As soon as I learned of SaveTogether.org, I called several of my friends.  I told them about this philanthropy that helps everyday people help themselves.  Basically, they set a desired amount to save and anyone can match it.  The savers are low-wage workers such as mothers trying to help their kids, college graduates looking for income to pay off school, single individuals trying to buy their first home, and even  high school students trying to buy their first car.  Donors that match a savers profile could be a nonprofit, a company or an individual.

The organization’s mission statement says, “SaveTogether envisions a world where savings incentives and long-term financial stability are available to everyone. We are collaborating with carefully-screened non-profit organizations to build a community dedicated to matching the savings goals of low-wage workers and helping them save toward economic stability. We invite you to join our nationwide community of everyday philanthropists, transforming lives one dream at a time. ”

They use nonprofits as the intermediary to deal with the applications, donations, and savings accounts.  If you are interested in becoming an applicant or a donor, visit: [1] www.savetogether.org.  As a donor, you select which profile appeals to you; then you make your donations.  Donations can be whatever you can afford.  I’d like to make a donation to someone, but right now all I can afford is to promote their philanthropy via our social media platforms.

Another way to help promote the idea for the organization is to participate in what is called, The Network of Good:  [2] http://www.savetogether.org/do-more.  You can send their donation announcement to your friends via email and they tally the amount of donations created by your personal network.  The email says to donate $1.00 to help someone achieve financial freedom.  I can assure you that every dollar counts towards this endeavor, as SaveTogether.org does not use any of the donated funds.  Also, if the person you selected does not follow the guidelines, then your money will be given to another deserving individual.

And of course, if you would like to become a saver, you will have to set your goal, attend financial workshops, and save your money. To begin, you will have to go through a screening process with the intermediary and fill out a detailed application, interview, and submit your financial documents.  SaveTogether will also post your profile and goals on their Web site.  You can find my profile  on there, but I haven’t set my dollar amount for saving, yet.  I hope that this information helps you out.  In my opinion, saving seems to always take a long time.  With SaveTogether, you can have someone meet you halfway there!

Here is a list of matching programs that work with SaveTogether; you have to contact these directly and let them know that you are interested.

• [3] EARN, San Francisco, CA
• [4] Juma Ventures, San Francisco, CA
• [5] Opportunity Fund, San Jose, CA
• [6] Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, Spokane, WA
• [7] The Midas Collaborative, Allston, MA
• [8] Capital Area Asset Builders, Washington, DC

Sandra Annette Rogers,

[9] Look for jobs: [10] http://www.indeed.com/p/index.php?pid=7080813311402333