The Norm
More often than not, I hear my father say, “If you live under my roof, then you follow my rules.” His roof, he says. I have never given a second thought about having a roof. That’s the norm, after all. But, things aren’t always this dandy in Mali.

The Not-So-Norm
Especially with harsh weather conditions, a rainy day means an unusable classroom and a school day off. A school day-off, you scoff. We would all like school days off. However, to these kids, learning and being at school is a luxury and they want to be there. They want to learn. An education gives them a brighter future and better life.



Solo Elementary School was built in 1999 in Bougouni, Mali by the Ouelessebougou Alliance. It was a blessing to all those kids in the village; over 150 kids attend this school this year and trends continue to show positive change. But 13 years has passed since the original building of the school and the infrastructure is getting damaged. The cement on the colors and ceilings is beginning to crack and break and in one classroom, the broken concrete has left a large hole in the floor.

Please help by donating for the repairing of this school. A better learning environment gives way to more opportunities and better learning conditions.

Click to here donate!
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From being forced to hide under her parent's bed during door-to-door school recruitment campaigns to facing the daunting belief of her grandfather that an education is wasted on girls, 15-year-old Brenda Lacan has defied the odds in achieving her education. With the support of her mother Maria who was never able to pursue her education, Brenda is determined to prove the expectations of her grandfather wrong.



With her two older sisters in high school and her parents working in the embroidery business, the family could not afford to have Brenda continue with secondary school in Guatemala. But after being awarded a Starfish scholarship, Brenda has been making steady progress. She was initially failing three classes when she started 7th grade and was disheartened about her schooling, but her mentor has worked closely with her, as Brenda has passed one more class each semester. As of the most recent exams last August, Brenda not only passed all of her classes, but she also earned high marks. She now feels empowered and excited about school while her self-esteem has improved.



Brenda is excelling in the Starfish Empowerment Program for girls, even being one of the leaders in her 15-member Starfish group. With her own savings and email account, Brenda is also one of the the top students in her class. Aside from focusing on her studies, Brenda enjoys basketball and embroidery.

To learn more about Brenda and leave her a comment, check out her group blog!

More than Me & Givology to Host Kick-off Fundraiser to Raise Funds for Safe House

For more information and to RSVP, go to www.anightofpromise.com

EVENT DATE: JANUARY 28TH, 7-11 PM AT MARQUEE
TO JOIN THE EVENT AS PRESS, PLEASE E-MAIL KATIE@MORETHANME.ORG or JOYCE.MENG@GIVOLOGY.ORG

Remember the good old days back in high school? After the last period of the day, guys and girls would leave campus in their Mustangs, Corollas, or Accords, or simply take a nice stroll home. The only thing on our minds at that point was: what is my work for the day? Or, when am I hanging out with my friends? What are we doing?

These simple nuances and plans occupy our daily mindset all the time. Indeed, safety is seldom an issue in these cases. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Liberia, where 60% of children, the majority girls, are out of school and on the dangerous streets of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. Since then, the More than Me foundation has has delivered the gift of education to numerous girls in the slums of the city and given them the opportunity to finally live normal lives.

However, the fight simply does not end there. Granting a child an education is only part of the process of ensuring his or her wellbeing. After school, these girls are susceptible to dangers that lurk every corner in Monrovia, including sexual abuse. A safe house is necessary in the capital: a place where the girls can stay away from the streets while receiving tutoring, therapy, vocational training, class trips and an opportunity to participate in sports, art, and yoga classes that teach self-esteem and soft skills which will make them successful beyond their basic education.

More Than Me from What Took You So Long? on Vimeo.

And that is where More than Me and Givology are trying to initiate a great deal of change. The More than Me Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on education development in Liberia, and Givology have partnered to host a fundraiser at Marquee Nightclub, in Chelsea, on January 28th from 7-11PM. Featuring DJs Sammy and the Lost Boy and Han DieNasty, an open bar, and remarks by Multi Media Exposure, Inc. president and More than Me board member, Prince Lorenzo Borghese, and More than Me founder, Katie Meyler, A Night of Promise will bring together some of the brightest minds in marketing, charity, and social media.

Givology has partnered with More than Me to help the nonprofit reach its $40,000 goal. With the partnership, Givology is helping to bring community-based development work and the world of marketing and PR together for one amazing night. “We’re incredibly proud to partner with More than Me on this event – the work they are doing in Liberia is truly inspiring and the urgency to create the center for girls never greater,” said Joyce Meng, co-founder of Givology.

