Philanthropy for Everyone: Part Two

This is a continuation of the article I wrote yesterday, Philanthropy for Everyone: Part One. We each have the opportunity to actually participate in philanthropy. The pepsirefreshproject provides $1.3 million each month in grants to individuals, organizations and corporations who submit their ideas for funding. By voting for your favorite ideas (up to 10 votes each day), you have a voice in which projects get funded. Is that awesome or what?

Currently, there are more than 1,000 submissions competing for your vote. If your time is limited and you want some ideas on what projects to support, I can help. (Of course! The point of the article! LOL). I spent about three hours reading, ranking and eliminating projects to come up with a top ten list. These projects will each get one vote per day from me. Perhaps you can find an idea to support among them. Following are the second five on my list. Click on each title to visit their proposal page.

#6: talbert House Community Correctional Center
Proposal: Provide GED Preparation Materials to At Risk Youth
Grant Amount: $25,000
Idea Location: Butler, Warren & Clermont Counties, OH
talbert House Community Correctional Center is a non-profit agency that offers drug and alcohol rehabilitation to the community. The education department works hard to help students who were unsuccessful in previous exposure to school settings and dropped out. We offer a 2nd chance to them.

#7: Minga
Proposal: Educate Youth about the Child Sex Trade
Grant Amount: $25,000
Idea Location: Brookline, MA
My friends and I learned that in the U.S. the average age of entry into prostitution is just 13 years, and that more than 325,000 children are exploited each year. We decided to take action, and founded a nonprofit group called Minga. This year we want to produce PSAs to more directly reach youth.

#8: Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco
Proposal: Train disabled persons to become Yoga instructors.
Grant Amount: $25,000
Idea Location: San Francisco, CA
I've been leading Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco for ten years. I've also been teaching yoga to people with disabilities for 14 years. I found that many of my students with disabilities had overcome amazing obstacles and were ready to become yoga teachers themselves.

#9: The Tommy Foundation
Proposal: Educate & Support Autism Families across U.S.
Grant Amount: $50,000
Idea Location: Lancaster, PA
The Tommy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the autism community and the family unit as a whole. From offering presentations on advocacy and communication, to direct one-on-one assistance and awareness events, we serve the entire community. Based in Pennsylvania, but we serve the entire U.S.


#10: Music National Service - MusicianCorps
Proposal: Fund musician corps teaching in public schools.
Grant Amount: $250,000
Idea Location: Chicago, New Orleans, Oakland, Seattle, San Francisco
Music National Service (MNS), creates music programs that reach, teach and heal. MNS is piloting a musical peace corps called MusicianCorps. MusicianCorps serves in public schools and other high-need settings. MNS was named a 2008 "Top-Ten Social Innovation to Strengthen U.S. Communities" by the Aspen Institute. MNS currently serves Chicago, New Orleans, Oakland, San Francisco and Seattle, with plans to expand.