Here at The Generation Project, the start of the 2010-11 school year is particularly exciting, because it's going to be the first full year in which we're up and running.  Just as exciting, we're expanding to schools in New Orleans and the Bay Area this year, meaning that there are hundreds of thousands of new students that can  benefit from our donors' ideas and generosity.

So, to celebrate the start of the 2010-11 school year, we're launching a very special campaign here at The Generation Project.  We've set aside $20,000 of the money we won in the Chase Community Giving challenge, and we're going to use that money to double the impact that you want to see.

Here's how it works: starting now, and continuing until the $20,000 runs out, we are going to duplicate every new gift designed through The Generation Project.  So, for example, if you design a gift for $100 to start a soccer initiative, we'll put an identical gift on the site--but we'll fund it at no cost to you.  In essence, with your $100, you'll have started two soccer initiatives for the price of one.  That means two different teachers, at two different schools, with two different sets of kids can benefit from your ideas, your passion, and your generosity.  

So, start generating ideas for how you can make this a great back-to-school season, because we're going to double your impact.  Want to start a chess team at a low-income school?  Act now and you can start two.  Have you always wanted to share your love of Harry Potter books with students in need? Act now, and you can share the magic with twice as many kids.   Or if you just want to make sure kids have a great experience in math, history, or science, act now...and twice as many kids will benefit.

To get started, sign up for an account, log in, and select the "design a gift" icon at the top of your Philanthropist's Page.  You'll be guided through a quick and easy set of questions that will allow you to start making a difference in the lives of high-need K-12 students.  Once you've paid for your gift, we'll credit a duplicate gift to your account within 48 hours.

This time, though, the prize is much bigger: $1 million for the top vote-getter, and $100,000 for each of five runners-up.  Just like last time around, all the voting takes place on Facebook--and you can vote at the same address.  Voting starts this Friday, January 15th.  We hope you will support us!

Because we're a different kind of charity, we wanted to quickly share with you our unique plan for the Chase Million if we are lucky enough to win.  See, we're a new kind of charity--one that uses the ideas and passions of donors at all income levels to benefit low-income K-12 youth.  We exist to give children growing up in poverty the diverse educational opportunities they deserve, and the way we do that is by harnessing the diverse passions of our donors. And we think our unique giving model--where donors get to design the gifts they fund--is the future of philanthropy.

So, if we're lucky enough to win the Chase Million, we're not using it for overhead, or to "expand our operational capacity."  The money's going to go directly to children in low-income areas, and at the same time will be used to directly amplify donors' impact.  Here's our plan:

• Ÿ-With the first $250,000, we will quadruple the impact of any new gift designed through The Generation Project, allowing donors to fund four opportunities for the price of one. For example, a donor who sponsors a debate team at one urban high school could sponsor four high school teams for the same price. 
• -When the first $250,000 runs out, the next $250,000 will triple each new gift’s impact.  Donating a set of J.R.R. Tolkien books to a school library in Detroit?  With the matching fund, you could donate that same set of books to school libraries in Chicago and New York City as well!
• -With the remainder of the $1MM, we will double each gift’s impact. Sponsoring a partial college scholarship for one kid?  Give before the money runs out, and you can sponsor two for the same price!