Join the Global Giving Circle for our latest socially conscious event and campaign! http://www.globalgivingcircle.org

Have a fabulous time making the world a better place this holiday season! On Wednesday, December 16, 2009 the Global Giving Circle will host its first annual holiday party, ChrismaHanuKwanzakah: A Holiday Anxiety Spectacular, at the Galapagos Arts Space in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The party also kicks off the Global Gifts That Matter campaign.

Ticket sales will benefit Urban Arts Partnership, a non-profit organization that provides arts programs - film, music, photography, visual arts, theatre, and dance - to underserved inner city public schools in New York.

The entertainment for the evening will be provided by members of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, a company of improvisational actors. They will riff off of any memories the audience is brave enough to volunteer: awkward family holiday moments, worst gifts ever received, and other experiences that make the holidays cringe-worthy. So bring your best worst moments on down for a holiday catharsis!

Named "Hot Farm Team" by Rolling Stone magazine and "Best Comedy Club" by AOL, The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is widely recognized as home to today's funniest actors and writers. Among their alumni include performers and writers for Saturday Night Live, The Office, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, 30 Rock, Best Week Ever, Old School, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro and countless other films, commercials and television shows.

In addition to the evening's performances, the Global Giving Circle offers a socially conscious holiday gift emporium called Global Gifts That Matter. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to purchase jewelry, handicrafts, organic chocolates, 100% recycled handmade sandals, bags and purses all carefully selected from twelve innovative social enterprise and non-profit organizations. All gifts are well made and thoughtfully sourced, and each purchase will make a difference in someone’s life. Prices range from $10 - $100.

Participating organizations offering gifts for sale include: Cards From Africa (which works in Rwanda), Cheeky Living (Peru), Development in Gardening (Senegal, Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Dominican Republic, & Nicaragua), EcoAfrica Social Ventures (Zimbabwe), Gone Rural boMake (Swaziland), GreenSoul Shoes (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Nicaragua, and Peru), L.E.A.D Uganda (Uganda), Project Hope and Fairness (Ivory Coast), The Andean Collection (Ecuador), Women's Peace Collection (Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Darfur/Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, Burma, India, Nepal, Guatemala and Colombia), XSProject Group (Indonesia). See below for URLS.

Global Gifts That Matter online store is live at www.globalgiftsthatmatter.org.

Tickets for ChrismaHanuKwanzakah can be purchased through the Galapagos website www.galapagosartspace.com or at www.globalgivingcircle.org.

Inspiration for the Global Gifts That Matter campaign

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, billions will be spent on gifts for the holidays. But according to a 2008 eBay US survey, 83% of the adults interviewed said the gifts they received were irrelevant and unwanted. Shana Dressler, founder of the Global Giving Circle, explains the Global Gifts That Matter Campaign. "Global Giving Circle searched for a mix of interesting, useful, and lovely gifts that we believe will delight the recipient, with a spirit that returns to the true intent of holiday gift giving. These gifts show that you care, have put thought into your gift, and at the same time, they help improve someone else's life. Professionally, I come from a media background, and so I've spent several years researching philanthropy and social enterprise. I've found that there are many places you can get meaningful, philanthropic gifts, however, what's different about our online gift emporium is that each of the gift suppliers are, in my opinion, real unsung heroes. They are people I've met; visionary founders of amazing grassroots non-profits and early stage social enterprises taking on the world's most difficult challenges with simple, brilliant solutions. They're working in difficult areas plagued by wars, genocides, sex trafficking, and disease. They do not receive governmental support or get significant funding. They are extra-ordinary people, doing extra-ordinary work through ordinary business models. They are not driven by profit, but the deep desire to improve the lives of others. 'Philanthropy' means 'love of mankind.' The people who founded the organizations we have chosen live and breathe that love. I want to shine a light on them, and help to make each of their endeavors more successful than they already are."

ABOUT THE GLOBAL GIVING CIRCLE

The Global Giving Circle is a network of individuals who come together to support underserved communities and fund creative and innovative solutions to alleviate poverty. The GGC believes that anyone can be philanthropist, and that small contributions and actions can add up to big results.

The GGC leadership body consists of artists, activists, media professionals, social entrepreneurs, education and healthcare professionals who in 2009 are all volunteering their time to change the face of giving.

Participating Organizations:

Cards From Africa - http://cardsfromafrica.com
Cheeky Living - http://www.cheekyliving.com/holiday
Development in Gardening - http://www.developmentingardening.org
Eco Africa Social Ventures - http://www.ecoafricasocialventures.org
Gone Rural boMake - http://www.goneruralswazi.com/
GreenSoul Shoes - http://www.greensoulshoes.org
L.E.A.D Uganda - http://www.leaduganda.org
Project Hope and Fairness - http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org
The Andean Collection - http://theandeancollection.com
Women’s Peace Collection - http://womenspeacecollection.com
XSProject Group - http://www.XSProjectgroup.com

IMPORTANT LINKS & RESOURCES:

Tickets for ChrismaHanuKwanzakah event at Galapagos: http://globalgivingcircle.eventbrite.com

Event graphics: http://www.globalgivingcircle.org/graphics/december

Global Giving Circle: http://www.globalgivingcircle.org

Facebook Global Giving Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41680670899

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3061440&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=179883255291&aid=-1&id=588149421&oid=179883255291#/event.php?eid=179883255291

Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/pages/Global-Giving-Circle/71249295291?ref=ts

Global Giving Circle You Tube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/globalgivingcircle

Urban Arts Partnership: http://www.urbanarts.org

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre: http://www.ucbtheatre.com/about/

Ebay Statistic: http://earth911.com/blog/2008/12/15/ebay-survey-re-gifting-is-in

Global Giving Circle

Global Giving Circle

The Global Giving Circle is a network of individuals who come together to support creative and innovative solutions to alleviate poverty. We believe that anyone who gives their time or money to meaningful causes - regardless of their income - is a philanthropist. Furthermore, we believe that giving can be fulfilling, stimulating and fun. The Global Giving Circle supports an array of hand picked grassroots organizations that offer innovative approaches to the world's most pervasive humanitarian problem: poverty. We look for AND find the ingeniously simple solutions to problems that drastically change a life for the better.

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