Help us build a library with Room to Read & earn a special badge for your account!

Methodical Management

Staff member
Co-Founder
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As many of you know, we've now organized a number of group fundraising projects to support disaster relief efforts around the world.  Most recently, we raised over $10,000 together to help Mercy Corps deliver aid and support in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan.

In all, NikeTalk's group fundraising efforts have combined for almost $50,000.  

We're hoping you'll lend us your strength once again - this time in support of global literacy and our friends at Room to Read.  

To join us, visit our group fundraising page today and consider making a contribution: 

https://www.crowdrise.com/roomtoread2014-se/fundraiser/niketalkcommunity

You may be wondering, "why Room to Read and why now?"  

There's a special crowdfunding campaign going on right now at CrowdRise called the Skoll Social Entrepreneurs Challenge, and it offers some tremendous benefits that were unavailable to us in any prior group fundraiser.  

First and foremost, EVERY contribution is eligible for a match by the Skoll foundation, doubling their effectiveness.  What's more, they're also covering the transaction fees.   Normally, transaction costs can be in excess of 3%, depending on how they're handled.  That adds up in a hurry.

All told, the matching funds and the mitigation of all transaction costs would allow this to be our most efficient group fundraiser ever - and, having contributed to Room to Read since 2009, we've seen just how inspiring and beautiful their work can be.  

Just how much can our contributions accomplish?  Take a look:

  • $25 will fill one library shelf with books
  • $100 will provide a child with one year of comprehensive literacy education
  • $250 will provide a year of support for a girl in our Girls’ Education program
  • $500 will fill a grade 1 or 2 class with workbooks and teacher guides to teach reading
  • $5,000 will establish a library in Asia
  •  

And, remember, since every contribution can be matched, that means they can do TWICE as much!

If we raise $2,500 together, the match would allow Room to Read to establish a library in Asia.  If we raise $5,000, Room to Read could establish TWO such libraries.  

As with previous fundraisers, we're glad to recognize those who've so generously chosen to offer their support with a special badge.

The following badges, designed by @lobotomybeats, will be awarded to all contributors of $10 or more:

$10 - 24  Basic Supporter Badge

$25 - 99  Special Contributor Badge

$100+  Elite Fundraiser Badge

To get credit for your donation, be sure you leave your NikeTalk screen name in a comment when you submit your contribution!!

Just visit this link to get started:  https://www.crowdrise.com/roomtoread2014-se/fundraiser/niketalkcommunity

If you cannot afford to contribute money, please spare us a moment of your time and help us spread the word.  Our initial goal is $2,500 - enough to help Room to Read establish one new library.  

As part of the Social Entrepeneurs Challenge, there are weekly bonus challenges that can net the organization even more money.  

This week (November 11-18th), every organization that receives over 25 donations will be entered to win a bonus of $5,000!  That alone would cover the cost of establishing a new library!

I know that there are many worthy causes out there right now, but the matching potential here makes this an opportunity that we can't ignore.  In December, we'll hold a special vote to determine the recipient of a special 15 year anniversary donation, so there will be an additional opportunity then to support other causes.  At the moment, we're eager to take advantage of the limited-time matching potential afforded by this special event - which ends on December 5th.  

I hope you'll consider joining us.

In the words of Frederick Douglass, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." 

Together, we can help Room to Read provide children with the literary freedom that is their birthright.  

https://www.crowdrise.com/roomtoread2014-se/fundraiser/niketalkcommunity
 
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I'm in. Can someone else design my badge so it doesn't feel so nepotistic?
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Hey, if I have to use the amateur badges I designed for the first two group fundraising drives (Japan and Somalia), you can live with your professional caliber work.  

Thanks again for your support - and thanks to @DJYoung08  and @KMante  for their submissions as well.  

I look forward to seeing these badges all over the site in the coming days. 
 
Hey, if I have to use the amateur badges I designed for the first two group fundraising drives (Japan and Somalia), you can live with your professional caliber work.  

Thanks again for your support - and thanks to @DJYoung08
 and @KMante
 for their submissions as well.  


I look forward to seeing these badges all over the site in the coming days. 

Ha! I'll contribute tonight when I get home. Again, good work choosing a worthy charity. The contribution matching and waiving of fees is huge!
 
Big thanks to @JohnnyRedStorm  for getting us off to a great start with a generous $100 contribution!  

