Case Foundation Blog Posts by megans

Give a gift that gives back this Valentine's Day

megans — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:31:09 +0000

February 14th is rapidly approaching and like with any gift giving holiday, you have a choice to make! Are you going to go the traditional route and drop your cash on standard red roses and a box of chocolates, or will you give to impress with thoughtful gifts that give back?

If you opt to give AND give back this year, here are ten of my favorite charitable gift ideas to get you started:

Who doesn't love a charm bracelet? Give this Liz Claiborne Heart Bracelet from the Cause Shoppe and 100% of the profits will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Want to go the traditional route of chocolates and roses but still give back? Check out the Valentine's Day gifts on giftback.com and 10% of every gift will go towards a charity of YOUR choice!
Does your loved one really have a sweet tooth? Buy them this Valentine's Day Gift Box from Baking for Good and 15% of your purchase will be donated to a cause you choose.
Is charity enough? If your Valentine isn't the type who needs jewelry or flowers, give her the ultimate gift that gives - a charity gift card. You choose the amount, the recipient chooses the charity. Check out Good Cards from Network for Good or give the gift of giving through GlobalGiving.
Another place to find great ways to give back in your loved one's name? Check out The Goods from Huffington Post and Causecast. Send a USO care package for a U.S. soldier or provide a week of life-saving meals this Valentine's Day.
Giving to a music lover, male or female? The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED is the perfect gift. Proceeds will go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.
Want to buy something charitable and pink? Check out the Breast Cancer Site's Pink Ribbon Store. There are tons of pink items to choose from and proceeds go towards funding mammograms. I love this Live, Love, Laugh Stainless Steel Water Bottle.
Give a "Heart for Haiti." Donate funds to Haiti through World Neighbors and your loved one will receive a personalized card detailing the donation you made in their name.
Shop with a purpose through Amnesty International. Amnesty International has tons of great options for Valentine's Day, like this Mother Earth Seed Necklace from Colombia or this Checkered Bracelet for Change.
Buy a gift from giftsthatgive.com and 20% of your purchase goes back to the school or nonprofit of your choice. Pop open a bottle of bubbly and light this luxurious Champagne candle for the ultimate romantic evening. Buying for your man? Giftsthatgive.com also has an amazing selection of cuff links and ties!

Need more ideas? Check out some of these past blog posts with additional charitable gift ideas for that special someone in your life:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND HAPPY GIFT GIVING!!!

Give gifts that give for the special ladies in your life

megans — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:55:09 +0000

Its' December 11th. It's time to put up the Christmas tree and get the gifts to go underneath. It's a great time of year, but it can be a bit stressful, especially on the wallet. Want to get more out of your money? This year, when buying presents for your loved ones, look for gifts that give back. The gift will be more meaningful and you can feel good about those dollars spent.

And, if you're a little behind on the gift giving - don't panic. My colleagues have been posting their amazing ideas for gifts that give back over the last couple of weeks and there is more to come.

Today, I am going to help you answer that really tough question: what do you buy for the ladies in your life? Whether you need a gift for your mom, your sister, your girlfriend or your grandma, you're in luck. There are tons of great organizations selling beautiful gifts that benefit charity. And let's face it, we ladies like pretty things :)

Because there are so many choices, I've picked out some of my favorite charitable gift options to share with you.

Jewelry

All women take pride in their jewelry collection. For all the guys out there looking to impress that special someone, you can NEVER go wrong with a great piece of jewelry. This is your chance to show her your sensitive side by buying jewelry that benefits a great cause.

Looking for a fun and affordable piece of jewelry to buy your best friend or sister? Check out Amnesty International's Shaping the Future Bracelet. This is a great bracelet that benefits a great cause. Hand-crafted by women of the Analizadoras Cooperative, profits help send their children to school.
If you're shopping for your girlfriend, fiance or wife and are willing to spend a little more, I say go for the gold! H.E.L.P Malawi, a nonprofit organization that strives to bring Help, Love, Education and Protection to children in Malawi and around the world, has some beautiful rings for sale on their website. 100% of the proceeds go to H.E.L.P projects. My favorite? Nana's ring for H.E.L.P.
Every woman with jewelry needs a way to take it with her when she travels. I love this fabric jewelry case from the Breast Cancer Site. Proceeds help fund mammograms.

