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| Our
Mission |
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Helping is Easy, Inc. is
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in New York City. |
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Our mission is to help group leaders organize community
service projects and make it easier for individuals and families to
improve their community and help those in need in any way they can. |
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Our History
HelpingisEasy.org was created by Josh Fifer in 2008 after 15 years of organizing and participating in a complete variety of community service projects. He believes helping others is embedded in our DNA and has made it his lifelong mission to make it easy for others to "give back" in any way they can.
Like many people, Josh was inspired to a greater sense of civic duty after eye-witnessing the events of 9/11 in New York City. He designed a project to add colorful artwork and decorations in children’s hospitals. With the help of his college friends and fraternity brothers he launched Project T.K.E. (Transforming Kids Environments) at the end of 2001. Over time the project expanded to include over 22 college organizations, 14 youth programs and 51 public schools – and eventually was opened up to benefit hospices, nursing homes, homeless shelters and other human-service programs.
In 2005 a website was launched to make it easier for teachers and community service coordinators to organize projects for their groups, eventually including opportunities to coordinate a variety of donations and volunteering opportunities. Since then, Josh has worked with group leaders and facility administrators to build the platform that is now HelpingisEasy.org.
What began as a simple project to brighten the lives of children with illnesses has become a new, easier way for people and groups to help improve their community. HelpingisEasy.org is a dynamic "bridge", bringing together people who are willing to help with those who need it most. |
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| Staff & Volunteers |
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Staff |
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Joshua
Fifer - Executive Director & Founder |
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Josh has been working
in the non-profit sector since 1994, helping to improve the lives of
people in need wherever he is. He currently runs the organization and
also teaches math in an inner-city pubic school in New York City. Josh
is a NYC Teaching Fellow, a Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Alum, and
a former Boy Scout. Prior to teaching, Josh served two terms in the AmeriCorps*NCCC
- National Civilian Community Corps, working for non-profit organizations
such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs
of America, and the Special Olympics. He has an extensive history of
coordinating community service projects for groups and created Helping
Is Easy to fill the gaps that he was able to identify throughout his
non-profit career. |
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Volunteers |
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Rebecca
Racine, Community Service Coordinator |
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Rebecca is a current
NYU undergraduate student with an extensive background in community service.
She is a former Girl Scout, taught Sunday school at her church, tutored
children in a Boy’s Club, and was a member of the Key Club. At
NYU she has been involved in short term projects such as coordinating
a group for NYU’s relay for life and participating in NYC Cares
Day. |
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Susan
Valderrama, Community Service Coordinator |
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Susan is a Medical Assistant
and undergraduate student at BMCC. She has been volunteering at painting
events with Helping is Easy for over three years and has helped us recruit
youth groups, college organizations and medical facilities. |
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Becky
Weinstein, Community Service Coordinator |
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Becky just graduated
from the Silver School of Social Work at NYU with a bachelor’s
degree in social work. She has dedicated much of her life so far to service.
She was in several community service groups in high school and was then
very active in Circle K in college as the NYU CKI president for two years. |
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Vanessa
Lim, Community Service Coordinator |
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Vanessa is a current
an undergraduate student at NYU working towards a BA in philosophy. In
high school she was an active member in the Key Club at her school. After
having discovered an interest in helping others, she has involved herself
with various volunteer experiences and is excited to be a part of the
Helping is Easy team. |
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Emily
Charles - Community Service Coordinator |
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Emily is currently a
student at New School Eugene Lang majoring in Urban studies. She completed
a year of service in the AmeriCorps program City Year New York. Her role
as a service coordinator focused on running a saturday community service
program for 105 youth in the Bronx. She also mentored in inner city school
across New York City and coordinated various service projects for a variety
of local community organizations. |
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Emma Cheng - Community Service Coordinator |
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Emma is a sophomore in a NYC public High School and is a member of the Key Club. |
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Ella Cheng - Community Service Coordinator |
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Ella is a sophomore in a NYC public High School and is a member of the Key Club. |
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| Board
of Directors |
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2010-2011 |
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Michael
Zemble – Board Chair |
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CMA - Controller, Dialight Corporation Michael has nearly two decades of experience managing diverse financial and administrative operations across America and in Japan, with both small entrepreneurial firms and large corporations such as Ford Motor Company, First USA Bank, Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance Company and Dialight Corporation. This experience spans the manufacturing, financial services and distribution industries. He has also taught both graduate and undergraduate finance and accounting courses. His particular expertise includes strategic planning, analysis, budgeting, and forecasting. He earned his B.A. in East Asian Studies and Economics from Yale University and M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton Graduate School of Business. He has served on several nonprofit Boards in various capacities -- including academic, philanthropic and professional organizations -- and was conferred the Distinguished Service Award from Ateres Yeshaya. Michael is an active member of the Institute of Management Accountants. |
