One of My Favorite Charities: St. Bernard Project

A few months ago I wrote an article about the St. Bernard Project, citing it as an example of how private funding (and lots of donated labor, let’s not forget) can get your project off the ground and done. (Want to read about them and the house building drives they do…click here).

These guys are in the running for the $25K Gift as well as the $1 Million Gift sponsored by Chase Community Giving. If awarded the $1 Million, according to their figures, this could bring 66 families home in the coming year. Seems like this small organization is outpacing what the federal government is doing for the not-yet-over disaster-stricken New Orleans. You want to vote for these guys to be awarded the $1million? So do I.
Click here to vote for them to be awarded this gift.

SBP is a non-profit organization that seeks to help rebuild the hardest hit parts of New Orleans one house at a time. Scroll down to read their mission statement and their organization information. To keep up with them and check out what they do or go to http://www.stbernardproject.org/ ( or click here to read their facebook link).

Just a few days ago the deadline for the $25K Chase Community Giving voting campaign came and went. They announce omorrow (12/16/2009) which 100 charities received $25K each. (Click here – no earlier than 12/16 – to see who won ).

Now you can also vote at this site (click here) for the next round. Chase Community Giving is now offering $1Million in their next round of giving to charity. The dates you can vote are Jan 15-Jan 22. They announce the winner February 1, 2010 (click here in February to see who won the $1 Million Charity Gift.)

If you want to know how to nominate a charity for the $5 million giving initiative from Chase Community Giving, click here. You can click here if you are a charity and want to be in the running. To nominate your favorite charity, click here.

Don’t have a favorite foundation or charity? Look into the SBP. You could also look here for some ideas, or here, or here, just to get thoughts rolling on what exactly you want to fund.

For information on private funding, click here to read about the Foundation Center.

Again, I say WELL DONE to the St. Bernard Project and I utter my vote here for these guys as best charity of the year (and yes I have donated to it). Heck! I have visited them as well. Go SBP. Thank you for doing what you do.

ABOUT THE ST. BERNARD PROJECT:

Website:

http://www.stbernardproject.org/

Company Overview:

The St. Bernard Project is a community-based, nonprofit rebuilding organization that help families rebuild their homes and lives in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes.

Using donated supplies (or donated funds that are used to buy building supplies) and volunteer labor, the Project takes gutted houses and makes them livable again. It takes fewer than 12 weeks and about $15,000 worth of building materials to completely rebuild a gutted house. Since starting to rebuild homes in August 2006, the St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 220 families, and 45 families’ homes are currently being rebuilt with help from more than 13,000 volunteers.

The St. Bernard Project is a community-based, nonprofit rebuilding organization that help families rebuild their homes and lives in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes.

Using donated supplies (or donated funds that are used to buy building supplies) and volunteer labor, the Project takes gutted houses and makes them livable again. It takes fewer than 12 weeks and about $15,000 worth of building materials to completely rebuild a gutted house. Since starting to rebuild homes in August 2006, the St….

Mission:

The mission of the St. Bernard Project is to remove barriers for families who wish to move back into their homes in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. St. Bernard is a uniquely tight-knit, working/middle class community adjacent to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward and is arguably the area hardest hit by hurricane Katrina. The St. Bernard Project, a nonprofit, community-based organization carries out its mission through three primary programs: Rebuilding Program, Center for Wellness and Mental Health and Senior Housing Program.”