Home Goods

Home goods are a great thing to consider for mom or grandma if you don't want to worry about picking out jewelry or accessories. Also a nice thing to consider for that friend who just rented a new apt or moved into a new home and is trying to decorate.

Indego Africa has a great collection of fair trade African baskets hand crafted in Rwanda. 100% of profits from these baskets are returned to the artisans for training on long-term skills. I absolutely love the modern, clean look of the plateau basket and the agaseke basket.
Ever meet a girl who doesn't like pillows? Benefit female artisans around the world by purchasing from the amazing collection of pillows on Nest. One of my favorites? The Licorice Eco Art pillow!

The classic T-shirt:

Who doesn't love a hip tee? Make mom update her '80s collection with some cool do-gooder tees or buy some for your friends!

Amnesty International has a nice collection of tees, like this fitted, distressed red amnesty logo t-shirt and long-sleeve AI emblem shirt.
In addition to great home goods, Nest also has an amazing collection of T-shirts and other clothing. I'm putting this cute, classic white v-neck on my Christmas list!

The Pashmina

I'm a huge fan of the Pashmina. Wear one around your shoulders, over a cocktail dress, or bunch it up to use as a scarf. They are the perfect gift for ANY lady in your life. Ladies of all ages are sure to get great use out of a classic pashmina.

This year, buy those Pashminas from the Breast Cancer Site's online store and money from your purchase will go towards funding mammograms - a cause near and dear to ladies everywhere.
Want a ribbon on your Pashmina? Shopkomen.com sells Bling Ribbon Pashminas in three colors. These pashminas will help your woman keep warm and show she cares. 25% of your purchase price will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Flowers, sweet stuff and more

Not sure what to buy? Cookies and chocolates are a great option for work friends, someone you don't know that well, or for the hostess of the holiday party you are attending.

Baking for Good sells all-natural baked goods and gives 15% of every purchase to a charity that you choose. These holiday treats are adorable!
Check out giftback.com for a wide array of gifts, including some yummy edible options. Still at a loss? Check out their selection of flowers, home goods and spa gift baskets. You're bound to find something. And the best part? 10% of your purchase on giftback.com goes to the charity of YOUR choice.
Have a friend with a pet? I couldn't resist throwing this adorable pink dog leash from Global Goods Partners onto the list. Proceeds from sales help support their worldwide partners.

Out-of-the-box gifts

Don't think the lady in your life needs a physical gift to unwrap? There are a ton of meaningful ways you can contribute to charity in her name.

Buy her a charity gift card on Network for Good. This gives her the chance to make a contribution (with your money, of course) to the charity she cares most about.
Help one woman give to another by making a donation to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. A gift of $20 will help a woman with breast, ovarian or cervical cancer purchase a wig.

I hope these are useful! As you start exploring all the great charitable gift options online, please be sure to share your ideas with us as well. Happy Holidays!

My nominees for the ten most charitable ladies on the red carpet…

megans — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:39:52 +0000

Just because award season is behind us, it doesn’t mean we can’t have our own fun. In honor of National Women’s History Month, I thought I’d take a look at some of my favorite female celebrities doing good things. My nominees include some big time givers and some up and comers, but I can’t cover them all, so please add your own to this list!

Also, if your People Magazine or US Weekly just isn’t telling you enough about the good work your favorite celebrities are doing, check out Look to the Stars, a website that covers all the latest and greatest in celebrity giving. Most Wiki profiles also do a good job at covering philanthropic work.

