hello.
taking a break from showing my daughter and rachel the wonders of north india (we’re going to see the taj mahal tomorrow morning) to share a message from the liz logelin foundation.
as you know, we’ve been raising funds for a few months and we plan to distribute some of these funds to needy families in the near future (more on that when we do). we have a board meeting tomorrow morning (india time) during which we’ll be finalizing our first round of distributions. we’d like to help everyone, but at this stage, it’s impossible to do so. someday we hope we can give money to everyone who applies, but in the mean time, we have to make some rather tough decisions. here are just a few of the 50+ stories we’ve read during our selection process:
…a 47 year old mother of 4 who needs help caring for a daughter with special needs…
…a 39 year old father of 3 girls who would use the money to pay for the girls’ school, Girls Scouts, piano and dance…
…a 29 year old mother of 4 whose husband was killed by a drunk driver who would use the money to pay rent…
…a 34 year old mother of a 3 year old who would use the money to help pay medical bills…
…a 33 year old father of 2 girls who would use the money to save his home that is in foreclosure…
…a 30 year old mother of 3 who would use the money to buy groceries…
…a 49 year old father of an infant daughter who would use the money to pay for medically necessary items…
…a 42 year old father of 3 who would use the money to pay for funeral expenses…
the great news is that we’ve done in an incredible job with our fund raising.
our $7 on the 7th campaign has been very well received.
the gala, 5k and online auction events were a huge success…just check out what you all contributed:
5K: $8,814.83
Gala: $27,071.69
Online Auction: $5,091.69
for a grand total of: $40,978.21
but to help the maximum number of families, our efforts must continue. and to make this easier, we’ve made a significant change to our donation platform. the liz logelin foundation has partnered with network for good to securely process your online credit card donation.
why did we do this?
well, paypal has been great (and if you’d prefer to use it please do so. honestly, we’ll accept anything: checks, moneyorders, or even well-concealed cash), but we wanted to use a donation platform that was designed specifically for non-profits. one of the biggest advantages of the switch is the ability to schedule automatic payments (something many donors have requested, but recurring payments are not required). you can now schedule your payment for $7 on the 7th, $24 on the 24th, $2 on the 2nd or any amount at any time. you can also donate in memory or on behalf of someone else. it gives you the option of telling us who you are or making your donation completely anonymously. we want every dollar that comes in to really count and this will help us make the most of all of the generous donations.
and to give you an incentive to sign up for recurring payments, we’re going to be giving away prizes to the 50th, 100th, 250th, and 500th persons to sign up. in addition and we’ll randomly choose someone to receive a very special gift from india, a gold bangle, picked out by me.
so…get signed up for recurring payments.
or make a one-time donation.
either way, you’ll be helping families in situations none of us could imagine. as you know, i’ve had the great misfortune of living many people’s worst nightmare. but thanks to the help of folks like you, my daughter and i are thriving. let’s work together to do the same for others.
Donate Now to The Liz Logelin Foundation
(don’t forget, all donations are 100% tax deductible).
(oh, and here’s a video of madeline dancing to a puppet show at our hotel in jaipur).
43 Comments
your willingness to pay it forward continues to inspire me.
I’m madly in love with your daughter. Such sweetness
Recurring payments are my FAVORITE since I tend to be forgetful. So, $7 on every 7. Done and DONE. So awesome.
OH, and the dancing video is insanely cute.
That dancing is just savage!
I don’t envy the LLF board in having to decide where to place the first funds. But, to know that you can and will help 1 or many of those needing it is amazing! Sorry that it is needed, but so thankful that it is there for those suffering the loss of their partner.
Wow. What a great position you are in to help those families– but I don’t envy the choices you have to make. I have made my donation. I am sure that you will choose wisely!
what an awesome thing as come out of such a sad event. i’m in awe of the people you have helped and sadly the amount of people who have faced such painful times. lots of love to you all…
What an awesome grad total !!!
Keep up the good work !!!!!!!!!!
You know … I caught up on your blog this morning and then when I went out to run was thinking about your story. It’s like one part heartbreaking, one part inspirational .. and the great part is that you are and will continue to write your story with madeline.
And although I know you’ve thought about this a million and seven times, Liz left you the only thing that is truly a piece of you and a piece of her. And as unfair as it all seems, the fact that you have a sweet girl who is the very image of her mother and the fact that you are healing from her loss and helping others on those days they think there life is over … it’s pretty amazing.
Liz left you with everything … and you’re doing a great job taking care of her.
I also got this in my email from from the Christie Cookies $25K Charity Give Away Campaign that Matt had posted a few weeks ago:
Visit us online at http://www.ChristieCookies.com, enter your charities special offer keycode listed below, and from now until December 25th, 20% of your online purchase* (not including shipping) will be donated back to The Liz Logelin Foundation.
Special Offer Keycode: 25K05
So… if we order cookies or brownies for holiday gifts this season, the LLF can benefit too!
Mady is the CUTEST!! Loved the dancing!!! Thanks always for sharing!
That dancing and yelling is too freakin cute!
I am so bummed you are not taking PayPal anymore.
your kid is just too cool.
I’m so glad that I can help be a part of something so special! I’ll be making another donation next paycheck!!
monthly donation ~ done! I just wish it could be more. When my family’s financial position improves, it will be.
thanks for all the great video and pictures from india! that pupppet looks just about as tall as maddy!
