Pakistan Flood Relief: How You Can Help...

Shocking: The floods in Pakistan are affecting more than six times the number of people affected by the Haiti earthquake. I’ve been looking for ways to give back to help Pakistan. Where to give, where to donate, where to direct people and I came across a few great lists and posts, especially one from The Women’s Conference blog. There is a lot of dialogue about why more people haven’t stepped up to help Pakistan, especially this article from the BBC which points to everything from the media portrayal of Pakistan to threats of terrorism. But let’s be honest, people hurting need the help of those who have the ability to help. Those who are displaced have nothing. Think about what hardship they are certainly experiencing and then please consider taking a moment to donate what you can or help spread the word.

The flooding – which has now affected 20 million people, 8 million of whom need urgent aid washed away infrastructure and has since destroyed much of the country’s farming industry – which employs almost half of the country’s workers.

Pakistan needs our help. Here’s a few ways as to how:

UNICEF: 6 million children have been affected by the floods. Help UNICEF provide them with water, food and medical services.

Red Cross: Red Cross is on the ground, providing relief supplies, mobilizing relief workers and providing financial resources to those in need.

Save the Children: Save the Children is rushing essential supplies to children and their families.

Oxfam: Oxfam is providing hygiene, household and clean up kits to families in Pakistan.
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Challenge Post: The Allure of a Challenge...

Once a week this summer, come back to The Causemopolitan to read a guest post that will inspire you right up out of your seat to get involved and give back in a special series called Cause It’s Summer! Featured bloggers will be sharing their own reflections and stories, tips and resources, and perspective on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and their own cause-filled life. This week welcome Alexa Brandt, who you might remember from her guest post last summer. Almost a year to the day, Alexa challenges us to make the best of our end of summer. Complete one of her challenges? Let me know how it went!
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This summer I’ve had challenges on my mind. I spent my MBA summer internship immersed in an environment focused on online competitions, crowdsourcing and tech entrepreneurship at ChallengePost in New York City. Under the guidance of ChallengePost’s impressive founder Brandon Kessler and his expert staff, I learned how a challenge can generate support for a specific issue and inspire collective problem solving. Given the frenzy of excitement surrounding the site, I couldn’t help but think about the role challenges have played in my own life.

The thrill of competition, the crusade to achievement, and the satisfaction of completing a goal have made challenges an effective tool to propel me into action. I often reframe key life decisions as personal challenges. In doing so, I devise a structured plan to achieve a specific milestone. Setting a personal challenge is not a hard process, but can make difficult tasks seem more bearable. Most importantly, it requires me to set a deadline for completing each goal. Here a couple of examples from my own life:

• In 2002, following my graduation from UCLA and entrance into the working world, I found myself feeling disconnected from my female peers. I challenged myself to devise a forum to unite smart, savvy women in Los Angeles. As a result I founded the Ladies Lounge, a multi-city social networking group for 22-35 year old women.
• In 2003, I wanted to take a six-month sabbatical from my career to travel in Latin America. I sat down, wrote a departure date on a piece of paper, signed it and considered it a contract to myself. I left nine months later, but only because I had challenged myself to meet a time-sensitive goal.

With just a few weeks of summer remaining, I would like to pose a challenge to each of you. I challenge you each to achieve one new goal – big or small.

Wondering where to start? Here are a few suggestions:

Philanthropy
Identifying a cause that is near and dear to your heart is not challenging, but finding the right nonprofit organization to support it can be. Take a small step towards identifying the right nonprofit by challenging yourself to do one charitable thing this summer. Organize a group volunteer activity for you and your friends or colleagues. Often food banks like the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank can put a group to good use on a weekend, making it the perfect option for busy professionals to give back. Host a small donor circle event at your home in support of a charity. Pick a fun theme like a chili cook-off or bocce ball tournament and simply ask guests to donate $10-20 to attend in support of a specific charity. Step Up Women’s Network has done a fantastic job engaging members to host fun donor circle events like Cocktails & Canines and a VIP Screening of Eat, Pray, Love. If you are feeling extra motivated, consider devising a unique fundraising platform to generate funds for a cause. My dear friend Sloane Berrent’s Cause its my Birthday campaign is one of my favorites to date – 7 days, 7 cities, 7 parties, 1 cause.
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Vote for Gulf Coast Benefit to Win $25,000 in the ...

