3for5 Foundation is Shutting Down

Dear 3for5 Community,

Today we’re announcing that the 3for5 Foundation will be shutting down at the end of this calendar year, 2014.

We started 3for5 nearly six years ago with a dream to help people in desperate need gain access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, as well as to improve hygiene awareness in places like schools and care-points for children.

Today, we’re proud to say that all of us -- together -- have made significant strides in this pursuit.  
First, we’ve channeled nearly $100,000 to water/sanitation projects throughout Africa, building wells, latrines, and funding various water initiatives that have helped thousands of people -- many of them children!

We’ve worked with amazing partners like the Millennium Water Alliance, Water for People and Children’s Hope Chest who have all helped ensure our projects are not only targeted and efficient, but sustainable so that each of our grants will continue to provide benefit well into the future.

And, we’ve done all of this while engaging foundation funding-partners to cover administrative and other costs so that 100% of any 3for5 water donations could fund on-the-ground project costs that directly help those in need.

But, despite all of these accomplishments, we -- the board of directors -- have decided to bring the 3for5 experiment to a close.  

There are several key reasons for this decision, but two that we think are most important to relate.

First, running a non-profit takes a significant amount of time, energy, and resources. When we initially created 3for5, we envisioned an organization that could harness large  groups of people donating small amounts of money, all of which we could connect with our partners.  The reality is this vision never fully scaled, making it difficult to prove the value of 3for5 as an entity operating in-between our donors (that’s you) and the organizations actually doing the work “on the ground” (our water-partners).

Second, because of the above, we each began to realize that it would be more efficient to advocate for water directly on behalf of existing clean-water charities who also need their message and brand to connect with donors.  To that end, we as a board have decided that our energies and attention would be better served if we simply continued our clean-water advocacy as individuals, supporting other established non-profits in this space.

We feel strongly about this, and would like to urge you to do the same.  Just because 3for5 is coming to an end, the water crisis is not.  There are still countless millions of people who need access to clean water, and we have great water partners that still need your support.  So please sign-up and donate to them directly.

Finally, other non-profits in this space are doing amazing work as well.  If you’re interested, check out Blood:Water, charity:water, and water.org, among others.

It has been a pleasure guiding and nurturing the organization we all know as “3for5,” especially knowing we’ve been able to make the impact we have made with you -- our donors...our friends.
 
Thank you for supporting us and our cause.  The journey isn’t over yet, but is instead beginning anew.

Sincerely,

David, Lenee, Anthony, Dawn, Scott, and Vince

The Board of Directors of the 3for5 Foundation

FAQ About the 3for5 Shutdown

What’s Happening?

The 3for5 Foundation will cease operations after December 31st, 2014.

Why have we made this decision?  

Running a non-profit takes a significant amount of time, energy, and resources.  When we initially created 3for5, we envisioned an organization that could harness large  groups of people donating small amounts of money that we could connect with our partners.  The reality is this vision never fully scaled, making it difficult to prove the value of 3for5 as an entity operating in-between our donors and our partners -- the organizations actually doing the work “on the ground.”

Because of this, we as a board have decided that our energies and attention would be better served if we simply continued our clean-water advocacy as individuals, supporting other established non-profits in this space directly instead of via 3for5.

What Will Happen to My Donations?

Every dollar that has thus far been donated to 3for5 for clean water projects has been granted to one of our water partners.  You can read more about those projects on our website.  That said, we are still accepting donations through June 30th, 2014.  After that, we plan to make a final grant to one of our water partners with any newly donated funds as well as the remaining monies that were designated for operating the foundation.

When is the Last Day 3for5 Can Accept Donations?

June 30th, 2014.

I Still Want to Donate to Clean Water Projects after June 30th.  What Should I Do?

We feel strongly about continuing to donate to clean-water charities, and would like to urge you to do the same.  Just because 3for5 is coming to an end, the water crisis is not.  There are still countless millions of people who need access to clean water, and there are many great water charities who still need resources to help people in need.  

Please consider donating directly to any of the following Water charities:

• Children’s Hope Chest: http://www.hopechest.org/
• Water for People: http://waterforpeople.org/
• Blood:Water: http://www.bloodwater.org/
• charity: water: http://www.charitywater.org/
• water.org: http://water.org

Clean Water For Two More Orphan Communities By Spring 2014!

3for5 is excited to announce the great news that two more orphan communities in Swaziland, Africa will have access to clean water this Spring because of your donations! 

In December 2013, 3for5 granted $25,850 to Children’s HopeChest as part of a matching gift campaign to raise money for well systems for CHC’s Lesibovu and Fountain of Life CarePoints in the Manzini region. These wells will provide clean water and enable sanitation and irrigation for more than 240 orphans and vulnerable children and their communities. 

