HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bidazzled. All opinions are 100% mine.

At the age of 58, Jimmy Ruch was a man dying of small cell lung cancer. The disease is caused when small malignant cancer cells form inside the lung tissue. His wish for his friends to find a way to raise awareness, and they not only created a website to raise awareness of these disease caused by smoking, second hand smoke, and asbestos exposure, but they created an auction website to raise funds as well. Bidazzled is an auction site created in his memory under the auspices of the Ruch Foundation.

The auction site is a bit different as there are no private sellers. Much of the merchandise appears to the factory sealed. As a participant, you buy bid packs. You pay for each bid you make with credits. Instead of bidding the maximum dollar amount you would pay for the item, you could make a single bid. It is similar to what they used to call a chinese auction. The winner is the last one to bid. One may think that it would be impossible to win, but there are safeguards in place. One can only use as many bids as they have purchased. Sometimes bonus bids are accrued, and credit is given if an auction isn’t one, but you are limited by the bids you have available. In other words, it is not like other auction sites where a bidder can place a skyhigh bid they don’t think anyone else will touch. Also, you are able to win up to five items a week, so participants are required to think carefully on where they are going to use their bids on.

The only constructive criticism about the site is the apparent inability to search.  This may contribute to the thrill of the hunt, however.  I scrolled through several pages of items and was impressed by the different electronics and movies that I saw and have, in fact, been looking for.  Saving up to 80-90% off of the retail prices of items are definitely something that outweighs that by far.

Right now, Bidazzled is offering a bonus. You can use the code BBP1202A to receive 15 bonus bids. If you choose to purchase bids, bids are available in packs of $25.00 or more.  You can have a great time, get some rock bottom deals on electronics and more that you have been looking for, as well as help a good cause.  It will help the Ruch Foundation on its funding of smoking cessation programs, and provide information about treatment for the disease.

If you are a small nonprofit and have volunteers that buy supplies or drive vehicles, you may find that you need to reimburse them.  One may say volunteers should donate things, but if a group specifically needs items to keep their office or kennel running, money needs to be outlayed. Good volunteers are hard to come by and not everyone can donate both time and money.   One way to skip the process of needing to approve and cut a check is to ask people to donate gift cards in small denominations.  This way, when a volunteer needs to fill up the rescue transport vehicle or pay a bill for the group, a trusted volunteer can.

I just discovered that there are prepaid cards, like the Vision Premier Prepaid Visa, that offer direct deposit.  They act in lieu of a bank account and the money gets placed right on the prepaid Visa instead of going into the bank. I always was curious as to why someone would not want to have a bank account. Are they running from the law? I recently discovered there are other reasons why you might want to cash checks somewhere else.

If you are a student away at school, you may not have a local branch of your bank near school. It also has benefit to people who spend months traveling by RV. You don’t have to worry about someone being at home to deposit your checks, and if you cannot find a bank branch on the road, you can still have instant access to your money. It you lose the card, no one will have access to your nest egg because it is entirely separate, yet you will still have the funds from your check available on it.

I am wondering if the prepaid cards would work for the purpose of tithing.  I am wondering if someone could set it up where part of their check gets deposited to an organization’s card.   That might be too complicated and there would be too much of an exchange of personal information, but you never know.

I live in a town now where there is a Leader Dogs organization. Every so once in awhile, you can see little fluffy “Leader Dogs in Training” walking around town in their bandannas. There are many people in the area who open their homes as puppy raisers, and donate monetarily as well. The organization is heavily support by the Lions club, who also have other vision related charitable programs. They always collect eyeglasses to send around the world to those it would make a difference too. Some people, including children, have severe vision limitations that do not cause them to be blind, but limit their ability to be successful at work and at school.

Sometimes, I look in the bin and see a huge amount of very outdated glasses. I am not talking about style specifically, but weight. Now, glasses are lighter. Technology has improved and they can make lenses a little thinner and frames a little lighter. There are not as many coke bottle glasses as there were before. It would be nice to donate glasses that are more recent, versus at the end of the road.

A few folks have been telling me about Zenni Optical and their $8 frames. It is not a bait and switch. They have frames that are slightly more expensive, but indeed have plenty at the $8 price point. I thought about buying a few and donating them to the Lions. This way, they would have a few light weight pairs for someone needed them. Perhaps have a more modern look would help someone put their best foot forward, or just make it easier without the weight.