100+ days. Can you believe it? That’s how much time has passed since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20th. Since then hundreds of millions of gallons of oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve been frustrated. I’m sure you have too. We’ve tried a lot of things. Plugging the pipe. Creating fundraisers for wetlands restoration, wildlife preservation and support for families. I don’t care what anyone says. We can make a difference. You and me. Ready? Here’s how.

Vote now at http://bit.ly/votegulfbenefit

As of yesterday, you can take two minutes to cast your votes (at http://bit.ly/votegulfbenefit) and win $25,000 for a project that will create fun interactive community birthday parties for kids and families. For those who have followed my journey, you’ll remember Cause It’s My Birthday where for my 30th birthday I raised $19,500 with Doug Campbell for Netting Nations, with 100% of the funds going to malaria nets in Ghana by throwing 7 birthday parties in 7 cities in 7 days. Fast forward to April, when in the wake of the oil spill, I co-produced a series of 35 nationwide concerts called Gulf Coast Benefit raising $45,000 for Gulf Restoration Network’s Gulf Future Campaign that gives aid directly to fishing families who need it. Our second round of benefits are happening August 25th, and we’ve partnered with CitizenEffect, Social Media Club and a handful of rockstar partners to raise money, again directly going to families, through Catholic Charities.

In January 2010, PepsiCo created the Pepsi Refresh Project, an online competition that will awards up to $1.3 million to social improvement ideas that receive the most votes each month. The Pepsi Refresh Project has announced a special round, with voting beginning on August 2nd, for ideas designed to help States along the Gulf Coast. Your votes (at http://bit.ly/votegulfbenefit) can help Gulf Coast Benefit. Our goals are:

* Alleviate stress of families by creating community birthday parties
* Provide activities and entertainment that refresh the spirit
* Showcase strength of the community
* Create community days where families can come together

Mental health experts and research shows that people who have a history of depression or PTSD (as a quarter of Katrina survivors do), are at greater risk of future mental health issues when another disaster occurs. With your votes, we’ll be able to alleviate those stresses by providing an opportunity for light-hearted fun. That’s an important release for these families. We’ve provided a detailed budget breakdown of where the money goes, coupled with our track record and my personal commitment to helping the Gulf Coast, I hope you’ll vote DAILY this month to support the project.

With your votes – and your support – we can make a real difference. Here’s how! Go to http://bit.ly/votegulfbenefit and VOTE ONCE EVERY DAY BETWEEN AUGUST 2ND AND AUGUST 31ST!

Please send this to your friends, family and contacts and ask them to do the same. I’ll be posting more updates this month, and sharing what other projects I support. If there are projects you support you want me to share and talk about, drop me a line at sloane@thecausemopolitan.com.

Help St. Bernard Project Commemorate the 5th Anniv...

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This post was originally published as an email to supporters of the St. Bernard Project. For more information you can visit their website, or follow them on Twitter (@stbernardproj) or make a donation. SBP was named in May as the first beneficiary of The Giving Project and you can also find them in the list of New Orleans nonprofits I support in my blogroll.

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Dear Friends of SBP,

August 29, 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the incredible devastation that still plagues the greater New Orleans area.  August 29, 2010, however, also marks the beginning of the largest and most enduring charitable response in our country’s history. At the St. Bernard Project, we are grateful for the help of 24,000+ volunteers and thousands of funders who have enabled SBP to rebuild homes for more than 300 hardworking, home-owning families. We appreciate our partners and supporters who have helped us open and successfully operate the only free mental health clinic in the area. And, we are enthusiastic about creating jobs for veterans in residential construction. In this letter, we ask for your help to make sure that the 5th Anniversary is commemorated by action and meaningful efforts to solve solvable problems.

While much progress has been made, for too many clients, the 5th anniversary means just another summer waiting to move back into their storm-devastated home. Today, despite our best efforts, nearly 1,000 families own homes but are still living in FEMA trailers because they can not afford to rebuild. Another 6,000+ families who own homes cannot afford to rebuild.  Mental health problems plague the community and post-Katrina rental prices have increased to the point of being unaffordable.

