Give a little money ($8.26) to 826 on 8/26

Still have some spare money after Alan Grayson’s big money bomb, and that donation to the Union of Concerned Scientists? Well, you’re in luck. Tomorrow, one of my favorite non-profits in the world, the youth literacy and writing organization known as 826, will be accepting donations. And they’re not asking for very much. They just want $8.26. And, as if that weren’t enough, they’re making it really super easy. You can donate by way of cell phone, or over the internet.

To give online, just visit www.826on826.org and donate via Paypal. Or, if you’d rather, you can text “WRITE” to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $10. ($8.26 will be donated to 826, with the remaining $1.74 going toward the service fee. This cell campaign is being powered by Give by Cell, and is certified by the Mobile Giving Foundation. Additional messaging a data rates may apply. More information can be found here.)

For those of you unfamiliar with 826 and the terrific work they do with young writers, here’s a little background taken from a recent press release on this giant one-day fundraising effort:

…In reference to the festivities, 826 National co-founder Dave Eggers said, “More than ever before, a young person’s success is inextricably tied to their ability to express their ideas clearly and powerfully. We’re happy to celebrate Youth Literacy Day and to highlight all that needs to be done to make sure students have the resources they need.”

With mounting pressure on school systems and parents, 826 writing centers help bridge the gap for students and families by providing free, one-on-one attention and writing help to all young people ages 6 through 18…

826 outposts exist in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, DC and Boston, as well as Ann Arbor. If you’ve never been, they’re well worth a visit, regardless of whether or not you’ve got a kid yourself…. The work they do with young people is incredible, and, in my opinion, they deserve our support. If we’re to solve the problems that we face as a planet, we need the next generation to be more creative than we are, and that’s not going to happen without groups like 826, who work one-on-one with kids to gain confidence, explore and really learn to appreciate the written word.

If you can’t afford to give, please help spread the word.