A Night of Promise is sponsored by Bacardi Rum, Radeberger Pilsner, and Wodka Vodka. Tickets for the open-bar event can be purchased online before January 28th at www.anightofpromise.com for $50, or at the door for $60. All proceeds will go toward More than Me’s I Promise Project.

More than Me, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in 2009 after Katie Meyler returned from war-torn Liberia determined that one person with enough drive can make a difference. Meyler now speaks to schools and organizations about how to "be the change” they want to see in the world and to raise awareness of education issues in Liberia. The More than Me Foundation operates with paid staff from the community in Liberia, through partnerships with community groups, and with a network of dedicated volunteers around the world.

Liberia has the fourth lowest per capita income in the world and, for most families, survival takes priority over education. Since 2009, More than Me has enrolled 100 girls in school. The girls in More than Me’s program live in West Point, one of the worst parts of Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, and their parents cannot afford the fees required to attend school. With an education, the girls in More than Me’s program are less likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases, less likely to have children before age 15, and will have a greater opportunity of earning a good living in the future. However, some of the girls also face commercial and sexual exploitation once school is over, many do not have a safe place to study, and most do not have the support they need to succeed after their first day of school.

The event’s $40,000 goal will go toward the purchase of a safe house in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. Tickets for admission are available for purchase at the event website, www.anightofpromise.com. Marquee is located at 289 10th Avenue, between 26th and 27th, in Manhattan.

A Life With Electricity
For those of us who live in a modern city, turning on a light switch is often overlooked. We don’t even know how to live without electricity. With our heaters, iphones and lights, a life without any electricity seems far from the norm.

A Life Without Electricity
However, the children of the Chazon’s Children’s Center have to live it everyday. Currently, the school has no electricity and cooking is done over a three-stone fire. During times of rain or bad weather, kids are unable to learn because of the dim lighting. Many students also do not have electricity at home, which restrict the students from doing work at home.

When Dr. Virginia Duffy discovered the school on a trip to Kenya, she made a commitment to change the electrical standards of the school. She took initiative to contact AHEAD Energy. Although they donated a pump and turbines to help generate electricity, the school is still in need of rechargeable lights for kids to bring home and LED lights that allow for learning on dim days.


Although prepared and credible teachers allow for a good education, electricity is just as important. The new electricity would improve security at night and result in a huge impact in education.



Please help this project, Light for Learning, by donating. If we can’t imagine living a life without electricity, how can we expect others to do the same?

To donate, Click Here

To learn more, Click Here

Sometimes my friends at my public high school in Southern California joke about missing school to avoid an exam or other unpleasant task. Yet jokes aside, very rarely do we consider being forced to stay at home due to financial issues or extreme tragedy in our personal lives.

After I read the story of Victor Ouma from Kibera in Kenya, I realized how foolish our jokes were about missing school. As much as some students dread waking up to study US History, I recognized how fortunate I was to be accountable to almost nothing besides exploring my intellectual interests.

After the deaths of both his parents and eldest brother, Victor had to take an leave of absence from school in order to support his other siblings as they struggled to feed themselves. Finding the equilibrium between helping his family and advancing his education has been difficult, but Vincent has been able to get by with the help of some scholarships and his own desire to do well. Victor even worked over the holidays to raise enough money for his tuition the following semester. However, Victor's motivation to keep learning and pursuing his ambitions is undying regardless of the status of his tuition funds. Victor is just a normal 16-year-old who loves football, but he is extraordinary and an inspiration to me with his resilience to continue his education in the face of adversity.

With this drive to succeed, Victor writes how he wants to become a lawyer someday, as he articulates in a letter update to his Givology supporters.



To read more about Victor, visit his Givology profile!

Focus on Giving with David Cicero Bevacqua of Neighborhood Bike Works





David is the program director and interim executive director of Neighborhood Bike Works.

The mission of Neighborhood Bike Works is to increase opportunities for urban youth in underserved neighborhoods in greater Philadelphia by offering educational, recreational, and career-building opportunities through bicycling; it also promotes cycling as a healthy, affordable, environment-friendly form of transportation.

David began teaching at NBW in the summer of 2007. He has six years youth work experience, including teaching in the Upward Bound program at Pennsylvania State University and leading youth bicycle repair classes at a community center in Tanzania. David completed the Youth Leadership Development training at United Way’s Center for Youth Development in 2007.

