Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Birthdays for Charity only for kids?
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     No we encourage anyone who wants to use the anniversary of his or her birth to do good to have a birthday for charity party.  Whether you're a child, college student, young adult, middle aged or a senior citizen, giving is always great!
2. Can we send donations directly to Birthdays for Charity?

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     No, we do not accept donations.  You should select the organization or cause you would like to help and give your donation directly to that organization.  We show a partial list of organizations that you could raise money for under the "Fundraising Ideas" tab.

     
     

     We encourage local causes so that the funds can work to the benefit of your community and if you are doing this with children, they will love being able to drop of their donation to a local organization.  The words of appreciation from that organization's staff will give your child and their friends a real feeling of accomplishment which will help further the attitude of giving in your child.  There are of course lots of organizations that help people throughout the world that need help as well.

3. How did this effort get started?

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     At a birthday party for one our daughters as she ripped through a multitude of presents from friends.  We sat there knowing that the presents surely weren't needed and would end up in a closet within days, never to be seen again.  The giving by friends was great, but it just seemed a waste when our family already has so much and there are others with so many needs.
     
     We mentioned the idea to our kids shortly after that and they just pounced on the idea.  One of our daughters had our very first birthday for charity party three years ago and raised money for the local Humane Society, our other daughter followed by raising money for the local zoo, and our son raised money at his next birthday for Special Olympics.  All three were able to drop the donations off to the local organizations and the sense of accomplishment and thankfulness they received was tremendous.  Our son was thanked personally by several Special Olympic athletes and it was very rewarding indeed to see his face light up with pride and the thankfulness of the Olympians.  Giving truly is wondrous for both the giver and receiver!

4. Is Birthdays for Charity a for profit company?

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     No, our only mission is to encourage giving by using one's birthday as a tool for raising awareness and donations for a variety of philanthropic causes.  We especially want to encourage and support the attitude of a giving heart in children.
     
     We do offer some birthday party invitations and other birthday party supplies as a fun way to theme a Birthday for Charity party.  Any proceeds from the sale of these items are used toward the expenses of managing this effort.

5. We'd like to share our experience from having a Birthdays for Charity event with you.

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     We would love to hear your story to share with others.  First, click on the "Share your B4C Story" tab and enter your story there and click the "send" button.  If listing names please only list first names in order that we may protect the identity of your kids for security purposes.  Also please don't list your address in your story for the same reason.  We will review your story and if selected share your success with others on the site.  Look for these stories under the "Share your B4C Story" tab.
     
     In addition to sharing your story, please record a dollar amount for monetary donations raised by your party so it can be added to the "donation thermometer" and allow us to track the amount raised by this effort.  If your party gave in ways other than money, record those valuable gifts of giving so we can share your ideas with others.

6. What if we have suggestions of other organizations to list on your site?
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     Feel free to e-mail ideas to us and we may add them to the site, we cannot list all suggestions, however.  If an organization you've heard of is not listed on our sight it does not mean that they are not a worthy or legitimate organization.  Use your best judgment when deciding what organizations to donate to.
7. What is Holidays for Charity?
   • Same idea as the Birthdays for Charity only on occasions such as Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, raise money or other donations for charitable causes if you are so inclined.  It really creates a great atmosphere of togetherness and shared purpose!
8. Why do you sell products on the site?

   • We decided to sell some limited birthday party supplies on the site, such as invitations, balloons, cups, etc. so that anyone choosing to have a Birthday for Charity can still have the option of having themed party favorites for their party.  For those who may be hesitant to have a birthday for charity party rather than a traditional one with presents, we thought having these items available would help reinforce that the party will still be as festive and fun as a traditional birthday party.
     
     Any proceeds from the sale of these products are used to help fund the site.  If there are ever any excess revenues from the sale of these items, that excess is donated to charity.