Welcome to the JustGive Newsletter
August 1, 2001

Thanks to you, we have already passed through almost $400,000 to over 900 nonprofit organizations, and every day, more people discover how easy it is to donate to charities through us. And thanks to all of you who donate to JustGive.org. By making a contribution to us, you are supporting all the incredibly vital causes that need attention in our society. Donations to JustGive.org are fully tax-deductible and allow us to pass 100% through to charity. Support JustGive.org today so that both individuals and charities may continue to benefit.

*YOU CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE: Now that your tax refund check is on its way, we have a great idea about how you can spend it! Donate it (or a portion of it) to JustGive.org! Your donation will go far in helping us help. For example:

• A $100 donation helps us to forward $4,000 in donations to other nonprofit organizations
• A $300 donation allows us to forward $12,000 in donations to approximately 25 nonprofit organizations
• A $600 donation enables us to forward $24,000 in donations from over 120 donors to about 50 nonprofit organizations

Thank you for whatever support you can give!

1. August Giving Calendar
2. Wedding Donations (read what some couples have said)
3. Inspiring Stories
4. Yahoo Points! Update
5. Our Wish List
6. Tell a Friend
7. Quote of the Day

1. AUGUST GIVING CALENDAR -- A few reasons to give (if you didn't already have enough!)

• August 5th is Sister's Day -- Why not honor Sister's Day with a donation to Big Brothers/Big Sisters in the name of your favorite sister? It's also the perfect excuse to say "thank you" to a friend who is as close as a sister.
  
  WHAT CAN YOU DO? Make a donation to Big Brothers/Big Sisters or find your local BBBS chapter and be a mentor to a young person in need.
  
  
• August 8th is Senior Citizens Day -- According to AARP, About 76 million Americans were age 50 and above at the turn of the millenium -- that's 28% of the nation's population. This number is expected to double in the next 30 years. By most economic indicators, Americans over 50 are better off today than their counterparts 20 years ago, but there are still many comcerns. Only about one-third of those past age 65 have pension income, a number that is not increasing. The probability of being poor in old age remains very high. There is a 40 percent chance that an American will be poor at some time after the age 60.
  
  WHAT CAN YOU DO? Support the Medicare Rights Center, an organization that helps ensure that older adults and people with disabilities get good affordable health care.
  
  
• August 19th is Homeless Animals Day -- As a nation, we claim to love dogs and cats, as millions of households share their home with their furry friends. But as a nation, we also let millions of dogs and cats die on our streets or in shelters every year. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), 8-10 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and 4-5 million dogs and cats are euthanized by shelters each year. Only by spaying and neutering all companion animals will we be able to get a handle on this problem. Consider the fact that in six short years one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies. In seven years, one cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens.
  
  WHAT CAN YOU DO? Most importantly, spay or neuter your dog or cat! Educate your community, support legislation that mandates animals adopted from shelters be sterilized, adopt your animals from shelters only (do not support unnecessary breeding that pet stores perpetuate), encourage local veterinarians to provide low-cost sterilization programs. Find your local shelter, or make a donation to the Humane Society of the United States.
  
  
• August 26th is Women's Equality Day -- Celebrate this day by supporting equality for women and girls around the country and the world who suffer the worst of inequality. These few facts speak for themselves: Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes. According to the Justice Department, one in two rape victims are under age 18; one in six are under age 12. Somewhere in America a woman is battered, usually by her intimate partner, every 15 seconds. Learn more.
  
  
• WHAT CAN YOU DO? Help end violence against women and girls. Make a donation to the V-Day Fund, which allocates resources to global grassroots groups that work to end rape, battery, incest, and genital mutilation.

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2. Wedding Donations make the perfect gift! Whether you are getting married or attending a wedding, charitable gift donations make the perfect present.

• Couples getting married can choose specific charities, and we create a special page they refer their guests to, allowing them to donate to the charities in their names.
• If you've been invited to a wedding and want to give something more intimate and personal than a kitchen appliance, you can choose a charity that would be meaningful to the happy couple and make a donation in their name. We can help you find a charity.
• What we've heard from couples using the service:
  --"You helped us solve a big problem, we can't say enough to thank you. The service provied by Justgive.org is so covenient and meaningful, I am very glad I found it"
  --"Thank YOU for your time & efforts in helping us set this up! And thank you for being such a pleasure to work with. Several of my friends are getting married as well & I will definitely have them sign up as well."
  --"Our experience with JustGive has been a wonderful one, and we will continue to utilize this service for the many gift giving occasions that occur throughout the year."
  
  Learn more or contact us.

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3. Inspiring Stories

Eric Perlyn used the money he received at his bar mitzvah to provide new shoes for six underprivileged brothers. This selfless act inspired Eric to seek donations from local shoe stores for other needy children. He formed a nonprofit corporation called Stepp'n Up and continued to expand his efforts by contacting shoe manufacturers and involving students from his high school. Since the program's inception, 5,400 pairs of shoes have been distributed to the poor. Eric is currently preparing a guide so that other young people can create their own Stepp'n Up chapters around the country. Eric received the Caring Institute's Young Caring Award in 1996.

Support other inspirational people by making a donation to the Caring Institute.

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4. Yahoo! Points

Our partnership with Yahoo! Points has been very successful! To date, donations from the Yahoo! Points program total $8,790, and that number is still growing as more people donate their Yahoo! Points to charity. If you have accumulated any Points through Yahoo!, simply visit this page and follow the instructions on how to donate your points to any one of five funds. Funds include Animals, Children & Youth, Housing & Shelter, Hunger & Poverty, and Peace.

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5. Our Wish List -- Yet another way to support JustGive.org

As you may have noticed, there are many ways to support JustGive. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization passing through 100% of donations to charities, we rely on donations from individuals like you. Financial donations are always needed (and greatly appreciated!) to cover our operating costs, but there are other ways you could help us as well. Please contact us at help@justgive.org if you could donate any of the following:

-Small refrigerator
-Copier
-Fax Machine
-General Office Supplies

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6. Tell a Friend -- Pass on what you love about JustGive.org Spread the news and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to join the Giving Movement! Simply fill in the email addresses of the people with whom you would like to share JustGive.org's services. We'll tell them the things you already know:

• We pass 100% through to charities
• We have over 700,000 nonprofits on our site
• We offer a gift option
• We provide an annual tax summary of your charitable contributions
• And much more...

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7. Quote of the Month

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~Dr. Seuss

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We hope you to pass this newsletter on to others. If you have any questions or feedback, please send them to feedback@justgive.org. Thank you for your support and for joining the Giving Movement, as we all create the world we imagine.

Regards,

Colleen A. Patrick
Senior Content & Creative Director
feedback@justgive.org
http://www.justgive.org