WideAwake.org Blog

According to the World Health Organization there is sufficient food in this planet to feed everyone. The problem of hunger is not a problem of availability it is a problem of distribution.

-In the United States each year we waste over 34 million tons of food.
-More than one third of U.S. adults are obese.
-Our annual expenditures in pet care are higher than the average amount given to hunger-related charities.

Let us consider this:

Very few people die from
hunger.
Very few people die from
thirst
Millions die from lack
of compassion.

I am nobody

Worthless my life is

To Untouchables I was born.

A Dalit child my fate sealed.

I was born in the slums

Rights? We have none

To upper-caste our lives we owe

Slaves to serve all their wish.

Poverty and hunger

Is all I ever knew

If ther is hope

Tell me how?

What is my future

Do I have any?

It all looks so dark

And I wish I was not born

If you live in the DFW area you are in luck. One of our friends has offered eleven 1/2 pound jars of freshly harvested light amber local honey. Here is the catch: You can get a hold of a marvelous allergy-reducing treasure by donating $10 or more to Beehives for Business by KEDA.

When I was single, I used to go with my best friend to the New York City post office at Christmas time. Operation Santa was a program in which Dear Santa letters from around the country (thousands of them) were collected in one spot for anonymous good Samaritans to pick up and surprise an unsuspecting child with. Each year we'd pick a few Dear Santa letters that were utterly adorable or touched our hearts, and we'd mail the child the gift of their dreams.

It's important to do your part, right? If TV and movies have taught us anything, it's really key, where you can, to put in a little effort for charity. Y'know - feed the world. Make it a better place. For you and for me and indeed the entire human race. But here's what Michael Jackson didn't understand - it's also really important to conserve your precious energy. Philanthropy can be extraordinarily exhausting and it's time someone gave the lazy man (or woman, hammocks are entirely gender neutral) a chance to help everyone out. Without, y'know, exerting themselves unduly.

It seems like bake sales have been around forever. People love desserts, and having a bake sale is a great way to add some extra cash to your organization and its events. Some organizations hold bake sales on their own while others use them as a way to increase profit during other fundraising events.

No matter which type of bake sale you're having, there is always a way that you can increase the profits you make from the sale of your items. The following are five ways to boost profits from your bake sale.

1. Advertise.

I could not help it but feel a little envious each time I saw friends go on volunteerism or missions trips. At the same time, I felt terribly incompetent to serve. After all, I don’t have a medical degree, and I certainly know nothing about construction or teaching a trade. The bulk of my professional and personal skills appeared utterly useless in the context of global need.

Dalanda Jallow represents the bright future of the tiny West-Africa nation of The Gambia.  As a high school senior Dalanda has designs on attending university next year - an endeavor to which few from her town aspire.  Fewer still make it happen.  Dalanda will carry with her to college lessons learned as an active participant in a local organization called Better Africa Youth Initiative (BAYI), which empowers young people in The Gambia to make positive, healthy life decisions and to realize their full leadership potential.  She has participated in numerous undertakings to make her community a better place, and is determined to give back to those in need once she finishes university.

Has your non profit organization decided to take the next step in building a successful donor program? Do you want to rely on more than just grant proposals and word of mouth for your program dollars? It might be time to consider planning a fundraising event.  Be prepared; it is not as easy as it sounds.  By remembering the 5 W’s, your planning should get a whole lot easier.