In which I 1) give something away and 2) plead for comments

I find the whole reviews/giveaways aspect of blogging kind of stressful, which is funny because I've actually won two or three that I've bothered to enter. For the most part I am hanging out here on the internet to read funny stories and all the commenting/retweeting/linking stuff you have to do for this giveaway stuff, not to mention the advertising rules and the drama about integrity! and worth! is so very hives-inducing. So I stay away, because I am lazy and easily intimidated, and I also delete the emails I get from people wanting me to promote products or websites or "story ideas". Like I am a REAL WRITER with INFORMATIVE STORIES or something. Those get an automatic delete because OBVS the sender has never taken one glance at my opposite-of-informative website. And also I realize those last couple of sentences make it sound like people are lining up to have ME promote their stuff and no, it's not anything EXCITING like that. Here, let me find one of my recent pitch emails... oh here we go. Someone wants me to write about a bag clip, you know, like the clips you put on an open bag of chips, that TALKS TO YOU. Just in time for New Year Resolutions! You can make your bag clip say, "HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, FATTY?"

So anyway. I delete pretty much all of those emails, but then someone emailed me AGAIN and because I felt bad (they noticed I didn't respond! gak!) I read the email and you know what? It turns out this particular email was full of The Awesome. 

Have you heard of GlobalGiving? I hadn't either. GlobalGiving is... uh... well, I'm just going to steal from their About page:

GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about. You select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and get regular progress updates - so you can see your impact.

And they also say this:

GlobalGiving is changing the way people give, offering donors a transparent, high-impact giving experience. You choose where you want your money to go, and we get it there, quickly and efficiently. Locally-run projects with creative ideas that would never be funded through traditional structures also have access to new sources of funds.

Read more here. Get GlobalGiving's founders' top ten gift ideas here. AND! I would love to give one of you a $10 GlobalGiving gift card.

Whoever wins the card can put those ten bucks to use on the charitable project of their choosing on the GlobalGiving website. PRETTY COOL, HUH? For some of these projects, $10 can really go a long way. And if you're not a winner, you can find out more and purchase GlobalGiving gift cards here.

To win, just leave a comment. You can either tell me your Favorite Charity or how you specifically would like to Save the World or, you know, let me know how many gray hairs I should allow to accumulate before I enter into the frightening world of Hair Color. Or you can just say hi, that works too. I'll pick a winner sometime on Wednesday, and depending on how many comments there are I will either use that nifty little random number thing people are always screencapturing or I will let my Official Picker Of Names In The Hat go crazy with the Post-Its. 

Anyway, I am a big fan of Using The Internet For Good and I think this an awesome idea. Not to mention that the website itself is lovely to look at, easy to navigate and full of way cool information. Uh, no, I HAVEN'T been participating in graduate level usability and design discussions with my husband!

Comments

[Carolyn]

What a great site!

My current favorite charity to support financially is Kiva.org, through direct microloans to entrepreneurs with no other way of financing their dreams. The personal aspect of the loans is really fulfilling.

My favorite charity to support overall is Big Brothers, Big Sisters. My husband was a 'Big' with them for many years, and just formally ended his match when we moved out of the U.S. His Little was 9 when they were matched, is now 17 and a senior in high school. He has been, and will continue to be a huge part of our lives; he was even a groomsman in our wedding :-). Seeing the kind of impact that one person can have when they work directly another person like that has been awesome and rewarding and inspiring and all sorts of other warm, fuzzy feelings.

I highly, highly recommend looking into it for those interested in truly making a difference in the world.

[Raven]

I have been in the "frightening world of Hair Color" for so many years now that I don't even know what my natural color is any more, well except for all the gray of course. Ugh.

The two charities I most directly participate with are Susan G. Komen and Cystic Fibrosis. I've raised money and done walks for both. I donate to others and give clothes, food, etc but those two are the ones with which I am the most consistent.

