In a super noisy world, we sometimes believe that our voice won’t be heard, or even matter.
Don’t believe that!  Your opinion and voice MATTER immensely.
In fact, it’s a GIFT.
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Let’s Make an Impact Together
Perhaps I’m an optimist, or maybe even an idealist, but I truly believe that we can all make a positive impact in this world.
Impact doesn’t always have to be a huge event or grandiose act.  In fact, it’s the consistent little acts of kindness that add up over time that really move us forward as a human race.
Thus, I created this EASY challenge for all of you to express your voice below. Â Welcome to my…
2nd Annual Charity Comment Challenge!
The challenge is incredibly simple.
I’d like for you to tell me about your favorite charity.
Comment below and tell me:
- What is your favorite charitable organization?
- Why is it meaningful to you? Â Â
That’s it!
Don’t have a favorite organization? Â You can find one here.
Reasons To Participate
My title may have been a touch misleading. Â It says, “convert your comment into AÂ gift”. When in actuality you are creating multiple gifts simultaneously!
Even better, right?  More reasons to participate!  🙂
The First Gift
There are so many wonderful charitable organizations out there that give freely from the heart.
With your comment below, you are giving your charity a louder voice.  Increased awareness for your charitable organization will lead to more gifts and allow them to reach more people in need.
The Second Gift
This next gift is actually for YOU.
When you comment below, you are making a statement. Â You are giving your time and effort to help speak for those who cannot.
Giving is a part of the wealth creation process.  It’s an expression of gratitude.  It’s an acknowledgment that no matter how crazy or hectic our lives are, we can feel abundance from the simplest things in life.
Your gift is that you will feel fantastic knowing that you’ve taken action for someone else’s benefit.
This simple act of contribution may be more impactful than you will ever know. Â Never underestimate your influence.
The “Bonus” Gift!
The final gift is actually for your charitable organization.
It’s my gift to be able to acknowledge you (readers new and old) and contribute directly to something YOU care about.
Here’s how it will work.
$100+ Charity Contribution
Based on the comments below, I will select a winner and DONATE $100 to your favorite charity if chosen!
It was quite difficult choosing last year, so this year I’m going to leave it up to chance. 😉
However to make it a little more fun, you can try tipping the scales in your favor!
The drawing will take place on December 5th.
How to Get Entries to Win
- Just for commenting – 2 entries
- If you’re on my newsletter, or you sign up – 2 more entries
- If I really love your comment – 2 entries
- Share this post on social media – 1 extra entry per platform (max 3)
Bonus:Â Convert Your Comment into an Extra Dollar!
As a fun bonus to further encourage engagement as a COMMUNITY I will add an extra dollar for EVERY person* that comments.
If there are 15 people who comment, I will donate $100 + $15 = $115
If there are 50 people who comment, I will donate $100 + $50 = $150
Hopefully, I’m not making this too complicated, but I want you all to realize you are still making a monetary contribution even if your organization isn’t the one selected.
Final Thoughts
This challenge is about giving your heart a VOICE and taking this momentum into the upcoming holiday season.
I’d like to wish you a very warm and Happy Thanksgiving holiday from my family to yours.
Thank you so much for reading.
Readers, are you ready? Â Get set… go!! Â
(What is your favorite charitable organization? Why is it meaningful to you, etc?)
Winner Announced! (Dec. 5th, 2016)
Congratulations, Coach Chad Carson! You are the WINNER of the Charity Comment Challenge.
Thank you for sharing the good works of Doctors without Borders. They will receive a $129 donation in your honor.
Thanks to everyone who participated. Your comments added an extra $29 to this gift!!
The Rules
The charitable organization must be a registered non-profit and ideally documented on Charity Navigator. All entries must be entered before December 4th. I will select a winner at random and post the results on December 5th. The winner will be notified (if possible), or they may contact me to provide/verify their name as the donation honoree. The final donation amount will be calculated based upon the base $100 donation plus any additional “extra dollars” up to 200 commenters. This challenge is provided free of charge and open to any real person. The rules of this challenge may be updated at any time at my discretion. Thank you for participating!
