Update 22 Dec 2015 #: Poll has finished. Thanks to everyone who has participated. Last year there were 258 unique commenters so I thought it might just be a bit more than that this year. Turn out I was wrong and the figure almost doubled. 458 users have commented on this thread, many simply posted "+$10". At the end of the day OzBargain will donate $19,580 to the top 4 charities from the poll:
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
- beyondblue
- Cancer Council
- RSPCA
They will receive $4,895 each. That will happen in the next couple of days when I get to move the funds around.
It's almost Christmas and OzBargain will donate $15,000 or more to charities of your choice. We have been running the biannually charity donation since 2012 where OzBargainers get to choose and vote for the charities that OzBargain will donate to. So for this year:
- We'll take suggestion from commenters using this poll feature.
- Donation amount will be $15,000 + $10 x number of unique commenters. So if 200 OzBargainers commented in this thread we will donate $17,000 to charities.
- We'll pick the top 4 charities from their votes, and the donation will be evenly distributed. For example if $17,000 is the final donation amount, each charity will receive $4,250 in donation.
Timeline
This is the schedule for our donation event:
- 15 Dec — start taking suggestions & votes
- 21 Dec — voting closes
- 24 Dec — donations made
Because we started late this year we'll take the suggestions and voting at the same time, unlike last year where we only allow voting after closing suggestions.
Suggestion Guidelines
To suggest a charity, put in the name of the charity or specific appeal fund in the suggestion text field right above the comment box (top-level comments only). Once you submitted the comment your suggestion will be added to the moderation queue. After moderator has approved your suggestion, it would then appear in the poll options.
Please also have the following included in the comments:
- Link to the charity
- Reasons why we should donate to this charity
As for which charity to suggest, have a look at our past donation polls (2014 Xmas, 2014 EoFY) also this discussion thread, Which Charity? I have to say that there were some not so suitable ones but I believe the majority of the community would be able to make sensible votes.
Cottage by the Sea is a non-profit, non-government funded organisation that runs weekly camps for disadvantaged youths. The kids are usually referred to them by school welfare officers, welfare agencies, government health departments or council services. What I like about them is that they actively impact the lives of children in a positive way. They foster a sense of community, and team building and support to children who need it the most, particularly during their formative years. I believe this will further raise Australia's children (particularly the disadvantaged ones) to be adults who will later contribute to society in a positive way. These kids need our help.
OBJECTIVES
to establish positive patterns of behaviour in children
to develop additional social skills that assist children in group situations
to improve school attendance
to encourage children to be more active
to endorse the benefits of healthy eating habits
to support well-being by increasing self-esteem and confidence
to advocate respect for self and others
OUTCOMES
improved school attendance
more active children
healthier eating habits
increased self-esteem and confidence
greater respect for self and others