Help the Teachers
For the most part, the focus has been on students: how to fund students’ education, how to inspire students to learn, and how to provide uniforms and tools for students. But this week, I want to put the spot light on teachers. Of course, they should be thanked for their self-less work and ability to inspire kids to set goals beyond their wildest imagination, but teachers need a little help too!


Many schools in Uganda are unable to provide a sufficient education and curriculum for its students due to limited teaching supplies and large student populations. Teachers do not have something as simple as a pencil or a ruler. The lack of funding and infrastructure lead to less than adequate educational results. With less than 25% of students failing that exam needed to proceed onto secondary school, 46% passing in the lower division and only 2% achieving Division 1 ranking. With just a few essential school supplies, teachers can engage students more in the learning process with classroom activities and a more inspirational learning environment.


The Arlington Academy of Hope
The Arlington Academy of Hope has chosen to help alleviate this issue. Partnering with Givology with a new project called Help the Teachers, the Arlington Academy of Hope strives to donate school supplies to 10 underserved schools in rural Uganda. Each school will receive 50 pens, a 12 pack of permanent markers, 40 pieces of poster board, 1 large pack of ruled paper, one bottle of wall glue, a personal lesson planning book and a ruler. In addition to new school supplies, the Arlington Academy of Hope will be hosting Teacher Training Workshops to provide teachers with assistance on how to teach children. It isn’t just about the materials, but how they are teaching as well. With more prepared and well-equipped teachers, the Arlington Academy of Hope strives to impact over 8000 students.

To Donate: Click Here!
To Learn More:Click Here!

Focus on Giving with pledge4good



pledge4good
We started pledge4good to let motivated people give to their favorite nonprofits (charities, schools, etc.) without changing their daily habits by allowing users to tie donations to everyday activities. Moreover, we wanted to make donating fun and help friends stay better connected. With this in mind, we started pledge4good as a platform that:

• Adds Zest to Daily Routines: Choose any achievement or event from your everyday life–e.g., losing a pound, receiving an A in school, a win by your favorite team, everyday you go without smoking–to tie to a donation (as small as $1 per achievement)
• Makes Sharing Achievements Easy: Invite friends via Facebook, Twitter, or email to join a pledge by making a matching donation for each of your achievements. Let friends share in and comment upon each others’ achievements via Facebook, Twitter, and a pledge4good.com community page dedicated to each specific pledge
• Makes Donating Fun: When a user loses a pound or receives an A in school, she checks-in on our mobile app or on our website to log the achievement, share the news with her social network and others involved in the pledge, and effect the donation.

About Lenny Fishman
A homesick "New Yorker" living in Asia during ‘08-‘10, Lenny Fishman sent one group of friends a weekly tally of how many stairs he'd climbed in the hilly Hong Kong, another group a monthly update on how many Chinese characters he had learned, and he called his grandmother every Sunday.

Resettled in the U.S., he realized that he had stayed much closer with people with whom he had shared these seemingly trivial accomplishments and began thinking of ways to incorporate this experience into a business venture. As a Wharton MBA, Lenny cultivated his passion for entrepreneurship and social impact, finding an opportunity to fuse the two after joining up with Vik to launch pledge4good.

Previously, Lenny worked at Lehman Brothers / Nomura as an investment banker, during which time he launched a mentorship program for one nonprofit, helped raise thousands of dollars in nonprofit donations, and remained active in several nonprofits. Prior to Wharton, Lenny graduated with degrees in Economics and Spanish from Duke University.

