Perhaps you’ve always avoided Facebook, certain that it only exists to enable annoying — and purposely long-lost — high school acquaintances to suck away your time and privacy. Or maybe its your procrastinating tool of choice, used primarily for receiving tips on YouTube videos or funny websites that will make you laugh so hard you spit soda through your nose. Well, here’s something to make you see Facebook in a whole new light: A new charitable endeavor by retail-giant Target has allowed site members to play a small part in some big-time philanthropy. From this past May 10 to 25, 2009, Target’s “Bullseye Gives” initiative asked its “friends” to vote on how $3 million — a week’s charitable allotment for the company — should be distributed among 10 charities. The percentage of votes each charity received was translated into a percentage of the funds. The votes have been tallied and the winner is in; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, ended up with 26.6 percent of the 291,399 votes, earning the institution a sizeable $797,123. St. Jude will use the funds to support research and operations, including the St. Jude School Program, which offers accredited academic services to children undergoing treatment at the hospital.Coming in for a close second was the American Red Cross, whose 26.5 percent of supporters earned it $793,942. The other organizations —The Salvation Army, Operation Gratitude, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Feeding America, Hands On Network/Points of Light Institute, Parent Teacher Association, National Park Foundation and Kids In Need Foundation — each brought in over $94,000.Say what you might about big-box retailers, Target does its best, charity-wise anyway, to give them a good name; for over 60 years, Target Corporation has given 5 percent of its income to charity. And now, by recruiting Facebook users to help, Target joins a growing throng of companies, organizations, and individuals tapping the charitable potential of digital networking. Amazon.com, Trip Advisor and American Express have engineered similar efforts. And an April contest sponsored by actor Hugh Jackman asked Twitter members to “tweet" — in 140 or fewer characters — what charity he should support with $100,000 and why. (Joint winners: Operation of Hope and Charity: Water.)Being involved in philanthropy is getting easier every day. Next time around, will you give your two cents?
0 comments