November 20, 2008

• Gah! I forgot to mention that the deadline is tomorrow - 12:00 noon PST / 3:00 pm EST / 8:00 pm GMT, etc. and so on...
• We just did this in our work, with slightly different prizes and it was charitable members of our 'organisation' who entered into the competition themselves. Unsurprisingly cancer, sick kids and sick kids with camcer were popular. I'm sure you'll find the same. However, a significant portion of staff, myself included, would have liked to have seen more choice in causes. The local lifeboat crew entered and we hoped they would win. So, basically, nominate an animal charity or something that isn't chuffing cancer or kids. If you have a local animal shelter, do that. Failing that WWF.
• Or a homeless shelter or something. Just not the big two!!!
• Thanks for the input, kit. I was thinking that everyone *is* going to be nominating the same kinds of organizations (i.e., sick kids), so I was hoping to be a little bit more creative in my suggestion.
• Well, this one strikes home to me and is not limited to children: Send Contributions To: National Neurofibromatosis Foundation 95 Pine Street, 16th Floor New York, NY 10005 NF Foundation Telephone 1-800-323-7938 (www.nf.org ).
• Rather than going for the big-name guys, who will get along just fine without your company's contribution, what about finding some small, local groups in your community who are doing good on a small scale and for whom a donation of that size really, seriously means something?
• The last charity I donated to was Planned parenthood, but obviously they're not going to be everybody's favorite. Public libraries ALWAYS need money. The ASPCA and JDRF do great work.
• Like something like this in wherever you are.
• I quite like the work done by the Jazz Foundation of America. They help out jazz and blues musicians by chipping in on rent and keeping them from being evicted, covering unexpected health care costs, that sort of thing. They were also big on the ground after Katrina. I know 'Jazz Foundation' sounds a bit elitist, but it helps out poor people in very direct ways. It just happens that those poor people make great art.
• "When I had congestive heart failure and couldn't work, the Jazz Foundation paid my mortgage for several months and saved my home! Thank God for those people!" -- Freddie Hubbard
• How about the Central Park Conservancy? Or the Coalition for the Homeless?
• I know from personal experience that Chess In The Schools does some kick-ass work. Mission Chess-in-the-Schools is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving academic performance and building self-esteem among inner-city public school children. Vision Chess-in-the-Schools alums will: Be analytic thinkers Be motivated learners Be critical problem solvers Think before they move Take pride in their accomplishments Be graceful winners AND losers They do good work. I've seen it. It's a small thing, but makes a big difference in how these kids approach the world.
• Something in your neighbourhood, as others have mentioned above. Local school, local age concern, local women's centre, local animal welfare. 25k isn't much in the great scheme of things to WhateverDisease Research, but would make all the difference in the world to, say, the rescue dog shelter down the street.
• OK, I'm not suggesting this, but it turns out that there's a charitable foundation run by Dr. Z! Further proof that Dr. Z is this benevolent spirit guarding over all New Yorkers and their complexions.
• I am hoping to suggest something smaller and local. I really like that Chess in the Schools suggestion, Capt! That's what I'm hoping to come across - - organizations that are unique, and not widely known - - and not necessarily beneficial to the local community only. I had initially thought of the Exodus Transitional Community, but then I thought, "who is going to vote for this organization that helps out former prisoners?" Perhaps I am just not thinking big enough? Decisions... decisions... I want to make a pick that is going to make the committee think twice. Something that stands out. Arrrr!
• Back in the spring, I saw a great documentary on PBS about National Parks within New York City limits, or the tri-state area. There was one park that had a lighthouse that some hardy volunteers were working on restoring. I think it was in Jersey, actually. It was just this crew of like, ten guys, who were putting in all these crazy volunteer hours to get this thing restored, more or less as a tribute to the guy who initially took it on, somebody named Joe. I remember that one of these tough guys was getting a little weepy, talking about Joe, and finishing his work. He was talking about how crazy Joe was to start up a restoration project like that. "I said 'hey, Joe -- you're full of s-oup!" It was hilarious, they way he suddenly realized that he was on camera like that. Anyway, I'm sure that big money would go a lot farther for something like that. However, my google-fu is weak trying to find these guys. It's not the little red lighthouse. I'll keep at it.
• Rescue Ink is getting some good press...
• Damn, Capt. I should be paying you. That's an excellent find!
• Ooh, how about something that helps sick kids AND animals? A guide dog foundation! Random google results: 1 2 3. This is a really neat thing for your company to do, by the way.
