How Job Seekers Can Find Lucrative Jobs in Fundraising Industry: FundRaisingCrossing.com Seeks to Corner Fundraising Job Market

EmploymentCrossing.com on Monday launched FundRaisingCrossing.com, a job site that seeks to consolidate every single job in the fundraising industry. FundRaisingCrossing.com gathers every single job it can find from employer websites, association websites and other job boards. By providing job seekers a "one stop shop" for fundraising jobs, FundRaisingCrossing.com can save job seekers hundreds of hours of unnecessary research by showing them every fundraising job in the market at once.

Pasadena, CA (PRWEB) May 22, 2008 -- EmploymentCrossing.com on Monday launched FundRaisingCrossing.com, a job opening research site that seeks to consolidate every single job in the fundraising industry. FundRaisingCrossing.com gathers and lists every single job it can find from employer websites, association websites and other job boards. By providing job seekers a "one stop shop" for fundraising jobs, FundRaisingCrossing.com can save job seekers hundreds of hours of unnecessary research by showing them every fundraising job in the market at once.

According to the latest Association of Fundraising Professionals' (AFP) Compensation and Benefits Study, the average salary for charitable fundraisers in the United States increased to $72,683 in 2007 and 2008--a two percent increase from the average in 2006. A fundraising career is definitely a lucrative one, and fundraising job openings are growing. FundraisingCrossing offers an exclusive online job-posting service unlike any other. It specializes in finding fundraising job announcements from every website the site can find in the areas of nonprofit organizations, hospitals, as well as others In addition, it checks local and regional publications. It aims to show its members jobs no one else knows about.

FundraisingCrossing is a research company that works for job seekers. We have developed a database of thousands of fundraising jobs

"In this market it is extremely hard to get a job with a recruiter, and recruiters typically work with very few companies," says Harrison Barnes, founder and CEO of FundraisingCrossing. "Job openings that are not widely known or publicized are the easiest jobs to get."

Despite the recession, various charitable organizations are planning to increase their grant making in 2008. For example, according to a survey by the Foundation Center, 54% of charities are planning to increase their grant making in 2008. Additionally, the survey reports that 33% of foundations have stepped up their giving to help people affected by the economy in 2008.

FundraisingCrossing, an EmploymentCrossing (www.employmentcrossing.com) website, was recently launched to assist fundraising professionals with sorting out the opportunities that they may not find out about otherwise. Unlike other job boards, the site focuses solely on fundraising jobs, and it doesn't charge employers to post jobs.

"FundraisingCrossing is a research company that works for job seekers. We have developed a database of thousands of fundraising jobs," Barnes says. "We seek to connect you to employers."

According to Barnes, the most popular searches in the site have been for the following fundraising jobs:

-Fundraising jobs Cleveland, Ohio on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Fundraising jobs for non-profit organization on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Advancement and Fundraising jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Fundraising jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Fundraising jobs in Edmonton on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Fundraising charity jobs UK on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Director of development jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Directory of giving jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Fundraising administrator jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com
-Nonprofit fundraising jobs on FundRaisingCrossing.com

Barnes states that FundRaisingCrossing.com is committed to finding new sources for jobs daily. "There are an astonishing number of fundraising job openings out there. We want to find them all."

FundRaisingCrossing.com charges $29.95 a month to view its resource. As part of the site's launch special, however, FundRaisingCrossing.com is offering a free 7 day trial to familiarize job seekers with the service.

For more information about FundRaisingCrossing.com, please visit www.FundRaisingCrossing.com.

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Secrets to Fundraising Success for Churches and Schools

Free resource for new and experienced fundraising directors alike: GoldenRuleFundraising.com. What makes a fundraising program a "win-win" situation for donors and volunteers alike? Insights and ideas to help fundraising directors of church fund raisers, school fund raisers and other small group fundraisers, to develop broader community-wide appeal, as well as more enthusiasm from volunteers, for greater fundraising success.

(PRWEB) September 14, 2005 -- Richard Bowen has been helping small, non-profit groups with fundraising programs for years. Hes found that most church fund raisers or school fundraisers succeed to whatever extent they do primarily because close supporters, like family and friends, want to help the church or school. But its a lot of work, and sometimes the results dont seem as great as they should be, compared to the effort they take.

"Fundraising is never easy, and for small community groups it seems to be getting harder every year," Bowen says. "If these groups are worth while to the community, then it should be worth while to everyone in the community - not just to family and friends of the church or school – to support their efforts. That is why I created www.GoldenRuleFundraising.com, to offer certain insights and suggestions as to how to appeal to more of the community at large, so as to better succeed at fundraising."