Just as hope and progress were gaining momentum (The New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl, we elected a new mayor, Treme became a national favorite) another threat emerged and inches closer to the Gulf shores — and the precious marshes that protect St. Bernard and New Orleans — with every passing day. As the Deep Water Horizon spill unleashes vast amounts of oil into the Gulf, residents who already lost their homes now face the loss of their livelihood and lifestyles.
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The Impact Of Traveling Abroad...

Every Thursday this summer, come back to The Causemopolitan to read a guest post that will inspire you right up out of your seat to get involved and give back in a special series called Cause It’s Summer! Featured bloggers will be sharing their own reflections and stories, tips and resources, and perspective on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and their own cause-filled life. This week welcome Drew Meyers, as he shares his owns stories of reflections of travel and the impact traveling abroad has had on his life.

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I’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to travel the globe over the course of the last few years, and there is no question that traveling has absolutely changed my life for the better on multiple fronts. In short – I’m absolutely hooked and certainly have no plans to stop seeing the world anytime soon. As any backpacker will tell you — once the travel bug hits, it’s extremely hard, if not impossible, to get rid of it. And before I get started with this post, let’s be clear about one thing — traveling WILL change your life.

Thinking of buying a new car? Don’t. Spend that money on traveling instead — I can all but guarantee that your outlook on life will be better and you’ll certainly be a more confident person. To everyone who has not traveled abroad, I think you are doing a huge disservice to yourself by confining yourself to your comfort zone and not experiencing all the world has to offer. Don’t accept not knowing what else is out there. Don’t be fearful of the unknown. Ever wondered what the beaches of Thailand were like? Go experience them! Ever wondered what a dreary spring day in London is like? Go find out! Ever want to see how children can enjoy themselves even though they own literally nothing? Go see with your own eyes.

My international endeavors began right after graduation from the University of Washington when my buddy and I decided to hit the trail and backpacked throughout Europe during the summer of 2005. Going on that first trip abroad was easily the best decision I ever made; I was away for 2 months (my friend stayed 4) and I haven’t looked back since. Prior to that first trip to Europe, I had no idea how vast, complicated, and diverse the world really was. Sure, I had read books, seen images on television and pictures online — but there’s still no substitute for seeing something with your own set of eyes. It was a shock to see business owners who really didn’t care about growing their business and instead were perfectly content with the life they were living. Never before had I seen stores close from 2-6 everyday for siesta. I’m from Seattle where bars close at 2 am and there is no real club scene, so massive clubs with 7 dance floors in places like Spain open all night were certainly something new. Never had someone attempted to steal my wallet WHILE shaking my hand. Never had I been locked out of my hotel room on a balcony on the top floor of a 10 story building at 2 am with no way to communicate with anyone. Never before had I taken a ferry across the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean. Never had I sat in the middle of a shouting match between grown men where I couldn’t understand a single word (on the ferry to Morocco). I had never seen the streets of Tangiers, Africa and been to a beach where people were completely shocked to see two white people on the beach. The list of firsts goes on and on.

I believe it was largely as a result of that first trip to Europe that I’ve shed the materialistic mindset that controlled much of my thought process growing up and throughout high school. Raised by a single mom, I have never been rich, but – that said, I was surrounded by materialism (particularly when I got to high school) and, not unlike most teenagers, my extra spending money used to go toward a new stereo, chrome rims for my car, some DVDs, or computer parts. Nowadays, as a result of traveling and coming to the realization of how truly privileged I am, extra money goes towards traveling, going out and creating lasting memories with friends and travelers, and toward nonprofits such as Kiva, Mothers Fighting for Others, and Vittana.
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On Volunteering In The Summer (And Beyond)...

Every Thursday this summer, come back to The Causemopolitan to read a guest post that will inspire you right up out of your seat to get involved and give back in a special series called Cause It’s Summer! Featured bloggers will be sharing their own reflections and stories, tips and resources, and perspective on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and their own cause-filled life. This week welcome Susan McPherson, and her reflections on how to spend those extra summer sunlight hours – for good – and how it can quite possibly change your life.

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As a child, summer was always a time to run free – free from dreaded homework assignments, washing after dinner dishes, and free from the tedious chore of layering clothes to keep warm during harsh upstate NY winters.  In my 20s and 30s, summer became a time of extra hours of daylight to celebrate with cocktails/wine with friends, long runs in the park and extra dog walk time.  But over the last few years, summer has meant a zap of extra energy that I could pour into my passion of supporting nonprofit organizations.

