Hi all,
I’m turning 40 next month, and am marking the occasion by setting up a campaign to support clean water projects in places like sub-saharan Africa, where many girls have to spend the whole day walking miles back and forth to carry (often filthy) water from the closest source, instead of going to school. The guy who started this organization (I learned about it a few years ago, when I saw his TedTalk) did so because water touches every other aspect of life. The idea is that if you want to improve health, education and economy- you start with clean water.

Why’d I pick Charity:Water? This organization has a very cool model: 100% of donations go directly to fund water projects (they have separate fundraising activities for overhead expenses, and the two funds are kept separate). They will send us information (including GPS coordinates and pics) to show us exactly where our money is going.

If I could get 40 friends to give me a birthday gift of $10, that would get me to my humble goal of $400, which would provide clean water for 13 people. Cool right?

Work friends: If you give $25, our company will match it. The organization # is 223936753 in the giving portal. Giving less than $25? Consider dropping it off in person to me in F3038. I’ll have a marked water jug (get it?) available for just such a purpose. [Rule sticklers: I’m not pooling donations; I’m pooling “birthday gifts” :)].

Other friends/family: If you are going to be seeing me in person any time soon (and can sacrifice the tax write-off), consider giving a gift to me in person so I can get it doubled by my company. (You’ll see it appear under my name on behalf of you on the campaign page). Otherwise, please use this page.

Please consider giving me the gift of clean water for someone, and making this birthday meaningful for me.
Thank you so much,
Love Toni
https://www.charitywater.org/whywater/