“The next time your family comes together for a day at the lake or a barbecue in the backyard, why not take an hour to discuss your estate and how your family can make an impact on the things that are most meaningful to all of you?”

To help you start the discussion, they provide some topics and questions to post to your “kitchen table philanthropists.”    Read full article.

We were excited to learn from Bob Salomon, promoter of the book “A Glove of  Their Own” that he has gained the support of this legend at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.

A Glove of Their Own is a children’s book that is touching hearts across the nation. When ordering, choose Cheerful Givers on the drop-down menu, and $3.00 per book will be donated to Cheerful Givers.

The next great catcher Bob would like to add to his amazing list of supporters is Joe Mauer. Spread the word!

Supporters and volunteers submitted reviews to earn this honor. Here are a few examples of what they said or you can read them all.

“I’ve seen the results of this organization in… Kids get to receive a gift on their birthday, which wouldn’t necessarily be a given without Cheerful Givers. Parents get to experience the joy of being able to provide a gift to their children. Volunteers of all ages get to learn that giving can be fun!”

“In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are… helping people understand that the emotions of a child are just as important as keeping them healthy and well fed.”

“If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could… give gifts to every kid in the US and make such a difference in their lives!”

The idea behind K.I.D.S. is simple. “One caring response to one child in the crisis of poverty with one donation of a new piece of clothing or shoes, a toy or book of their own or an educational product.  It’s about one gift, to one child at a time that builds hope, self-esteem and an opportunity to succeed.  Our local agency partner network, nearly a thousand agencies strong, represents a broad and diverse range of  organizations, all of which are dedicated to helping the lives of children in poverty and families at risk.”

We are so pleased to have been selected as one of their partners!

Here’s what one parent recently told us:

I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the bag of birthday gifts for my daughter who turned 9. I am overwhelmed by your generosity, and I praise God for people like you who give generously of their time and the donation. My daughter was excited to receive some new toys. For me, a Mom, I am struggling to pay bills and was unsure how to celebrate with my daughter until I was blessed with your generous gift. Thank You! My needs were met at a difficult time in my life so my daughter was not disappointed. Thank YOU!                   Sincerely, Deanna

Join the Cheerful Givers Birthday Club today!

We are most grateful for a wonderful donation of these amazing toys!

A planned estate gift to Cheerful Givers is a great way to carry forward the mission of providing birthday recognition for less fortunate children and leave a lasting personal legacy.

A deferred gift can be given in the form of a Last Will and Testament bequest, a living trust or gift annuity, all of which would be used to support the mission of Cheerful Givers.

If you wish to provide a legacy gift, the official legal bequest language you can give to your financial planner is: “I, (name), of (city, state, ZIP), give, devise and bequeath to Cheerful Givers, 1287 Berry Ridge, Eagan, MN 55123, (write in the amount or percentage of the estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purpose.”

Please let us know if you decide to include Cheerful Givers in your will, as we would like the opportunity to thank you for your generosity. For more information on planned giving options, please contact karen@cheerfulgivers.org.

The “Great Minnesota Birthday Party” captured the attention of hundreds of mall-goers on Saturday, March 27 at the Mall of America which Governor Pawlenty proclaimed Cheerful Givers Day throughout the state.  M.A. Rosko of Fox 9 News kicked off the event followed by Sergeant First Class Billy Todd of the U.S. Army reading the proclamation.

Tim Mahoney got the crowd into the birthday spirit with his lively musical performance while local celebrities, including former Minnesota Viking Matt Blair, Minnesota Roller Girls, Miss Minnesota 2009 Brooke Kilgarriff, Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, and Minnesota Blizzard team members helped to collect donations for our charity. A highlight of the event was a “Cheer Off” competition among local cheerleading groups. East Ridge High School from Woodbury took the prize by raising the most dollars but Shakopee High and the Swarm Performance Team were great competitors.

Kids enjoyed coloring contests and face painting while parents listened to singer/guitarist Jeff James play a variety of tunes. Meanwhile, the Barnes & Noble store at the Mall hosted a Cheerful Givers Book Fair where 10% of their proceeds were donated every time a customer mentioned Cheerful Givers at the check-out. The finale of the event brought all of the local celebrities to the stage where they joined in singing Happy Birthday to kids everywhere who don’t get to celebrate their birthday. Proceeds from the event are being used to provide toy-filled birthday gift bags for less fortunate children.

Lots more photos and video coming soon!

It’s easy to help our chances, just make a donation to Cheerful Givers through Razoo before the end of the month.

As always, we appreciate your support!

You don’t have to be in Minnesota to help. The 10% to Cheerful Givers also applies to all online purchases made from March 27 – April 1 by simply entering the code 10021475 at bn.com/bookfairs.  Spread the word!