Non-profits
How Do You Have Fun and Do Good on Your (Gasp, 40th) Birthday?
by Britt Bravo

People have started to ask me how I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday next month: Will I be having a party, or a day of solo contemplation? Will I go on a fabulous trip, or stay home with friends? And what would I like for gifts, or do I want gifts at all?

I haven't entirely decided how to celebrate the big day, and would love your ideas about how to celebrate your birthday in a way that is fun and makes a difference.

In his post, What Should I Do On Your Birthday? Seth Godin writes:

"With all due respect to Hallmark, the idea of sending people cards and presents on their birthday seems both selfish and small-minded. It seems to me that we could think bigger. . . .

. . . On my birthday, it would make me really happy if people started a project, launched an idea or engaged in a difficult interaction that made something good happen. Make a difference day."

I know a lot of people have been using the Causes Birthday Wish Facebook application to ask friends to donate to their favorite nonprofit. I may go that route, but I have to tell you, it kinda gets on my nerves when I receive an email every time my friend receives a donation. On the other hand, the application seems to be making a difference according to Susan Gordon's post, $1 Million Donated Through Birthday Wish! on Causes Exchange.

Thing is, I feel like I should be doing something to have fun and do good on my birthday, not necessarily asking other people to do something in honor of my birthday.

For example, Adrian Reif chronicled his "birthday challenge" on his blog, aptly named, Adrian's Birthday Challenge. Inspired by an article about birthday fitness challenges in Backpacker Magazine, Adrian decided to celebrate his 24th birthday with a physical and mental challenge, and a fundraiser for the Nashville Rescue Mission. During the 24 hours of his birthday he challenged himself and his friends and family to:

  • 24 miles of bike riding
  • 24 kilometers (14.9 miles) of running
  • 24 boulder problems (rock climbing routes without a rope)
  • 240 total of push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups - (100 sit-ups, 90 push-ups, 50 pull-ups)
  • 240 Frisbees caught and thrown (it takes two! i need your help)
  • 8,760 seconds of reading (1 for each day I’ll have been alive)
  • 24 songs listened to from 1985
  • 24 - # of strangers to meet and learn their names
  • 24 hugs to different people (this means you, too!)
  • 24 spoken Chinese phrases (leaving for China in February)
  • 24 cupcakes shared with friends

He also raised over $1,000 in donations.

What ideas do you have for how to celebrate your birthday in a way that is fun and makes a difference?

Flickr Photo Credit: Happy Birthday to ME! uploaded by *spudballoo*

BlogHer Contributing Editor, Britt Bravo, also blogs at Have Fun * Do Good and is a Big Vision Consultant

Submitted by Britt Bravo (view blog) on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 10:24am

Comments

 

Sponsor A Child in Need

You could sponsor a foster child in need and ask your friends to buy needed items for the child instead of bday gifts for you.  You could even throw a party.  www.floridagirlmidwest.blogspot.com

Submitted by Tina Lane on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 11:54
 

How do you sponsor a foster child

 Hi Tina,

That is a lovely idea.  How do you do that?  I mean, are agencies that serve foster children  set up to support that kind of thing?  I know very little about how they work.

 

 

Submitted by Britt Bravo on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 12:14
 

Local Non Profit Organizations

There may be a better way to do this but I would search your local nonprofit organizations to see who supports homeless and foster children.  They are usually the ones who would support this kind of work.  Legal Aid organizations are a good place to start. I recently listened to a speech from Victoria Rowell, from the Young & the Restless fame, who was once a foster child herself.  She recommended calling local colleges and schools and asking to see if there were any children in the foster system in attendance that could be helped.  www.floridagirlmidwest.blogspot.com

Submitted by Tina Lane on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 12:35
 

Thanks

 Very helpful info!

Submitted by Britt Bravo on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 13:05
 

Ignoring it :)

I've been ignoring my birthdays for the past five years or so. I like the idea of doing something that would benefit others, though.  I guess one easy way is to ask my loved ones to use the money they usually spend on gifts for making a donation.

--

My mame is Beth Engel. I've been running my own online business, Epic Merchandise, where I sell personalized, engraved gifts, since 2003.

Submitted by Beth Engel on Thu, 07/09/2009 - 09:03
 

Helping kids in need

That's wonderful you want to celebrate your life by helping others!  As far as sponsoring, how about sponsoring a child abroad so they can have another birthday too?  Sadly, over 25,000 children die every day!  That's 1 every 3.5 seconds (http://www.globalissues.org/article/715/today-over-25000-children-died-around-the-world).

I've sponsored a child through World Vision for years (http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/sponsor/learn-about-sponsorship) and have visited many of their impressive projects in Africa and the Middle East.  I've also sponsored one through PLAN (http://www.planusa.org/sponsorachild/).  Save the Children (http://www.savethechildren.org/sponsorship/learn.html) also has a child sponsorship program.

You could also ask people to refrain from giving you gifts and instead pick something out of World Vision's or Save the Children's gift catalogues (e.g. clean water, school suppies, etc.).

If they still insist on giving you a gift, shopping at Ten Thousand Villages provides fair wages to artisans in developing countries.  If there's not a shop nearby, people can shop online (http://www.tenthousandvillages.com).

If you'd like to help local foster children, mentors are badly needed.  Adult mentors provide love, support, and advocacy to children.  i see you're in Oakland and Boy and Girls Club organizes this (https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/lcuw/org/opp/3839280-printer.html).

Have a Happy Birthday!!!

Submitted by merna on Sat, 07/11/2009 - 13:31
 

Wonderful ideas

Hi Merna,

Thanks so much for sharing all of these great ideas!  

Submitted by Britt Bravo on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 14:49