Jan 20 2010

Update from ReSolve Uganda

Time to hit the ballot boxes

vote

Our friends at Invisible Children have been voted as finalists for the $1,000,000 grant from Chase Community Giving, a Facebook experiment in the fusion of social networking and social justice. Out of the 100 non-profits to enter as finalists, Invisible Children is now ranked #2. And they need our help.

Along with their development work on the ground in northern Uganda, Invisible Children has been a major partner in advancing the advocacy goals of Resolve Uganda, helping build momentum for the record breaking level of support for the LRA Disarmament and Northern Recovery Act and securing 250,000 signatures through the We Want Obama campaign – a campaign that will greatly contribute in shaping the policy goals of the administration after the passage of the legislation. This grant could also potentially aid in funding mobilization of our grassroots base in advancing future policy initiatives.

Bottom line, they’re doing good work, and we’d love to give them a hand. Roughly three clicks and you’re done. First become a fan of Chase Community Giving, found HERE, and once you’ve done that, cast your vote for Invisible Children.


Jan 19 2010

Update from the Invisible Children Blog

Live from the Invisible Children Blog:

Latest

A 30 second Vote

could give $100,000 to help

Haiti and Invisible Children!


Screen shot 2010-01-19 at 9.36.22 AM

VOTE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF INVISIBLE CHILDREN AND THEIR RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI

With your 30-second vote, you can provide $100,000 of relief work in Haiti. Invisible Children is a charity working to make invisible children around the world visible. We fight to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda and the Congo, and build schools for war-affected children in the region. But in light of last weeks devastating earthquake in Haiti, we understand that our commitment in this time of crisis needs to broaden.   We are planning on implementing $100,000 in an Invisible Children relief effort to Haiti, but we need your help.

We’re a finalist in the Chase Community Giving Facebook competition to win $1,000,000 for our ‘big idea’ of ending Africa’s longest running war.

But, this contest started before the tragic earthquake hit Haiti last week and with no Haitian non-profits represented in the 100 finalists, Invisible Children felt the need to help Haiti in this time of crisis.

With the money we’ve raised through our programs (detailed at invisiblechildren.com), 760 Ugandan students have been provided with scholarships, 11 war-destroyed schools have been rebuilt and numerous microeconomic programs have been implemented to jump start village economies. A million dollars will help take these programs to unprecedented heights.

More so than at any other time in history, we are all connected as global citizens looking out for the interests of others. As we continue to help build a sustainable economy for those who have been affected by the war in Uganda, we have seen what the hope of a new beginning can bring. It’s one rooted in refusing to ignore the cries of our neighbors and providing the help needed for them to build back up a better way of life.

It’s because of this commitment that if we win, we’ll be funding $100,000 from our general fund towards our very own relief effort in Haiti.  In 2005, we sent a team for four months to help in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, and the fruit we saw from that was powerful. Using money raised over the holidays, we will put together a team to research and travel to Haiti to contract and oversee relief work ourselves.

But this is only possible if the Chase award is won. This decision is made with confidence that continued support is necessary for Haiti to overcome the devastating impact of the earthquake.

If you do anything today, do this:  go here and take 30 seconds to cast your vote for Invisible Children, providing $100,000 to Invisible Children’s relief work in Haiti and $1,000,000 to bring child soldiers home from the battlefield and build schools for war-affected children.

Social networking has already raised $21 Million for Haiti, let’s continue to use this platform and provide another $100,000…and it won’t cost you a dime!

- Jason Russell and Laren Poole.

http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/598099