Today's Evil Beet Gossip

A CALL TO ACTION: Gossip Saves the World!

If you have a school-age child, have been a school-age child, or have read the comment threads on any of our older Miley Cyrus posts, you’re aware that the public education system in this country leaves a lot to be desired.

This year, Evil Beet Gossip is excited and honored to be included in DonorsChoose.org’s Blogger Challenge, where bloggers get the opportunity to help raise funds for kids in underprivileged schools.

DonorsChoose.org is a very cool organization, and it’s unique in that donors are not just donating money to a large charity or even to a large school — you get to choose the specific school, teacher and project to which you donate funds.

I spent some time going through a ton of the projects available, and, although I want to support ALL of them, I selected fifteen that I felt represented a wide range of geographic areas, age groups and subject matter. My hope is that you readers will be willing to pick one (or more!) of these projects and make a donation to help give these kids a chance to get the education they deserve. You can donate as little as $5, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.

We’ll be competing against some much bigger blogs — like Engadget, TechCrunch and Boing Boing — but last year the competition was won by a comparatively small blog, and I’m hoping that this year we can give those big guys a run for their money.

Basically, I’m hoping that we can prove to all those hoity-toity types who roll their eyes at gossip blogs that we have bigger hearts than all of them combined.

You can check out the Evil Beet Gossip Blogger Challenge page here. That’s where you can find a full list of the projects I’m hoping you’ll contribute to. There will also be a permanent widget in the sidebar to track donations and our rank.

Like I said, I tried to find a wide range of projects so that everyone can find one they’re passionate about supporting, but if you find another project you’d rather work with on the DonorsChoose.org website, just shoot me an email at evilbeet@gmail.com and I’ll happily add it to our challenge page.

If everybody who reads this site donates a measly FIVE BUCKS to this challenge, we can help complete every single project on the Evil Beet challenge page — a hundred times over!

The competition will go through the end of October.

I know times are tough economically for everybody, but these kids still deserve the best education they can get. Please chip in.

21 CommentsLeave a comment

  • Crap. Do I defect from Tomato Nation (last year’s winner) or do I remain loyal? I think I’ll go through Evil Beet this year.

    To be fair, Beet, Sars from TN is one of the founders of Television Without Pity, and she’s been doing Donors Choose drives for a few years, so she’s able to pull in a lot more traffic.

    She also does crazy stunts if TN hits a certain goal. Last year she danced through Rockefeller center dressed as a tomato, and another year she shaved her head. Are you willing to humiliate yourself for us?

  • Donor’s Choose is an awesome way to give, and I have done so myself on a few occasions. Thanks for setting this up, Beet.

  • Write and post more…I’ll donate more. You don’t deserve to win if you can’t lure us to your site.

  • im with thickmascara. this site is going down hill. it seems like ur postings are becoming less and less and when u do post its not all that interesting anymore.

  • Thanks for doing this! I’ve just donated and am glad for the opportunity — it was especially helpful to have had this outlet today. I am sure that any amount we raise will be very helpful and I look forward to keeping up with our progress!

  • Almost all charities are scams today. Look how the 911 charity that was supposed to collect money for the families of the fire fighters kept most of the money.

    Most non-profits and charities are made to benefit the people who started them. Guaranteed the charity executives are taking home big pay cheques.

    Give to the Red Cross instead.

  • Just wondering if anyone knows…would they accept donations from outside the US? (I’m Canadian…and therefore would have to donate in CAD)

  • I work in the education system and many of the campuses I have worked at are low income. This organization has been a wonderful resource for many teachers that I work with.

    I know that there are those of you out there that think the money does not go where you intend it to go. But, I can honestly tell you it does, because many of my schools have been recipients of these donations.

    I think it’s a great organization that makes a big difference.

    Thanks, Beet and readers for donating!

  • I’m a 3rd grade teacher and I work in a wealthy area, but I am obviously kind of poor because I’m a teacher ;) I have a Master’s degree and barely bring home 2k a month. That doesn’t go far, and school districts are burdened financially especially with the crazy gas and energy prices.

    It is so expensive buying the things I need everyday for school. I even have to buy my own printer paper and ink! Thanks for doing something for schools and everyone please help.

  • Thanks for bringing this group to my attention. It’s great to read the teachers’ proposals. And you post plenty as far as I’m concerned!

  • Hey, I’m all for donating to charity. I give my time and money to well selected animal shelters and sanctuaries. But, I think most charities are bullshit. They may have started out with the right idea, but once they hit a certain status in city, the funds are not spent in a fashion that is worthy of the cause. I have many friends who work in HR orgs and other charity type places and I can tell you that most of the money is spent on conferences, trips and coffee runs. Get in the loop with a local charity and give ’til you bleed, but be wary of commercialized charities. On that note…good luck, Evil. I’m sure you’re heart is in the right place. However, I’d rather send you money so that you’ll sit your pretty lil ass in front of your computer and type more. What’s it gonna take for your to dive into the gossip and stop drooling very boring Lindsay’s and Paris….boring. Pick a more diverse crowd of celebrities to chat about….you’re funny….but the same people everyday is getting boring. Come on, girl, you used to do much better. I’m hanging in there with your site, but my eyes are wandering..lure me back.

  • Donated: $346   
    Donors: 13   
    Students Reached: 95

    Wow good job so far guys

    Will they take australian money?

  • I just want to give a GREAT BIG thank you to all the people who have given to this organization. I teach in a high poverty middle school in California and have benefited from Donor’s Choose in so many ways. My class has had so many opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have had because of Donor’s Choose. My students get SO excited when they get new things to use in their classroom. The students really are the one’s benefiting from your money… I see it with my own eyes. It takes so much outside money to run a classroom that the state does not provide us. Fortunate schools can rest on donations and fundraisers from communities and parents, but high poverty schools don’t have that privilege. Those schools rely on their teachers’ meager salary to purchase most of their supplies, and– if they’re lucky– the generous donors from Donors Choose to help us out. Thanks again for all those who donated… in the past… and in the FUTURE! Thanks again!