I believe that people are inherently kind. I mean, that's why my wife and I started this charity fund. We believe everyone wants to stand for good in this world. We all have our differences, but we live our lives trying to do the right thing - treating people with kindness and respect. Over the past few months, we have become increasingly bothered by the hate, ignorance, and ugliness that seem to be taking root in our conversations, social media feeds, and possibly the future direction of our country.
Some of the hot topics of debate over the past year, we feel, have crossed the line into disrespect, hate, and fear mongering. We really don't see these issues as partisan at all. We see these issues as human. We don't believe that one political party is any better than another. We're not interested in political debate. We believe people want to help other people in need - regardless of religion, sexual orientation, or their country of origin - and that we, as humans, want to protect the future of our planet. Over the last year, some of these issues have been politicized on both sides of the aisle. Regardless of whom you voted for in the 2016 election, we can all agree that the right thing to do in this world is to help people and our planet. We all want to stand for good!
So, after months of preparation, today we're launching The Stand For Good Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity fund. This fund is a way for all of us to support organizations who stand for human rights and the environment. Our grants will help provide aid to Syrian refugees, support the LGBTQ community through education and counseling, promote religious tolerance particularly to fight Islamophobia, and promote fair government policies regarding climate change. These are causes that we feel may be challenged over the next few years. We are one fund but we support all of those important causes. All donations are tax-deductible and donations of $250 or more will receive a confirmation letter for tax purposes.
Okay, so you want to help, but why give to our particular fund? Our goal for 2017 is to raise enough money to earn an endowment. An endowment means that the fund will earn interest and becomes self-sustainable for generations. Our donations, YOUR donations, if we reach our goal, could make an impact for decades. We, as the primary donors of the fund, handle all administrative fees associated with the fund and we volunteer our time. We do not take a salary of any kind. We aren't using a crowdfunding site that would debit your donation with a fee. Our online donation page is administered by The Essex County Community Foundation of Danvers, MA, free of all fees and we skim NOTHING off the top. That means every single cent of your donation goes to these worthy causes, and every penny of the interest earned from our endowment goes straight to the people who need it. THAT'S making a difference together!
So, how do we get there? Our financial goal for 2017 is a total of $10,000 in donations. To make this goal, we're going to offer giveaways, charity events, auctions, and anything else we, or our followers, can offer. We'd never ask you do to do something that we wouldn't do ourselves. So, for a launch promotion, we're vowing to match, penny for penny, every cent that our supporters donate to The Stand For Good Fund. If we can raise $5,000 in donations, we'll match another $5,000, and our endowment goal of a total of $10,000 will be reached!
If you've been wanting to do something to take a stand for good, we'd be grateful for any donation you can make, and we'll match it 100%, up to a maximum of $10,000. Let's stop arguing on Facebook and Twitter. Let's not stand idly by without doing something to promote change - to promote life, love, peace, and Earth. Let's all come together! Donate, like, share, hashtag, and help us #StandForGood
