CNN Names Next "Hero"

Every year CNN names one person the "CNN Hero of the Year" based on a large pool of nominated individuals who find creative and effective ways to improve the lives of others and make our world a better place.  This year, the award went to Pushpa Basnet, a 28-year old woman in Nepal, for her efforts helping children in Nepal.



In Nepal, with an underfunded and poorly structured child welfare system, when an adult is arrested, they are often forced to take their children to prison with them.  Pushpa Basnet was very troubled to learn how many children were growing up behind prison bars, and began working to free them.


Pushpa started an NGO, the Early Childhood Development Center, that brings imprisoned children in for schooling, cooking and eating, and in many cases living.  Pushpa said that the children give her energy and that she never gets tired caring for them and running her organization. 

Check out her CNN Heroes profile here.

Want to get involved? Check out the Early Childhood Development Center website at www.ecdcnepal.org and see how to help.

It should perhaps be a motivator, not a deterrent, to think that no matter what we do with and for our communities, there is always someone doing more.

Brian

Agassi Raises $175 Million for Chairty

In an article from Yahoo! Sports yesterday, it was revealed that tennis legend Andre Agassi has, to date, managed to raise $175 million for charity.  Such a staggering amount was likely made possible by his success as an internationally recognized tennis champion, but Agassi's accomplishments are more appropriately attributable to his devotion to helping out those in need.

According to Agassi, the group in most need of assistance is American children who would benefit from an improved education system.  Specifically through the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy out of Las Vegas, Agassi helps elementary, middle, and high school students every year.  Their mission is to prepare students from under served communities to excel and graduate from the top 100 college and universities in the nation.

This is the kind of lasting impact that I want Zero2Sixty to have on our community.  With a fund that size (or even half of that size) massive funding can go to support programs designed to fight hunger, homelessness, illness, and low-quality education - with little more than interest earned on the portfolio!  Without having to deplete assets, and allowing new contributions to further grow the fund, a portfolio this big will truly be a game changer. 

When we reach our goal balance of $60 million, and assuming a reasonable return of 7% on the portfolio, we will be able to provide over 4 million dollars per year to charitable causes nationwide, and still grow the fund. 

Please keep a look out for my first fundraising campaign, which will fund incorporation, tax-exempt filing, and administrative start-up costs.  This initial campaign will likely be a pledge-a-thon attached to a distance running event.  Please give generously and often, as the size of the fund early on will have exponential impacts of the size it will become in the future.

Brian Anderson

@BrianWA33
www.facebook.com/bwanderson2

Is That Charity Legit??

11/6/12

Happy Election Day!  Make sure you get out and vote before your poll closes.

I wanted to write a quick note to those interested in donating to charity, but are hesitant to select one.  Are you ever concerned that you aren't picking a good charity?  Is this how you feel when trying to decide whom to give your money to?

While its true that some organizations are fake charities, and some others don't pass 100% of your denotation on to the needy, we do have resources available to find the ones that are really putting all of our donations to good use.

I look forward to giving frequent advice on how to select legit charities, but the one resource that I'll offer today is the Wise Giving Alliance, a Charity-focused division of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).  You can access their site by clicking here.

If nothing else, you may find the documented list of complaints and reviews that have been collected on certain charities, so please check with them if you're concerned, and don't let uncertainty lead to not giving.

Brian

Charitable Tax Deductions

11/4/12

Now that my mid-term exams are over for this fall semester (whew!), I have been doing a little extra-curricular reading and researching for the fund, and came across a great article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy last week detailed an on-going debate about tax deductions for charitable contributions.

Nonprofit Leaders Urge Obama and Romney to Protect Tax Break

The growing federal deficit has sparked conversation/debate/argument about how to change ("reform") the tax code.  Both candidates have, at one point or another, made it clear that they will support changes that adversely affect charitable donations.

President Obama has said that while he does not support eliminating the charitable tax deduction, he does support putting a cap on the amount that tax payers can write off - lowing the current cap of 35% to 28%, for high-income earners.   

According to the article, Congress has never supported such a low cap on charitable deductions, but with the size of the national debt quickly becoming an even hotter topic, donors may soon find themselves without the same incentives to give as they had before.

Governor Romney, on the other hand, has made it clear that he supports a (virtually) flat tax across the board.  He plans on implementing a revenue-neutral reorganization of our income tax levels, which (if you do the math*) means that all deductions, include the mortgage interest deduction and the charitable tax deduction.  Depending on where we fall on the Laffer Curve** it is possible that a lower overall tax rate will result in an increase in total revenue for the government, thereby allowing Washington to start paying down the debt.  This would certainly be a good thing for the U.S. balance sheet, but citizens are left without a tax incentive to contribute their money to charities! 