Those are tough choices and all deserving of a helping hand. The automatic donations are a great idea.
I’m so excited for the monthly donation feature! I think this is an amazing organization and am so lucky to be able to sign up for $7 on the 7th and be able to participate.
Thank you!
So many heartbreaking situations. Seeing those listed gave me a much-needed reminder to count my blessings.
Thank you so very much for that madeline fix! The choices you have to make are so difficult. DONATE PEOPLE! Help make these choices easier with more money.. Much love
wow. i don’t know how you’d go about amking those decisions. i hope at some point you don’t have to, that there will be plenty of money to go around. my heart goes out to those families, and many more like it.
but what i do know is that i’m glad you’re willing to make those decisions and make a difference.
That must have been so crazy for her to see something even smaller than her dancing around like that!
OK, I’m totally laughing my ass off right now…. she got so into it at around the 30 second mark…. the grunting and pointing…. she totally made my day. Thanks for posting this Matt!!!
You are awesome…thanks so much for what you are doing to help people in honor of your wife. I love you for it.
hey jana,
just wanted to let you know that paypal is still an option, if you’d prefer that!
I’ve been reading since around the time Maddy was born and I’m so excited to have just signed up for the recurring donation! It’s an amazing feeling to know my money is going somewhere so positive.
I just wanted to let you know from someone who has lost a parent as a child that the work you do is so touching. My father died 10 years ago when I was 13 and to see that you are helping out people that like me have been in the low of lows it makes my heart melt. Thank you for what you do from someone has been there too. I am currently a student so I am unable to give right now, but in a few years I will also be donating because I personally know the hard times these people face.
Hi Matt,
I wanted to say that I think what you are doing is amazing, and I can only imagine how proud Liz would be – correction, IS.
I lost my husband just over 6 months ago to a brain tumour, and am now raising our two little girls (4 1/2yrs & 2yrs). It’s an unspeakably difficult time, but you are a true inspiration.
With the loss of my husband, I don’t have much to donate, but I think we can all find something extra – and I’ll try to spread the word as well.
Thank you,
~Chelsea
Very well done, Matt and the LLF. What you are doing to help these families is truly remarkable.
Because I am such a gifted procrastinator I’ve not kept up wiht my plan to donate to this important cause. I’ve now taken 5 minutes out of my lifetime to ensure that I am doing my part.
I just watched the video on the families in need. You have some hard decisions to make, but how wonderful that you can help some of these families and hopefully more in the future. I also loved the dancing video. Madeline has moves!!
Thank you for being such a generous person and for helping those in need. I love Maddy’s dancing tape. When do you come back to the United States? Do you plan on going back to India again to finish your book or will it be completed this trip. Glad to see you are happy out there. Liz is so proud of you.
Rosann
I have finally quit procrastinating and set up a monthly donation. Good work, because I am a champion procrastinator.
Your story is so inspiring.
I am honored to have signed up for the $7 on the 7th reoccurring payment. I have passed the information onto several of my friends and family.
The Liz Logelin Foundation is such an amazing nonprofit. A lot of times families who have lost a loved one, don’t receive the help they need.
Thanks for making this available, Matt.
I hope you are having a good time in India!
I’ve always known how blessed I was that my parents had life insurance JUST IN CASE… that JUST IN CASE became a reality in 1994 when my dad was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer that took his life less than three months later. My mom raised three kids under the age of 12 on her own, but thank God for a mother who is a hard worker and smart financially… and for life insurance (BTW, policy was only taken out less than 2 years before he died… crazy). It is so hard to read that there are people who struggle to pay for their basic needs. I have set up my recurring donation and am passing on the good word. Losing a spouse and parent is hard enough without having to struggle for basic needs. I so very much wish that there was no reason for the LLF, but what a legacy you have created for her and for Madeline. Many many blessings to all of you that have made this possible.
As someone has already said, I don’t envy having to go through the applications, but what a wonderful thing you’ve been able to do for these people in their time of need. You know how hard a time it is and it’s awesome that you are able to help in some way.
Thank you for showing us what a difference the money is making.
Matt, I always thought that you would connect with Jane and Jason, I shed a tear seeing her picture and family on this site. Jane was a family friend growing up, she is sorely missed.
Bless the work you do, a million times over.
Hi!
I tried to create an account to give each month, but i didn’t succeed… I am from canada and i don’t think it’s possible… can you confirmed with me or did i just made a mistake.
thanks
I am continually inspired by your efforts to help other people. I am honored to be able to donate in memory of my mother, and wish only that I could do more.
I hope that the mother of 4 with the recently deceased husband, or the father wishing to pay for funeral expenses is able to benefit from your foundation. Thank you matt for sharing your story.
I will definitely do my part on the 7th!! Thank you for being so Awesome!!! I wish we could help all of them!!
how do you choose which family to help? watching that video brought tears to my eyes. with each family I thought “help them Matt, help them” hence the importance of what you’re doing.
I don’t envy the difficult choices the LLF has to make.
I have signed up to donate! Thank you for partnering with Network for Good to make recurrent donations possible.
Your willingness to help others is so admirable…what a great example you are to your daughter and to the world. I will set up our monthly contribution as well