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Rafael
Klatzkin, CPA - Treasurer |
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Associate, Fortress Investment Group
Ralph hold a BS in marketing from Yeshiva University, an MS in accounting from Pace University and is working towards his MBA from Indiana University. Ralph is an associate at Fortress Investment Group, where he works on various private equity tax projects. Prior to joining Fortress, Ralph worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP & Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc. Before joining the financial services industry, Ralph held various nonprofit marketing related positions at Yeshiva University & Discovery Productions. Ralph holds an active CPA designation (Ohio) and is a member of the American Society of Certified Public Accountants. |
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Joshua
Fifer – Executive Director & Founder |
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Josh has been working
in the non-profit sector since 1994, helping to improve the lives of
people in need wherever he is. He currently runs the organization and
also teaches math in an inner-city pubic school in New York City. Josh
is a NYC Teaching Fellow, a Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Alum, and
a former Boy Scout. Prior to teaching, Josh served two terms in the AmeriCorps*NCCC
- National Civilian Community Corps, working for non-profit organizations
such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs
of America, and the Special Olympics. He has an extensive history of
coordinating community service projects for groups and created Helping
Is Easy to fill the gaps that he was able to identify throughout his
non-profit career. |
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Kristian von Rickenbach – Board Member
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Associate, L.E.K. Consulting
Kristian holds a dual degree in economics and philosophy from Duke University. He is currently an associate at L.E.K. Consulting, a leading strategy consulting firm, where he focuses on work in the retail/consumer packaged goods and private equity industries. Prior to L.E.K., Kristian spent time at America’s Growth Capital, a boutique investment bank focused on the technology and healthcare sectors. Kristian is also the director of finance and a project manager at his chapter of Inspire Inc., a non-profit organization that provides consulting services to education and youth development non-profit organizations.
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Deborah Reed – Board Member
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Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting
Deborah currently works at Deloitte Consulting, where she brings over 30 years of experience in Strategic Planning, Finance, Business Management, and Operations. Over the course of her career, Deborah has served as the Chief Operating Officer at the National Academy Foundation, a provider of career themed programs in public high schools across the United States; served as a partner at Deloitte Consulting and Mitchell Madison Group; and spent over seventeen years in commercial banking. Deborah has provided pro bono consulting services in Africa and India, working with TechnoServe on supply chain initiatives in Tanzania and Keyna to provide higher income to smallholder farmers; and with Mobile Creches, a provider of integrated day care services to children living at constuction sites, to develop a five year business plan.
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Gunjali Trikha – Board Member
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Product Manager, NYSE Euronext, Inc.
Gunjali currently works as a Product Manager at NYSE Euronext, and has acquired nearly 10 years of work experience in a myriad number of roles within the company. Her areas of focus range from client service on the U.S. and International teams, project management, U.S. capital markets and IPOs to sales and marketing. In her most recent role she is responsible for managing products within the Corporate Client Group where her strong communication and people-skills are put to use everyday! Native to India but having grown up in the Philippines, Gunjali came to the U.S. in 1998 to study for her undergraduate degree in Virginia and moved to New York in 2001. Gunjali earned her MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business. Gunjali is also an avid musician and has performed at the MasterWorks Festival at Carnegie Hall.
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Gary Baumann – Board Member
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| Advisory Council |
| Helping
is Easy draws on the knowledge and experience of our Advisory Council
to ensure that our efforts are guided by a clear understanding of the
nonprofit sector and its needs. |
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advisors are a diverse group of leaders from social service programs,
direct service organizations, nonprofit organizations and community groups,
all sharing our commitment to professionalism and social improvement.
Their insights are invaluable to Helping is Easy as we work to identify
and address the challenges faced by communities and people in need throughout
the country. |
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| 2009-2010 |
| Alan
Shatz - NY Foundling (Foster-Care Agency), New York |
| Manager
of Community Relations and Volunteers, The New York Foundling
Alan has been working at
The Foundling for nine years and has been the Manager of Volunteers
and Community Relations for the past five. He has forged countless relationships
with local businesses, schools, community groups and individuals, and
has generated more than $1,000,000 in in-kind donations this past year.
Throughout the year, Alan manages the distribution of the thousands
of donated articles of new clothing, books, pajamas, school supplies,
toys, linens, cribs, beds, electronics and gift cards to the children
and families in The Foundling’s care. In addition, Alan oversees more
than 100 volunteers in various capacities. |
| Rick Akin
- BRC (Homeless Shelter Network), New York |
| Director of Volunteer
Services, BRC
Rick Akin has served as
the Director of Volunteer Services for the Bowery Residents’ Committee
(BRC) for over four years. Prior to his tenure at BRC, he was the Volunteer
Services Manager at City Harvest for three years, during which time
he also served on the volunteer advisory committee (VOAD) for the Office
of Emergency Management and was on the volunteer board at America’s
Second Harvest. His professional experience also includes 12 years
in national corporate sales and account management. Rick is currently
on the Board of Directors of the New York Association of Volunteer Administrators,
and has spoken both locally and nationally about community service involvement
and volunteer management. Rick has will also be teaching classes around
the topic of corporate volunteerism for Volunteer Management Group,
LLC as of the end of this summer into the fall. He has a BA in Liberal
Arts from SUNY Stony Brook. |
| Tamika
Sims - (Domestic Abuse Shelter), South Carolina |
| Coordinator
of Volunteer Services & Community Outreach, Sistercare
Tamika currently serves
as Sistercare’s Coordinator of Community Outreach and Volunteer Services.