And now… My nominees for the most charitable ladies on the red carpet ARE…

Reese Witherspoon

Alicia Keys

Natalie Portman

Angelina Jolie

Scarlett Johansson

Barbara Streisand

This was a fun post to write, but I couldn’t have done it without my friends on Twitter and elsewhere, so thanks for your suggestions! And for the rest of you, now that I’ve told you some of my favorite celebrity do-gooders, it’s time for you to tell me yours!

Reese Witherspoon
She’s beautiful, she’s talented, she’s dating Jake Gyllenhaal… and she's giving back. What more could you ask for? Between her work with the Children’s Defense Fund and as the Honorary Chairwoman of the Avon Foundation, Reese is definitely someone to look up to. I love her willingness to get out on the streets as the face of a campaign, and I look forward to seeing great charitable things from Reese in the future.

Alicia Keys
I’m a huge fan of Alicia Key’s Keep a Child Alive campaign. She is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of the charity, which is dedicated to providing care and support services to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world. One of my favorite things about this charity: their innovative use of mobile giving both online and at Alicia’s concerts. Love it! To learn more about her work and travels to Africa, check out the documentary Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland.

Natalie Portman
When it comes to animal rights, Natalie Portman literally walks the talk. When handed gorgeous leather clothing and shoes, Natalie says, no thank you. “All of my shoes are from Target and Stella McCartney, who does all non-leather products,” says the actress. Natalie even launched her own line of Vegan shoes and donates 100% of the proceeds to the Nature Conservancy. Beyond her choice of shoes, Natalie is a never-tiring advocate of animal rights and a supporter of PETA. Natalie is also a strong supporter of antipoverty activities and was named an Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that strives to provide financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their standard of living.

Angelina Jolie
If you have so much as turned on the TV or opened one magazine in the last three years, you are familiar with Angelina, her family and her charity work. Angelina, in many ways, has raised the bar in Hollywood when it comes to philanthropy and I think that is a beautiful thing. In the last 10 years, Angelina has traveled the world, visited countless Refugee camps, donated millions of dollars, and adopted three children. She is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, was a recipient of the Citizen of the World Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association and was awarded the Global Humanitarian Award by the UNA-USA. For more information about Angelina’s work, read her journals. And that’s only the beginning…

Scarlett Johansson
Young, incredibly famous, and newly married, Scarlett is already showing her dedication to charitable causes. Johansson is a Global Ambassador to Oxfam, an anti-poverty coalition and also works as an ambassador to the Global Aids campaign, RED. In 2008, Scarlett auctioned herself off for a date to raise money for Oxfam, and she has even auctioned off a snotty tissue for charity. Interesting tactics from this leading lady, but hey, whatever works, right?

Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel has always seemed like one of the more “down to earth” celebs out there. She's always seen without makeup, and I love how she and Justin maintain as low a profile as they can. But, the real reason I think she’s a solid person? Her charity work. In 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network, a cause-oriented social network that connects nonprofit organizations with potential donors and increases awareness for small-to-medium nonprofits. Check out Jessica’s MTDN profile and take a minute to fulfill the wish of a non-profit you care about.

Keira Knightley
Keira, in my mind, is one of the most intense and talented young actresses on the Hollywood scene. She is quickly rising to the top, but there is no doubt that she is using her celebrity status for good. In 2008, Keira became the new face of a campaign by human rights charity Amnesty International, marking the 60^th anniversary of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Beyond being the pretty face of the campaign, Knightley also made a short film to help raise awareness of the UDHR and human rights abuses. We’ve also seen Keira do fun things for charity, like donate a dress and even contribute her voice to a movie. Here’s to hoping there are many more good things to come from this bright star.

Oprah Winfrey
I can’t write a blog post about philanthropy without talking about Oprah Winfrey. Oprah’s Angel Network has raised more than $80 million in donations from the public since its inception. The charity uses donations to “award grants to organizations around the world that are improving access to education, protecting basic rights, creating communities of support and developing the leaders of tomorrow.” Beyond her Angel Network, we have seen Oprah personally give away huge amounts of her own money, and in 2005, she became the first black person listed by Business Week as one of America’s top 50 most generous philanthropists. With her own show and shows like the Big Give, Oprah has done wonderful things to make giving public, popular, and fun.