We celebrate the life and growth these children will experience as a result of your heart and generosity! Thank you!

Water is Flowing Again and Leafy Greens are Growing!

3for5 is pleased to share pictures of two more completed water projects in Swaziland, Africa - both projects were accomplished by our partner Children’s HopeChest (CHC) using 3for5 funds.

First, a water pump was installed and water is FLOWING at the Bhalekane CarePoint, giving clean water to more than 240 orphans, vulnerable children and their community.

The second project, an irrigation system at the Mkhombokati CarePoint, is enabling 200+ children and their community to water a freshly planted community garden.  Check out the beautiful green produce that is already growing, supported by the system that 3for5 funded!

In both Swazi communities, your donations are changing lives - thank you!

Ekudzeni Strikes Water!

3for5 just received pictures and video from Children's HopeChest capturing progress at our water project site in Ekudzeni, Swaziland.

This project’s deep borehole well, solar pump and water tank will give more than 200 orphans and vulnerable children as well as the surrounding community the opportunity to thrive in new and sustainable ways.

Watch here as the borehole driller strikes water (especially at 1:03)!

Looking ahead, we invite you to continue to join us in quenching the thirst of vulnerable children and families around the world!

3for5 Announces Grant to Provide Clean Water in Swaziland, Africa

3for5 is pleased to announce its new partnership with Children’s Hope Chest (CHC) to provide clean water to orphans and vulnerable families at the Ekudzeni CarePoint in Swaziland, Africa.

3for5 has given a $22,220 grant to CHC which will fund the construction of a deep borehole well, as well as the installation of a solar pump and water tank.  This project will give more than 200 orphans and vulnerable children (and the surrounding community) the opportunity to thrive in new and sustainable ways.

Read more this project on 3for5.org here.

P.S.  A special thank you goes to K2 the Church, whose community donated the entire grant amount through their Luvolution initiative and other donations!

An Easy Way to Tell Your Friends about the Clean-Water Crisis and 3for5

The global clean-water crisis is a world-wide problem, and it can often be overwhelming to try and explain it all to a friend, family member, co-worker, or aquaintance.  

We created 3for5 as a tool to help focus this process, and one useful document in your arsenal is the 3for5 Donor Handout.  

It provides a concise overview of 3for5, the 3for5 Movement, and how to invite your friends to participate with you.  So, as you consider how to get your friends involved in 3for5, take a look by clicking the link below.

3for5 Friends Handout

3for5 Celebrates Your Impact in Rwanda!

Recently, 3for5 funded a $6,000 grant request from Water for People, helping fill a critical funding gap in their 2011 water and sanitation program in the Kicukiro district of Rwanda.

This project serves more than 17,000 people in 39 communities (including 4 schools), and we’re excited to share the final construction report from Water for People detailing the activities our grant money helped fund.  Download the report here.

Last but not least, Water for People has received some exciting news coverage in the Rwandan New Times.  Read more here.

3for5 Grants $6,000 to Water for People for Water Projects in Rwanda!

The 3for5 Foundation is proud to announce that it has made a clean-water grant in the amount of $6,000 to Water for People (WFP) to help fund a water project in Kicukiro, Rwanda.

For more details on this project, click here.

Below: Photos from Rwanda courtesy Water for People.

Celebrating News from Nigeria!

This past spring, 3for5 funded half of a $20,000 water project at Sancta Maria School in Umuaka, Nigeria. Now, we’re excited to report that this project is fully complete!

3for5’s grant made the school’s new borehole well accessible to 1500+ students and teachers, as well as thousands of community members. In addition, your donations provided hygiene eduction materials for use in the school, along with sufficient funding to build a new bathroom building complete with running water and flushing toilets.

To see more details about this project, including 3for5 partner Millennium Water Alliance’s final report and a video from the project site, click here.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible project - these events wouldn’t have been possible without your generous financial support.

More to come...

The 3for5 Team

Share 3for5’s New Video With Your Friends!

Hello Droplets -- we’re excited to let you know about a brand new video that helps cast the vision for 3for5. Check it out below, or watch it on 3for5's home page.



We think this video will make it easier than ever to share 3for5 with your friends, so feel free to use it as you reengage your community to make a difference for clean water.

Enjoy,
The 3for5 Team

K2 Refresh Raises $4,426.14 for Clean Water!

During World Water Week, we wrote about students from K2 the Church who participated in an event called "Refresh."  This event helped raised money for 3for5’s latest water project in Nigeria.

