Get your tax rebate back from Uncle Sam yet? What are you planning on doing with it?

Contemplating the rebates Annie Kirschbaum, a Chicago school teacher, came up with an idea and enlisted the aid of Catharine Cooper, a Laguna Beach, CA writer/designer, who wrote the following (which we have edited) and sent it to friends, including our pal Fred Rubin, who thought it perfect for Ampolo:

Annie Kirschbaum is…an idealistic, forward thinker whose personal goal is to assist others who are less fortunate than she. Recently, Annie was sharing dinner with her family – Mickey and Phil – and they started talking about the tax rebate checks. Annie expressed her outrage over the wasted expenditure of $42 million to simply notify citizens about the program. Phil said something along the lines of: “Wouldn’t it be great if people did something really good with the money?” After some thought, Annie suggested, “How about a Donation Day?” Instead of pouring the rebate directly back into the corporate coffers, the idea was to shift the paradigm and give it to those who have much greater needs. Give the dollars to folks, who, in Annie’s vision, should have received the largesse in the first place.

The idea began to sprout legs. The more friends Annie spoke to, the more support she gathered for her idea. It wasn’t about any particular charity, but the idea of giving. Simply giving.

Phil, both a good friend and a client, called me to ask for my assistance. We needed a name, a timeline, PR, a blog, a video. We needed the world and we had very little time. “Give It Back” seemed like a perfect name for a campaign. A logo was developed. A web URL secured and we were on a roll. Then Joseph, our writer, discovered that “Give It Back” already existed as a charity vehicle….The plan took a breath….

We started to flesh out the story and craft a compelling tale. Annie’s enthusiasm for the idea was infectious. “It is an opportunity for everyone to come together for something bigger, even people who do not get the check,” she wrote. “It is an opportunity to do something with our tax money that the government should have done. I love the idea of people talking about where they want to give their money. It makes me feel all warm inside! What a positive thing for circles of friends to be discussing.”

As the clock ticked, we found, that…we simply didn’t have time to complete our tasks. We were idealistic – and not one bit sad about it. We didn’t create a website, the video has not been shot, and the blog is in sketch stage. But, the dream is still alive and the idea simply needs to be broadcast - one person to the next….Instead of taking that rebate check…and spending it solely on yourself, take some percentage of it – whatever makes your heart feel fuller–and direct it toward someone with greater need.

There are so many that could use your help…. Annie’s favorite web organization is Charity Navigator, which functions as an evaluator for causes and non-profits seeking donations. They have a rating system on over 5,000 of America’s best-known charities.

“The world is only as strong as its weakest link, every action affects something, and since this is such a great action, it will be felt by everyone… You don’t have to be a millionaire to do so, every single person can make a difference,” wrote Annie.

Play it forward.

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