Foolanthropy: Dare We Dream?
By Selena Maranjian (TMF Selena)
December 29, 2000
The end is near. Our fourth annual online charity drive is ending Jan. 6. If you haven't yet given, permit me to urge you to at least read about our five featured organizations. They appreciate any financial contributions, of course, but they're also very eager for you to just learn more about them and what they do. Each is tackling epic problems in unusual and incredibly efficient ways.
We've now raised several hundred thousand dollars. (Here are the latest totals, broken down by organization.) Last year we raised nearly $800,000. Dare we dream of doing that again? Of surpassing that? Of raising a million?
Truth be told, I'll be surprised if we surpass last year's total. Last year the Nasdaq advanced about 85% -- its best year ever. This year, as I write this, it's down more than 35%. Fools were very likely feeling a bit giddy last year -- after all, the markets had generally been racing ahead relentlessly for several years. This year things are different. It won't be surprising if people aren't as generous with their giving. Still, I'm happy to report that there are many people in Fooldom with exceedingly generous spirits. Some examples:
- Via e-mail, J. H. informed me of a $25 contribution, saying that, "$25 is about 1/2 of 1 percent of what the market has cost me these last 6 months. This makes me feel better."
- On our Foolanthropy discussion board, "Ghastlypc" posted an inspiring note:
"Dear Fools, Since my high point this year I'm down 40%. In a year such as this, as bad as it's been, it's time to remember those who have a lot less than us. The only right thing in my mind is to increase my donations by 25%. Count your blessings. Give back to the world! Fool on."
These wonderful sentiments make me think that anything is possible with our drive this year. After all, remember that there are about 2 million of us hanging out in Fooldom -- if we each chipped in just $25, we'd raise an incredible $50 million. I know that's not likely to happen, but a glance at our Ship of Fools partial list of credit card donors makes it clear that many of you are indeed giving.
We at the Fool are doing our part, too. As always, we'll be chipping in our share, which will amount to more than $25,000 this year. And we're doing our best to drum up interest in the drive, too. In case you're interested, here are some articles various Fools have written on various aspects of the drive:
And some more:
If you haven't yet given to our drive, I urge you to at least think about it. Read about the charities. We've got the power of numbers on our side. With each of us chipping in just $5 or $10 (or $500 or $1,000 or more!), each according to our ability and desire, we can do amazing things. We can support people who are devoting their lives to making this planet a better place through innovative and cost-effective approaches. We can literally save lives. Many, many lives.
Let's see how much good we can do together!
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