Good day SOBConners! Karen here. I’m helping out on a fundraiser that is part of the Mom Blogs challenge– can you help me spread the word? We’re raising money for schools in the Chicago area as well as deaf projects:

Join us for the Chicago Moms Blog Donors Choose Challenge!

Over at Chicago Mom’s Blog and their sister sites, we are rising up to the worldwide 2008 DonorsChoose.org Bloggers Challenge to help thousands of kids in high-need public schools.  Last year during the 2007 Blogger Challenge, internet history was made in one short month: more than 100 bloggers raised $420,000 for school projects on DonorsChoose.org.  This year, we’re aiming to make internet history again.

DonorsChoose.org is the brainchild of Charles Best and a group of teachers from the Bronx.  Charles, a science teacher, was frustrated at the lack of materials in the classrooms.  He saw how the students were affected by not having adequate materials to teach and work with. He set up DonorsChoose.org to pair donors with educational projects all over the world.  The beauty of DonorsChoose.org is that donors have complete control over which projects they choose to donate to.

Since I have a heart for deaf and hard of hearing children, I took a look at the projects that focus on those kids:  Projects featuring deaf and hard of hearing children.  I also found projects covering students in special education.  And for Chicago Moms, there are many projects covering Chicago Public Schools and the surrounding suburbs.

This fundraiser is so profound, that Fortune magazine has an article covering this month-long philanthropy effort:  It Takes a Blogosphere.

The Chicago Moms Blog and our sister sites aim to kick some serious butt (some of us have to pause and wipe a butt) and raise the most money for several school projects for the Moms Blogs Challenge. We invite our readers to join us in raising the most money.  Turn your couch upside down and find some change.  Encourage your kids to donate some of their allowance.  Grab a bunch of moms in your neighborhood and join together to select a project to fund.  And if you have a rich uncle, ask him to cut a check– and make a difference.

For the month of October 2008, click on the Chicago Moms Help Public Schools button in the top left corner and send your contribution on its way!  Watch as the competition heats up as we work together to raise funds.