To commemorate Michael's birthday on August 29th, fans from all around the world are making a donation to a charity in honour of Michael. Fans nominate their favourite charities and of these, three finalists will be chosen. Everyone then takes a vote and donate to the charity with the most votes. Click on Previous Posts on the right to see what we have done in past years.

1 September 2010

Update

All your gifts are in! Here is the letter that CURE is sending to the family.

(Click to enlarge.)


















Thank you to everyone who participated, and for keeping Michael's memory alive. He would be proud to know that you are all continuing to make the world a better place!

P.S. - If you want to continue donating to the charity, you can certainly do so. Just follow the same instructions, and add the name and address of whoever you want the card sent to. Charity does not have to stop just because Michael's birthday is over. Do leave a comment below and let us know if you donated!


26 August 2010

Matching Donations

Good news from CURE! -

CURE Childhood Cancer is thrilled to announce that we have received a challenge from dear friends Tom and Chris Glavine, Michael and Lauren Gearon and John and Ellen Yates, active philanthropists to the organization for many years. On August 16, 2010 Don Campbell, President of the CURE Board of Directors announced the 2010-2011 CURE Challenge to potential new donors and current friends and family. “The CURE Challenge will match dollar for dollar any new gifts and increased gifts from our current friends to the Annual Giving Campaign for this fiscal year. We are very grateful to the Glavines, Gearons and Yates families for their extraordinary commitment to CURE! With friends like these, we are confident that childhood cancers can be cured in our lifetime!”

How to participate:

Give a new gift to CURE's Annual Campaign and the gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.

For current donors, give a gift to CURE's Annual Campaign of an amount higher than last year's gift and the increase will be matched dollar for dollar up to $125,000.

All money raised by the CURE Challenge will support the establishment of the Carlos S. Alvarado, M.D. Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and directed to life-saving pediatric cancer research deemed scientifically promising by CURE's Scientific Advisory Council.”

Read more about the CURE Challenge here.

This means that if you haven't donated and you donate now, the donors above will match your donation dollar for dollar.

If you have already donated and you donate again, your gift will also be matched dollar for dollar.

So start giving, or give again!

To have your gift matched, on the donation page -
















under "Program Area", choose the first option, "Annual Campaign/CURE Challenge". If you are a first-time donor, detailed instructions are in the post below.

We have a few days left to donate. Please make sure you get your donations in by August 29th!

It’s all for L.O.V.E.!


2 August 2010

Birthday Gift for Michael - How to Donate

Alrighty, we are all set to go!

If you just came in, MJ fans around the world are coming together to give a gift to a children's charity for Michael's birthday. We are going to honour Michael by remembering him for all the humanitarian work that he had done, and to support one of the causes closest to his heart. (For an explanation, see: Charity Project for Michael's Birthday.)

By popular vote, the charity that you, the fans, have chosen is CURE Childhood Cancer.

“The first time the Jackson 5 did a benefit at a children’s hospital, Michael came home and cried all night at the memory of all those sick children lying in beds, some not even able to move their hands to clap. That is when he became actively involved in communicating with these kids. He corresponds with youngsters his own age in hospitals all over the country. These are not letters dictated to a secretary by a superstar, but letters written in Michael’s own hand during breaks in recording or rehearsing or even in school.”

- from “The Jackson 5 Really Changed!” article


As an adult, Michael visited sick children in hospitals wherever he went, invited them to spend time at Neverland, quietly gave them cheques for their medical bills, and made countless donations to hospitals and cancer charities around the world.

Today, we will be donating to CURE Childhood Cancer, to help fund research into finding a cure for children's cancer, and to support those affected by it.

I highly recommend that you visit CURE's website and read about what they do. See the research initiatives, patient and family support programmes and educational programmes that your donations will be used for.

Some fans have asked whether this is a legitimate charity. Before you give any money to anyone claiming to be a (US) charity, check them out on the IRS database first: IRS search for charities. You will be searching IRS's list of organisations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. (Click picture to enlarge.)
















The charity that we are donating to is "Cure Childhood Cancer Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA". They are registered as a tax-exempt organisation with the IRS, which means that they are a legitimate charity.

You can also check up on their charity rating and finances at Charity Navigator. This will tell you whether your donation will be spent responsibly.

(If you have any other questions or concerns, please post them in the comments form below.)


Ok then, here are the instructions on how to make a donation.

Go directly to the charity's donation page. You can also reach this page by clicking the "Donate" button from the main page or any of their pages.

Page 1:
















1. Be sure to check "My donation is In Honor of someone." If you click "My donation is In Memory of someone", that's ok too. Same thing.

2. Under Program Area, select the first option, "Annual Campaign/CURE Challenge". This ensures that your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. (Click here to read about the CURE Challenge.)


Page 2:















3. Under "My gift is in honor of", for "Name:", type MJ. This is very important for your donation to be added to the group total for Michael.

