3 DC charities left off of CFC

I just read in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that 3 DC non-profits were accidentally left off of the Combined Federal Campaign list due to an error at the the United Way of the National Capital Area. Those three groups collectively raise $70,000 - $80,000 through the CFC. Yikes! The United Way says that they'll make up expected losses to those groups through their own funds, but I thought everyone involved would benefit from a little Facebook/blog shout-out:

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
Animal Allies
Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons

Please keep these groups in mind when making your giving plans!

Ludacris - my lunch companion

OK, me and about three hundred other people, but it still counts, right?!

I went to the National Press Club last Friday to hear Ludacris (née Chris Bridges) talk about his philanthropic, delivered via his foundation, the Ludacris Foundation.

Highlights:

• Ludacris and rapper T.I. each gave $10,000 to Atlanta flood relief, and then, through a series of phone calls to music industry friends, raised $100,000 in one day.
• The Foundation is involved in some great causes, including helping runaways (he had a song about this), teaching kids about living healthy lifestyles (i.e. obesity prevention), and economic stimulus work in Atlanta.
• Ludacris is very proud of both the money that has been given away and the direct services hours he's given. He is committed to being a physical presence among the people he is helping.
• His diamond earrings were as big as golf balls!
• When asked what the best thing is about being a celebrity is, he said "You have all this money, and people STILL give you free stuff!"

Overall, he was charming, intelligent, and super impressive. Chris, I'm ready for our one-on-one lunch!

Meet the 2009 Fellows - MacArthur Foundation

I love reading about each year's new crop of MacArthur Fellows - otherwise known as the MacArthur Genius Grants. Totally secret selection process, and each of the Fellows (in diverse fields including the arts, science, law, human rights, health, etc.) receives $500,000.

Meet the 2009 Fellows - MacArthur Foundation

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