Random Acts, founded by actor Misha Collins of Supernatural, is a global nonprofit organization which encourages everyone, everywhere, to do random acts of kindness. They have raised enough money to support the construction of orphanages in Haiti, and are currently working on building a school in Nicaragua. Meanwhile, supporters all over the world donate their time, creative talent, and money to local organizations and individuals right in their own backyards.
I want to tell you about this organization for two reasons: first, this month they are focusing their efforts on literacy. As a writer and as a lifelong lover of books, this is very dear to my heart. I want to use my own words to help other people get to know Random Acts, and hopefully join them on their mission to conquer the world, one random act of kindness at a time.
Second, this month, Random Acts is competing for a $500,000 grant from Microsoft as part of their project, #UpgradeYourWorld. I am encouraging everyone reading this to vote for Random Acts daily through August 23. You can share your vote directly on Twitter or Instagram, leave a comment on their Facebook page, or add their Twitter handle (@randomactsorg) on the official #UpgradeYourWorld page.
Sample text for your Twitter or instagram posts
I vote for @randomactsorg to #UpgradeYourWorld #Vote
Please be sure to include the three required fields in each of your submissions:
- @RandomActsOrg
- #UpgradeYourWorld
- #Vote
In an effort to combine their #GetKind focus on literacy with the ongoing #UpgradeYourWorld contest, I’ll be adding images to this post featuring famous quotes about kindness. They are yours to take and use as you like, but I hope you will choose to use them as Instagram content while voting in the contest!
What moves me the most about Random Acts is that they see creativity as a principle cog in the system. They encourage people to find new ways to spread kindness and connect with others, and they in turn treat their supporters as more than simply a monetary donation. Random Acts is a wonderful example of the powerful potential residing within social media, to affect real, lasting change for the better. I hope you’ll visit their website (www.randomacts.org) and learn more about them. At the risk of sounding cliché, I believe we can work together to change the world for the better.
Click here to find out more about Random Acts’ #GetKind initiative