an online contest I can FINALLY support
02:26, 23 March 2010
.. Posted in Development, Relief and Advocacy Efforts.. Link
This isn't your usual nonprofit/charity online popularity contest -- because, as you know, I loathe nonprofit/charity online popularity contests.
As many of you know, I volunteer with Bpeace, a nonprofit organization focused on helping entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda. Each year, Bpeace chooses six promising entrepreneurs with a dream and a fledgling business plan, and Bpeace matches those entrepreneurs with American experts online to more fully develop those plans to better ensure success. They started with 250 applicants back in August 2009 and, through various means, six have now been chosen as having the most potential to create several hundred jobs.
If you go to voting page, you will see the six Afghan and Rwandan Race to Innovation Finalists, their "pitch" videos and why their business is important to their community.
BPEACE wants to raise $10,000 for each Finalist through the"vote for hope" campaign. 100% of the funds raised will transfer to the Finalists for them to buy the equipment and rent the space they need. Yes, Bpeace is charging you to vote. But that's how money will be raised for these finalists. The minimum amount required to vote is just $15!
Though I have, indeed, been the primary volunteer for one of the entrepreneurs and, therefore, have strong feelings for such, I'm not going to ask you to vote for that person just because I'm helping. Instead, I'm asking you to go to the voting site and judge for yourself who you think you want to invest in. No popularity contest -- instead, a real vote based purely on your opinion. For the record: yes, I've voted (and it was more than $15!). Here's more about my volunteering with Bpeace.
Please let me know you voted, and who you voted for!