• There's also Coney Island USA. I'm sure you could have the money directed to the museum or something, as they seem to have a lot of pie-in-the-sky stuff going on.
• I'm never going to be able to decide! I like the looks of Rescue Ink, but I'm not sure if they are a 501(c)(3) organization (and all that jazz). mechagrue, that's a nice angle to work with that I would have never thought of...
• Louis Armstrong House. Related: Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.
• (I would still go for Chess in the Schools, personally.)
• (My dad is a volunteer chess tutor for Chess in the Schools, so it's one of my personal favorites as well.)
• Kiva gets some of my bucks - I think they're USA based, and yet they do great things in developing countries, lending folks money interest-free to help them pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
• Save the Whaling ship! Info here.
• Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Good enough for Pete Seeger...
• Another fine suggestion, fish tick. Thanks! Seems like I have two solid 'yays' for Chess in the Schools. It seems to have the "...what the?" factor going for it as well - which I think is important to make a nomination stand out in the field of entrants.
• Chess in the Schools does sound like a great charity. Never heard of it before.
• It has the advantage of doing what it says on the tin, as well. You don't need to explain it (much). Plus, they have cool hats. Try to get a hat.
• Anything to do with animals. Shelters desperately need money. Or more specifically, the one started by Cleveland Amory, The Fund for Animals.
• *cough* *cough* But that's just me (^_^)
• I'm down to the wire... I guess I'm going to go with Chess in the Schools, as I wasn't able to come up with anything better while researching myself. My heart goes towards teh animals - and I think I'll just make a donation myself (which the company will match).
• Crap! I just saw this and have 8 minutes left. Appalachia Service Project. Does major home repair work for impoverished people in Appalachia, using high school volunteers and college kids as staff. I spent the summer after I graduated from college working for them so I can personally attest to the worth of what they're doing.
• CHESS! IN! SCHOOLS! CHESS! IN! SCHOOLS! CHESS! IN! SCHOOLS!
• Chess in the Schools was nominated. Based in part on Capt's overwhelming approval, mechagrue's backing, and the unique nature of the charity; it's the one I think will have the best shot at getting somewhere through the selection process. Animals are grand, and dear to me, but something tells me that animal-based charities will be akin to cancer and sick children ones - a deluge of them. Not to sound dismissive of them, but due to the last-minute nature of this "contest", I wanted to go with something that was "catchy". Chess in the Schools has that factor for me.... that, and more importantly, it's a great little organization! Updates will be forthcoming... stay tuned!
• Sorry, hillbillyswamp, it was already past the deadline when I saw your comment. Another fine suggestion, thanks!
• IN YOUR FACE, CANCER!
• Well, darn. I saw this too late. I was going to suggest Donors Choose, which is a charity where American public schools post requests for people to fund various needs. The needs range from basic supplies (paper, books... I'm not kidding) to more esoteric things (such as screwdrivers and planers to learn how to work wood). You choose what you'd like to fund. Then you get thank-you notes from the kids! It's a big site, but you can probably find local schools. That said, Chess for Schools is awesome, too.
• Yeah. Get to fuck, cancer. We are SO bored of you.
• It says a lot about you monkeys that this post has gotten so many comments and good suggestions. You folks rock, pure and simple. They say "Give til it hurts", I say "Give till it feels good."
• Soooooo....when do we find out which charity was chosen by your company, sugarmilktea?
• I'm not certain of the exact date - it's to be announced during the company's holiday party (the party for the headquarters). The NYC office has it's own celebration, and I'm not sure if the dates coincide. I should know within a couple weeks. Rest assured, I will post an update here. Last night, I watched an excellent episode of NOVA. What an amazing group of people that run Marine Mammal Center. I want to throw some $ their way...
• I want to throw some $ their way... That gives me another idea for another "exchange".... *goes off to think about it some more*
• Well, a company-wide email just confirmed the 10 finalists... *sniff* *grumble* Chess in the Schools did not make the cut. Aaack! And what composed the 10 finalists? Sick children, animals, cancer, and AIDS-related charities. I suppose it's not unexpected at all; I was just hoping for the long-shot - - and how cool it would have been to have a completely unsuspecting local charity get bumped with a $25K gift. Thanks for the suggestions everyone! What a bunch of fine organizations are out there... it's reassuring knowing that.
• My fondest wish for the future of our country is that sick people won't need quite as much charity as they currently do.