Some may point out that the frames are not made in the United States. So far, I have not found any that are. If you find a company, please point it out to me. However, this allows someone to buy what is at the optical stores at a more factory direct price. You can afford to be generous.  In fact, what a better way to impact someone’s life for such little money.  For $8-20, someone’s life can be dramatically transformed.  They can see the rivets at the factory, learn to read, or simply lead an independent life if the correction needed is extreme.

A recent article in the paper stated that success is created by education, not by someone’s initial financial situation, ethnic group, or even IQ.   That is why it is so important to make sure children are exposed to a foundation in the basics.

While public schools do receive funding from property taxes, there are often projects that are not funded that teachers and parents feel would make a certain difference in the education of children. Donorschoose.org handles and solicits School Donations in a very novel way. Teachers write a proposal of what they would like to accomplish, and donors can choose to fund whichever teacher’s project catches their interest, rather than blindly donating and not knowing if the money is going to an actual project or not.

One teacher pleads:

“The “book room” in my school hasn’t changed too much since they first opened their doors in 1939….

If I were to get a class set of these books (35 copies of each book), I could share them with the rest of the classes and teachers. The outdated books we do have are falling apart and barely scratch the surface of what students are interested in today. There usually isn’t even enough copies of any one novel for one or more classes. I cannot even begin to describe how important materials are to my ability to reach my students. The biggest obstacle facing my department and school are resources and the money to buy them.

Stephen Colbert is the celebrity spokesperson for Donorschoose.org, encouraging donations to projects for military base schools. These schools are not always on bases, but may serve children of military families as well as children at the poverty level. Some children have the additional challenge of having a parent who is deployed. One such school has a teacher asking for sterile slides and the like for biology class. It is harder for her students to learn with contaminated material.

If you have been wanting to directly donate to a cause that supports the education of students rather than give to a large organization, where you can’t be sure where your money goes, consider checking out DonorsChoose.

Paypal ran a promotion this holiday season.  If you purchased with Paypal from a qualifying merchant, you would receive 20% cashback from Paypal.  The funds will be deposited by january 31st.  The promotion ended January 3rd, but I have heard some rumblings of extensions.  I will keep you posted on what I hear.

At any rate, it is “found money.”  What a great way to set aside a little extra to send to your favorite charity. Why?

1) It is money that you would not have had and can pretend you don’t.

2) When you send it as a donation to your favorite charity, you will receive a write off on your taxes at the end of the year if the charity is a qualifying non profit.  Typically, half of your donation can be written off to help you with next year’s tax bill.

There are more things of course that you can do with found money, but I think it is a great idea to add this to the money you found between your seat cushions and send in to your favorite cause.  Some corporate giving is down this year, so let’s support groups that pitch in and make life just a little brighter.

On January 16th, the Doobie Brothers will play at the Detroit International Auto Show Charity Preview.   The preview gives attendees an exclusive look at this year’s auto show with a cocktail in their hand.  Attire is Black Tie, and the event runs from 6 PM until 9 PM.  Ticket sales are divided up between several area children’s charities, and over the years, millions of dollars have been raised for worthy causes.

Tickets are $400, of which $390 is tax deductible as a donation.  Attendees will be treated to a special performance by the Doobie Brothers right at the show!  In addition, attendees will receive a ticket to a concert by the Jonas Brothers over the weekend as complimentary.  The Jonas Brothers will open up the remainder of the tickets to their local fan club, but Charity Preview participants receive them as a special “thank you.”   Because people are more reluctant this year to shell out money for an event, the group graciously agreed to be used as an enticement to generate sales of tickets.

So let us recap what you get:

You get to see the Jonas Brothers.  I looked up regular ticket prices and their next concert is $105.93 - $138.03 a pop
As far as the Doobie Brothers, their tickets run $40-$70 depending on venue and how far back you are
So we are running $145-$208 right there.
Regular ticket to the auto show $12 each
Champagne you will consume at the event - Anywhere between $8-100 depending on how many and the quality

Okay, if purchased seperately, you are already running in the $320.00 range, and that is way before you factor in any appetizers or  hors d’œuvres, or figure in what you would have had to have paid to check your coat at a regular event.