It is important to retain this charitable deduction, so as to incentivize donors to contribute their money to help those who need it.  Although there are debates about which organizations are/should be covered by the charitable deduction, it is irrefutable that without a tax incentive (or with less of a tax incentive), charities will not be able to operate as effectively or as thoroughly.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
*Governor Romney's proposed lower tax rates will cut revenue by almost 1.2 trillion per year, and in order to have a revenue neutral result, he would have to simultaneously eliminate all of the available tax deductions and write-offs, which total to about 1.1 trillion per year.

**The Laffer Curve suggests that there are some situations in which a tax-rate increase would yield more total revenue.... but only to a point.  After this critical tax rate, marginally higher tax rates cause people to stop working as hard or to stop working at all (because they get to take home less of their hard-earned money), therefore decreasing the total tax revenue collected, despite the higher rate.  The kicker is that it is impossible to know in which situation we live, for even if we conduct a conscious experiment, there are too many factors in revenue generation to attribute the results to the change in tax rates.

Hurricane Relief Fund

11/2/2012

We have all seen the destruction of Sandy over the past week, and can share in our sympathy for the people killed, hurt, or displaced.  When FZTC is up and running (with your help, sooner rather than later), it will be positioned to provide much needed relief from these kinds of disasters. 

Hurricane Aftermath Video (ABC News)

 

As it stands now, however, I'm happy to at the least do some quick research to find a great charity to give through. 

American Red Cross Hurricane Aid


Millions of people need your help right now, trying to put their lives back together without any kind of infrastructure to speak of.  Give generously and be thankful that the damage wasn't worse. 



Brian

Logging My Runs

10/31/12

Today I found a pretty cool way to record the long runs that I'll be going on - both for fun and for training.  I love that there are plenty of trails and woods in/near Akron, and this site allows me to track them with precise distance and elevation stats. 

I'm going to use MapMyRun, at least until I find a better site.  Here's a run I went on the other day.  It was pretty slow because of traffic, but it was slightly rainy and just really relaxing, especially once I got off the road and down into the trails. 

http://soc.li/oGTfmRj

I'm pretty sure that you can view my routes through these links even if you don't have an account.  Actually, if you are able to access the link, please leave a comment and let everyone know that you can - thanks! If you live in the area, I recommend this route, and if you don't, I'd love hear about your favorite places to run.

After the 2012 Akron Marathon.

 

Enjoy your running, and try to give back to your community however you can!

 

www.facebook.com/bwanderson2
@BrianWA33

Happy Halloween!

10/31/12

Happy Halloween! 

This is one of my favorite creepy songs!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JOwxnVoG6Q

Find me on Facebook and tell me what your costume was!
www.facebook.com/bwanderson2

Ideas From Other Blogs

10/29/12

I have seen some running blogs that are really interesting, where individuals record their runs, explore new trails, and offer advice on training.  There seems to be even more blogs about charities and fund-raising, where you can learn about different causes and how to participate, either through volunteering or donating.  Both of these kinds of blogs have given me a better idea of where I want to go with this, and here are some cool ones that you might not have seen before:

I Keep Running
http://www.ikeeprunning.com/
This guy Scott McMurtrey has documented his distance running since 2007, and has a lot of cool running stuff to share.

A Small Change
http://www.asmallchange.net/
This site talks about the way you raise funds, rather than specifically what to raise funds for.

The first two things that I need to do are raise money to incorporate my trust, and then incorporate it.  I will start to research the best way to incorporate, but I welcome advice from those more experienced than me.  I have a small network of experienced CPA's through the University, and I look forward to making use of their knowledge and expertise.

I think that I would like to plan on scheduling my first running fund raising campaign for this coming spring break, in March 2013.  Because of the 5-month maximum length of a campaign that (I think) exists on IndieGoGo.com, I'll be able to start fund raising by Thanksgiving!  The first round of fund raising will go towards incorporation, and any left over funds will be put toward registration as a 501c3 and creating a website for the trust. 

I will be prolific in my updates, as I know that a few of you have expressed interest in being kept in the loop as much as possible, and also because this is a great way for me to document the whole process.  If anyone has any questions or comments, as always, please leave them here.  Happy running, and please be on the look out for ways that you can give back to your community!

Brian

Game Plan

10/28/12

I found a simple "how to" framework for raising money through running from http://www.ehow.com/how_6917995_raise-money-running.html

I've edited in some on my own ideas and plans, and so here's what I'm thinking for now... 

