Boise Bicycle Project - Concert & Fundraiser

Susan B. Anthony famously said, "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance."

Bicycling has done more than emancipate women. It is a fantastic form of transportation that frees women, men and children to seek the adventures and lives they desire.

The Boise Bicycle Project is a local nonprofit that educates the public about how bicycles are a great way to get around town and works to make sure that our neighbors have access to bikes no matter what their income. The group fixes old bikes for donation, and it empowers children and the refugee community about bicycle repair, care and maintenance.

On Friday at the Visual Arts Collective, 3638 Osage St. in Garden City, you can check out amazing deals on refurbished bikes from 3 to 8 p.m. , then enjoy a concert featuring some amazing bands starting at 8 p.m., all to benefit the Boise Bicycle Project. The cover for the concert is $5-10, and you can enter a raffle for a gorgeous classic Schwinn Suburban bicycle. For more information, visit www.boisebicycleproject.org

Idaho Community Foundation – Giving in Idaho

Last week we talked about considering making a charitable contribution as a method for holiday gift-giving.  Whether through a national online service or through a specific nonprofit, giving a donation is a way of ensuring that your gift is returned to the global or local community, never to a store.

Another way of giving is to focus on the needs of Idaho.  An organization that provides both broad and specific support throughout the state is the Idaho Community Foundation.  Whether as a charitable holiday gift or as part of your own year-end giving, ICF can help provide good stewardship and allocation of resources with an eye on the needs of our state.

The Idaho Community Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization composed of over 370 individual funds, pooled together for efficient management. To achieve its mission of enriching the quality of life throughout Idaho, ICF accepts and invests funds from donors and grants the funds for a broad variety of philanthropic projects statewide.

Since its inception in 1988, ICF has made charitable distributions in Idaho totaling more than $31 million.  In the last calendar year alone, the Foundation awarded grants totaling $4.5 million to nonprofit groups in all of Idaho’s 44 counties.

You can choose to donate to one of the hundreds of existing funds, a list of which is available on ICF’s website.  Such funds include scholarships for particular areas of study, support of regional area or local needs, assisting in statewide conservation, and others. 

You can also choose to establish your own fund and determine its objectives and guidelines.  The kinds of such funds, as well as information on initial monetary requirements, are available on ICF’s website.

If you don’t have a specific philanthropy in mind, you can make a donation to one of the “Greatest Need” funds which address the ever-changing needs throughout Idaho, including regional needs.

For more information on the Idaho Community Foundation, go to www.idcomfdn.org or call 342.3535. 

Deadline Approaching to Submit Inquiry to Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation!

Calling southwestern Idaho nonprofits! Don't miss the chance to get your fantastic program in front of the Idaho Women's Charitable Foundation!

The deadline to submit your Letter of Inquiry is December 1, 2008.  Selected applicants will then be asked to submit a complete project proposal. 

If your program fits into one of their main criteria and eligible categories, you are crazy if you do not apply!

Are you looking for information about whether you may qualify?  Check out their website here.  Perhaps you want to know what to include in your letter?  The IWCF has an amazing breadth of categories for programs that are of interest, and they show incredible clarity and transparency for how they select organizations to later submit proposals.  They truly are to be commended for their processes!

Food and Fashion

Food and fashion, two of our favorite things, are the themes for the next week. First there’s the annual Culinary Walk-About for Meals on Wheels tonight where the lucky attendees get to sample food items from 20 of the area’s top chefs. Yum!

Then there are two chances to get your fashion fix over the weekend. The Alley Repertory Theater (ART) is holding a fundraiser on Friday night at the newly opened Visual Arts Collective (VAC) in Garden City. I just went to a concert at VAC last night and can tell that it is going to be one of the hippest places in town for events. For $20, you can see avant garde clothing by designer Tod Alan in an ultra-cool setting, all to benefit an innovative new community theater company.

Once the fashion bug gets us, there’s no stopping so it’s on to Fashion IMPACT! on Saturday night. This annual fundraiser is being held at the Doubletree Riverside to benefit the Junior League of Boise, an organization whose good works are in place all over the city. Tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the door.

Back to food! Fitting into fun fashions notwithstanding, how could anyone resist a wine dinner by Boise Celebrity Chefs to benefit Life’s Kitchen on Thursday, April 17? This fun evening will include a five course meal prepared by five chefs; tickets are $75.

Finally, with the food and fashion frenzy behind us, we plan to settle down with a good book from the Friends of the Garden City Library Book Sale from April 18-April 20.

FUNDSY - Building the Cornerstones of the Treasure Valley

  There are ways to make large and small differences in the Treasure Valley, and by going to FUNDSY 2008, you definitely make a large difference. Not only do you help three stellar organizations, but you help them with the buildings they need to provide their services.

FUNDSY started in 1967 and the name now stands FUNDS Serving You. All proceeds help beneficiaries with their capital campaigns. As event Co-Chair Mike Hayhurst says, “you can drive around Boise and see the results” of your donations. It is a great way to instantly feel good about helping out others.

This year, the Learning Lab, Neighborhood Housing Services, and the Friends of the Idaho Historical Museum will share in the proceeds. Each of them are building anew or adding on to existing structures to provide more and better services to the entire Treasure Valley.

FUNDSY occurs every other year and is simply fantastic. No other events in town have auction items like FUNDSY, where you can find unique experiences for auction (hint: would you like one of the best seats at Autzen Stadium for the BSU – Oregon game?), and gorgeous artwork. 

This event is like the ultimate barn raising in Boise. If we all work together, we can create magical things.

Tickets are $250 each, and there are some terrific corporate opportunities available. To purchase tickets or find out more, contact Mike Hayhurst at 389-6500.

Bring Good Health to Your Neighbors

Imagine that you have a throbbing tooth ache, but you do not have health or dental insurance. Imagine that your child has a continuous complaint about a pain in his or her tummy but, again, you do not have insurance to cover an examination (much less what treatments might be required). You are in pain, perhaps a little scared, and wondering where to turn.

Hundreds of our neighbors in the Treasure Valley have had their health needs met by the doctors brought together by Genesis World Mission. They provide medical care locally, filling a niche desperately needed in our community, and also globally, spreading love and hope to our brothers and sisters around the world.

As the debate on health care rages on a local, state and national level, Genesis World Mission is here to meet the many needs of our families and friends. It is a faith-based organization that operates a clinic in Garden City participates in the Volunteer Physician Network and has international operations to help those overseas obtain health care otherwise completely unavailable.

You can support the mission and programs of Genesis World Mission at their Faith and Hope Charity Dinner on February 22, 2008 at the DoubleTree Riverside Hotel. Starting at 6 p.m., they will have a silent auction and live auction and a fabulous band, Mobius Trip. Tickets to this incredibly fun event for a great cause are just $75. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 384-5218 x. 19, email events@genesisworldmission.org or visit www.genesisworldmission.org.