You do not need to enter the information in the other fields. I have made arrangements with the charity to send one card for all of us (instead of hundreds of cards) on the day after our donation period ends (August 29th). The card will state the total amount donated and will be sent to Katherine, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson. I have already given them the address, so you don't need to re-enter it on the donation form here.


Page 3:
















Check your details before you click submit.


Page 4:















Your donation has been submitted and this is your receipt.


An email will also be sent to you at the address you provided, with a copy of your receipt:














If you are a US resident, your donation is tax-deductible, so be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place.

That's it!

The charity has agreed to give us a total at the end of every week (Friday). I will post updates here and on Facebook and Twitter, so if you are a member at either site, join the group!

Please invite your friends and family to join us as well. Spread the word to other MJ fans at the forums or websites that you hang out on. The donation period ends August 29th, so let's start giving!

... Let us realise
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true, we'll make a better day
Just you and me....


1 August 2010

Results

The fans have spoken! Here are the results of your vote:












(Results page here.)

The favourite charity by far is CURE Childhood Cancer.

Instructions on how to donate coming soon!


29 July 2010

Vote! Vote! Vote!

You need to vote to make sure your favourite charity gets chosen! Most days, the charities are separated by just one vote. Don’t think your vote won’t matter - every vote counts!


28 July 2010

Clarification

There seems to have been some miscommunication with some non-English speaking fans. I would like to clarify that:

I am not collecting money for myself.
I am not collecting money for my charity. (I don’t own any charities!)
I am not collecting money for Michael Jackson.
I am not collecting money for anybody's charity.
No charity paid me any money to collect money for them.

I am asking you to donate to a charity of YOUR choice for Michael's birthday.

Some fans are concerned whether their donations will be used wisely by the charities. If you look below each charity, there is a link for “Check their charity ratings”. These ratings are provided by an independent charity rating organisation called Charity Navigator. (No, it does not belong to me.) These are the criteria they use to rate the charities. Charity Navigator obtains the charities’ annual financial statements from the IRS (US tax department).

All the three charities selected are rated 4 stars (out of a possible 4) - the highest rating possible. You can also click on “Financial history” below each charity to see how they have spent donations in the past. These charities were chosen because they do good work, have good reputations and spend donations responsibly.


24 July 2010

Charity Project for Michael's Birthday

Michael’s birthday is coming up on 29th August 2010. To commemorate the day, instead of buying flowers or flying to California, why not give the money to a charity, in Michael’s honour?

Michael gave much of his time and money to charities all around the world. According to Frank Dileo, Michael’s former manager:

“When we were in Europe, when we were doing the Bad tour, every city we went to, we went to a children’s hospital and bought them a piece of equipment. Not one hospital for the whole tour - every city! They had a little boy that was dying and wanted to meet Michael. And Michael went up and talked to him and the kid perked up and... it was amazing. And I went off to a corner and I cried. I really couldn't take it. Michael came over and put his arm around me and said, ‘You have to understand, Frank. This is our job. Not on the stage. THIS is our job. To make somebody feel good.’ ”
- “True Crime with Aphrodite Jones: Michael Jackson” documentary (2010)

Even though Michael is no longer here to make the world a better place, we can still do our part, and do it in his honour.

In celebration of Michael’s birthday, fans from all around the world are invited to come together and contribute to a charity in Michael’s memory.

And what better way to celebrate Michael’s birthday than to celebrate his life, and remember him for all the good that he had done and the love he had shared during his years on earth, and to follow his call to...

Heal the world,
Make it a better place,
For you and for me,
And the entire human race.

No message could have been any clearer,
If you want to make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself, then make that change.



Here is how we are going to make that happen:

July 24 - 31: Take a vote on which charity you would most like to contribute to.

July 31: Announcement of selected charity.

August 1 - 29: Donate to the chosen charity. (All donations are to be done directly at the charity’s own website. No money will pass through our hands.)

August 30: Announcement of total collected. Charity to send a note to Michael’s family to inform them of the total donated.

(Subscribe to the news feeds on the right to stay informed on the latest updates.)


Charities were selected based on the following criteria:

• It must be a cause that Michael was passionate about. (See a list of charities that Michael supported.)
• The charity must benefit people around the world.
• The charity must be reputable and use donations efficiently. (See how charities are rated.)
• The charity is of a modest size so that our contributions will make a difference.
• They are able to accept online donations from all over the world and allow us to donate in someone's memory.


Here are the three shortlisted charities (in alphabetical order):

American Forests

A fan started the A Million Trees for Michael project in collaboration with American Forests to plant trees in Michael’s honour. $1 plants one tree. The long-term goal is to create a “Michael Jackson Memorial Forest” (pending approval from Michael’s estate executors).

Under their Global ReLeaf programme, American Forests will plant 4.8 million trees across 14 states in the United States and 10 countries around the world this year. Their objective is to replant forests important for wildlife, clean water and carbon sequestration. (See a list of Global ReLeaf projects scheduled for 2010.)