Instructions - How to Raise Money By Running

 

1

Find an organization to support and an event to join. The organization here is my charitable trust and its various start-up costs; the event here are the running campaigns that I'll create on IndieGoGo.com.  Brainstorm injustices or issues in the world that really get you fired up, and get behind a movement you are passionate about. At first, my funds will be raised to establish the trust.  I've received slightly conflicting advice from different sources, but it sounds like registration fees can be up to $1000, and most have said that I should hire professionals to facilitate not only the organization itself, but the 501c3 tax status process as well.

2
Set up an online fundraising page. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I will mostly be using IndieGoGo.com for online donations, which I'll share through Blogspot, Facebook, and Twitter.  This is a tech-savvy and convenient way for your friends and family to donate. No stamps, no envelops, no checks--just a debit or credit card donation on your fundraising site. Many organizations have pages you can personalize to accrue donations. Set one up before you begin raising money.

 

3

Send out mass emails to friends and family about your efforts. Include lots of information about your chosen charity, as well as your plan to run for a cause. If running a marathon, include information about the training process. Include links to your fundraising page, as well as links to more information. Tell them exactly what you plan to do, when you will do it and your goals. Spell it out clearly for them so there is no confusion.  In addition to information about what I'm specifically raising money for, and the running events that I'll design for my fund raising campaigns, I look forward to post updates about training for anyone that's interested in the running-side of this whole process.

4

Encourage supporters to send money directly to the organization with a note that says it's through your fundraising effort, and make sure online donations go straight to the organization. Sending  funds straight to the charity makes people feel more comfortable about the process.  I am going to set up a new bank account to collect the initial funds, and once the organization is formed, the accounts and funds will all go in its name.  One cool idea that I think might increase community participation is allowing donors a vote in the official name of the organization, once I collect a finalist list of possible names.

5

Send out an update email or letter after you run the race, letting them know that you reached your goal, finished the race and couldn't have done it without their support. Show your supporters courtesy by following up and let them know that the organization will continue to need their support if they want to keep giving. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about the fund raising process, and please connect with me on facebook www.facebook.com/bwanderson2 and twitter @BrianWA33

Brian Anderson

 

How to Raise Funds....At Least At First

10/28/12

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Steve Marks, who is the founder of the Akron Marathon and who has formed his own foundation.  It was inspiring to hear how Mr. Marks was able to unite the community with the marathon, while he raised money for important causes.  I ran the marathon this past September (my first ever!), and am happy that some of my registration fee is going back to the community.

During my 12 mile run yesterday, I thought that a fun way to raise money for at least the start up costs that I'll face forming this charitable organization, and then for obtaining 501c3 tax status as a philanthropic entity, would be to hold pledge-a-thons through running. 

I recently saw a fund raising campaign on IndieGoGo, which you can view here http://igg.me/p/244859, for which a young man will participate in endurance activities to raise money for an activity for foster kids.  I thought that if I could plan endurance challenges for myself, I might be able to increase community involvement and successfully raise funds for this charitable trust.  I truly love to run, and I hope to schedule fund raising campaigns that will have 100% of all funds put towards forming the organization. 

Let's say, for example, that if I can raise $1,000 I'll run from Akron to Cleveland.  Would you donate $10?  If I ran from Akron to Pittsburgh, would you donate $25?  Please leave any questions or comments that you may have.

Brian

Establishing the Trust and Raising Start Up Funds

10/27/12

I have a long journey ahead of me to get this charitable trust up and running, but my first tasks will be to figure out the administrative costs and procedures for actually establishing the trust. 

I will seek experienced advice from local professionals, to whom I may have access through the University, that have experience participating in, or even founding local charities.

In terms of fund raising, I have recently become aware of Indiegogo.com, an online fund raising platform, through which I can facilitate fund raising campaigns.  I look forward to posting my campaigns and, again, welcoming all of your support and contributions.  If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them here.

From Zero to Charity

10/27/2012

For nearly a year I've wanted to form a charitable trust.  For a while I have felt compelled to give back to the community in some way, as many people do, but it was only last fall or winter when I decided that a charitable trust would provide the best structure for growing and lasting assistance that we can offer to both local and national causes.

I live in Akron, OH and I am a finance student in the MBA program at the University of Akron.  I have had a very good education, and already have over 3 years experience managing my own personal portfolio.  I want to form this trust, raise funds from like-minded contributors, and use my passion for investments and analytical training to grow a sustainable and profitable portfolio.

I look forward to learning about other charities, fund-raising efforts, and sustainable investment strategies.  I welcome any and all comments, and I look forward to welcoming your contributions in the future.

Brian Anderson