Rosie O'Donnell
She’s hysterical… and charitable. According to The Giving Back Fund, Rosie O'Donnell gave $5.7 million dollars to a variety of causes in 2006, many focused on Katrina Relief efforts. Rosie also founded the For all Kids Foundation, a non-profit charity that is committed to helping kids born into poverty through the construction of childcare centers, funding, grants, and other projects. One of my favorite fun facts about Rosie? According to Wikipedia, apparently she donated $50 million of a five year contract in an irrevocable trust to charity. Impressive.

Barbara Streisand
In 2008, ABC News named Barbara Streisand as the third most generous celebrity in the second annual list of the biggest humanitarians gathered by the Giving Back Fund. The Streisand Foundation, founded in 1986, “has made grants totaling nearly $15 million to national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues and nuclear disarmament.” Barbara Streisand is a role model for aspiring actresses and do-gooders everywhere.

What are you spending on this Valentine's Day - chocolates or charity?

megans — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:36:15 +0000

Yes, it’s that time of year again. That date looming in February that makes you overanalyze your love life and, if you’re in a relationship, stress about what you should be doing on Valentine’s Day. Do you have to buy your significant other a gift? And, if so, do you really want to spend money on flowers, candy or some other last minute gift that's red or pink? This year, given the state of our economy, don’t you want your money to mean more?

Last year, Elaine Gast wrote a great article for us entitled, “14 Charitable Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day.” From volunteering to buying gifts that give back, Elaine offers great suggestions on ways to do good and feel good on Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for meaning and leaning towards charity instead of chocolates this year, check out Elaine’s suggestions. In addition, keep coming back throughout the week for more ideas from our staff on how to truly spread the love this February 14^th.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to do good and feel good this Valentine's Day. What are yours?

Give a gift that gives again. Give your significant other a chance to give to the charity they love by buying them a charity good card.
Brighten up a child’s day – help make sure that every child at Children’s National Medical Center receives a special Valentine’s Day card on February 14^th by donating $10 now.
Buy a beautiful basket for your spouse and support Rwandan women earning their own stake in a global economy.
Say "I love you" while giving clean water to people in need.
If you’re going to buy flowers or another red or pink gift, try finding something on giftback.com, an online site that gives 10% of your order to a charity of your choice.
Surprise your significant other with plans for a vacation - but this time make it a volunteer vacation.

25 random things about The Case Foundation

megans — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:30:39 +0000

If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably seen a few of your friends jump on the train and post 25 things about themselves. I personally have been having a blast reading these insights and feel like I am learning new things about people I’ve known for years. Sometimes it’s the little things that make you feel like you really know someone. So if you’re interested in getting to know more about the Case Foundation, here’s 25 random things you may not have known about us!

We recently turned 12 years old and are ready to embrace our adolescence
We are a team of passionate people who come to work everyday wanting to do good things
We believe change begins with each individual
We give hugs, hi-fives and do the wave in meetings
We are pretty big culprits of office lingo
We believe in the power of people coming together to talk about what matters most to them, find solutions, and take action
We are conveners
We like almonds – roasted, no salt
We like to take risks
We believe in helping people take action on the issues THEY care most about
We believe that this type of community involvement and social innovation are key to solving our most complex social issues
We are inspired by the amazing people we meet every day, like you
We believe in a broad definition of “giving” – one that embraces dollars, time, talent and, well, pretty much anything else you can “give”
We love widgets—and all new distributed technologies, but we especially love widgets
We tried to convince our SVP of Interactive Strategies to dress as a super widget for Halloween
We like to think big (check out what Beth Kanter and Fast Company have to say)
We believe that we are only as strong as our partners- and that the more varied the partnerships are across sectors, the better
We are blown away by these amazing partners every day
Our CEO is a great bowler
We like to name our conference rooms after Hawaiian Islands- not only because our chairman is from Hawaii, but also because it reminds us of the beach
We tweet, we blog (well, we’re learning to at least) and we’re on friendfeed
We use these tools because we are committed to sharing what we know and what we’re learning with others
We, like everyone else, struggle with the openness and transparency that comes with social media, but we believe the pros outweigh the cons
We encourage you to experiment like we are
We think one of our biggest resources we have to share are the incredible people on the team