She is a member of the Women’s Well-Being Initiative (WWBI) Community
Advisory Board, a 2004 graduate of the United Way of the Midlands Blueprint
for Leadership program. Tamika is currently pursuing her Bachelors of
Science Degree, South University-Columbia, in Information Technology.
A large percentage of her work involves establishing and coordinating
relationships within the public and private sectors to raise awareness
and education about domestic violence. As volunteer coordinator, she
manages Sistercare’s volunteer programs including Sistercare’s Speakers
Bureau, Community Outreach Program, Special Projects and Children’s
Program. As part of special projects, Tamika also publishes the agency
newsletter, Turning Point. |
| Mary
Baldauf, MD - Brookdale University Hospital, New York |
| Director, Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit
Mary Baldauf was born and
raised in New York. After high school, Mary received her Bachelor’s
Degree in Biology from Harvard University. She then went on to Chicago
Medical School to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Human Physiology
prior to going to Stony Brook Medical School. Mary completed her internship,
residency and a fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Schneider
Children’s Hospital. She is currently serving as the Chief of Pediatric
Critical Care Medicine and Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care
Unit at The Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. The Pediatric
ICU is of vital importance to those critically ill children suffering
from traumatic injuries, chronic illnesses or other life-threatening
conditions. Mary is proud to be an active member of her Brooklyn community.
In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Mary has developed a mentoring
program in conjunction with Big Brothers/Big Sisters which gives a select
group of high school students a unique introduction to the world of
medicine. This groundbreaking community-based mentoring program pairs
40 physicians with students from Brooklyn high schools. The program
provides the students with the opportunity to learn about many of the
medical professions integral to a hospital setting. Mary also finds
time to indulge her passion for inventing with her company Baldy by
Design. The company has designed and tested several medical products
which they are hoping to make available to many patients in the future.
These products were developed in response to specific clinical needs.
The focus of the inventions is to improve the quality of life for those
who need them. |
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| HELPING IS EASY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT |
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| Make a Tax-Deductable Contribution |
| Please make a donation so that Helping is Easy can contribute to help others. We do not charge any party to use the website. Instead, Helping is Easy relies on donation to fund its operations. Please help support our cause by donating now. Even a small contribution can make a big difference. |
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Helping Is Easy is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
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| Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. After we receive your donation we will send you a letter for tax-deductible purposes. |
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| Donate Online |
| You can make a secure tax-deductible donation to Helping is Easy through |
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Donate By Mail
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| You can also donate to us by check money order or credit card. Simply download and fill out our Donation by Mail form (in MS Word format). Please make checks or money orders to “Helping is Easy” |
Send your contribution to:
Helping is Easy
431 Metropolitan Ave, Suite 3
Brooklyn, NY 11211 |
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| Spread the Word |
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The
easiest and most powerful way to help us is to tell your friends, family
and co-workers about our website and how you used it. |
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can also Spread The Word using the SHARE AND ENJOY! buttons on the bottom
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| Frequently
Asked Questions |
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1.Can someone help from anywhere? |
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Yes! There are many ways you can help no matter where you are located. |
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2.What is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization? |
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501(c) is a provision of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)), listing 26 types of non-profit organizations exempt from some federal income taxes. 501(c)(3) — Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals Organizations. Another provision, 26 U.S.C. § 170, provides a deduction, for federal income tax purposes, for some donors who make charitable contributions.A public charity, identified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as "not a private foundation," normally receives a substantial part of its income, directly or indirectly, from the general public or from the government. The public support must be fairly broad, not limited to a few individuals or families.
Helping is Easy is registered as a charitable non-profit organization and classified a public charity. |
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3.What kinds of donations are tax-deductible? |
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Financial donations and the donation of new or used goods are tax-deductible up to certain amounts. Don't assume your donation is tax deductible. Not every in-kind donation is tax-deductible. Donated services, although often welcomed by organizations, generally cannot be written off. IRS Publication 526 outlines what types of donations can be deducted and how to claim a deduction.
If you donate goods, the fair market value of such donations is tax-deductible. IRS Publication 561 explains how to determine the fair market value of your donation. If you're thinking about donating a vehicle, keep an eye out for possible new legislation that may tighten valuation regulations. |
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