The faltering U.S. economy is again forcing many U.S. adults to cut back on holiday gift spending this year, but one leading U.S. charity reports 2009 gift giving from their holiday catalog is up dramatically compared to last year. World Vision, an international relief and development organization, says 2009 revenue from its gift catalog is running 28% ahead of 2008. Since October 1st, the charity has raised more than $4.7 million toward its goal of $25 million this holiday season.
These numbers seem to confirm findings from a new study on charitable giving conducted on World Vision's behalf by Harris Interactive. According to the study, three out of four U.S. adults (76%) would prefer to receive a meaningful gift that would help someone else instead of a traditional holiday gift like clothing or electronics. And an overwhelming majority (95%) agrees it is especially important to help children during the holiday season. Most Americans also say, once the economy improves, they'll increase their donations to charities.
But these new revenue numbers indicate charities like World Vision may not have to wait until the recession is over.
Iran freed five British sailors detained last week when their racing
yacht drifted accidentally into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.
Britain said it was delighted with Wednesday's release and praised
Tehran's handling of the incident.
The 60-foot yacht was in the
Persian Gulf on its way from Bahrain to Dubai last Wednesday for the
start of its first offshore race when it ran into a problem with its
propeller, said Andrew Pindar, whose Team Pindar owns the yacht. It
drifted into Iranian waters and was seized by the elite Revolutionary
Guard's navy
"After carrying out an investigation and
interrogation of the five British sailors, it became clear that their
illegal entry was a mistake," the Revolutionary Guard said in a
statement.
Cairo's overflowing public garbage has been a plague on the Egyptian
capital, but an American engineer is helping locals to see their
waste as wealth. Food scraps are now moved outside to the bio-container which processes the rubbish to create
'biogas', a fuel for cooking and heating homes.
A new homeless shelter in San Francisco is using an innovative IPO program to raise money. Homeward Bound of Marin raised one million dollars by creating the world's first nonprofit IPO (Immediate Public Offering) at $32.00 per share. The offering has attracted over 31,000 shareholders including Warren Buffet, who bought the first share.
The ROI (Return on Investment) for each share includes:
• 32 units of affordable housing and job training programs.
• A legacy of self-sufficiency.
• Invitations to Annual Events at their fabulous facility.
• A shareholder certificate.
• 10% discount off their homeless-run catering service.
• A letter confirming the IPO is tax-deductible.
Mr. Buffett gave his personal endorsement to the IPO, stating that it is “a good investment” for everyone.
The shelter can house up to 350 homeless per night, has a culinary school to help train and certify homeless in food services, and provides a variety of other services to homeless families and adults.
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter helped kick off a new campaign Tuesday to help feed Colorado's hungry children.
The Colorado Coalition to End Hunger will create a strategic plan to end child hunger by 2015. Ritter ate breakfast with elementary students to kick off the effort to get more kids to sign up for the free lunch program.
Fewer than 38 percent of eligible Colorado children currently receive school breakfast and only 8 percent of eligible children participate in the summer meals program.
The faltering U.S. economy is again forcing many U.S. adults to cut back on holiday gift spending this year, but one leading U.S. charity reports 2009 gift giving from their holiday catalog is up dramatically compared to last year. World Vision, an international relief and development organization, says 2009 revenue from its gift catalog is running 28% ahead of 2008. Since October 1st, the charity has raised more than $4.7 million toward its goal of $25 million this holiday season. 
Iran freed five British sailors detained last week when their racing
yacht drifted accidentally into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.
Britain said it was delighted with Wednesday's release and praised
Tehran's handling of the incident.
Cairo's overflowing public garbage has been a plague on the Egyptian
capital, but an American engineer is helping locals to see their
waste as wealth. Food scraps are now moved outside to the bio-container which processes the rubbish to create
'biogas', a fuel for cooking and heating homes.
A new homeless shelter in San Francisco is using an innovative IPO program to raise money. Homeward Bound of Marin raised one million dollars by creating the world's first nonprofit IPO (Immediate Public Offering) at $32.00 per share. The offering has attracted over 31,000 shareholders including Warren Buffet, who bought the first share.
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter helped kick off a new campaign Tuesday to help feed Colorado's hungry children.
