This year we set an ambitious goal to have over 50 chapters participate in Choose Charity — an opportunity for our chapters to practice our message of charity in the community. YAL's network rose to the challenge, and more than 60 chapters ultimately participated! Here at YAL National, we were blown away by how generous YAL chapters were with their time and resources, especially during finals week.
As with every national activism project, we included incentives for chapters to compete. For the 2012 Choose Charity Project, we gave the winners the choice where YAL National would donate money to a local charity:
- First Prize: $500 donated to the charity of your choice
- Second Prize: $250 donated to the charity of your choice
- Third Prize: $100 donated to the charity of your choice
Of course, since we can't be there for each and every activism event on campus, your documentation of your event (blog post, pictures, video) plays a huge role in our ability to determine if your chapter is deserving of a prize. You will never win an activism event without good documentation! Browse all the Choose Charity reports from this year and last year here. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their stories.
So who are the winners of the 2012 Choose Charity Project? Drum roll, please...
1. North Carolina YAL Network
No less than nine North Carolina YAL chapters came together to volunteer at three different charities. Extensive planning and great leadership made this event possible. They mobilized nearly 40 YAL members to dedicate their weekend to helping those in most need.
What separated the North Carolina effort from the pack was the the organization and smooth execution of three separate events in one day. Effectively utilizing an opportunity to organize at last year's SFL regional conference proved to be key in the documentation, YouTube video and charity selection. Great work guys!
See their entire report here.
