our mission:  should we choose to accept it is ----focusing on being part of the solution rather than being apathetic and thus abdicating our responsibility of lending a hand when we are able.

Thanks to Caroline for the photo

Got 5 Minutes? Help look for Steve Fossett

OK-- this is not really charity related post--- however, there is still an opportunity to lend a hand. 

I cannot imagine what it is like to have a family member missing.  Such is the case with the family of Steve Fossett, an American aviator who has been missing for a week. 

Google Earth and Amazon have teamed up to make satellite images of the search area available for people to look for his plane without leaving their sofa.  Click here.

You will need to sign up with Amazon Mechanical Turk (takes a minute or two) and then you will be given small images to view and mark whether the image has some foreign object in it or not.  The Poorhouse Blog explains the Mechanical Turk process better than I can so click here to read more.  Anyway----Once signed up-- it is really easy to plow through several images in 5 minutes or so.

Remember, even if you do not see anything in the images, you are helping to narrow the search. 

Tired of Bad News? Look who's doing good

One of my morning rituals is to get up and watch the local news.  Living in Atlanta--- it is actually a traffic survival technique. However, I often have to sit through a bunch of bad news stories.  While there are days when those are easily ignored, there are also days when they disturb me. Some days, I just feel the need to read of something good happening just to offset the bad.

Many of you have heard of GoodSearch (the search engine that will donate a penny to a cause you select for every search you conduct).  I actually have them set up as an search ad-on on my firefox browser (also available for Internet Explorer)

GoodSearch also has a new section that highlights people "doing good."  Click here to read a happy story.  You can also learn more about good causes.

Click and Feed a Homeless Animal

I know the Animal Rescue Site has has been around for a long time.  In fact, I have it on my browser bookmarks but have forgotten about it (it had migrated to the bottom).

Here's the gig... just go to the site and click on the button to have sponsors donate money to feed homeless animals. 

While you are there you can check out the tabs to help out other causes.

• Hunger
• Breast Cancer
• Literacy
• Child Health
• Rainforest protection

Since I had forgotten about it, I decided to put up a gentle reminder of a really easy way that helps out homeless animals

HelloCreativity: Matching Creative Kids with Online Mentors

Growing up, I could always write a really cool story.  Or at least that is what the adults around me always made me think.  Honestly, actual questions about my talent aside, this encouragement, gentle advice and  enthusiastic prodding gave me a love for words and watered the seed inside my soul that sought out writing as a creative expression.  I suppose today... that is why I blog.

What troubles me is that I fear that today's schools systems are not being given the resources and tools to water and tend to the creative seeds within each child. With the single focus of our school systems on "No Child Left Behind" (even with all of its good intentions), I feel we are channeling all of our energy and a considerable amount of our resources toward making sure that each and every child accomplishes an arbitrary set of academic achievement markers and then pushing to the wayside some of the subtle, creative exercises that can move kids from academic survival mode to a real love of learning that will last a lifetime.

In an effort to bridge this gap, Lori Heinsman has set up HelloCreativity as a nonprofit organization with the mission of helping help children grow self-confidence and personal courage through artistic expression and connection to mentors worldwide. Read more at the blog for HelloCreativity.

The HelloCreativity idea is so simple that it won the Hands On Atlanta Social Entrepreneur Award for 2007 (A VERY BIG DEAL here in ATLANTA).

Heres how it works:  Children submit artwork, writing, poetry to HelloCreativity.  Lori then publishes it on the HelloCreativity website and then asks her vetted artist volunteers to provide feedback on the item.  Through the discussing of the artwork children are offered encouragement to develop new ways of expressing themselves and tips on techniques to try. 

Children all over the world have submitted works.  Many of them are from areas of unrest in the world.  It is hoped that by providing an avenue for these children to share their stories through creative projects that healing can begin. 

HelloCreativity takes very seriously the safety of the children involved in their programs.  In fact, everything is 100% moderated by the staff.  Additionally, mentors are fully checked out and given some training before they are allowed to post responses.

HelloCreativity has the following goals for the next couple of years.  They include:

1. spreading the word about the service to teachers in the US and worldwide so that they can encourage and assist children in submitting their artwork.
2. expand their network of vetted mentors and improve the process of background checking to ensure that the HelloCreativity network is super safe for the children that participate.
3. develop a improved, very safe social network that will facilitate more one-on-one interaction and relationship building between mentors and children.

These goals, of course, require some funding.  Thankfully, HelloCreativity is lucky to have the help of the ArtReach Foundation to promote the mentoring opportunities to a larger audience. Art Reach also is helping them to raise funds to safely expand the network.

So if you would like to help, here are some easy ways to lend a hand:

• Tell a teacher about the the program and encourage them to have kids submit artwork for publishing.
• Contact them to be a mentor.
• And of Course---Send your dollar so that they can grow individual mentorship relationships through an improved social network.

Send Your Dollar Today!

• Donate ($10 min) through Network for Good
• Donate ($5 min.)through JustGive (Be sure to designate HelloCreativity)
• Donate (any amount) through PayPal via HelloCreativity Website
• Via Mail: Form found here