Many groups apparently have a new fundraising director every year because, frankly, its a lot of work and people can get burned out. The new, inexperienced fundraising director will often do the same thing that the previous fundraising director did the last time, "requiring more or less the same efforts to get more or less the same results," Bowen says. With that in mind, he developed www.GoldenRuleFundraising.com, to give fundraising directors some ideas and insights to consider in preparing for their next fund raiser.

"What if you step ‘outside the box with a new perspective on fundraising – what if you give more to donors throughout your community than you ask the donors to give you?!" Bowen asks. That is the essence of what he offers fundraising directors at www.GlodenRuleFundraising.com.

"Secrets of Fundraising Success" are available at www.GoldenRuleFundraising.com at no cost to fundraising directors, new and experienced alike.

        

Andrews Osborne Academy Fund Raiser Raffles New Pontiac G6

The Andrews Osborne Academy Parents' Association (AOAPA) will host the annual school fundraiser, the Extravaganza, on May 2, 2008. As part of the fundraiser, the AOAPA is raffling a new Pontiac G6.

Willoughby, OH (PRWEB) March 24, 2008 -- The Andrews Osborne Academy Parents' Association (AOAPA) will host the annual school fundraiser, the Extravaganza, on May 2, 2008, at the Croatian Hall in Eastlake, Ohio beginning at 5:30pm. The Extravaganza will feature a car raffle for a new 2008 Pontiac G6. In addition to the first prize of the car, a second prize of $100 will be given away that evening.

This year's Extravaganza offers an exciting twist--a raffle of a new Pontiac G6!

The Extravaganza will also include an elegant dinner, diamond drop, raffle boards, a chance to win a vacation, silent and live auctions, and a live band.

In describing the event, Jackie Stephens, Extravaganza Committee Chair said, "This year's Extravaganza offers an exciting twist--a raffle of a new Pontiac G6!"

The winner will be able to choose both the exterior and interior colors of the car. If the winner is present at the Extravaganza, the sales tax will be paid by the AOAPA.

Only 1000 raffle tickets will be sold, and ticket holders do not need to be present to win. Complete raffle ticket information and event details may be found at www.aoaparents.org. In addition to offering raffle tickets for the automobile, the website also features an online auction of donated items to help raise funds.

The proceeds of the event will be applied toward items such as teacher development, upgrades to school facilities and technology, and two local foundations: The Nancy Theiling Thuma Foundation and the Lake Hospital Foundation.

About Andrews Osborne Academy:
Andrews Osborne Academy is a pre-K through grade 12 coeducational day and boarding school located in Willoughby, Ohio. In a challenging and active learning environment, Andrews Osborne Academy prepares students for college and empowers them to succeed. We nurture in each student a passion for excellence, a commitment to community, and an international perspective. The Andrews Osborne Academy Parents' Association provides support to the Academy via both volunteer efforts and fundraiser events.

        

NEW Ideas for successful fundraising from Fund Raising Batteries.com. Fund Raising Batteries.com, Inc. is a Midwest, U.S. based entry into the fundraising suppliers and providers market with new fund raising ideas to help all fundraising groups meet their growing needs. Located on the Internet at www.fundraisingbatteries.com the company was launched in Spring 2000, and is sponsored by: TOSHIBA Ultra Alkaline Batteries, for high-tech devices, LUMILITE flashlights, PRESSALITE custom logo key chain flashlights, and VANTAGE disposable 35mm cameras. This fresh approach provides all fundraising groups the opportunity to earn high profits with top quality essential consumable products at very competitive prices. Fundraisers may operate their fundraising activities on several levels, from an add-on to scheduled fundraising events, to all-out sales campaigns, or e-fundraising 24/7/365" thru simple web page promotion. They will find these no risk, fast start, easy to run programs a welcome alternative in the fund raising marketplace. FundraisingBatteries.com offers clients FREE Fundraiser web pages with links to on-line ordering and to the Our Fundraiser" group of stores where supporters shop for name brand merchandise and order on-line to generate commissions for their organizations. Fund Raising Batteries.com has a Goals Achievement Rewards Plan, GARP", which replaces the usual junk prize awards with cash bonus payments to groups who reach their fundraising goals. Now, with fundraising becoming more necessary than ever, Fund Raising Batteries.com turns product sales fundraising into a valued service in which participants will be proud to be involved and supporters will get real value for their money. Fund raising groups looking for new ideas and interested in offering quality products people need over and over again will find that combining competitive prices on top quality consumable products with high profits and sales volumes is the formula for successful fundraising.

        

Virtualization Pioneer to Invest in Product Development, Sales and Marketing

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Business Wire EON) June 18, 2008 -- Neocleus, a pioneer in endpoint virtualization, today announced that it has raised $11.4M in Series B funding. Neocleus’ solutions create a more flexible, secure and efficient endpoint infrastructure. The round was led by Battery Ventures and Gemini Israel Funds, the company’s original investors.