Interview with Lenny Fishman

1. Why did you start pledge4good – what was your inspiration?
   pledge4good arose out of a question by company co-founder Vik’s father: “why can’t we get our donors to give $5.00 every time they hit a birdie?” Basically, he was frustrated that his organization relied upon infrequent events such as golf tournaments to raise 90% of its budget, while spending on average $0.50 to raise $1.00. As Vik and I considered this challenge, the idea to develop pledge4good emerged. The platform builds upon the productivity of leveraging personal relationships and donations tied to events (e.g. walkathons), while layering on the best in web functionality, including micro-donations, integration into mobile, and minimal-click checkout.
2. How do you measure your impact?
   One of the aspects of pledge4good that most satisfies Vik and I is that the Company provides for two layers of impact. First, we track the funds we help raise for fantastic organizations as well as the first-time donors to these same organizations. Second, and because a central feature of pledge4good is to link donations with our users’ achievements, we can watch as our users score goals in their intramural sports leagues, lose unwanted weight, exercise regularly, get As in school, and so forth.
3. What makes pledge4good different from other organizations in the space?
   Amazon one-click checkout, micro-transactions, Foursquare check-ins, Facebook and Twitter's real-time interactions: these are the most powerful dynamics on the Internet for engaging users and satisfying consumers. So, we wanted to bring these same concepts to nonprofit fundraising. pledge4good enhances the online fundraising capabilities of nonprofits by: (1) allowing for two-click and micro donations; (2) harnessing proven game mechanics and fully integrating into Facebook and Twitter; and (3) tying donations to recurring life achievements, as opposed to one-time grants.
4. In starting pledge4good, what was the best advice that you received or lesson that you learned along the way?
   I think a lot of people working on or with an idea for a start-up have a fear of talking about it with other people because they don’t want the idea to “get stolen.” While I don’t suggest discussing an idea with someone you don’t trust, I want to stress the value of hearing the perspective of successful entrepreneurs as well as getting objective feedback from potential users.
5. What’s the greatest challenge that pledge4good faces today?
   As pledge4good only launched just before Christmas, the Company is focused on getting users onto our platform. Of course, pledge4good’s potential impact is only limited by the size of our user base.
6. Five years from now, where do you envision your organization? What legacy do you want to leave?
   In terms of the Company’s legacy, we want pledge4good to be considered the tool that galvanized Millennials and established a new culture of philanthropy. In a world of flat or declining government and corporate grants, and where the tax deductibility of larger donations is under assault, it’s becoming increasingly important for nonprofits to cultivate a new generation of donors. So while the Internet and social giving have always offered great promise, the actual results have been disappointing. In fact, NTEN research has estimated that nearly 80% of nonprofits generate less than $1,000 of donations from social media. We want pledge4good to reverse these disappointing stats.
7. Tell us a story about a memorable impact you’ve made (on a beneficiary, volunteer, pledger, etc)?
   Before launching www.pledge4good.com, we hosted a pretty rudimentary alpha product that replicated the user experience with Facebook Groups and some manual back-end work on our part. One close friend asked if he could get involved in the pilot, because he needed to try “something new” that would keep him committed to losing weight. As he began describing “decent healthy restaurants” he had tried as well as humorous and triumphant experiences at the gym, we saw friends really rally behind him and support his pledge. It seemed that visiting and commenting in the group page became a part of several people’s Facebook routines, which proved to give him the perseverance to change his lifestyle. Ultimately he lose 25 pounds while raising $235 for a nonprofit he supported.
8. What advice do you give to other potential social entrepreneurs?
   Focus on product first. Too many entrepreneurs, whether in social enterprises or otherwise, focus on non-core aspects of their business: writing the perfect business plan, raising money, or even, designing a logo. What they should be doing is conducting detailed research to better understand the needs of their customers and build even a basic version of their product. This way, the entrepreneur can be more confident that HIS solution is the right one for the problem customers face, and he will be in a position to either fail early—so as not to waste time and financial resources—or quickly build and scale his enterprise.
9. On a personal level, what does giving mean to you? How can one make a difference in the world?
   I was raised to value community involvement and to take pride in giving both time and money to those who were less fortunate than myself. My parents, and I think this may apply to their generation, think of philanthropy from the perspective of individual contribution. However, as friends and family become ever-closer through the use of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc. I think a strong case can be made that individuals can have an outsized impact by quickly and efficiently harnessing the collective efforts of social networks. It was really the belief that by building pledge4good.com that Vik and I could have a much more amplified impact than either of us could ever have individually that prompted us to start the Company.

A country stricken by poverty and war, Colombia not only struggles with one of the poorest economies in the world but also a faltering education system. However, Natanael Lizarazo wants to change that. Having started the Emmaus Road Foundation almost 20 years ago, Natanael is the founder and vice president of the board of directors who strives to bring education and leadership to the poorest communities in Colombia. Since Natanael lives in the United States today, the on-going job in the organization is to be an interpreter for the people in Colombia and a fundraising presence for American donors. I was able to chat with Natanael about the Emmaus Road Foundation and their goals as they partner with Givology.

