Invest #50ShadesofGreen to help end abuse
Let’s turn the multi-million corporate ad budget for 50 Shades of Grey on its head. My wife and I saw our friend JoAnne Hankey suggest people not see the movie but give the money they would’ve spent to a women’s shelter.
Awesome idea, isn’t it?
Let’s make it ridiculously easy to give
I’ve just donated $50 to my local nonprofit, Family Violence Project. They do amazing work with women, men, and families. And they’ll never have an ad budget as big as the movie.
Whether $5, $50, or $500, I’m sure there are local support groups, rape crisis centers, and domestic violence shelters that can benefit from you donations. They are often run on a shoestring budget by passionate volunteers making a real difference in the world.
Let’s help make it ridiculously easy to give to them. The three I know of off the top of my head are:
- The Family Violence Project (Central Maine) http://www.familyviolenceproject.org/support-fvp/donate.html,
- SARSSM (Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine) http://www.sarsonline.org/donate, and
- Women Against Violence Against Women (Vancouver, BC) http://www.wavaw.ca/donate/
Who else should be on the list?
To make it ridiculously easy to donate, use the comments to put the name and donation link for your favorite nonprofit standing up against abuse.
Violence against women hurts all of us. That’s why books and movies like 50 Shades of Grey are so incredibly disturbing. They glorify violence against women and justify the actions of abusive men. Abused women start thinking being abused might be “normal,” or even something to enjoy. And abusers think this is what successful men do.
We can do something about it. This time, we may be aided by a multi-million ad campaign trying to sell a different story. It’s like a form of “Philanthropic Jujutsu,” we’ll use the force of their budget to fuel funding local nonprofits. Are you in?
We can even use the hashtag: #50ShadesofGreen
Join me in Philanthropic Jujutsu!
We need more people – men and women – to stand up to it and to let our voice be heard. To tell abusers, “This is not acceptable.” And to tell those abused, “You’re worth so much more than this.”
Before you ask, I have not read the books or watched the movie. But my wife and I have been pastors in rural Maine and seen how rampant domestic violence is. And how silently the abused suffer. And our family actively seeks ways to end human trafficking – another blight on humanity that disproportionately impacts women and children. So “newsjacking” the release of this movie may become a sort of philanthropic jujutsu – using their energy against them to support great local nonprofits.
Marc – this is such a great idea and I’m so glad that you’ve suggested it. Violence against women affects us all and bring more awareness and dialogue to the issue is key. As a board member of Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW), it’s work that I am proud to be a part of.
Hi Marc, greetings from the Netherlands. Just check this out http://www.onebillionrising.org let’s pay attention to this impressive initiative. On Valentinesday Febr 14th a global campaign about wavaw. Donate to the good cause and wear red in that day to make a statement.
Love your innovation! Everything we can to do to fight the myths, support survivors, educate people and help turn dialogue into action, will help put an end to violence against women. Please consider Every Woman’s Place: http://www.everywomansplace.org/
I recommend giving to Her Justice (full disclosure – I’m a fundraiser there.) http://www.herjustice.org/ – Life-saving, pro bono legal representation for women in crisis.
Thanks for the great idea, Marc! I’ve made a gift to Spruce Run, serving Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine. I invite others to support their work at http://www.sprucerun.net/
Sweet! Thanks, Arlene!