Endpoint challenges have grown exponentially as the number of different user scenarios have increased and evolved, introducing new complexities and new IT requirements. Today's IT departments require innovative, flexible solutions to address these emerging challenges and satisfy the multitude of endpoint user scenarios

Neocleus applies virtualization to desktops and laptops delivering the flexibility, manageability and security needed to address different user scenarios within a dynamic, dispersed enterprise. The company’s solutions, which include a Xen-based open source Type 1 bare-metal hypervisor for endpoints, enable critical IT tasks to operate in isolated, trusted virtual environments with complete access to the capabilities offered by the underlying endpoint hardware. This approach provides IT departments with a more agile and predictably secure virtual desktop environment and improves the overall cost of ownership of the endpoint.

“Neocleus is reinventing the endpoint, something that CIOs worldwide have been crying out for,” said Avi Domoshevizki, venture partner, Battery Ventures. “Enterprises today are burdened with rising endpoint support costs and an increasingly complex environment to secure and manage. Current virtualization solutions are insufficient because they either address only one issue or add complexity and cost. Neocleus’ novel approach changes the game to deliver a more agile infrastructure and reduce total cost of ownership of the endpoint. In addition, the company’s open source contributions are a catalyst for a new ecosystem that will further address the challenges facing IT departments. They have made tremendous progress since our initial investment, and we’re happy to continue to fuel their growth.”

Founded in 2006 by industry veterans Ariel Gorfung (CEO) and Etay Bogner (CTO), Neocleus has been working vigorously on developing an endpoint strategy and platform, building a team, rolling out its first solution and attracting customers and partners. The company launched in May 2008 with the announcement of the Desktop Hypervisor Framework, an endpoint hypervisor enhancement to the Xen server hypervisor that the company will be contributing to the open source community to foster an ecosystem of innovation. Most recently Neocleus announced Trusted Edge, the first in a suite of virtual software appliances that allows for secure access to corporate resources – for employees, customers and partners – regardless of the endpoint’s location or state of security.

“Endpoint challenges have grown exponentially as the number of different user scenarios have increased and evolved, introducing new complexities and new IT requirements. Today’s IT departments require innovative, flexible solutions to address these emerging challenges and satisfy the multitude of endpoint user scenarios,” said Mr. Adi Pundak-Mintz, General Partner, Gemini Israel Funds.” Neocleus’ solutions address this burgeoning market with a strong vision, technology innovation, solutions and a proven management team. To date, the company has had extremely positive customer response. We expect that the additional capital will accelerate meeting these customer demands to deliver a groundbreaking solution that fundamentally changes how IT departments manage and secure desktops and laptops.”

”Battery Ventures and Gemini Israeli Funds have been tremendous supporters of Neocleus. Their continued investment demonstrates the commitment to the company vision and their belief that this is an exceptional market opportunity,” said Ariel Gorfung, president, CEO and co-founder, Neocleus. “We are extremely thankful for their continued partnership and the confidence they have in our vision, our strategy and our product expertise.”

About Battery Ventures

Since 1983, Battery has been investing in technology and innovation worldwide. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and management teams across technology sectors, geographies and all stages of a company’s life — from start-up and expansion financing, to growth equity and buyouts. Battery has supported many breakthrough companies around the world including Akamai [Nasdaq: AKAM], HNC Software [Fair Issac], Kashya [EMC], MetroPCS [NYSE: PCS], Neoteris [Netscreen/Juniper]. From offices in Boston, Silicon Valley and Israel, Battery manages nearly $3 billion in committed capital, including its current fund of $750 million. For more information on the firm, visit www.battery.com.

About Gemini Israel Funds

A pioneer in Israel’s venture capital industry, Gemini Israel Funds has grown to be the leading Israeli seed and early stage fund in the Information Technology arena. The firm, founded in 1993, manages $550 million in four funds. Investments are focused on the areas of Communications and Wireless Technologies, Enterprise Software, Internet, Consumer Electronics and Semiconductors. Through offices in Israel and Silicon Valley, Gemini offers portfolio companies access to top-tier U.S.-based investors and a global network of corporate partners. As investment professionals, Gemini’s key contributions include an ability to make daring investment decisions and the capability to utilize past operational experience in assisting portfolio companies. More information can be found at www.gemini.co.il.

About Neocleus

Neocleus addresses the growing endpoint management and security complexities that now face dispersed organizations. Our innovation in virtualization changes the way endpoints work to make them inherently more manageable and secure without impacting the user experience or computing performance. Our solutions satisfy IT requirements for greater control and lower infrastructure costs, and end-user needs for a more flexible and configurable environment in which to increase productivity. Visit www.neocleus.com for more information.

        

OMAHA, Neb. (Business Wire EON) May 1, 2008 -- Business Wire will go beyond showcasing its own services at this year's Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, raising funds for a local children's charity by selling commemorative trading cards to conference attendees.