What are some of the goals and achievements of your organization?
The primary mission is to provide formal education to not only children but also youth and at times adults. We invest in formal education and believe in that. It is a passport to a better and dignified life. It is a very cool part of our work in Colombia. Also our mission is also to develop people with leadership abilities and skills so they will be able to impact their own environments, their family, within the church, and beyond in society. Also, those in Colombia have been living in a civil war for 50 years. For us to form people with peace making skills, respect of diversity and conflict aversion—that’s also a part of the leadership development. And especially in the last 10 years, we are also a bridge so that people in the United States can come to Colombia and educate themselves about the possibilities of the country, especially the poorer people.

What are the greatest challenges facing Colombian society?
The challenges for the folks in Colombia are of a country that still has much internal conflict which also impacts families and students The most significant challenge they face is the financial component. They are very poor people, so for them to even attend school is a struggle. It is a simple yet complicated issue of even having transportation.

How do you see the impact of your work?
Having started the Emmaus Road Foundation in 1991, we have worked with people until they have graduated from universities and helped support them and now these students are making contributions to family, church, and society. We have had the first medical doctors, engineers, and people in communications. We have had people continue and finish with us. Another great impact that provides a more human face to a relationship.

The second significant impact in the last 10 years is that we have been instrumental in bringing people directly to Colombia and see for themselves our mission and to reenergize to be ambassadors. Colombia has a very bad media image in the States. People think of drugs, violence—but Colombia is much more than that. I am very pleased with the people who have been helped in Colombia in formal education and leadership development. That is very critical. Someone can graduate from a university, but if you do not awaken the larger leadership potential, the impact is going to be much more narrow. Formal education and leadership development are very important.

What are some of the challenges that the Emmaus Road Foundation faces?
For a small organization for non profits, this challenge of communication is an on-going challenge. We are in the process of even having a friendly and interactive web page and not only in one language but bilingual as you need to communicate to people in Colombia and people in the States who do not speak Spanish. The Emmaus Road Foundation is trying the very best we can with keeping communication ongoing and flowing. We are blessed to have a bilingual person there who works to make it happen on the board of directors. Stella is in Colombia and helps significantly. I am blessed to have her as I am away from Colombia.

As you work on a lot of fundraising goals in the United States, what potential do you see in microphilanthropy for other nonprofit causes like Emmaus?
I live in a country where people have too much. In the US people have too much and very little that we can contribute. That is even the story of Givology—such a powerful message and story of having small gifts. Those gifts can be leveraged to impact a child and a family. I see the potential in the US to do amazing things and of course, that is why it is important to connect face to face and send people to Colombia. People who go onto visit Colombia come back and realize, “I want to sponsor another child.”

What has inspired you to continue your work in Colombia for the past 20 years?
I myself come from a very poor family in Colombia. I am the only one in a family of three brothers and one sister, I was the only one to go beyond one or two years of elementary education. The passport to a dignified life has been education. I myself am a deep believer in the potential of education and for life to be different.

I have a student who will hopefully graduate in a month. He is a father with five children. He does not have a place to live. He was going to the university but could not pay the fees to the university. However, he wanted to complete his degree and knocked on the door of our organization. He has not only been able to connect to his hopes and dream at the university but also purchase a better home for his family. And now he is so looking forward to having an official degree from a recognized degree at a Colombian university. He realized that dream will be enough for his family to push his children to go to school and go to the university. This is something that will inspire anybody—that gift and that drive. It is always an inspiration.


Students in Southern Bogota.


A student from Caracoli in southern Bogota proudly presents his masterpieces. The Emmaus Road Foundation actively supports art projects in education.


Natanael teaching at a Leadership Development Seminar with university students.


Parents from Caracoli proudly display their work at a recent leadership development seminar. The work of the Emmaus Road Foundation is holistic in nature and involves the entire family unit.

Happy Holidays from Givology!

Looking back at 2011, we truly appreciate your support in helping us reach so many students and schools across the world. As we celebrate the people who have shaped our lives, we want thank all the volunteers, donors, supporters, partners, and believers who have stayed with us on our journey to make education accessible to all children.

As a 100% volunteer-run organization, we couldn’t have done it without you! May 2012 bring you health, happiness, and discovery.

In celebration of this joyful season, we’ll release a series of inspiring stories of ordinary people who have made an extraordinary impact. No matter who you are and where you’re from – every individual has the opportunity and the power to make a difference in the world. At Givology, we encourage you to make a resolution in 2012 to bring your skills, resources, and ideas to empower and help others. Even if you have just five minutes or one dollar to spare, every little bit of effort aggregates into a powerful movement for social change.

With much love,
The Givology Team