This summer seems somewhat different, however.  I can’t pinpoint the exact reasons, but perhaps knowing that I’m shortly embarking on a new career as well as reading the blaring daily headlines about the tragedy in the Gulf, I seem to have even more enthusiasm and energy to support the causes that I’m passionate about.

So here’s my thought.  What if we could take the extra 3-4 hours of sunshine that we are so graciously provided each June, July, August (and even September) and use that time to give back to some of those fabulous organizations that NEED help.  For EVERY interest, passion, category, location that exists, there is a worthy nonprofit organization that is dying for volunteers and support – young and old.  Below, I’m going to share with you some of my treasured ones and suggest you take peek.

Have you ever thought of planting a fish?  Now, I know you’ve probably planted a tree before, perhaps ever several, but have you ever considered “planting” an oyster or another sea creature?  Intrigued?  If so, check out Plant A Fish a new nonprofit founded by Fabien Cousteau, grandson of the legendary ocean explorer, Jacques Yves Cousteau!  Fabien’s goal is to help children and communities around the world “replant” key species in their local waterways – rivers, lakes and oceans.  The organization will also be helping with the relocation of various sea animals affected by the Gulf Oil Spill.  If you are passionate about our planet, the outdoor world and the environment, I encourage you to sign up today.  Within the next few years, there will be Plant A Fish communities created in cities around the world.  Follow on Twitter: @plantafish.
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TONIGHT! Gulf Coast Benefits Unite Us For Good...

This post is written by Nic Adler, co-producer for tonight’s events and owner of The Roxy in Los Angeles, CA. I’m honored to have partnered with him, Casey Phillips and the entire Gulf Coast Benefit Team for tonight’s shows around the country (and indeed now around the world). Please consider donating to our efforts regardless if you can attend a show tonight or not. To find an event in your area, see our Meetup Everywhere page where there are over 90 events listed in 13 countries (and counting).

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Photo Credit Kris Krug / Static Photography. View more photos from TEDxOil Spill Expedition on Flickr.

As I sit here writing this, up to 100 million gallons of oil has spewed into the gulf and as it continues to do so, it is destroying our fragile ecosystem and people’s livelihoods. We cannot just sit, watch the news and continue to say, “This is horrible!” and, “How could this happen?” without some action to back it up. This problem is our problem now and we need to stand up and help where ever and however we can.

WHO IS HELPING THE GULF COAST REGION?

There are so many groups doing amazing work along the Gulf coastlines.  After days of due diligence and research, our co-producer Sloane Berrent came back to the group with multiple nonprofits to partner with and options but we all narrowed in on the Gulf Restoration Network’s new initiative, Gulf Future, because we all thought it reflected our mission. Support the coastal and fishing communities, restore the marine and costal environments and, maybe most important, make people aware and responsible for what has happened in the Gulf so history does not repeat itself in the future.

HOW ARE WE RAISING MONEY?

Naturally owning The Roxy in Los Angeles, I thought we should throw a benefit concert, but then wondering how to make it really have an impact, it came to me, what if we reached out to our neighbor businesses to see if we could all work together and really take something as simple as a benefit concert and turn it into a wave of action. I then reached out to Casey Phillips, who I knew as a true New Orleans man and someone who had a real “on the ground” pulse of what was happening. Not only was he a native of the area but also the talent buyer for multiple clubs including our own Sunset Strip neighbor, The Viper Room. Casey echoed my same thoughts and went into action immediately bringing in Sloane Berrent and The Roxy’s Megan Jacobs along with a team of people who knew something had to be done now. Three weeks and a couple of thousands emails later, we now have over 50 independent music venues and over 100 bands fighting for the cause.

All the venues will send their gate revenues from these shows directly to Gulf Restoration Network within 72 hours of our shows.  Also, our donation widget send funds directly to the Gulf Restoration Network’s account so we don’t ever touch the donations and they all go directly to the nonprofit partner. We’re making sure it gets into the hands of community groups like Bayou Grace and St. Bernard Community Center within weeks and we’ll be sharing that with those who made donations both online and through attending events through social networks and follow up blog posts with our partners.
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Shop For A Cause...

