Raising money for music programs in Louisiana schools

[groovy1967]

Howdy folks,

It's a bit unorthodox, but I figured out a way that I could use my limited skills to raise money for underfunded schools. Rather than bore you with a plea for money, I decided to make a video, which will hopefully amuse (and perhaps inspire) you. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06QM6sib8fY

After you watch it, you can help me out in one or two ways:

1) Visit http://www.brianferdman.com to see the list of projects I'm trying to help fund. As you can see, there's a wide variety of school projects that lack funding, and since the arts are typically the first thing cut in many budgets, I've selected many arts-centric projects, including several that involve music in high poverty Louisiana schools. No contribution is too small (or too large!) to help these underprivileged students. At present, my fundraising efforts have directly aided 1,178 students, but I'm not stopping there!

2) If you like the video, please pass it on to your friends. If you hate the video, please pass it on to your enemies. My goal in making this video, as opposed to a generic email, was to create something that people might enjoy enough to pass on, and it seems to be working so far...

Thanks for your help,
Brian

[Belle]

This is great stuff!!! Known you here for quite some time but this makes me want to reach out and hug ya.

What a fun way to do great work...applause to you

[Baconwrapped]

Fantastic Brian! We already are big Donors Choose fans (and supporters... in fact last year we gave Donors Choose gift cards to family and friends for Christmas present). Much kudos to you for the creative approach!

[ohio]

Bravo Brian, well done!
I donated to two projects and will pass this along to friends and family.

[funkkjunkie]

Well that is just awesome! I'm gonna choose my projects this weekend! Thanks, groovy.:D

[festbabe]

Brian-
Thanks to you and El Conquistador for the video. I chose a music education program in Texas!

[groovy1967]

Well, thank you for your support, "Anonymous Texan" and Bryan!

We just topped $1,000 and have reached 1,408 students and counting! Let's keep up the good work, everybody!

And Belle, I will gratefully accept said hug at Fest or CFF. You have my word on it.

[Corona]

That was just fantastic!!! After watching that video, I HAVE to donate it...it cracked me up! lmao. Well done! heading over to the list now. Very cool Brian!! :)

[Lit]

Sold me too. Bravo. Instruments for children with autism was my choice.

[Corona]

done and thanks!! Put it up on my FB page also....still cracking up at the video...I can't stop :D

[Corona]

I chose helping 1st graders in Louisiana and then the Guest dance artist in Pennsylvania in Sammy's honor. Need to stop now lol!

[MaloGator]

Great video (and smoking jacket), Brian! Love it...and I'll post it on my FB to spread the word.

[Lit]

Just wanted to post a quick update Brian to let you know the ways in which your efforts are helping these and other projects funded through Donors Choose. First, I've got to say that I enjoyed this giving experience very much. I didn't know about Donors Choose previously, and I really liked the idea of reviewing the projects and choosing the ones to which I wanted to make a donation. I also appreciated the thank you note I received directly (and promptly) from the teacher. And it was also cool to learn a few days later that the project had been fully funded. Since mine was the first donation to that particular project, I was encouraged to see it go from start to finish in a matter of days since my first donation.

Finally, I told my wife about Donors Choose later that day, after making my donation. She is a "room parent" for one of our daughter's class and is charged with, among other things, coordinating the class gifts from the parents to the teachers and assistants. After hearing about this, and learning about the gift cards they offer, she decided to make Donors Choose gift cards the class gifts for all of them, and she has forwarded the idea and information to all the other room parents in the school to suggest that they do the same if they are interested. She has received very positive feedback so far.

Thanks for turning us on to this. It is now our pleasure to let others know about it, and to think of others on our list who would really appreciate receiving the gift cards.

[groovy1967]

Lit, that is awesome! I'm so glad that this little project is going to lead to many more important fund-raising efforts.

Thank you to everyone who has (or will) donate, and thank you to everyone who has helped to spread the word. Now I have lots of ideas about how I can make this entire experience even more effective next year.

My mustache will meet its demise tomorrow morning, although there's no end date for donating. Later on this week, I'll fill everyone in on the tally of the good work we've done.

[ciscokid]

Lit, that is awesome! I'm so glad that this little project is going to lead to many more important fund-raising efforts.

Thank you to everyone who has (or will) donate, and thank you to everyone who has helped to spread the word. Now I have lots of ideas about how I can make this entire experience even more effective next year.

My mustache will meet its demise tomorrow morning, although there's no end date for donating. Later on this week, I'll fill everyone in on the tally of the good work we've done.

make sure there is a pic of said mustache somewhere... see what ya look like........:)
good job bryan!

[groovy1967]

Cisco, I just changed my avatar for ya. It's a shot from yesterday.

I've been tracking my growth and posting a new picture every day on Facebook.

I'm not sure if you can see this without being my friend, but here goes:

http://www.facebook.com/brian.ferdman?ref=profile#/album.php?aid=37492&id=1069669846&ref=mf

[Lit]

I'm not sure if you can see this without being my friend, but here goes:

Statement that means something entirely different now than it did just a year or two ago.

[groovy1967]

Statement that means something entirely different now than it did just a year or two ago.

Yeah, I know. I usually use the term "fake Internet friend" since a good deal of mine are peeps from my backward, dead-end hometown with whom I would never willingly associate.

[Orleansnj]

best thing I've seen in a while - and thank you for letting me know about this organization. I donated to three projects.

[Corona]

nice Stache Groovy :) You've done an awesome thing and yeah, it's a great project! I enjoyed donating to it as well and like Lit, loved the thank you's from the teachers that came after. Congratulations on a job well done!

[NeenAtlanta]

best thing I've seen in a while - and thank you for letting me know about this organization. I donated to three projects.

