Apologies if this sounds like a brag post.
I'm just hyperexcited.
Okay, so I got my first royalty payment in my PayPal account today (for a short story published under my penname). Okay. *deep breaths* *OMGI’MRICHI’MRICH*
Well, not rich, but that was a pleasant chunk of money.
Some of that money is going into my much-diminished bank account (curse you Amazon.com and your easily accessible, expensive used books!), but the rest is going to a variety of cool charities. I’m listing them here, with my reasons for supporting them, as a sort of signal boost*. They’re all worth taking a look at.
*In the interests of honesty, the amounts I’ve donated to each individual charity are tiny. I’m not a saint and I’m not rolling in riches, satisfied childishly excited as the royalty payment as made me. I’m hoping I might be able to magnify the effect of my own tiny donations by encouraging others to support these charities as well.
Okay, so I got my first royalty payment in my PayPal account today (for a short story published under my penname). Okay. *deep breaths* *OMGI’MRICHI’MRICH*
Well, not rich, but that was a pleasant chunk of money.
Some of that money is going into my much-diminished bank account (curse you Amazon.com and your easily accessible, expensive used books!), but the rest is going to a variety of cool charities. I’m listing them here, with my reasons for supporting them, as a sort of signal boost*. They’re all worth taking a look at.
- http://www.kiva.org/, a nonprofit that enables you to provide microloans to entrepreneurs in the developing world through an online account. When the loan is repaid, you can return the money to your PayPal account or use it to make another loan.
- http://www.therandomact.org/wordpress/ Random Acts, which for Supernatural fans needs no introduction. Interestingly, the Donations tab is labeled ‘Buy Our Love.’ So have I just purchased Misha Collins’ love? Sweet.
- http://www.wfp.org/ The World Food Program, in light of the famine devastating the Horn of Africa.
- http://www.proliteracy.org/, for its international programs. Over 700 million adults worldwide are illiterate, and one of the first steps in combating poverty is education, especially the education of women (which among other things slows population growth and encourages gender equality). I wish I could be more poetic on this point, but the facts do speak for themselves.
- http://www.worldreader.org/ has the unique idea of provided solar-powered ebooks to readers in developing countries.
- https://gftw.org/ Gleaning for the World, a 5-star charity on Charity Navigator that provides surplus supplies and equipment to humanitarian organizations.
- Lastly, http://www.worldwildlife.org/home-full.html The World Wildelife fund, because ecosystems are precious and all the cutest animals are endangered. Yes, that’s basically my reasoning. A good long look at a red panda should convert you to it.
*In the interests of honesty, the amounts I’ve donated to each individual charity are tiny. I’m not a saint and I’m not rolling in riches, satisfied childishly excited as the royalty payment as made me. I’m hoping I might be able to magnify the effect of my own tiny donations by encouraging others to support these charities as well.