Raising Money for Charity by Searching the Internet

If you visit here often you’ve probably seen the link to GoodSearch.com in the sidebar. I’ve been searching through there for a while now (it supplements my Google addiction ) and I figured I should do a post about it.

Basically, GoodSearch allows you to raise money for non-profits by searching the Internet. It’s Yahoo-powered so you get the same results you would with Yahoo. I personally have to search a little differently with it than I do with Google, but it’s a pretty good search engine and I find that I’m using it more and more now. The also have a site, GoodShop, that allows you to do your online shopping through retailers like Amazon.com and raise money that way for non-profits. A larger % tends to go to the charity if you use GoodShop.

How it works:

You type in the name of a charity (it has to be US based, they don’t do overseas just yet) and click verify. If the group is in there, you can start searching, and $.01 goes to your organization of choice for every search you do. The money that goes to the charity comes from GoodSearch advertisers. And that’s pretty much it, but you can get a very detailed description from their website.

Here are some non-profits you can search for:

Heifer International on GoodSearch.
Their website.
(Heifer International is one of the best charitable organizations around. They help people to raise themselves out of poverty and hunger by providing livestock and education on building businesses with the tools they’re provided. Also, they have a “pass-it-along” model in which those that receive livestock give to their neighbors. For instance, if a family receives goats, they provide milk for neighbors and sell milk at the market. If a female goat gives birth, that one is given to a neighbor. They have many programs, and they’re all described fully on their site.)

Save Darfur on GoodSearch.
Their website.

From their site:

The Save Darfur Coalition was founded in 2004 when our organizational members signed a unity statement demanding peace and security for the people of Darfur. We are an alliance of over 180 faith-based, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. The Coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur.

KIVA on GoodSearch.
Their website.

From their site:

How Kiva Works -
Step 1: Choose an entrepreneur
The loans on our site are always changing. They are being uploaded by our microfinance partners around the world. You can find a new loan on the home page or on the ‘Fundraising’ Loans page.

Step 2: Make a loan
When you have selected an entrepreneur, you can make a loan using your credit card (via PayPal). You can loan as little as $25 at a time. Checking out is easy and safe because of PayPal.

Step 3: Receive journals and payments
Periodically, you will hear back from the entrepreneur you sponsor. Partner representatives (often loan officers) write directly to the website to keep you informed on the progress of the entrepreneur. If you choose, you can receive these via email.

Step 4: Withdraw or re-loan
When your Kiva loan is repaid, you can choose to withdraw your funds or re-loan to a new entrepreneur.

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Nancy O. Greene
Originally posted on The Writers’ Block blog

M. A. F. I. A. by Thomas F. Monteleone

Buy M. A. F. I. A. at Borderlands Press

I recently did an interview with acclaimed horror writer Thomas F. Monteleone for the upcoming Maryland Writers’ Association Conference (it’s coming soon! I have to finish transcribing it/editing it on paper), and all around awesome guy that he is, after the interview was finished he offered to send me a copy of The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association. It’s the Borderlands Press omnibus collection of his “M. A. F. I. A.” column that has appeared in various publications over the years, currently at Cemetery Dance.

He asked me to let all you readers/writers out there know that you must have this book, and, frankly, he didn’t even need to ask! YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK. Seriously, it covers so much about the publishing industry, how it’s changed over the years, the ups and downs he and others have gone through in the writing and publishing business. It’s an entertaining and very honest look at all of it, no bs.

There’s years and years of experience in “M. A. F. I. A.” and it’s all laid out for you to read and digest. Learn from it, wince when you recognize your own missteps (I most certainly did), and take comfort in the fact that it’s all a part of the process. If you really want to know, I suggest you get a copy ASAP.

I will refrain from using the The Godfather line to persuade you .
Buy M. A. F. I. A. at Borderlands Press
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Nancy O. Greene
Originally posted on The Writers’ Block blog

Arthur C. Clarke, 1917 – 2008

As many have heard by now, the visionary, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, has passed away. His funeral was held on Saturday in Sri Lanka.

Arthur C. Clarke was a pioneer in literature, science, and humanitarian aid. He influenced generations with his novels, like the popular 2001: A Space Odyssey, which was made into the film directed by another visionary artist, Stanley Kubrick. If you would like to learn more about Arthur C. Clarke’s body of work and donate to his causes, such as the THE MILLENNIUM VILLAGE PROJECT in partnership with the Arthur C. Clarke Institute, please visit The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation.

Also, The Planetary Society will be broadcasting a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke starting today and continuing throughout the week.

Nancy O. Greene