[april]

I wish I gave more to charity ...

... and I've been coloring my hair since I was in 8th grade. I didn't wait for gray hairs, although I have a couple that I pluck out now!

[Amy J]

Favorite Charity: Humane Society
Gray Hairs: 0!

:-)

[HereWeGoAJen]

I don't have a favorite charity at the moment. I've been spending my money on a more personal level lately, on people I've met on the internet mostly, when it has been appropriate.

I started going gray at twenty five. TWENTY FIVE. So far, I am living in denial and ignoring it.

[el-e-e]

Now THAT would be a cool stocking stuffer!

My gray hair is out of control. Thus, hair color. This last go-around (Saturday) I asked for "darker" and the stylist took that to mean "more red." Like, fire-engine. I'm trying to be all "it's just hair," but really I'm feeling, "Ack! Fakey Red! People are going to point at me!"

[Becky aka StinkyLemsky]

I've always wanted to help build a habitat for humanity home, but haven't yet. Our church does 2 a year, so I think hubby and I will definitely have a chance in 2010.

[Jess]

This is so cool. My company does a charity drive this year with a 100% match to employee donations, so we just sent a check. This year's charity is Martha's Table (DC-based). They seem pretty awesome.

[Christiana]

I have so many charities that I would like to support regularly, but we just CAN'T these days. But they're all domestic, strangely enough. Hmm. I'll have to think about that. But right now, dear to my heart, are the ones that I've learned about through the internet, bloggers in particular.
Friends of Maddie, The Liz Logelin Foundation, and The March of Dimes.

[Rosemary]

I would say once there is a gray sheen to your hair, it's time to color. Or if you have really dark hair and gray wires are sticking out in plain site.

My favorite charity is my local parish.

[Manda]

We love International Justice Mission at our house. How cool are YOU for giving away WORLD PEACE for Christmas!?

[Carrie]

I give a lot to WorldVision and Samaritan's Purse. Those are the two closest to my heart these days.

[Sarah in Ottawa]

I LOVE these type of charities. In the US, I am a fan of Donors Choose and I like KIVA, too. We give to United Way, Development and Peace (that might be through the Cdn Catholic Church Only) and we've just sponsored a little boy through World Vision -- he's just a bit younger than Jack. We also throw $ at various health-related (heart and stroke, cancer) and animal-related charities.

Grey hairs SUCK. It's rough for the raven-haired. I found my first at 19, though that was isolated. I'm 32 and I yank now, but I wonder how much longer I'll be able to keep that up?

[Lisa]

This is a nice way to do good and also to get comments. Because no one comments in December.

[Shannon]

Manda is right- you are cool! This year our charity of choice has been very close to home, the local food bank. Like you said, just a little bit goes a long way with some organizations... in this case an entire Christmas dinner can be put together for just $4.

[Heather of the EO]

This IS an awesome idea!

And I couldn't agree more about all the hoops. I don't do giveaways often (or reviews because of that same stress thing) but when I do I'm all "leave a comment" How refreshing. :)

I wanna win! I love this, I'm so glad to know about it.

[Val G.]

Hi Maggie!

I think this is a wonderful giveaway!
My favorite charity is the Humane Society.

-Val

[ccr in MA]

How about an anti-favorite charity? Because I thought Doctors Without Borders would be a good cause when I gave them some money three years ago, and they have now spent easily twice what I gave them on letters telling me I should give more. Leave me alone, DWB!

I do like Heifer, if you want a positive.

As for gray hairs, I have an agreement with my hair that I'll leave the few grays alone unless they are right out front, or sticking out in a really obvious way, in which case I pluck! Holding out against coloring as long as possible here.

[Jessica]

Wow! This is a cool concept.
There is so much harmful and yucky internet stuff out there that it's nice to see somebody doing something nice.

[Lisa]

What a great idea! Even if I don't win, I want to buy some of those gift cards to use as stocking stuffers.