Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated. Please refer to our main company website on Pledge for current information and resources.
February 18th marks another President's Day, which is celebrated on the third Monday in February each year. Officially originated and often known in many states to this day as Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday, as the two share February as their birth month. For most however, it's become a day for American's to honor those who have held the highest office in our land and their collective good works.
Some of those good works have brought much needed awareness to and in support of nonprofits and organizations which seek to serve their communities at large. We're highlighting a few American presidents who have supported nonprofits in major ways, and through their example and actions have continued their legacy beyond their Presidency.
Jimmy Carter
Former President Jimmy Carter has long been associated with Habitat for Humanity. The group, which is often simply referred to as "Habitat," unites volunteers who build homes for those in need.
The work is generous and inspiring by all accounts, and then President Carter got involved in the mid-'80s. In fact, it's suggested that Habitat would never have had such an impact or become so widely known had Jimmy Carter not taken an interest and given his support.
Today, Habitat has lent hands in over 70 countries and worked with over 13 million people to build better places to live.
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt contracted polio in his late 30's. He had to work through his illness in the face of massive global issues such as World War II.
He sought to make the lives of those who shared his plight easier by contributing a great deal to the treatment of polio in children. His efforts lead to the successful work of Jonas Salk who created the vaccination for polio. Roosevelt even appealed to the nation for financial support, and this effort was termed "The March of Dimes."
The March of Dimes lives on today and works to prevent birth defects. You can look into their work by clicking here.
United For Charity
In 2017, five former Presidents created an important role for themselves that everyone can applaud: working together for charitable causes and humanitarian goals. They came together to help raise money for hurricane victims, demonstrating that unity is possible even when political and cultural views may clash. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush (recently deceased) came together to raise much needed funds for victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their overall efforts according the event organizers raised over $33 million to date.
Follow Their Lead
We can all join forces within our local communities to help in a variety ways, or individually volunteer and support nonprofit organizations we care about. If you feel as though your individual contribution isn't enough, Pledgeling can help you incorporate charitable giving into your business platform.
Big or small, our donations technology will help you achieve your goal and make a difference in the world. Whether you want to provide an opportunity for your customers to donate through your business or you want to find a way to generate much larger donation by reaching out to masses of people, contact us - we're here to help you make it happen.