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A very big welcome to Cheerful Hearts Foundation, the first non-U.S. based NGO to be published on UniversalGiving!

In an effort to continue to support projects all over the world, UniversalGiving is now also partnering with non-U.S. based NGOs! This new partnership will allow you the opportunity to volunteer with ‘home grown’ projects administered by top-quality international organizations.

Cheerful Hearts Foundation, our first non-U.S. based partner, is based in Ghana, Africa. Their mission is to empower rural communities through sustainable development and promoting education and health services. A few of their volunteer opportunities include teaching in primary and secondary schools and educating the local youth about HIV/AIDS.
 

You can check out their organization profile here: http://www.universalgiving.org/volunteer/cheerful_hearts_foundation/id6043.do?targetPath=/volunteer/africa/opportunities.do

Pamela Hawley, UniversalGiving's Founder and CEO, spoke at an event recognizing this year's recipients of the Cisco Silicon Valley Impact Grants.

Celebrate Earth Day... Every Day!

2010 marks the 40th year celebrating Earth Day! What started as an environmental teach-in in 1970 is now celebrated by billions of people worldwide, and it's a great way to think about how we as individuals can have a positive impact on the environment. Whether it's driving less often, recycling, or reducing your carbon footprint, there are many ways to make a difference.

At UniversalGiving we are helping to celebrate Earth Day every day by matching you with earth friendly Projects and Volunteer opportunities. All NGOs featured on our site are thoroughly vetted, assuring that they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency, and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to these NGOs.

Though Earth Day has now passed, join us in continuing to celebrate by donating or volunteering with these earth friendly organizations...

Yet another devastating earthquake has struck - this time in China's Qinghai Province. At least 700 people are confirmed dead from the 7.1 quake, which struck the remote and sparsely populated province on the morning of April 14. More than 10,000 are injured and many more remain buried under rubble. Over 90 percent of the provincial capital's buildings collapsed due to poor construction. So far, 32 people have been rescued from collapsed buildings. Due to lower population density, the death toll is far less than the earthquake that struck Sichuan two years ago and killed 87,000. Rescue efforts have been hampered by the lack of heavy equipment, medical supplies and tents, but Chinese officials are rushing soldiers and supplies to the region. The high altitude of the province is also a concern as rescuers struggle with altitude sickness and freezing temperatures.

Sources: NY Times and Associated Press

What can you do to help the victims in China?

A 7.2 earthquake struck northern Mexico on April 4 near Mexicali, causing buildings to collapse, killing two, and injuring hundreds. A spokesman for the state of Baja California estimated damage totaling "millions of dollars", but stressed that it was too early for precise estimates. Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited Colonia de la Puerta, one of the hardest hit villages, where hundreds of residents left homeless appealed to relief workers for blankets, food, and water. Widespread flooding from ruptured irrigation canals could devastate farming in Mexicali, an important agricultural center in Baja California. One of the buildings severely damaged was Mexicali's general hospital, leading people to seek medical treatment in makeshift tents. The magnitude of the earthquake was roughly the equivalent to the one that struck Haiti in January, but damage and loss of life was minimal due to lower population density and stricter building codes. More than 500 aftershocks had rocked the area since Sunday's earthquake.

Source: Los Angeles Times

What can you do to help the victims in Mexico?

Early on the morning of February 27, Chile was rocked by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake - the seventh largest on record. The earthquake and the subsequent tsunami severely damaged over 500,000 homes, killed nearly 500 people and displaced thousands. Buildings collapsed and the tsunami ravaged much of the coastal Maule Region.

Since the initial earthquake, over 200 aftershocks greater than 5.0 have been recorded, including 6.9, 6.7 and 6.0 earthquakes on March 11. There have been no immediate reports of casualties from these quakes.

While Chile is a developed nation with past experience dealing with massive earthquakes, Chileans still need our help. Cell phone donations raised $21 million within 48 hours of the Haiti earthquake on January 12, but similar text-message fundraising efforts have raised only $100,000 for Chile relief.

Media Sources: CNN, Wall Street Journal, China.org.cn, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor


What can you do to help the victims in Chile?

Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, which caused widespread devastation.  Many of the buildings in the capital of Port-au-Prince collapsed, including the presidential palace, the UN headquarters and various ministry buildings.

Eight days after the earthquake, Haitians had already experienced many aftershocks, but the 6.1 quake on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, caused widespread panic.  There were no immediate reports of extensive damage or casualties from this latest aftershock, but the toll of the earthquake on Haiti is clear; an estimated 200,000 Haitians were killed in last Tuesday’s earthquake and 1.5 million were made homeless by it.  

What can you do to help the earthquake victims in Haiti?

http://www.universalgiving.org/crisis/

The UniversalGiving Founder and CEO has been invited to serve as a panelist at Harvard Business School's Dynamic Women in Business Conference.

Philanthropy With A Business Model: Like a VC, UniversalGiving carefully selects charities that make the most business sense--and helps more people as a result.

Pamela Hawley, Founder and CEO of UniversalGiving, was recently awarded the Jefferson Award and featured on CBS Nightly News for her global philanthropic work.