ARK Charity Fund of TLF

The Challenge

The COVID pandemic continues to bring unique challenges for charitable giving:

1. Unprecedented and increased needs in diverse sectors of the community
2. Local charitable nonprofits are overwhelmed by need an must operate with less resources and staffing
3. Small-scale philanthropists and donors may not feel they can meaningfully help the greater humanitarian needs while they deal with their own challenges
4. Larger-scale donors are being requested to step in and shoulder burden without the support of the smaller donors
5. Parents are feeling challenged raising their children and adolescents to be moral, caring, and responsible, and giving them positive messages in these stressful times
6. Young adults are looking for a universal, trendy cause they can support in a meaningful way
7. Community solidarity has broken down among recent racial and political tensions

Our Solution – The Luzerne Foundation ARK Charity Project

1. The ARK charity box is a low-cost, reusable, universal, trendy and cute medium that serves as a constant reminder to give charity daily
2. The ARK project (ARK) highlights the power of collective giving
3. ARK lets the donor choose the cause. 100% of the donor’s gift goes to the cause of choice
4. There is no expectation of the amount to give. Every donor, and any amount makes a difference
5. The ARK program (ARK) highlights the power of collective giving
6. ARK combines education of values with consistent action
7. Charitable giving is facilitated through The Luzerne Foundation, a trusted, independent, and unbiased oversight organization that has worked extensively with local charities
8. ARK facilitates donations specifically towards 501c3 charities providing for local humanitarian needs, allowing the donor to see the effect of the charity being given and become involved with the cause
9. ARK inspires larger gifts as larger-scale donors see many more in the community get involved
10. ARK generates a community-wide feeling of kindness, unity, and good values with measurable, sustainable impact

A Visionary County-Wide Charity Project

Schools:

• Students are introduced to the concept of philanthropy, the nonprofit work in our region, and the power of each student becoming a “giver” for life
• Each school selects a local nonprofit organization to be the recipient of their kindness and motivates classroom discussions and projects about the chosen cause and kindness in general
• Children bring their ARK charity box home, and give daily in any amount
• The school organizes a “giving day” to collect donations
• Donations are processed through The Luzerne Foundation to the chosen cause

College and University Campuses

• ARKs are distributed to student residences before they arrive for the new session
• Students organize assemblies and learn about local nonprofit causes
• Students choose a local project or nonprofit cause and give daily and challenge themselves to hit a fundraising goal
• Students organize a “giving day party” to collect their charity, which is processed through The Luzerne Foundation to the chosen cause

Businesses and Industries

• ARKs are distributed to staff/employees along with information about local nonprofit causes
• Staff/Employees choose a cause for their charity donations and give daily
• Staff/Employees organize collection days in coordination with the Luzerne Foundation, which processes their charity to the cause
• The chosen nonprofit can make a presentation to donors on the effect of their charity

The ARK Charity Project of Luzerne County – In the News:

Wyoming Area Catholic ARK Essay Winners

For more information on the ARK Charity Project, or to run the ARK Charity Project at your school or business, please email: info@unitetheworld.org