donations

Hey everyone,

I don't have much cash to throw around but there are organizations that I want to support financially. So, I decided to leverage my 50th birthday and my network of friends to create a fundraiser through an organization called PlanG (short for planned giving).

For my birthday, I am asking friends/family not to buy gifts, but instead to donate to a tax-deductible fund (they get the tax deduction, so it's a gift that gives back) and I get to select the charitable organization(s) that will receive the money.

Let's join in sending prayers to all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Radiation risks from the damaged Japanese reactors so far are minimal, according to this New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14health.html.