In addition, you get to write off $390. So, they are actually paying YOU to come to the Charity Preview. Isn’t that generous?? You get to claim honors as the good guy or good girl, yet YOU are being paid to come and be treated to music and tickets and champagne, and the chance to walk around in that dress or tux you never get to wear.

For all of the accountants out there, I know the statement is not true. It really usually means you will get $195.00 off your taxes at the end of the year (half of $390.00), which could be a refund or a tax deduction. So, really when you factor everything out, you are really only spending $100.00 or less for the whole hootenanny. You still come out AHEAD though compared to the wonderful time you have. Still, think of it as them paying YOU because you won’t have to think about the picky detail until NEXT year. Whoop-de-doo.

To purchase tickets to the Charity Preview, please CLICK HERE

Seven Rivers Presbyterian (PCA) Church has released their Christmas Wish Book for the holiday season.   It is a very different kind of wish book, as they are the wishes of children’s homes, shelters, and ministries around the world that the church supports rather than toys and novelties that we are hoping to get for ourselves.   For a small amount (as low as $10.00!) or a large amount of money, you can:

• Purchase a dresser for a child at a children’s home or kitchen utensils for the home
• Pay for a dumpster rental for a Katrina victim who is rebuilding
• Fund a children’s Bible being translated into Japanese for missions in Japan
• Buy a weeks worth of meals for a homeless shelter
• Feed a street child for one month (a bargain at $34.00)
• Help a local person get through hard times
• …and many more!

Their site allows you to instanty print out a card for someone to let them know you have given a gift in their honor.  It is in a pdf form that you can print at home, or even go to the local copy center and have it printed on heavier paper.

The link to the holiday gift catalog can be found HERE.   The card can be found HERE.  If you are looking for a thoughtful gift for someone you don’t know what to buy for, it is a great thing to consider!

Many men and women are overseas serving our country.  Some have their spouse and children stationed with them, but many others do not.  The Heroes at Home Wish List helps millitary families meet their needs.     The top needs, although there are more, on the wish list of over 30,500 families are:

1. Kids’ shoes
2 Boy’s pajamas
3 Boy’s sweater
4 Girl’s pajamas
5 Boy’s pant
6 Girl’s coat
7 Boy’s coat
8 Girl’s pant
9 Girl’s shirt
10 Girl’s dress

All donations will go towards purchasing Sears gifts cards for millitary families to buy what they need in the sizes they need.   The gift cards will be distributed equally among all the families.   There are several ways to contribute to the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry. You can contribute securely online. In addition, the website allows you to spread the word to friends, and to write messages of thanks to those serving. Or, if you prefer, you can go to your local Sears and fill out a tear out sheet and bring it to any cashier. That is very convenient while you are holiday shopping.

Thank you Sears, for providing a great way to say “Thank You!”

A lot of people are cutting back or cutting corners.  One expense in time, money, or resources that often comes under the knife is charitable giving and volunteering.   While there are people who give indiscriminately to every cause that rings their doorbell and the practice may need to reviewed, I urge you, when looking at an expense or time commitment to trim, that you reconsider or do so gently.   At this time charitable causes are needed the most.

There are many charitable causes that directly help people that are going through financial straits right now.  What if everyone decided that the children’s homes, animal rescues, and disaster relief shelters should be cut out because surely the giver won’t be using their services.  On the contrary, you never know when you may need it yourself.

I urge you, if you are considering cutting back on your charitable giving, use a scapel, not a chainsaw.  Use it as a time to review what charities you give to.  How are they run?  Does enough money go towards helping the actual folks that they set out to help?  It is not just a good idea to consider when money is short, but when the money is flowing also, to be a better steward of it.

I have some exciting news!

Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., is holding an online auction this coming October-November!

Donatons are currently being sought to auction off in this event. If you are an artist, crafter, collector, business owner, or just an individual with something to donate…. send an email at info (at) savingshelterpets.com with your contact information, a description of the item you would like to donate, and the item’s approximate monetary value.

**Please Note** Due to the fees involved with the charity auction site we will be using, we can only accept items valued at $20 or greater at this time.