Every Thursday this summer, come back to The Causemopolitan to read a guest post that will inspire you right up out of your seat to get involved and give back in a special series called Cause It’s Summer! Featured bloggers will be sharing their own reflections and stories, tips and resources, and perspective on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and their own cause-filled life. This week welcome Tori Mistick, and listen to her advice about how to shop (or clean out your closet) to support a cause.

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You don’t have to start a charity or donate hours upon hours of your time to make a difference in your community. Just try cleaning out your closet! This is something that most of us do anyhow, and you can make the most of it by making sure that your gently used garments go to a thrift store or charity that benefits your local community.

Here in Pittsburgh, where I live, I have worked closely with the thrift and consignment stores owned by the National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section. Their thrift stores accept all kinds of thrifty goods such as clothing, furniture and home accessories and at their upscale consignment store you will find women’s clothing, shoes and accessories with an exclusive pedigree. Donating items to these stores allows the NCJW to raise money for their many local projects such as Suit Yourself, which provides free business clothing to people re-entering the workforce, and Children’s Rooms in the Courts, which provides ano-cost place for kids to play rather than listening to their parents battle it out in court.

Working with the NCJW, I found that the way to really help them raise money goes beyond donating items, they need you to shop with them for new things! This is how the stores make money and the organization can continue to do good work locally. So if you want to have a cause filled summer, get out and shop for a cause!
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Gulf Coast Benefit Concerts on CNN’s iReport...

A huge thank you to Jill Foster, Geoff Livingston, Dan Morrison, and May Yu. Through Citizen Effect’s #CitizenGulf campaign, they came to explore the Gulf Coast, meet with nonprofits and find out how they could best help the efforts going on here for recovery and to encourage citizen philanthropy (a favorite topic of mine you all know).

Since I’m smack in the middle of co-producing tomorrow night’s Gulf Benefit Concerts (85 and counting in 11 countries), I couldn’t be with them during the day as they went to St. Bernard Community Center, to visit Catholic Charities and other wonderful groups, but we did get together for dinner last night at Cochon to talk about giving, New Orleans, my experiences here (and frankly travel stories I hadn’t told in awhile including tales from my Burma trip last summer).
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Open Up and Say Ah!...

Every Thursday this summer, come back to The Causemopolitan to read a guest post that will inspire you right up out of your seat to get involved and give back in a special series called Cause It’s Summer! Featured bloggers will be sharing their own reflections and stories, tips and resources, and perspective on philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and their own cause-filled life. This week welcome Joey Soto, and her courageous transition from Water Resources Consultant to Teacher of Yoga.

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On the 43rd floor in Downtown Los Angeles, I trouble-shoot multi-million dollar water projects with a talented team of engineers at a corporate civil engineering firm. Although I’ve served as a water resources consultant managing Southern California’s water issues over the last decade, I had recently found myself longing for more. There was something inside of me that was trying to come forth; it was a piece of me that I had not yet explored.

At the age of 29, I was somewhat familiar with this feeling; the inkling to grow, give, foster. I knew that volunteering was a great way to discover a little more about myself, as I had experienced through philanthropic efforts with Answer With Action, Step Up Women’s Network, and Thirst Project. My career as a water resources consultant gave me much to be proud of; I had secured over $25 million in funding for water projects and managed the implementation of $500 million under the Proposition O water quality bond measure for the City of Los Angeles. I was implementing innovative engineering projects to protect our natural environment and public health. However, my life was off balance, my passion was fading and I was searching for that something else.

In January 2010, there was a feeling in the air. It was the start of a new year and I was at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market when I received a flyer about a new eco-friendly yoga studio opening up just down the street from my apartment. YogaCo was a new donation-run studio in Santa Monica offering a Yoga Teacher Training program. After 10 years of practicing yoga, I wondered if there was more to yoga aside from all those postures. I decided to say yes to this new opportunity and I enrolled in the course.

Tamal Dodge led me through 3 months of intense study of Yoga Asanas (postures), Anatomy, and Yoga Philosophy. An amazing group of 25 individuals embarked on this journey with me. Over the course, I felt that inkling inside grow and expand until it took over my entire body and it became me – or rather I became it. I was full of wanderlust and enthusiasm. It was as if I became a child again, curious about life, people, energy, beliefs. I let go of fear, societal expectations, and insecurities and what I found was more profound than any sweat-dripping, back-bending, arm-twisting, vinyasa flow sequence; I found myself.
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