Making a Year End M Prize Donation Happen
There is an opportunity for us all to help the M Prize for serious anti-aging research receive another large end of year donation. See the following from Methuselah Foundation fundraiser April Smith:
Michael Cooper would like to drive us above the $100,000 cash mark before the end of the year and is committed to donate $23,700 of NYSE stock to the Longevity Prize. He will do this IF we get what it takes to top the $50,000 mark in the Longevity Prize - which will trigger Bob Gelfond's $5,000 challenge funds. Reason is willing to put a $2,000 donation towards the Longevity Prize, all of which puts us in shouting distance.The short of it is that we need only another $2000, but we need it fast. Between our own resources and those of our immediate friends in the life-extension world, I believe we can. Can you help?
Bob Gelfond's challenge was issued quite early in the history of the prize, and I'll admit that I wasn't expecting the chance to trigger it quite so soon. But onwards and upwards!
You might also want to take a look at this Immortality Institute thread on the donation challenge:
The short of it is that we need only another $2000, but we need it fast. Between our own resources and those of our immediate friends in the life-extension world, I believe we can. Can you help us relieve Michael Cooper of his precious stock before the end of the year runs out?As I've said before.. I'm no millionaire but I believe strongly that it will take putting my money where my mouth is to encourage others to do the same, and it is only by action that we will see change, so I'm putting a $100 bucks in over and above my regular MPrize commitment. Anyone else?
So what are you waiting for? Pitch in a few dollars and help us net a large donation of stock for the prize fund.
Indications are that we have collected $955.00 so far, and this was accomplished in less than 24 hours. So we're about halfway there, but we still need people to get involved. A lot of those early donations were from previous donators, and even members of the 300. We need to get more people involved!
If you've never donated to the Prize, but you've thought about it, then this is the time to jump in. $100 would be great, but even $5 will help.
Consider the following quote from someone who has thought about donating, but never stepped up. Names and dollar amounts have been changed to preserve the identity of this individual:
> I would donate if I thought my small contribution would be likely
> to make a difference... But the Mouse Prize doesn't need $100.
> It needs $100 million.
I informed this person of the new challenege, this new opportunity to help bring tens of thousands of dollars to the prize, with a rather small donation of the size he used in his own example. Now whether this person has since donated, I can't say. But that doesn't matter. I suspect there are dozens of people out there in the same boat, who see the value of the prize, but have decided not to donate because they figure that their small donation won't matter.
Well, your donations do matter, and they have always mattered, but now more than ever! Just another thousand dollars or so, and another $33,000 will be donated to the M Prize. Let's make that happen. You can help, no matter how little you may think your contribution is worth!
I just donated $250.
Many thanks Scott - I added a link to your blog in the "Philanthropist Weblogs" section here. We're getting close to netting the total needed to make this large donation happen, and that's a great thing.