You and a group of your friends, your civic club, your school or neighborhood organization, your religious community, may wish to focus some of your charitable efforts on fundraising for Project RENEW.

If requested, contributions from groups and individuals may be directed to project initiatives specifically selected by those donors.

For example, a number of individuals and organizations have chosen to support families in the mushroom-growing program, or to purchase cows for the micro-credit program, which help disabled families rise out of poverty. (Cost per family: $500.)

Three Vietnam veterans donated the money to renovate renovate and expand a primary school for poor, rural children so they could study in clean and uncrowded classrooms. (Cost: $50,000.)

One donor funded reconstruction of an elderly couple’s house, which was severely damaged and had to be rebuilt after a bomb detonated deep underneath the foundation one night. (Fortunately, no one was hurt.) (Cost: less than $3,000.)

Other donors have supported production of artificial limbs for amputees, helped build libraries and buy books, and provided small scholarships to enable poor children of victim families to pay for school supplies. (Cost: from $50 to $150.)

Some contributors have simply given money, so the RENEW staff can target the most pressing needs at that time (especially needs that arise which are not covered in the budget). At the suggestion of the staff, one donor agreed that the funds contributed could be used to repair, repaint, and upgrade 52 existing safety billboards, and design and construct an additional 18 new ones, to be erected in areas frequented by local people. (Cost: $10,000.)