Mad for mobile: beer, chips, football, and charity

megans — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:09:32 +0000

If you watched the Superbowl on Sunday, chances are you probably caught most of the commercials as well. I'm sure you have some thoughts about which you liked and didn’t like and whether you liked it or not, you probably won’t be forgetting the image of Conan on his hands and knees in a red mesh tank top anytime soon.

My question for you is, in the midst of the exciting game and the Sunday beer-drinking, did you catch the commercial that asked you to donate via your mobile phone?

The national spot I'm referring to was a 10 second call to action by United Way that featured the voice of Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys and asked viewers to text FIT to UNITED (864833) to give $5 to help youth fitness programs.

I saw the United Way commercial on Sunday – but I was LOOKING for it. I’m a huge believer in the potential of mobile giving. I’m in awe of the work organizations like the Mobile Giving Foundation and mgive have done and am hopeful from the numbers the first year of mobile giving has shown: over $500k in the first year – compared to the first year of online giving in 1997 which brought in $300k.

My question is, did other people pay attention to, or even see this quick 10-second spot? And if so, what was their reaction?

What about you? Did you watch the Superbowl on Sunday and did you notice this commercial? What did you think? Did you or anyone you know donate? I’d love to hear what was going through your head on Sunday. Beyond this spot, is donating via your mobile phone something you think you would feel comfortable doing in the future? What’s your mood when it comes to mobile?

Oh, and by the way, if you were actually AT the superbowl or watching the NFL network, you could have seen another 30 second spot by the American Urological Society, asking viewers to text LIFE to 90999 to donate $5 to help fund prostate cancer screening and the search for a cure. Check out the announcement from mgive here.

Gotta love Global Giving

megans — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:52:36 +0000

There is nothing better than a random conversation that makes your day. I, personally, have always thought incredibly highly of both the team at Global Giving and the work that they do. If I – or anyone for that matter- had any doubts about the awesomeness of their team, check out the quick conversation I had this week with a close friend of mine out of the blue. He was buying a Global Giving gift card for his girlfriend, Arin, for her birthday and there were some delivery problems. Their approach to customer service? They say they have a 100% commitment to customer satisfaction, I would say this is more like 200%...

LASOFF12: hey what was ur involvement with Global Giving (if any)
MeganSCF: worked really closely with them last year
MeganSCF: know a lot of ppl there
MeganSCF: why?
LASOFF12: soooo....
LASOFF12: I got Arin a gift card as opart of her bday present
LASOFF12: and they had some delivery problems and missed it by a few days
LASOFF12: so this lady called me very apologetic
LASOFF12: offering to send her flowers, balloons, t shirts
LASOFF12: then she offered for the entire company to call Arin and sing her happy bday
LASOFF12: so they did yesterday
LASOFF12: the whole company
MeganSCF: hahaha are you serious?
LASOFF12: yeah
LASOFF12: the person I talked to was Donna Callejon
LASOFF12: shes the COO
MeganSCF: yeah
MeganSCF: shes awesome
LASOFF12: the website is awesome
LASOFF12: Arins mom did all of her holiday gifts through the website
LASOFF12: I was very impressed

Ironically, the same day I had this conversation with my friend, Guy Kawasaki of How to Change the World wrote a great (and amusing post) about "The Art of Customer Service." I'd say Global Giving has these tidbits down, but check it out if you (or the organization you work for) need some pointers.

As for Global Giving, I'm just hands down impressed. If you are too, you may want to consider buying some Global Giving Gift Cards for your loved ones for the Holidays. Give a gift that gives back and support a pretty awesome organization at the same time

Happy Holidays everyone.