Da[ Share the Prosperity ]

Opportunities to Give

Some people adopt a thematic approach to sharing their prosperity. Using a thematic approach, they chose an issue that is important to them, and find ways to help out. A thematic approach might address themes such as Food Security (Hunger), Peace Initiatives or Housing Security.

Other people choose a geographic approach, and share with causes based on locality, which may be local, regional, national, or even international. Many cities offer an umbrella group such as the United Way so a single gift will spread across many organizations. Many of the umbrella groups will also allow you to designate which charities in the group will benefit from your gift.

How do I find an opportunity in my area?

One of the quickest way to find an opportunity is to do an Internet search using words that describe what you want to do. If you are looking for an opportunity in your local community, include the name of the town, city, or even your county or state. If you do not find what you are looking for in the first couple of pages of search results, try to re-describe your search using similar terms. For instance, a search using the terms Hunger and Missoula returns information about the local food bank, but Homeless Shelter Missoula returns information about the Poverello center, which is a local charity which feeds the homeless. One way to help sort through all of the information available from search engines is to find a one that does not inundate you with advertising for every search you do. Ask.com and Google.com are two examples. The Ask search engine will make suggestions for other searches which may help direct you in your search

Some thematic opportunities:

Food Security (Hunger)

• Local Food Bank
• Food Bank Networks

Peace

• Culture of Peace Initiative
• Global Peace Initiative

Housing

Habitat for Humanity has both US and International programs. In addition to donations, HforH is built around volunteer providing labor and other resources to build houses for people who may have no other opportunity to be able to own their own home. In the U.S., these homes are sold to individuals who qualify for them. Part of this qualification involves "Sweat Equity" -- They must work alongside the volunteers building the home.

Disaster Relief

• American Red Cross
• International Red Cross and Red Cresent
• Other International Relief Organization (Ask.Com Search Page)

Financial

• Micro Lending is the act of making small loans to individuals to start a business or service. Those who receive Micro Loans would not normally qualify for a bank loan for a number of reasons, including being unemployed or having no credit history. Investors who make small loans in the micro credit market do in fact expect the loan to be paid back, but the rate of return is often smaller than what they could expect to receive elsewhere. Some people consider this form of "Social Investing" to be a worthwhile way to share their own prosperity. Find out more about Micro Lending and opportunities at Micro Place and KIVA.
  
• Angel Investors often help start up companies to bridge the gap between just starting up with capitol provided by self, friends and family to Venture Capitalists who often shy away from projects of less than a million dollars. Because the risk is often high, and the social impact is not a factor, most "Angels" expect a higher rate of return in this type of investment. Although not as altruistic as Micro Lending, being an Angel Investor can be one way of helping others to achieve prosperity. The Harvard Business School offers potential Angel Investors some good advice, and the Angel Investors Journal is an on-line resource for learning some ins-and-outs about angel investing. A Google search for "Angel Investing" will provide additional resources for investigation.

Our Purpose

The purpose of this website is to encourage sharing prosperity and good fortunes in a way that matters to you.

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