My extended goal is to help you find your personal path to financial independence, and to enjoy the entire journey along the way.
More about me
- Finding FI Interview #44: Flying Free with Captain FI - July 24, 2023
- 8 Things About Money that I Wish I Knew In College - May 17, 2023
- It Pays to Pay Attention: How Diligence Can Save and Earn You Money - April 24, 2023
29 Comments on “How to Quickly Convert Your Comment into A Gift – Right Now!”
World Wildlife Fund. We won’t know what we are losing until it’s gone.
Thanks for sharing, Sherry! The world certainly wouldn’t be the same without our wildlife.
Cool concept here Mike!
I’d have to say my favourite charity is beyond blue, an Aussie focused charity that looks to “promotes good mental health, tackles stigma and discrimination, and provides support and information on anxiety, depression and suicide”
Loving the challenge here and thanks for being a great voice out there! 🙂
Thanks for sharing beyond blue, Jef! Mental health is super important to us all.
I love this idea, Michael. Thanks for inviting people to share the charities who are really making a difference in our world. We love to give to support the work of several charities, but the one that is nearest and dearest to me happens to be an important member of our local community. The Boise Rescue Mission strives to meet needs of the homeless and addicted in our city. What I love about the work they do is that they don’t just meet the physical needs by giving free food and shelter, but they also support mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. They have special housing for women and children and special programs to help out our veterans. The people at the Boise Rescue Mission do transformational work to help the needy become productive and independent again while making sure each person knows that no matter their past, they matter and they are loved.
Thanks for sharing the Boise Rescue Mission, Jannica! One of my favorite charities we donate to is the San Diego Rescue Mission. It sounds like they do some very similar good works. 🙂
Michael, thanks for doing this! I’ve got a ton of “favorite” charities but I feel like the most compelling ones right now are the ones that fight for and protect people: ACLU, SPLC, Lambda Legal and CRR. It’s always important but it just feels more imperative now.
I know, isn’t it hard to choose, Revanche! 😉
Thanks for sharing these organizations that protect people and their rights. That is super important today.
What a cool idea, Michael!
I have a friend who works for Doctors Without Borders (MSF = initials in french). I admire and respect the impact that organization makes on the world. They do incredible, thankless medical work all over the world in locations with the most dire needs. For example, my friend is an epidemiologist who worked on the front lines during the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. Those situations are desperate. Family members get infections holding or helping their loved ones who are suffering and dying. But MSF is right in the middle of those situations and many more to treat patients, education family members and the public, and help in whatever way they can. There are so many wonderful charities, but I think there’s is a rather unique and much needed one.
Awesome, Chad! I love the work that Doctors w/o Borders does. I have so much admiration and respect for these physicians that give so generously of their talents and efforts to those that need it most.
I really like Habitat for Humanity because it helps people help themselves. A potential homeowner must work about 200 hours on construction sites for homes to donate their time towards building these homes. They then must attend a training class on budgeting. I enjoyed volunteering at one of their houses for a day and was very sore afterwards. It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot and gained some new and unique experiences. I put a post up on my site about it.
Thanks for sharing Habitat for Humanity, Jesse! I love organizations that help to empower individuals. That’s pretty cool that you were able to volunteer and build someone’s home. I’m sure it was super rewarding. 🙂
It was very rewarding on multiple levels. It helped remind me that there are so many people who need basic necessities like housing. It was also rewarding to get down on my hands and knees and work in the dirt!! Very different from the office and from making power point presentations.
I’m from Australia (Queensland specifically) and love the work the Surf Lifesavers do! We have such beautiful beaches, and safety is a priority in the unpredictable surf. Also a +1 for mosquito nets and I already support Kiva personally – another great charity/initiative.
