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Pennies from Heaven

A Simple "Recipe" or Model for Community-Based Charitable Fundraising,
Mostly by Children

Version of Monday, September 12, 2011

Do You Have Children or Young People in Your Life?

- Children as family, students, neighbors, customers, or otherwise?  Do they ever express a wish for more happiness in the world, and to do something themselves to help make others happy?  Do they ever wonder what to do with all those "spare" pennies piling up in your surroundings?  And do you, or your kids, ever talk about setting them aside for some possible future use?

If so, then Welcome to Pennies from Heaven, a simple "recipe" for community-based, family-friendly charitable fundraising inspired by children, fun for children to do, and often benefiting other children.

"Pennies" has two goals.   The first is to raise funds to benefit others.  The second is also critically important: To involve children themselves, personally and actively, at every point in the process, thus giving them an experience of the power of compassion in action, individual and shared.

The basic idea is simple!   Children collect the loose pennies in their environment, usually over a period of time, and donate the total sum to a charitable cause of their own choosing.  Every penny they collect helps make the world a better place.  All they need is a good adult mentor, a good cause, and the loose pennies that surround us all.

These small coins and our children themselves are alike in certain ways, and they make natural partners.  Both may seem small and limited.  But when gathered together with intention and organized to benefit others, their deep value becomes apparent and they become very strong.

"Pennies from Heaven" exists to catalyze and nurture that strength.

NOTE:  This description of "Pennies" is only a "recipe" or model that you adapt as you will, in your particular circumstances.  "Pennies" on Geotrees has no central organization, does not manage campaigns in any way, and does not control, receive or handle any donor funds at any time.  We explain the concept, and invite you to organize and run your own independent campaign.  Ultimately, your "Pennies from Heaven" is you and your young people! 

This page tells you how!

To the Top .

In its Simplest Form. . .

Beginning at Home:  Many people have practiced the simplest form of "Pennies" for decades.  People in a household place the pennies they receive in change into a can or jar and, when they've accumulated, donate them to a good cause - school, congregation, wherever they perceive the need.  Over the decades many children - and then, their children and grandchildren - have brought immeasureable good into the world.

But with a minimum of additional effort and organization, when young people and adults "work" together, their efforts can benefit recipients and collectors alike in additional ways.

How to Do It, Acting Together:  All the information you need is here, in the following three steps.  You can skip the rest of this page and still organize a campaign.  Or, for some background and additional possibiltiies and ideas, you may visit the link below.

• First, COLLECT the "Spare" Pennies in Your Environment.
  People of any age can do this, but it's ideal for young people, under the guidance of a responsible adult mentor.  Usually - but not always - done over a period of time, and concluding in time for a holiday.

• Then, COMBINE These Pennies into a Single Unified Amount.
  This is typically done at festive group "wrap sessions," or using the change-counting machines now appearing in many banks.

• Finally, CONTRIBUTE that Amount Directly to a Charity of Your Own Choosing.
  Counting and donation events can be good outreach and PR for your recipient organizations, and for your own group.