Please spread the word so we can make this auction a huge success for all the dogs & cats helped! Saving Shelter Pets, Inc., has several wonderful programs including Spay & Neuter, Puppy Promises (puppies are intercepted from ever entering a shelter environment), Bernie’s Buddies (help for heartworm positive shelter dogs), Rescue & Transport and more!

Click the banner to travel to the SSP site, or click HERE to read previous stories from this blog on SSP.

It is time once again to think about those autumn events. People will be back to the daily routine once September is in full swing. Outdoor fundraisers start to dwindle down in the fall and it is time to already have dates set for the dinners, auctions, and other “indoor” fundraisers that are scattered througout the fall and winter.

Luckily, there is a Special Sale going on at VistaPrint. You can order some of the promotional materials ahead a time at a great discount.

When one is throwing a fundraiser, often there are unnecessary expenses that can be avoided. However, you don’t want to bypass sending out invitations to key people. You may not spend a dime for the calendar listing in the paper, but people tend to forget about things. Time just slips away. A personal invitation may cost pennies to a few dollars, but if this is an event that attendees will be opening their wallets up for auction items, and the like, a dollar or two to spent on extending a personal invite will come back to you.

The one item you might not think of is the smaller corrugated lawn signs. I can’t tell you how invaluable little extras like this are. They really get people in off the street if you have an event where preregistration is not required. Put one or two at the entry to the parking lot or driveway of the event, and on the corner to attract attention. Even if it is a closed event, it will prevent people from driving right by it and second guessing their directions. Right now they are half off, only $5.99, so order a few with your logo, or with a three word or less phrase that attracts attention that you can use again.

With a little planning, your event can be a big success. It is like shopping for the holidays. Buy ahead and get a better discount rather than rushing things at the last second.

You may wonder why I periodically hammer on the subject of money. Of course,
I always am talking about different causes that need donations, but I mean your personal
finances? Why is this so important? Of course, so you can afford to donate to help others
as that is important to most of my readers, but more importantly, if you keep your head
above water, you won’t be in the position that you don’t have a roof over your head for
family and pets. Sometimes some Debt consolidation can keep things rolling.

If you keep your head above water, you won’t be in the position that you don’t have a roof over your head for family and pets. I know it is all about “priorities.” There are many of my readers who rather live in a cardboard box with their pet than to live in an apartment without them if they were not allowed. Not everyone thinks that way, though.

There is a BillsIQ test that tests your knowledge on matters of such “keeping one’s head above water” matters. I am really embarrassed to say what my score was. There are some questions that you may not think to ask yourself. Youmay be pretty cautious about choosing a credit card rate that isn’t outrageous, but there are so many other factors to stay financially healthy that I forgot had to do with credit. Just

I was looking through some old birthday and Christmas cards over the years.  As you would expect, many people send me dog themed cards, particularly if it has a dachshund on it.     I wondered to myself, how many times the same message of a card being “Looooong on Wishes,”  or “Hot Dog; It’s Your Birthday!”   

If tired puns are and analogies are growing tired with you too, I found the most adorable gift idea for your witty, hip, animal loving friends.   The Barker’s Dozen card set offers 13 different note cards that features photo of dogs captured in situations that every dog owner can relate to, by photographer Rich Stone.  In addition, the set also includes a lot of nice extras!  There is a “Bark Mark” for reading, a colorful pen, a business card sized address book, and a reusable case.

(Correction: I guess I have to rephrase part of that last thought for the benefit of the one who is sitting on my lap and probably reading this: “Everyone OWNED BY A DOG can appreciate this.”)

I have not even mentioned the very best part of all of this.  This is part of the  Dog Captions fundraiser for fur friends (dogs & cats!).   The theme is  “Friendship — old friends, new friends, fur friends.”     A full 50% of the sale price will go to RingDogRescue.org, SPAYUSA.org and SPCAFred.org (SPCA of Fredericksburg, Virginia).  If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know how much the Spay/Neuter message is important to me.   Just read the heartbreaking stories about Kitten Season, or just look at the faces that are in the shelters that I feature if you are not covinced on how critical it is.   In addition, Ring Dog Rescue promotes education and adoptions of Pit Bulls and other Bully Breeds.    It is so encouraging to see that some adoptions are pending on the site!   

This special promotion won’t last long.

For those of you who are regular readers, doesn’t this look like someone took my two dogs and combined them???

>Click here to get some!