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Benj and Jessica launched a nonprofit. Follow our journey as we built a 501(c)(3) and a web site, and now usher in an endless stream of worthy charity nominees and monthly grant winners!

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Spotlight on nominee APOPO

nominee APOPO

Next in our series of posts about new Charitocracy nominees, we have nominee APOPO, nominated by donor Stephanie. APOPO train rats to save lives, addressing global issues like landmines and tuberculosis through R&D and deployment of scent detection technology. You can find their web site here.

A few words on Charitocracy

Firstly, for newcomers: here's how it works. Donors pool their monthly contributions, as little as $1. The cause with the most votes each month wins the pot. No matter how much or how little you contribute, each donor at Charitocracy gets one vote. This is where charity meets democracy. So please share this post (scroll down for social sharing icons) and ask your friends to join us and vote! That's how we spread the word and, as a result, grow the monthly pot. The bigger the pot, the bigger our positive impact on the world!

About nominee APOPO

For 20 years APOPO’s scent detection rats have been detecting landmines and tuberculosis. Learn more about our work and how you can help.

The Problem

Over 60 countries are contaminated with hidden landmines and other explosive remnants of war, that cause tragic accidents and hamper communities from developing their productive land.

Meanwhile, slow and inaccurate detection methods make tuberculosis the world’s most deadly infectious disease. 10 million new people contract TB every year, 3 million go undiagnosed, and 1.8 million die from the disease.

The Solution

The APOPO scent detection rats, nicknamed 'HeroRATs', help to rid the world of landmines and tuberculosis, returning safe land back to communities for development, and freeing people from serious illness so they can get back on their feet.

So visit the page of nominee APOPO to vote for, like, or discuss this cause! And check out this short video explaining the timeliness of this nomination, now that it's 2020, the Year of the (Hero)Rat!

January 2020 winner Gifts of Hope Unlimited

Charitocracy's 41st check to January winner Gifts of Hope Unlimited for $1088

We have good news about January winner Gifts of Hope Unlimited, right after this quick update...

Newsflash

This just in: Benj retired from his day job yesterday.

It's the same as quitting, but without the connotation of ill will or dissatisfaction on either side. There's no presumption of leaving for greener pastures at another company. The fact is, I'm still in love with my former employer, the work I was doing there, and all the colleagues with whom I shared the experience. Instead retirement comes with the implied acknowledgement of one's mortality and time being of the essence. I feel that urgency every day.

This is a weird day, my first day unemployed in a long long time. Thanks for giving me the best reason to take this leap of faith: Charitocracy. Without you, it would just be a cool idea with $0 grants going out each month. Now I'll have more time to spend growing Charitocracy, giving it the closer attention it desperately needs!

January 2019 winner Gifts of Hope Unlimited

Last night we named Charitocracy's 41st monthly winner. Congratulations to Gifts of Hope Unlimited, nominated by donor Marthaek. They support and assist individuals affected by relationship violence gain access to resources for a safe and empowered future. You can find their web page here.

Now you have a week to further sweeten the pot with a special one-time donation of any amount, which we'll add straight to the check we write to Gifts of Hope Unlimited. ❤️

Have a great February and be sure to log into Charitocracy to update your votes or nominate a new cause!

December 2019 winner No Kid Hungry

Charitocracy's 40th check to December winner No Kid Hungry for $1048

We have good news about December winner No Kid Hungry, right after this quick update...

Hindsight 2020

Looking back at 2019 from this futuristic sounding year of 2020, I see 12 thoughtfully selected, well-deserving causes receiving our group donations totaling over $18,000. I see Charitocracy crossing the $50,000 milestone in total grants to date. In the website I see incremental improvements, tearing down the "pay wall" and making social sharing easier. But I also see an endless struggle to attract more donors...

I'll write a dedicated blog post about it within the next month or so, but for now a cryptic teaser: 2020 will be a game-changer for Charitocracy. My foresight isn't quite as clear as my hindsight, so I can't promise it will end well. But status quo isn't going to cut it. So watch this space!

December 2019 winner No Kid Hungry

Last night we named Charitocracy's 40th monthly winner. Congratulations to No Kid Hungry, nominated by donor the_fIves. They work to end childhood hunger, and won't be done until every single child in America has the food they need to grow up healthy and strong. You can find their web page here.

Now you have a week to further sweeten the pot with a special one-time donation of any amount, which we'll add straight to the check we write to No Kid Hungry. ❤️

Before you go, check out this quick year-end message from winner No Kid Hungry. Then feel good about your part in our collective $1048+ grant to help with their work!

Have a great January (2020!) and be sure to log into Charitocracy to update your votes or nominate a new cause!