Robert Burns Needs Your Help!

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Imagine a world where no one compares love to a red, red rose; a world where no one joins hands on December 31 and toasts Auld Lang Syne; a world where no one gathers on January 25 to celebrate a haggis: imagine a world without Robert Burns. Born in Scotland, the work of Burns has touched nearly everyone in the world in the 250 years since his birth.

Burns was one of the world’s best communicators back in his day – indeed it was Burns who prompted Abraham Lincoln (who is such an inspiration to Barack Obama) to say “I cannot frame a toast to Burns. I can say nothing worthy of his generous heart and transcendent genius. Thinking of what he has said, I cannot say anything worth saying.”

Burns was also greatly loved by the founders of Texas, inspired John Steinbeck to title a book “of mice and men”?, and to this day inspires Russian children in many classrooms?

And now the National Trust for Scotland is trying to preserve and promote not just his works, but the legacy of the man with a new musueum in Alloway, Scotland – where he was born.

Burns has been on Twitter since last year with daily tweets from his work at www.twitter.com/ayrshirebard and now we’re using that twitter address – with some help from tipjoy – to see if it can also be used as a three-day fundraiser for the museum.

Via Tipjoy and the Ayrshirebard link, people are being asked for donations as little as $2 – though some people have joked they may donate $250 as it is Burns’ 250^th – to help preserve the legacy of one of the world’s most iconic writers.

For more details, feel free to visit http://burnstwitter.wordpress.com/ with funding donations closing on Monday night.

What are you tired of?

I discovered this fantastic site via twitter yesterday (@imtiredof):

For only $10 you can purchase a super cool 'I'm tired of' bracelet - and $5 (yep that's right . . . half the purchase price) is donated to charity.

The bracelets are made from recycled tires and recycled metal - so they are more than just fashionable - they support a cause and they are eco-friendly. How good is that?

The bracelets cover a whole range of causes. From Heart Disease to World Hunger. From Animal Cruelty to Global Warming. If your favourite cause isn't there, then make sure you vote for it from the list of causes they are considering adding to their range, or suggest a new cause.

Take a look at I'm Tired Of and your small purchase can help make a BIG difference!

The Dystonia Medical research Foundation goes Digital

Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. The neurological mechanism that makes muscles relax when they are not in use does not function properly. Opposing muscles often contract simultaneously as if they are “competing” for control of a body part. The involuntary muscle contractions force the body into repetitive and often twisting movements as well as awkward, irregular postures. It can impact any part of the body and depending on the type of dystonia, it can onset from early childhood through adulthood.



The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation was founded in 1976. It has grown from a small family-based foundation into a dynamic membership-driven organization led by a Board of Directors and network of volunteers with personal connections to dystonia. The organisation is driven to find a cure, and to providing support to people affected by dystonia.

The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation have recently made the jump into the social network scene and have a presence on MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, and Ning.com amongst others.

Tamara Reed, Senior Associate Director of Development at the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation says that this has led to an increase in the number of inquiries for information, requests to start support groups and requests to hold fundraisers to support their mission. She adds that it has also led to an increase in revenue. They are receiving gifts from donors who have never contributed before and also noticing increased gifts from existing donors.

The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation has a donor e-mail database of around 13,000 addresses and carry out e-mail campaigns with varying amounts of success. They have found that often the most successful e-mail fundraisers are those that come from a volunteers e-mail address. When they run their campaigns this way the response rate increases significantly. As with any fundraising campaign, if the potential donor knows the person asking for a donation the odds increase that a gift will be made.

Tamara's advice for non-profit organisations launching themselves online is to be vigilant about creating their online presence. They need to be active with their audience, providing helpful information and feedback. It takes time to build your brand, but is well worth the effort.

You can help raise funds for the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation by shopping at iGive or using GoodSearch.

Restore Our Dawn Chorus

Image by Light Knight via FlickrSince humans landed on New Zealand shores about 800 years ago about 50 species of birds have become extinct. Prior to that, the country's geological isolation and abscence of native land mammals meant that there is an amazing diversity of animals and plants that are found nowhere else - and that have adapted to an environment free of large predators.

Introduced mammals including possums, rats, stoats, feral cats, pigs, goats and deer are destroying our forests and the birdlife in them. Some eat eggs and chicks, some kill adults on nests and others eat the plants and insects the birds feed on.

Pests have been eradicated from some offshore islands. Their habitats are recovering and endangered species are bouncing back.

To stop further decline of bird numbers and even extinctions there needs to be widespread and effective pest control on the mainland.

Forest & Bird’s advocacy for effective pest control and its involvement in habitat restoration projects is helping to restore the dawn chorus in New Zealand forests.

Click here to hear some of New Zealands most beautiful songbirds and to donate to Forest & Bird's campaign to keep them singing.

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Everyone Deserves a Roof

I discovered this great organisation via Twilight Earth.

In the United States every year some 3 million people experience homelessness. That's almost the entire population of New Zealand! What a horrifying and shameful statistic for a country that in 2005 was home to around 8.9 million households with a net worth of at least $1 million.

EDAR (Everyone Deserves A Roof) is a charity that provides unique mobile shelters to those living on the streets in the United States. Each EDAR is a four-wheeled mobile unit which carries belongings and facilitates recycling during the day and which unfolds into a special, framed tent-like sleeping enclosure with a bed at night.

Photo courtesy of EDAR

The EDAR website describes how the units are being implemented in three ways:

1. EDAR works with current philanthropic, governmental and religious initiatives who currently work to house the homeless in temporary and permanent housing programs. EDAR units are being used as a “first step” into the homeless shelters for those that are typically reluctant to enter a traditional shelter system. The shelter creates a relationship with the homeless person who is using the EDAR unit and with time, the homeless person will often transition into the shelter’s program.
   
   
2. The EDAR units are being used as additional beds in shelters where there is a lack of portable cots for the homeless each night. EDAR users are mobile with the EDAR units during the day, and are allowed to enter the shelter grounds and sleep in a designated area. This provides the shelter extra sleeping units and gives the homeless person much more privacy than the traditional cot on which they might sleep.
   
   
3. The EDAR units are also given to homeless clients directly, those who are in need of a more comfortable place to sleep that protects them from the elements, for those who cannot or will not go to a shelter.

You can contribute online to help sponsor an EDAR unit. You can contribute whatever you can afford - but here is a guideline to what your donation will cover:

Sponsor wheels: $50
Sponsor a frame: $75
Sponsor a mattress: $125
Sponsor a roof: $250
Sponsor one EDAR unit: $500

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Help Fund College Scholarships with the Juanita Fields Foundation

Image by my_new_wintercoat via FlickrThe Juanita Fields Foundation is a family foundation whose goal is to assist others with furthering their education. The money they raise is used to provide college scholarships.

You can help them by shopping at any of the 700+ online stores in the iGive network. Every time you do a portion of the money you spend benefits the Juanita Fields Foundation - and it doesn't cost you a cent. Its a completely free service - so you will never pay any extra when you reach a store through iGive. You can also help by searching the web through iSearchiGive.com.