NonProfits - 9/9 - The Austinot

What Is Human Trafficking and Why Should Austin Care?

March 26, 2013 by Guest Blogger 3 Comments

This guest blog post is by Kyle Bailey.

When you hear “human trafficking,” what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, it’s probably the image of Liam Neeson, his voice rasping out threats against his daughter’s captors in the 2008 movie Taken.

In a couple of ways, this image embodies the misconceptions around the evil that is human trafficking. The first misconception is that it’s “over there” (international, outside the United States). The second misconception is that human trafficking always involves shipping humans from one point to another.

Human trafficking is oppressive, evil and pervasive. It’s also here in Austin, right under our noses. [Read more…]

Austin Influential Group: Having a Ball for Charity

March 19, 2013 by Laura Darby 1 Comment

Secret Society Ball Benefit for Austin Pets Alive

Secret Society Ball hostess Mandy Lauderdale welcomes party-goers with puppy at her side

Waiting in line outside of the Swan Dive, the setting feels transformed. The red carpet below our feet, the excitement emanating from the other people in line, their feathers and fringe swaying in the night breeze.

We stood for our picture in front of a beautiful grey and blue fleur background, like a vignette from Downton Abbey, me in my elbow-length gloves and Adam in his white tie tuxedo with tails.

We were transported into the roaring 20’s inside, swinging jazz blaring and dancers jitterbugging on the center floor.

Our hostess, Mandy Lauderdale, floated through the crowd, yet what was trailing behind her? Wasabi, a bouncing puppy! [Read more…]

Non-Profit Black Fret Plans to Give Millions to Austin Music Industry

January 29, 2013 by Brittany Highland 2 Comments

Quiet Company performs at the Black Fret launch party

Quiet Company is a 2012 Black Fret grant nominee

We love our local music. But there’s a noteworthy difference between sending out raving groupie tweets to three hundred followers about the no cover show you attended on 6th Street, and being instrumental in helping a band with legs get their first album out.

If you’re addicted to your groupie tweets and free shows, read no further. But if you’re part of the smaller group that means business when it comes to helping talented musicians earn a living doing what they love to do, I’ve found the organization for you. [Read more…]

Austin Pets Alive Leads Nation, But Could Lose Everything

November 21, 2012 by Eric Highland 21 Comments

Four years ago in Austin, 14,000 domestic animals were being euthanized every year. Today, Austin leads the entire nation, having reached the goal of 90% no kill.

The eyes of the nation watch our local non-profit, Austin Pets Alive, as they trailblaze with innovative methods and ideas, championing for animals that were destined to die. [Read more…]

Give Hope This Holiday Season Through Austin’s Social Entrepreneurs

November 6, 2012 by Guest Blogger Leave a Comment

ESPEROS Founder and CEO Oliver Shuttlesworth

This guest blog post is by Oliver Shuttlesworth.

This Is The Problem

$2. That’s what more than 2.45 billion people in our world live on.

Every. Single. Day.

There are more than 1.2 billion people that the UN considers to be starving.

862 million people, or one in five adults, cannot read or write their own name.

Current estimates show that there are as many as 115 million school-aged children that [Read more…]

Awesome Foundation Austin Awards $1000 Monthly, No Strings Attached

October 24, 2012 by Eric Highland 4 Comments

Got an awesome idea? Would $1000, with no strings attached, make it a reality?

This is no scam. This is a grant that is provided every month by the Awesome Foundation Austin chapter.

Every month, Awesome Foundation Austin gives a one thousand dollar check to the applicant who has the most awesome idea. [Read more…]

How You Can Party at TRIO and Give to Local Charities at the Same Time

June 18, 2012 by Eric Highland 2 Comments

You are going to go out for dinner and drinks anyway, right? What if you could party at one of the premier restaurants in Austin, and automatically give 10% of whatever you spend to local Austin charities?

This is happening all summer long at TRIO Restaurant in the Austin Four Seasons Hotel who has partnered with I Live Here, I Give Here to make a difference in our community.

TRIO Restaurant Ambiance

Whether you are looking for a night out after work with colleagues or a date with a special friend, TRIO Austin won’t disappoint. [Read more…]

Young Professionals Party for the Ronald McDonald House in Austin

May 29, 2012 by Brittany Highland 5 Comments

Every non-profit needs a support network. In a recent article, I unearthed the fact that Austin’s Ronald McDonald House Charities relies largely on local donations to keep its doors open and continue to serve ill children and their families.

Since then, I became friends with Friends of the House. Friends of the House is a group of young professionals that organized in Austin five years ago. Their mission is to raise awareness for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin (RMHC) and support RMHC with volunteer hours and donations. [Read more…]

Ronald McDonald House is a Quiet Hero for Families in Need

May 7, 2012 by Brittany Highland 6 Comments

If you have ever had a loved one sick with a serious illness, you know how life is turned upside down. Your ability to work is impeded by worry, and day-to-day necessities like eating and sleeping take the back burner to the nurturing of the one you care about. Having a sick child may be the most devastating scenario of all.

What if there was an organization that cared for families with sick or injured children, and met every one of their needs? What if that organization went the extra mile to provide all kinds of comforts, as a service to suffering families?

That organization exists. It’s in your community and you can be a part of it.

A few weeks ago, Austinot Eric and I had the privilege of touring the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Austin. Although both of us had volunteered at other Ronald McDonald Houses in the past, I had an incomplete picture of how RMHC functions and how much it provides for the community. [Read more…]

Superhero Kids: An Austin Non-Profit Helping Families

April 25, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 17 Comments

Let me tell you about an amazing Austin-based non-profit organization. They work hard every day to improve the lives of people who need them most.

Recently, I was introduced to this group of kindhearted Austinites, known as Superhero Kids. They quietly assist children and families who have been affected by cancer and blood disorders.

Founded in December 2009, Superhero Kids works to improve the quality of life of children and their families at the Children’s Blood and Cancer Center of Central Texas, at Dell Children’s Hospital. Their other primary purpose is to make Austin aware of the progress made in the name of children battling life-threatening illnesses. [Read more…]