We are officially on the board.  May this be the first of many such contributions in the days and weeks ahead.  

On its own, that single contribution is sufficient to provide TWO students with a full year's school fees and enrollment in Room to Read's Girls Education Program thanks to the funding match.  

We are now 4% of the way towards our initial $2,500 goal!
Ha! I'll contribute tonight when I get home. Again, good work choosing a worthy charity. The contribution matching and waiving of fees is huge!
I'm glad you approve of the organization.  As mentioned earlier, we first sponsored a library construction project with Room to Read back in 2009.  We've supported a variety of different organizations dedicated to literacy and school/library construction, and Room to Read quickly emerged as a personal and community favorite.

They've always set the bar high, but each year they research the effectiveness of their campaigns and work to improve upon their performance.  (Their local language publishing program, for example, was born from the realization that many students were limited in their use and enjoyment of Room to Read's early libraries due to the paucity of children's titles available in their regional languages.)

With most of our contributions, all we can realistically do is to try and identify the best organizations in a particular field, give what we can, and then just hope.  Most seemingly operate within a black box and, when it comes to reporting, the incentives are aligned to promote serialization - moving rapidly from one "product" to the next as a measure of efficacy.  

The trend toward statistical management of education in the United States, particularly under No Child Left Behind, has been disastrous.  It's through this mode of thinking that recess has been abolished, arts programs have been decimated, and "underperformers" have been abandoned in attempt to prime the profit pump for privatization.  Room to Read is different.  They don't give up on people or places.  If a student drops out, they find out why.  They offer assistance.  An organization governed by numbers alone would likely shunt students most in need to improve various performance metrics.  Instead, Room to Read practices evaluation for the purpose of sincere and genuine improvement. 

I find it reassuring to know that, while Room to Read has built literally thousands and thousands of facilities, even our first little library project in Nepal has not been forgotten.  Rather than churning out libraries for the sake of churning out libraries, books, and scholarships, because that's the "product," I love that Room to Read is so committed to optimizing their effectiveness - and doing so in a transparent way.  It gives me great confidence to know that each investment in Room to Read represents an investment in students, in communities, and in developing ever-improving strategies to promote literacy and gender equality.  

It's an organization I can recommend wholeheartedly and one I believe we can feel proud to support together as a community.

Anyone interested in learning more about Room to Read should check out their 2013 Annual Report:  http://www.roomtoread.org/AnnualReport/2013/
 
i didnt leave my sn in a comment but i used it as the name that i donated with, hope that's okay 
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i could probably use this room to read program 
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Just donated, wish I could've given more.
I feel you on that... But hey every little bit counts in the big picture.

There's an Ethiopian proverb I'm fond of that states, "When spiderwebs unite, they can tie up a lion."  

The whole concept of community is that we're stronger together than we could ever be separately.

Already, we're over 14% of the way to our initial $2,500 goal.  A single donation may feel like a drop in the bucket, but, together, we're going to sponsor a library.  That's strength in numbers.  

Think about how much we've raised for charity together just through NikeTalk's advertising.  Each ad loaded yield a fraction of a cent, and yet we've given over a quarter of a million dollars to charity from advertising revenues thus far.  

That's not pocket change, it's positive change.  It's meaningful change.  

Just donated! 
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Would've done more..next time Meth

Thanks for your generous contribution!  To me, these types of activities represent NikeTalk at its very best.  There will definitely be more opportunities in the future, and, remember, we can always combined contributions within any given drive if anyone wants to "upgrade" their badge level.  

The Social Entrepreneurs Challenge runs through December 5th, so we've got some time yet to build. 
 
i didnt leave my sn in a comment but i used it as the name that i donated with, hope that's okay 
nerd.gif


i could probably use this room to read program 
tired.gif
No problem, as long as I can see the SN in there someplace I'll get it done. 
 
Just donated..I wish I would've been able to afford more..My son is learning to read and reading is so very important..I hope mine, and everyone else's, donation opens up a whole new world for these kids..Way to go NT..I'm proud to be apart of this community..
 
Another great charity. I'm always proud to be part of such a great community that does so much for people in need. I'm broke right now :frown: but will donate when I get paid.
 
donated what I could

this is a wonderful campaign and thank you Meth and everyone else for putting this together
 
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