Hello, Heather from Queensland! Thanks for sharing Surf Lifesavers. Looks like they’re helping to keep your beautiful beaches extra safe. 🙂
Cool idea!
There are so many great charities out there, it is hard to pick just one. I think the organizations that promote entrepreneurship like Kiva are extremely important. Basic health we take for granted orgs too. Closer to home, I like Habitat for Humanity because affordable housing is a huge and difficult issue.
Brian, thanks for sharing Kiva and HFH! I really love that Kiva is giving low-income entrepreneurs a chance to move forward. The impact of creating entrepreneurs can have positive ripple effects near and far.
I love Julie’s idea about the mosquito netting. It costs so little to save lives.
We like Kids First of the Carolinas as a local charity. They run all year round plus they do a bicycle drive for kids for Christmas. We also donate to various animal shelters.
Cool, Mrs. Groovy. Thanks for sharing Kids First of the Carolinas! It looks like they are doing some beautiful work restoring hope and happiness to the kids who need it most.
Not trying to enter the contest, just build awareness. The most bang for the buck is probably mosquito nets in Africa, but we donate to a food bank attached to my hospital. Patients without food, clothing, and shelter will never be healthy.
Dr. Julie, thanks for bringing awareness to the mosquito nets. I had no clue, but it makes so much sense. If you are chosen, I’ll do my best to find an organization that will supply those types of nets. 🙂
There’s going to be lots of good ones shown. How to decide will be tough.
I don’t give to bipeds but I am an animal lover, so I offer up this one
Vet Ranch
You can look them up on youtube, facebook etc. Vet Ranch is dedicated to providing medical treatment to homeless animals that would otherwise have no advocate and sharing their inspirational stories. Our team works diligently to rehabilitate abused, abandoned and homeless animals so that they are able to be adopted into loving forever homes. We work closely with many animal rescues and shelters to decrease the number of animals that are euthanized due to treatable and/or curable conditions.
Awesome Whiskey, thanks for sharing Vet Ranch! There are so many abused and abandoned animals. It’s really a great service to them and the whole community.
My favorite organization right now is the World Wildlife Fund. My kids are very fond of two endangered species in particular (giant pandas and narwhals). Whenever they make money from selling lemonade at tag sales or other such endeavors, they always donate 10% of their proceeds to the WWF. Last year they got (and this year they’re getting) “adopted” animals as a Christmas gift. Great idea with the contest!
CMO, what a fantastic way to get the kids engaged. We have a special affinity for giant pandas down here in San Diego! It’s so wonderful that you are teaching your children how to tithe early on. You rock!
Thank you, XYZ. Chalice looks like a wonderful organization. I love that they restore dignity and hope for children. The ripple effect of their good works are no doubt amazing!
And, I certainly do like their efficiency rating too! 😉
Great idea Michael, I wish we could help more right here in our back yard.
For the past 18 years Chalice has been enriching lives, while restoring hope and dignity to people in developing countries through our Child Sponsorship Programme.
Charity Efficiency (Money to Cause): 91.6%
Fundraising Efficiency (Cost/$100): $3.98
Their program is great and you know the money is going to the cause, not to “administration”.
This is a really great idea, Michael! A number of years ago, my wife got a job at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That was her dream job so she was super excited (and still loves it). It’s hard to hear about some of the life threatening illnesses that kids out there have, but it’s really great what they do.
For anyone not familiar, they try to grant a wish for these kids to try to make whatever time they have just a little better. It could be anything from a Disney vacation, to meeting an athlete or other celebrity, having a makeover of their room, or all kinds of great deams. It’s amazing to see videos of the excitement that these kids have.
So without a doubt, I’m throwing Make-A-Wish into the ring!
— Jim
Fantastic, thanks for your submission, Jim! I’ve seen Make-A-Wish do some pretty spectacular things over the past decade. Great choice.