Blogher Acts Donation Challenge

***This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog until my Blogher Acts donation challenge ends on May 9th. Please scroll down for new posts.***

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What with my computer issues and a lack of blog-reading time overall, I somehow missed an important campaign going on over at Blogher. The Bloghers Act pledge to raise money and awareness about maternal health around the world has led to a Mother's Day fund-raising challenge. Since I have a mother, I know several mothers, and I hope to be a mother myself one day, maternal health is an issue that directly affects me. Unfortunately, there are women around the world who don't have the options, opportunities and services available to them to ensure their own maternal health, while as a middle-class American, I'm likely to get exactly what I need.

After reading about the different maternal health projects that Blogher is supporting, I decide I definitely wanted to be part of this giving extravaganza. I figured out a few places where I could cut back on spending and set aside a little cash for a good cause. Then I thought, why not get others involved in the process? And a mini donation challenge was born!

Here's how you can help me help mothers around the world:

1. Stop by and comment (on this post or the current day's post) every day between May 5th and May 9th.


2. Send all of your friends over to comment, too.


3. In at least one of your comments, suggest which cause you'd like me to support.

For every comment I receive between May 5th and May 9th, I'll donate $0.10 to one of the Blogher-supported organizations (for a maximum donation of $100). (**UPDATE: I'll donate $1 for each unique commenter during the week.) That means I'll need your help to average 200 comments from unique bloggers per day. That's quite the feat for someone who averages about 15 visitors, and even less commenters, per day. (Note: While you're welcome to comment as many times per day as you'd like, only one comment per unique visitor will be counted toward the total. The goal here is to raise awareness and get as many people involved as possible.)

In addition to helping me raise the funds, I'm going to let you help me decide which organization to donate to. In at least one of your comments, vote to provide noon meals to girls in Burkina Faso, empower women to end HIV/AIDS stigma in South Africa, ensure health care for displaced Darfurians, support a mother and child health clinic in Nepal, or help Afghan women safely deliver healthy babies. They're all worthy causes, so I'll let you choose where the funds go.

Are you in? If so, mark your calendars, set your reminders, start spreading the word. Do whatever you need to do to make sure those comments are flooding in when May 5th rolls around. Let's give mothers around the world the gift of health on Mother's Day.

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***This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog until my Blogher Acts donation challenge ends on May 9th. Please scroll down for new posts.***