“I respect the secrets and magic of nature, that’s why it makes me so angry when I see these things that are happening, that every second, a forest the size of a football field is torn down in the Amazon. That kind of stuff really bothers me. That’s why I write these kinds of songs [Earth Song], y’know... to give some sense of awareness and awakening and hope to people. I love the planet. I love trees. I have this thing for trees and the colors and changing of leaves... I love it! I respect those kinds of things.

I really feel that nature is trying so hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the planet. The planet is sick, like a fever. And if we don’t fix it now, it’s at the point of no return. This is our last chance to fix this problem that we have, or it’s like a runaway train and the time has come, this is it. People are always saying, ‘Oh, they’ll take care of it, the government or they will...’ They? They who? It starts with us! It’s us or it will never be done.”

- Michael Jackson, “This Is It” documentary (2009)


Michael's history of charitable contributions to tree planting:

On January 22, 2000, Michael, along with other artistes, made a donation for the restoration of the Château de Versailles park in France, in which 10,000 trees were uprooted or damaged in a terrible storm.

See the American Forests website
Check their charity rating and financial history


CURE Childhood Cancer

For the past 25 years in the United States, the incidence of childhood cancer has steadily grown, with over 12,500 new diagnoses each year. Over 40,000 infants, children and adolescents are currently receiving treatment for cancer. In the US, cancer remains the #1 disease killer of children, claiming the lives of more children and young people under the age of 20 than any other disease. However, once an impossible dream, curing childhood cancer has become achievable in our lifetime.

CURE Childhood Cancer funds research on paediatric cancer and the training of paediatric oncologists and researchers who will carry on important studies. CURE's sole focus is the cure for childhood cancer (unlike other cancer organisations that are primarily involved in adult cancer research). CURE also works on improving the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with cancer, and provides education and training to nurses and other caregivers to children with cancer.

Michael spent much of his time and money helping and cheering up children with cancer. He said that the time the children spent in hospital, in treatment and in bed due to their illness robs them of a normal childhood.

“Besides his talent as a musician and entertainer, it’s his humanitarian efforts, the fact that he really wanted to bring joy and happiness to sick and disabled children. Michael has always used that fame to give to others. He worked with lots of charities to help sick children and their families. ... Much of the time, it went unnoticed by the media. That was Michael’s decision. These were private moments dedicated to help. Lots of artists today don’t do that, you don’t see them as concerned as Michael was.”

- Frédéric Taddeï, journalist (2008)


Michael’s history of charitable contributions to cancer research:

On April 14, 1984, Michael funded a 19-bed unit at the Mount Sinai New York Medical Center. This center is part of the T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. Michael also supported the American Cancer Society.

See the CURE Childhood Cancer website
Check their charity rating and finances


Make-A-Wish International

(Logo unavailable due to copyright issues.)

The mission of Make-A-Wish Foundation International is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to give them hope, strength and joy. They are the largest wish-granting organisation in the world and has chapters in 36 countries around the globe. With the help of generous donors and over 30,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 240,000 wishes worldwide since their inception. (See some recent wishes granted.)

When Michael was living at Hayvenhurst, he accepted a large number of children’s requests to visit him there through foundations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In April 1988, Michael gave away free tickets for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to Make-A-Wish. In November 1989, Michael hosted 50 children from MacLaren Hall and the Make-A-Wish Foundation at his residence. In November, 1990, via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 14-year-old cancer victim, John Brown, was granted the wish to visit Neverland.

On November 25, 1992, Michael granted the wish of young David Sonnet via the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The boy was invited to go along with other children from the foundation to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Sonnet suffered a brain aneurysm at the tender age of 8, leaving him only able to function through a communication device, it helping him convey his thoughts through a specialised computer. Sonnet passed away on July 26, 2004.

In September 1993, a terminally ill 15-year-old Dutch boy, Martijn Hendricsen, and his siblings, were offered, via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the opportunity to meet Michael in Japan.

“I’ve traveled the world over eight times. I do as many hospitals and orphanages as I do concerts. But, of course, it’s not covered [by the press]. That’s not why I do it - for coverage. I do it because it’s from my heart. And there are so many children in the city who haven’t seen the mountains, who haven’t been on a carousel, who haven’t petted a horse or a llama, never seen them... So if I can open my gates and see that bliss, an explosion of screaming laughter from the children and they run on the rides, I say, “Thank you, God.” I feel I’ve won God’s smile of approval, because I’m doing something that brings joy and happiness to other people.”

- Michael Jackson, “At Large with Geraldo Rivera” TV interview (2005)

Michael not only granted the wishes of terminally ill children via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he also contributed to the charity.

See the Make-A-Wish International website
Check their charity rating and financial history


These are the chosen charities. Which one would you most like to donate to, in Michael's honour?

Please cast your votes now. (Only one vote per person, please.) Your collective votes will determine which charity we all donate to in August. Voting ends July 31, 2010.

Meanwhile, save up your money, then bookmark and check back on August 1 and donate. Invite your friends, family and fellow fans to join in as well!

Vote now!










(This project is organised by fans and is not affiliated with any charity.)