avad

Made By Survivors
Manna Project
Fistula Foundation
Sankalpa Art Journeys
Sobornost for the World Foundation
Buddha's Smile School
Nepal Youth Foundation
CARE
Mercy Corps
Peace Corps
Global Fund for Women
Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center
Trees Water People
Healing Hands of Joy


Barefoot College
Oxfam
Build Change
UNHCR
Wild Bird Fund
Vive Boriken
Beauty for Ashes
Fabretto
UNICEF
Malala Fund
Rapha House
Not For Sale Campaign
International Justice Mission
Audubon
Sierra Club
The Nature Conservancy
Defenders of Wildlife
World Wildlife Fund
The Ocean Conservancy
Madre

It felt so wonderful last year to be able to raise some money on my birthday for a cause I really care about-Sobornost's work with the orphans in Africa- Posted it on Facebook using Facebook Causes Birthday Wish and I thank you all who participated/donated- it was so satisfying. My birthday is tomorrow again...there are so many causes that have moved me this past year...that I want to DO Something about...so I've been looking forward to the Birthday WIsh for a long while.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about basic things...and what it takes to feel 'capable'. Whenever I've felt overwhelmed, or focused on what I 'need'...I've been reminding myself often of the gift of having two legs to walk on....and starting from there...knowing that I can do so much in this life. So that was my inspiration for this year's wish: I wonder if you would help me...in honor of my birthday.....to join me in giving that most basic starting point to someone somewhere in the world who does Not have it.

Prosthetic Outreach Foundation's Mission is to create opportunities for children and adults in developing countries who suffer from limb loss and deformities to lead more fulfilling lives.
POF creates opportunities for children and adults in developing countries who suffer from limb loss and limb deformities to lead more fulfilling lives. POF provides access to prosthetics, orthopedic surgery, physical rehabilitation, and non-medical assistance, such as micro-lending.

I think that would be the most meaningful birthday gift of all this year to me. Remembering the Gift of having 2 legs to walk on...by giving that gift to someone who shows us how to really appreciate it. The thought/reminder alone puts me in a stronger place, a thankful place, a Capable and powerful and generous place. Maybe it will feel the same for you. Visit the Prosthetic Outreach Foundation's website and or watch the video if you'd like to find out more...they have an amazing program in place...creating a sustainable loop of even training people to be able to create the prosthetics there, giving employment opportunities in areas of such great need. If you can donate just $10 (or any amount) to this wonderful organization it would mean so much. Someone can walk, someone gets a job, and we remember that we can always Do something.
Please go through the Birthday Wish page here if you're on Facebook (so that it shows in the total- which is so inspiring) and if not please just donate through their website and let me know about it in a comment here on LJ? I've raised over $300 so far and I'm excited to see if it can go much higher and do much more!!? THANK YOU!! muchlove, Darlene

Are you on Facebook? (or MySpace)
If so, do you use the Causes App?
Can you take a second and tell me in the comments section?(questions below after paste)

About Causes:
(cut and pasted from the Facebook site)
"Facebook Platform presents an unprecedented opportunity to engage our generation, most of whom are on Facebook, in seizing the future and making a difference in the world around us. Our generation cares deeply, but the current system has alienated us. Causes provides the tools so that any Facebook user can leverage their network of real friends to effect positive change.

The goal of all this is what we call "equal opportunity activism." We're trying to level the playing field by empowering individuals to change the world. Existing nonprofits must raise hundreds of millions of dollars and leverage massive direct marketing campaigns to attract members. We're democratizing activism by empowering activists with an arsenal of tools for users of Facebook who want to leverage their network on Facebook to effect positive change.

Any Facebook user with a little passion and initiative can create a cause, recruit their friends into that cause, keep everybody in the cause up-to-speed on issues and media related to the cause, and, most importantly, raise money directly through the cause for any U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit or Canadian registered charity. We process the donations automatically via credit card, tally the results, and report the donation activity via a public "scorecard" in the cause. This allows us to reward people who grow their causes, donate, and successfully raise money.

This is a natural evolution of social networking. Leveraging real world social networks is an important part of activism, fundraising, and political campaigning. This is especially true of grassroots activism, local-chapter style nonprofit organizations, and the walks/runs used by many charities to raise money. Given all this, it's a bit surprising that online social networks haven't been more aggressively leveraged until now."

so some quick questions, if you can answer in the comments I would sO appreciate...I'm just trying to get a better idea about where Causes stands with my peers right now in awareness and action:
1. Are you on either Facebook or Myspace?
2. Do you know about and/or use the Causes App?
3. If so, what causes have you joined?
4. Of the causes you have joined, have you donated to any?
5. any further comments/thoughts about it would be lovely but only if you have time. short quick answers will help too.

ps additionally if anyone wants to gather some more perspectives/answers from their friends/readers we can consolidate/discuss here?...
xoD