Boy Scouts of America

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By JohnPosted In: Boy Scouts of AmericaTagged: ,

The Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910 and has over 2 million youth participants. Central to the organization are their one million adult volunteers who help oversee Scout troops.

Volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, united by their desire to help train Scouts. Many volunteers, such as Paul Ostling, a business leader and the former Global Chief Operating Officer at Ernst & Young, dedicate hours of their time to the Boy Scouts. Paul Ostling volunteered with the Boy Scouts as an adult leader volunteer, Cub Master, Assistant Scout Master and Eagle Advisor. He went on to help lead Troop 70 on the Philmont Expedition, a multi-day, high-adventure hiking experience, and served as Chairman of the Finance Committee, a member of the Executive Committee and President of the Transatlantic Council.

The success of the Boy Scouts of America depends on volunteers such as Paul J. Ostling, who donate their time and energy to this important cause.

Shredding Events: A Unique Charity Fundraiser

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Effective fundraisers know how to grab people’s attention. The next step—convincing people to donate money—is often the easy part.

When donors benefit in some way from their contribution, this often encourages donations.

Shredding events are fundraisers that meet this criteria. Donors bring bags of paper and documents to be shredded, donating a few dollars per bag.

Sometimes, banks or offices run shredding events to raise money and awareness of identity theft. An upcoming shredding event in New York will raise money for the A.J. Anderson Foundation, funding research to cure Tay-Sachs disease.

Positive Impact for Kids

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As a pre-teen, Leanne Joyce was a nationally ranked jump roper, competitive swimmer and gymnast.

This all changed when Leanne was diagnosed with Aortic Valve Stenosis, a heart disorder that prevents proper blood flow. Leanne had to immediately stop her exercise regimen and was forced to abandon her hopes for competitive sports.

Devastated, Leanne found something to cheer her up: when teenage volunteers in the hospital gave her a gift, Leanne was inspired. She decided to shift her focus, and her organization, Positive Impact for Kids, was born.

Positive Impact for Kids is the organization Leanne founded in response to her health crisis. Positive Impact for Kids helps hospital staff better support patients by providing them with tools such as laptops, gaming systems, iPad minis and gift cards.

Incredibly, the organization has raised over $140,000. Positive Impact for Kids has made donations to 117 hospitals, at least two per state.

Cupcake Camp

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By JohnPosted In: Charity Activity, ChildFund International

“Cupcake Camp” is an event where a large variety of cupcakes are baked and enjoyed. Different flavors, frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips—this is a tasty and fun way to build community.

Often, “cupcakes camps” are organized as programs for schools, camps or friends.

The city of LA has taken the concept of “Cupcake Camp” farther, turning it into a fundraising venue. “Cupcake Camp LA” is a unique charity event where hundreds of bakers of all skill levels gather to bake delicious cupcakes!

The event includes a cupcake decorating station, among other activities. Family-friendly and fun, this activity is a good way to enjoy yourself while raising money for charity!

Tug-of-War Tournament

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The 2019 Pull for Puppies event combines creativity, charity and fun.

The event involves a tug-of-war tournament between three teams—men’s, women’s, and coed. Tug-of-war tournaments are fun and competitive– all for a good cause.

Participants must be at least 18 years old; spectators of all ages are encouraged to attend.

The event is a fundraiser for the Pets for LIFE pet shelter. Tickets to this event are transferrable but non-refundable.

If you’ve always wanted to adopt a dog, this is your chance! During this event, dogs from Pets for LIFE will be available for adoption.

Best Charity Apps

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Digital charity makes giving charity easy and convenient.

Several apps make the donation process even easier. One app—InLieu—was developed by Texas resident Kathy Terry to fill a specific need.

On her way to a holiday party, Terry realized that a token gift—wine, scented candles, chocolate—weren’t needed by her hostess. She wanted to give a gift to charity instead of a gift, but the logistics—finding an online charity, setting up an account, notifying her hostess of the gift—were daunting.

“As time passed, it became clear that there were many opportunities to make donations in lieu gifts, but I couldn’t find an easy way to do it,” Terry explains. “I finally got sick of waiting for someone to build my little app so I decided to do it myself.”

The InLieu app allows users to donate money to a charity of their choice and notify others of the donation that was made in their honor.

Donations are tax-deductible.

Comedy Kids

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Comedy Kids

A pair of eight-year olds raised $30,000 for cancer research.

It all started when Max Chwatko and Alex Travin decided to raise money for Max’s sister, Scarlett, who was battling a brain tumor.

The two friends started charging their classmates a nickel for every joke they shared. Their collection of nickels grew as they shared more and more jokes. With the help of their parents, the boys continued their efforts by setting up a joke-telling stand at a local farmer’s market.

Incredibly, they raised around $20,000 telling jokes.

The boys fundraising efforts were noticed by the NY Yankees, who then donated $10,000 to the cause.

Max and Alex were thrilled with the success of their efforts. “I’m glad we can make the world a funnier place,” Alex added.

Runway Heroes

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By JohnPosted In: ChildFund International

The Ronan Thompson Foundation was created in memory of Ronan, who lost his battle with cancer shortly before his 4th birthday.

The Ronan Thompson Foundation focuses on funding clinical trials for children with cancer. Sadly, less than four percent of federal funding is invested in funding childhood cancer research. This foundation funds clinical trials because “We support the best childhood cancer research. We believe children deserve a chance to grow up.”

A unique event affiliated with the Ronan Thompson Foundation is the Runway Heroes event. Based in New York, this fashion show features children with cancer. These shows give children with cancer the opportunity to dress up and enjoy feeling confident while raising money to help cure childhood cancer.

Runway Heroes has an incredible goal: It’s “a unique opportunity for children with cancer to feel like stars.”

The New Bake Sale

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Bake sales have always been a good way to raise money, but the concept has evolved in some communities.

In California, New York, and New Jersey, bake sales continue to raise money for schools.  However, instead of selling baked goods such as cookies, cupcakes and brownies, healthy foods—organic fruits and vegetables from local farms– are sold.

Rebecca Matthews, of Berkeley, California, started a “fruits and vegetable sale” to benefit her children’s elementary school. She was able to raise several thousands of dollars through a company called Farmigo, which sells and delivers fresh produce.

Many parents are enthusiastic about the program. They appreciate the convenience of being able to buy healthy food during carpool time, all the while supporting their school.

Yoga and Charity

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Maintaining emotional equilibrium is important for all people, regardless of their individual circumstances. This equilibrium can usually be achieved by a combination of positive habits and by engaging in stress-reducing activities.

The Give Back Yoga foundation is a charity that funds yoga programs to promote healing. They train instructors and provide different forms of yoga to those in need.

They offer the following innovative programs:

  • Eat Breathe Thrive uses yoga as a tool to support people struggling with eating disorders
  •  Mindful Yoga Therapy is a program that helps military veterans deal with challenges such as PTSD
  • Yoga for Cancer works with cancer patients and survivors to boost health and ease anxiety
  • Prison Yoga Project teaches yoga to prisoners
  • Yoga of 12 Step Recovery helps people struggling with addictions regain control of their lives

Practicing yoga during challenging times can help bring healing and peace.