Better Ways to Give

I'm pretty blessed in my life.  I have wonderful people around me and so many more people that are eager and willing to support me in the things that I do. 

Christmas is coming, which means it's time to support others.  If you're looking for ways to give this year, here are a couple I care about. 

The IGNITE 2011 Finalists1.  Boston GLOW.  I care a lot about this organization because I see what it does.  I get the supreme privilege of watching young women pour their hearts into their writing and get rewarded for it.  I get to see how proud their families are.  I even get to see them do amazing things like start college or start a path for their chosen career.  Boston GLOW gives girls and women the chance to see what they are truly capable of and that is a tremendous thing to support. 

2.  Girls Write Now.  One of the debut author groups I'm a part of--the Class of 2k12--has organized a page for donations for Girls Write Now, an organization that pairs writers with teen girls.  So far, 100% of their participants have gone on to college, and as a part of a fledgling non-profit, I can say with authority how impressive that is. 

3.  Kickstarter.  Kickstarter is crowd-sourced funding for entrepreneurial endeavors, so it's not really "giving", it's supporting--which is the coolest thing about it.  You get to support someone's dream project, but you also get something back.  And there are some really amazing projects on there, including my friend's book that looks pretty awesome. 

4.  Indiebound.  Supporting your local independent bookstore means a lot more than you think.  It doesn't just mean better service or more local economy; it means more authors and more books.  For small and debut authors, indies are our life blood.  Every book you buy from them is supporting a new book to come out.  And they sell eBooks now too!

Any favorites of yours?