Highlights included packing thousands of meals for Kids Against Hunger to feed people in the Philippines; visiting a fellow student in the hospital; fasting and praying for people without clean water; and making a 4,100+ link paper-chain as a tangible reminder of the number of children who will die in a single day from diseases caused by dirty water.

Overall, the K2 students helped raised $4,426.14 for clean water!  Vertical students and leaders: thank you for your sacrifice and inspiration!

Olympus Junior High Students Inspire!

Students at Olympus Jr. High School (OJH) in Salt Lake City, UT were inspired by their teacher Sarah White to sell handmade Threads of Hope bracelets to help give water to students in Nigeria. In addition to raising money to support the people who made the bracelets, OJH students brought in $1,321.25 for water! Their efforts were so rewarding that students want to focus on raising funds monthly for the rest of the school year. Thank you and way to go, OJH students!

Students from K2 the Church “Refresh” for Clean Water

Youth from K2 the Church in Salt Lake City, UT will gather for “Refresh,” an event taking place on March 25-26 that will raise awareness and money to provide safe water to children and their families in the developing world. Sacrificing time, effort, and appetite, students will fast for 25 hours and 35 minutes in order to focus on the global water cause and on serving their local community. They hope to raise at least $2,900 in pledges and donations for 3for5 to be used toward providing water, sanitation, and hygiene education for 1,573 kids and their community in Umuaka, Imo State, Nigeria.

Additionally, a private donor has committed to match any donations connected to "Refresh" up to $2900!

Online tax-deductible donations in support of the students’ “Refresh” efforts can be made at 3for5.org - simply add the word “Refresh” after your last name in the registration process (e.g. First Name: ‘Susan’... Last Name: ‘Jones Refresh’). Or, you can add the word "Refresh" as your affiliation in your 3for5 profile.

Design a T-Shirt for 3for5, Promote Wearable Philanthropy, Win Money!

A while back, I posted on these pages about the great work Alexis Fedor, founder of Love+Water Designs, is doing to promote charities through "wearable philanthropy".

The idea behind Love+Water Designs is to feature a different charity on their website each month.  During that month, anyone can submit a design for a t-shirt inspired by that charity, and we can all vote for our favorite design.  At the end of the month, a winning design is chosen, and 50% of all that shirt's ongoing proceeds will be donated back to the featured charity.

Well, this month 3for5 is the featured charity on Love+Water, and we want to encourage you to help us spread the word about clean water and Wearable Philanthropy.

So here's how:

1. Design a cool t-shirt inspired by 3for5 and submit it on Love+Water's website (as a design submitter, you can win prizes if your design is chosen).
2. Vote for your favorite 3for5 t-shirt here.  
3. Spread the word to your friends via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, your blog, or any other way you can think of.  In order for designs to be eligible, 3for5 shirts need to be submitted this month! 

I'm excited to see what our community comes up with, so let the designing and creativity begin!

    

Get a 3for5 T-shirt with a Donation of $25 or More!

We are excited to announce the availability of 3for5 t-shirts! These soft, pre-shrunk, custom-designed shirts look and feel GREAT! Both the men's heathered, dark-denim poly/cotton blend and the women's dark grey cotton v-neck shirts look cool and represent an amazing cause and initiative. Multiply your impact and look good at the same time!

To donate, simply login to 3for5.org and click the "donate" tab at the top of the page. Then, send an email to tshirts@3for5.org with the following information:

• Your name
• Shipping address
• T-shirt preferences (male/female, size, & style (logo or face)).

SIZING NOTE: Women's shirts run a little small - more like juniors’ sizing. We recommend that adult women order a size bigger than what they normally wear. In stock shirts will ship out within 5 business days of receiving your information. If your size is not in stock, we will email you with an estimated ship date (typically within 3 weeks).

SHIPPING NOTE: Shipments outside of the continental US may incur additional shipping costs.

Never Too Young to Make a Difference!

In the spirit of this upcoming Thanksgiving, we’d like to highlight an inspirational story about a 10 year old girl in Colorado Springs who wants to make a difference in the lives of people in Africa and the Philippines.

Last month, Emma, driven by compassion and a desire to help, sold bracelets provided by 3for5 (made by Threads of Hope) as a fundraiser in her neighborhood and her school.

Emma writes of her experience: “After hearing about the mission of 3for5 and Threads of Hope I decided that I wanted to help out those in need. It’s been amazing to see how many people at my school and in my neighborhood want to help too by buying a bracelet or making a donation. It's been rewarding to know that even though I'm only 10, I can help to make a difference.”

And making a difference is what Emma is doing! So far, she has raised more than $105, an investment that will provide a lifetime of safe water for 2 people in Africa and going on a whole month of good, honest income to feed, clothe and educate a Filipino family who handmade the bracelets.

