Okay, people. Time to get it in gear. There is some sort of competition going on that I have forgotten about, and the deadline is fast approaching. The competition is not the important thing (which I say because I haven’t the slightest chance of winning); what’s important is the kids.

So here’s the deal. Give what you can. Don’t be worried that you can’t give enough to help. Even small donations of a buck or two can have an impact. This is not just me channeling Cialdini and Schroeder (1976) [they found that asking for even minimal donations—even a penny can help—increased the overall take significantly], this is the actual truth. A story:

A number of years ago, I volunteered in Cuttledaughter’s class, to serialize a book (ok, a play) and read it, over the course of several Fridays, to the class. It was great fun for me, and for them (they got to do sound effects; I got to do lots of voices). The second Friday, some of the students showed up with copies of their own, to follow along. I talked to my local bookstore, and we found a Dover Books edition which the shop owner let me buy at cost, and as of the third week every kid in the classroom had his or her own copy. The thing is, the Dover Editions came to a couple of bucks each (or else I wouldn’t have been able to afford to give them). If your donation of just a buck or two allowed a classroom to buy a single copy of a book of poems, that one book can help the entire classroom. One person, reading aloud from a cheap book of poetry, can move a roomful of kids. (In my case, the number of people listening grew each week, as other people found an excuse to visit the classroom on Friday afternoons.)

So please, if you can, click on the Donors Choose widget and give, even if it is just a buck or two. I assure you, you will still be making a difference. The more of us there are, the bigger the difference.

And do it soon—I honestly have no idea when the competition thingy is ending, but I know it’s soon. (It’s not the month-long competition, but something over just a few days.) Edited to add—the contest ends Thursday the 13th, and it’s for number of donors, not amount of donation. So this time, the little people can kick ass!