Micro-philanthropy is changing the way causes raise money. Naomi Abelson, manager of Congregational Relations for the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, heads the Union's Nothing But Nets campaign. Raising money for insecticide treated bed nets, this project has launched a new cohort of young philanthropists that were recently featured in the New York Times. Click below to listen into how Nothing But Nets is saving lives and transforming charitable giving for young people.
For years my family's contributions went to the usual institutions. And though we'd get lots of feedback about what they were doing, there were two troubling aspects.
First, while we understood that there are costs associated with fund-raising and project administration, we couldn't help feel that the amount of money NOT GOING to intended outcomes was far too high.
Second, amongst all the data of project accomplishment, we could not discern that our small contributions were making any measurable difference.
At Channukah 2006, in searching for gifts that would have an enduring benefit to the recipients AND reaffirm the importance of mutual caring, I stumbled across a Jewish organization called "To Save A Life". It is a one-person 501(c)3 charity that exists solely to distribute funds to Israeli micro-charities -- those that have no government and no major donors BUT which manifestly impact Jewish lives without ANY funds being siphoned off for administration.
To Save A Life offers more than a dozen charitable choices across our Land. 100% of what is donated is received by the donor-designated charity within days.
With regard the Tzfat-located charity I selected, ALL money goes for food packages, eyeglasses, shoes and emergency medical care for the (financially) weakest of the weak. The charity I selected is 100% volunteer; all the money goes to charity. And "To Save A Life" takes nothing for acting as a conduit.
I encourage children to set put a nickel, dime -- even a penny -- a day into a simple jar/can to establish the routine of charitable responsibility. Periodically the can/jar can be emptied and counted. And a parental check or online credit card transaction can wing its succor to the child-selected charity.
TO SAVE A LIFE may be found at www.tsal.org It is, in my humble opinion, micro-philanthropy at its most effective.
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For years my family's contributions went to the usual institutions. And though we'd get lots of feedback about what they were doing, there were two troubling aspects.
First, while we understood that there are costs associated with fund-raising and project administration, we couldn't help feel that the amount of money NOT GOING to intended outcomes was far too high.
Second, amongst all the data of project accomplishment, we could not discern that our small contributions were making any measurable difference.
At Channukah 2006, in searching for gifts that would have an enduring benefit to the recipients AND reaffirm the importance of mutual caring, I stumbled across a Jewish organization called "To Save A Life". It is a one-person 501(c)3 charity that exists solely to distribute funds to Israeli micro-charities -- those that have no government and no major donors BUT which manifestly impact Jewish lives without ANY funds being siphoned off for administration.
To Save A Life offers more than a dozen charitable choices across our Land. 100% of what is donated is received by the donor-designated charity within days.
With regard the Tzfat-located charity I selected, ALL money goes for food packages, eyeglasses, shoes and emergency medical care for the (financially) weakest of the weak. The charity I selected is 100% volunteer; all the money goes to charity. And "To Save A Life" takes nothing for acting as a conduit.
I encourage children to set put a nickel, dime -- even a penny -- a day into a simple jar/can to establish the routine of charitable responsibility. Periodically the can/jar can be emptied and counted. And a parental check or online credit card transaction can wing its succor to the child-selected charity.
TO SAVE A LIFE may be found at www.tsal.org It is, in my humble opinion, micro-philanthropy at its most effective.