Thank you, Emma, for your heart and efforts to help people get clean water and provide for their families. You are an inspiration to us all!

P.S. If anyone is interested in raising money for clean water through selling Threads of Hope bracelets, like Emma is doing, please contact us at 3for5.org.

Imagine a Life with Water!

Imagine having the broken shallow well in your community - a daily hopeless reminder of your unquenchable thirst - fixed! 

Imagine your relief as your village receives training on the operation and maintenance of the Afridev hand pump that has been fitted to this well.

Imagine drinking clean water for the very first time from a new borehole well, as your community leaders are mobilized and educated to sustain its maintenance for decades to come.

Imagine playing with your best friends by the well being drilled next to your school, your mouths watering in anticipation of being able to get a drink by the end of the year.

Imagine being trained as a local mason, able to build ecological sanitation latrines for your neighbors, family and friends - or as a mobile mechanic, equipped to provide advanced technical support for maintenance and timely repair of water systems.

Imagine having a toilet for the first time ever, one that will pay for itself by composting waste into valuable fertilizer that you will sell to the entrepreneur who will sell it to local farmers.

Imagine experiencing the effects of learning about handwashing, proper water storage techniques, and elimination of open defecation through hygeine clubs, drama, music, posters, demonstrations, and leaflets.

Now celebrate with us, because you were a part of helping all of these things become reality!

With your 3for5 donation, you were part of a massive coordinated local, national and international effort to provide clean water, sanitation, and health and hygiene programs to approximately 5 schools (2,749 children & teachers) and 20 villages (3,250 community members) located within Traditional Authorities (TA’s) of Kasisi and Maseya in Chikhwawa, Malawi.

With your $10,000, our 3for5 community funded the provision of water and sanitation as well as hygiene promotion to approximately 164 community members and 139 children & teachers (the equivalent of a lifetime of water for 60 average-sized families in Malawi).

This is just the beginning! Thank you for joining together in our effort to give people in Chikhwawa, Malawi clean water - you are making a tremendous difference!

(Ps - to read more about Water for People's progress on the projects we're funding, click here)

Students from the 'International Academy, Okma' Save Lives!

Students from the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, MI, rallied together this past school year to raise awareness and more than $800 for clean water in the developing world!

These students formed the 3for5 Club to create educational posters and raise funds with bake sales and "Valentine Grams."

Plus, more donations came in from Mrs. Tonkin’s product team, and fundraising efforts crescendoed in the school-wide "Dash For Cash", an event where students walk or run to promote health and raise money for 3for5 projects and other great causes.

Thank you IA Okma students for your hard work, concern for people in need, and for your unbounded generosity!!!

3for5 Grants $10,000 to Water for People for Projects in Malawi

The 3for5 Foundation is proud to announce that it has made its first clean-water grant in the amount of $10,000 to Water for People to fund projects in Chikhwawa, Malawi.

In 2010, Water For People-Malawi will work with its local partners to provide comprehensive clean water, sanitation and hygiene promotion programs to twenty villages and 5 schools within the Traditional Authorities (TAs) of Makhwira, Kasisi and Maseya, in Chikhwawa, Malawi.

You can learn more about this and other 3for5 projects here.

Alexis Fedor has a Great Idea!

Creativity unleashed...it's a beautiful thing and it's what Alexis Fedor is encouraging with her new company which is hoping to bring attention to charities and great causes by engaging the artistic community.

When I met Alexis a few weeks ago, I loved her company's vision:

"...we will hold weekly t-shirt design contests. You [the community] will design the shirts, you will pick the winners, we will donate up to 50% of all profits to charity. Because every drop counts. If you are an artist with interesting work (painting, poetry, photography, wordage, all-around great, creative person) or a charity helping to foster incredible change, let us feature you!"

I resonate with Alexis about more than our common belief that "every drop counts." From the very beginning of 3for5, I've always believed that artists will play a major role in helping to spread awareness about people in need of clean water. Why? Because artists' creations (objects, ideas, music, and more) capture our hearts and minds, engaging us in ways that nothing else can. And for the last two years of 3for5, artists have been integral to the 3for5 Movement and will continue to be as we keep trying to unite communities to help others in need.

That's why it was so great to meet Alexis. She's an artist who is creating...and interviewing other people who are innovating in the charitable and artistic community.

Ok, Ok--it does just-so-happen that Alexis interviewed me on her blog recently (shameless plug: why i started 3for5). But she's talking to many, many incredible people who will inspire you through their creativity in the charitable space.

Alexis: we at 3for5 can't wait until the t-shirt competitions begin--creativity unleashed can do amazing things!