And they have included your quotes on a couple of them now. Way to go Michelle!

[groovy1967]

Hey folks,

It's that time of year again when I endure taunts, slanders, and uncomfortable looks from creepy dudes on the street, as I grow a Mustache For Kids.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, checkout my video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06QM6sib8fY

You can then visit http://www.brianferdman.com to see the projects I'm attempting to support. Right now, I'm trying to fund just north of 50 different projects for impoverished schools around the country, but I've put an added emphasis on schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Gulf region. Of course, there are lots of projects related to music education and the arts, but there are plenty of other worthy projects, too. As an added bonus, some of these projects are linked to a grant from a corporation that will double your donation.

Some of these schools are so poor that they can't even afford desks, chairs, or pencils for their students. Times are tough for most everyone across the board, but even if you can only afford to give 5 bucks, you can really make a difference in these kids' lives.

Last year, we raised $1,563 that directly affected the lives of 2,478 students. Threadheads were a huge help here, not only in feverishly raising money but also in spreading the word about this cause. Even if you can't donate, you can help by posting the video on Facebook or Twitter or emailing it around to your friends and family. I saw a lot of donations last year from people I don't know, so this definitely works!

Thanks again for supporting these kids!

[groovy1967]

We are approaching the end of the line for my mustache, but there are a few Nola, Louisiana, and Gulf-area music education projects that are only a small number of dollars away from receiving funding, so I hope we can make this a reality for some of these impoverished schools.

Click here to see the list of projects (http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=115910&utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_giving_page&max=50), and thanks for your support!

[ozzie]

Crikey, how did I not know about this!

Congrats groovy, terrific video and wonderful cause. I chose a project not related to music. Cheers!

BTW, we have long supported 'Movember' here - good fun and good cause!

[Lit]

Great projects and great job again Brian. And very nice for me to see a New Haven school on your list.

I know I told you last year how we turned lots of others on to Donors Choose after learning about it here, giving the gift cards for teacher presents and hearing great feedback from all. Well Mrs. Lit has rallied her troops to do the same again this year, and she just finished getting the cards for teacher gifts, as have some of her friends. I still hear comments from the teachers we gave them to last year about how much they enjoyed using the gift cards and how it really made them appreciate the school system we are in even more. And just the other day I saw a news item about how Oprah apparently picked Donors Choose as one of her top charities and gave gift cards to every member of audience one day. So great to see a good idea like this getting that kind of exposure.

Hope I get to see the mustache this time. I don't think you had started growing it yet when I saw you last month.

[VWGal]

I picked one project that could be successfully funded with my donation and so there's a violin class in New Orleans who will be happy campers....

Thanks Groovy and good for you to support these causes, and yes, let's see that groovy 'stache!

[groovy1967]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 'stache is back!

I'm already eight days into my Mustaches For Kids fundraising campaign, and thus far, my generous friends have donated $1,059 that has directly benefited 1,443 students.

Last year, we raised $1,909 that benefited 2,309 students in need, and I'm hoping that we can blow past those totals this year.

If you haven't seen the video, you can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06QM6sib8fY and then you can visit http://www.brianferdman.com to select a project or projects to help fund. Donations are tax-deductible, and remember that no donation is too small (or too large)!

At present, I have close to 50 different educational projects that I'm hoping we can fund. These projects range from a need for a new instrument for the school band to things as basic as pens and paper for students. Some of these schools are in severely impoverished districts, and these students really need our help.

I've included projects from places all around the country, with a bit of a focus on projects in New Orleans and other cities in Louisiana. If you know of a teacher who is attempting to fund a project through Donors Choose, please let me know, and I will gladly add it to my list. By the same token, if you happen to go to Donorschoose.org and you see a project you want me to include, just say the word.

The ever generous Threadhead Nation has played a major role in my Mustaches For Kids campaigns over the past two years, and I hope this year will be no different. On behalf of these students in need, I thank you for you support and generosity!

[sitdancer]

Awesome, I missed this the last years, but I am in for '11! Good work, very funny video.

[ozzie]

Enjoyed corresponding with my teacher last year and happy to help again this year.... 'tis a fine thing you do! Good luck!

[i wanna be in NOLA]

Wonderful! Thanks for doing this.

[glinda]

Here's to El Conquistador! Long may it grow.

[groovy1967]

I just wanted to give a subtle reminder that this fundraising drive is in the homestretch.

El Conquistador is living on borrowed time with only a few scant days before he is shaved away into merciful exile, but there are still several deserving educational projects, many of which are in New Orleans, that need funding. You can see the full list here (http://www.brianferdman.com).

I want to give a big thanks to Jaye, Cindy & David, Linda, Tanya, Jan, Donna, and everyone else who has generously contributed (I apologize if I'm inadvertently missing someone from the board). Thus far, we've raised $1,919, which has directly supported the education and enlightenment of 2,418 students! As of this moment El Conquistador has raised the 7th largest amount of funds in New York City!

Thanks again for both your contributions and for helping to spread the word about this cause!

[groovy1967]

There are less than two days remaining in the life of El Conquistador, but the good news is that by virtue of a generous matching offer from the DC.org Board of Directors (which includes Stephen Colbert and Bill Bradley), anyone who donates within the next 24 hours and uses the promo code "M4KNYC" will see their donation matched and doubled!

While man of you generous souls have helped me raise over $2,000 to help over 2,400 students, there are still 26 projects I'm hoping to fund, many of them in New Orleans and its surrounding communities. Just click here to see the list of projects (http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=205040&active=true&max=50), and don't forget to enter the code "M4KNYC" to have your donation matched and doubled within the next 24 hours!

On behalf of these kids in need, I thank you for your support.