StartSomeGood News

The Center for a New American Dream promotes Americans shifting their consumption to improve quality of life and protect the environment. The Center works with organizations, governments, and individuals to help them conserve resources and support community engagement. The Center’s newest project is The Guide to Going Local—a free guide in the Community Action Kit that provides steps people can take to strengthen their local economy. Funds raised will cover research and development and design costs.

Junior is promoting youth self-empowerment in Liberia through teaching agricultural skills, and hence creating jobs and a source of sustainable income for them. He has been invited to attend the Dell Summer Social Innovation Lab, but he needs to purchase his own plane ticket from his home in Liberia to Boston, where the lab is being held. This lab is the opportunity for Junior to develop his venture idea and create lasting partnerships in the US that will help him on his entrepreneurial journey. He’s raising $1,600 to fund his round-trip plane ticket to Boston.

Reagan High in Austin, Texas is a success story—an example of a struggling high school where, after the threat of closure, students rallied against tough odds to raise test scores enough to save the school. The Brick family is determined to turn Reagan High into an inspiring example of success to rally students in struggling schools across the country. During their book release party for Saving the School: A Principal, a Teacher, a Coach, a Bunch of Kids and a Year in the Crosshairs of Education Reform, they are trying to establish a scholarship fund for promising students at the school. The tipping point goal will help pay for the entire book release party and the total funding goal will go towards a new scholarship fund.

Spark International trains and empowers local changemakers who are working in some of the poorest areas of the world. The goal is to establish strong local leaders who are creating local solutions to local problems. This campaign, a dollar for a year of education, is supporting John Taka’s project, “Seed of Hope”. In each village, they raise a sweet potato farm and then sell the harvest. The money raised pays for school fees for children in the village. Spark International is providing one-third of the startup costs for “Seed of Hope” to John Taka, which is the funding goal for this campaign.

SPOUTS of Water just finished its campaign, raising $5,665 from 74 backers to help develop a ceramic water filter production center in Uganda. These funds will help officially launch SPOUTS of Water. The goal is to increase access to sanitary water in Uganda, decrease their dependence on foreign aid, and give Ugandans a sense of pride and ownership in personal water hygiene. The water filter design is durable, cheap, and easy to produce from materials already found in Uganda. The simplicity and low-maintenance requirements of this filter will result in it being more accessible and easy to get Ugandans using it in their homes quickly.

Dandelion Support Network collects and sorts pre-owned nursery equipment and children’s clothes and distributes them through local support agencies to families in need. Dandelion Support Network is creating a future where local communities support each other in an inclusive and nonjudgmental way—where families can accept help from the community, free of prejudices and shame. Dandelion Support Network is utilizing this campaign to officially launch and cover overheads for the first year. With just under two weeks left, Dandelion Support Network has surpassed the campaign tipping point goal, raising $7,280, and is striving to reach the total funding goal of $9,751.

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Social entrepreneurs, have these campaigns inspired you to start your own good? Do you have a social enterprise, a non-profit, or an amazing idea that needs some momentum to take off? Visit our site to find out how to start your own campaign today. Still have questions? We have answers—check out our FAQ section.