CASA volunteers are ordinary people doing extraordinary work. They are a powerful voice in a foster child's life

A pack of six cards featuring quotes and photos of Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger and Business Wire President and CEO Cathy Baron Tamraz will be available to attendees. The cards will sell for $10 and also include statistics on Business Wire, which was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2006.

All proceeds will be donated to CASA For Douglas County, Nebraska (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a charitable organization that provides a voice for abused and neglected children within the court system through the use of trained citizen volunteers.

“Business Wire is certainly excited about being present again at the Berkshire annual meeting and we look forward to meeting and greeting shareholders and helping out with a worthy cause like CASA,” said Tamraz.

CASA was established in the Omaha area in 1998 upon the urgency of area judges. The idea of CASA first originated in the Seattle area, when a juvenile court judge felt that he was not sufficiently informed on a case involving an abused child. CASA was created under the premise that there must be an advocate for foster children within the court system – someone who will fight and keep the children’s best interests at heart. It is the CASA volunteer that helps judges make good decisions on behalf of the abused and neglected children.

“CASA volunteers are ordinary people doing extraordinary work. They are a powerful voice in a foster child’s life”, said Nancy Wilson, Executive Director of CASA For Douglas County.

The cards are available on a first-come basis at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, which takes place Saturday, May 3 at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

About Business Wire

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is utilized by thousands of member companies and organizations to transmit their full-text news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, news media, trade publications, institutional and individual investors, financial information services, regulatory authorities, Internet portals, information web sites, business-to-business decision-makers and consumers worldwide. With a news distribution network spanning 150 countries and 45 languages, Business Wire's multi-channel delivery network has access to dozens of international and national news agency networks throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The Business Wire news network is powered by its patented NX high-speed data platform and supports XML, XHTML and XBRL code to deliver the most sophisticated news file to enhance news release interactivity, customization and search engine optimization. Business Wire has 31 bureaus in cities including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Brussels, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney with reciprocal offices throughout the world. Business Wire was founded in 1961.

KEYWORDS: Berkshire Hathaway, Business Wire, CASA, Charity, Children's Charity, Collectibles, Fundraiser, Warren Buffett, Trading Cards, Omaha

MULTIMEDIA GALLERY

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5671459

        

Fundraiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation

LiveStrong Challenge Fundraising for Cancer.

(PRWEB) August 30, 2006 -- Fred Drewe, a 30 year Testicular cancer survivor, life-long cyclist and member of the LiveStrong Challenge in Orange County, Philadelphia, and Austin, is holding a raffle to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). Entries are made through a $20 donation (tax deductible for US residents) directly to the LAF. There are only 1000 tickets available.

The prize list includes 3 T-shirt quilts, one based around the Ride for the Roses event, the Tour of Hope, and the third will be designed by the winner. Also there is a Graham Watson Giro d'Itialia poster and several Tour de France and Ride for the Roses jerseys.

For more information, go to www.cancerfundraisingtshirtquilts.org or www.drewe.com.

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Recycle to Raise Awareness on World Refugee Day

Tents of Hope & ECO-CELL Partner to Raise Funds for Darfur Via Nationwide Events

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) June 13, 2008 - It's amazing what you can save when you recycle. In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20, 2008, Tents of Hope (http://www.tentsofhope.org) is announcing the launch of its partnership with ECO-CELL to help raise funds for the crisis in Darfur. Integrated with nationwide events on World Refugee Day, improving the life of someone in Darfur is now as simple as donating an old, unused cell phone.

World Refugee Day (June 20, 2008) is a time to remember the plight of refugees around the world and to recognize the contributions of refugees in our communities. On World Refugee Day, Tents of Hope (a one year campaign created to inspire and activate people to respond to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan) will have events taking place nationwide which will include community creation, painting and displaying of tents as symbols of hope to identify with the refugees of Darfur. In participating locales, ECO-CELL recycling bins will be available for cell phone donation. Donations can also be made online by visiting http://www.eco-cell.com/tents-of-hope.asp.

Students Taking Action Now: Darfur

Participating in the ECO-CELL/Tents of Hope cell phone recycling initiative is a truly unique way to help the refugees of Darfur while taking care of the environment at the same time. Simply collect and turn in any old, unused cell phones at a designated ECO-CELL recycling bin. Proceeds will be donated to Tents of Hope and Darfur advocacy groups, the Save Darfur Coalition and STAND (formerly "Students Taking Action Now: Darfur"), a Student Anti-Genocide Coalition made up of over 600 high school and college chapters. Donations can also be made online at http://www.eco-cell.com/tents-of-hope.asp.

According to Dr. Timothy Nonn, founder of the Tents of Hope campaign, "The ECO-CELL/Tents of Hope partnership is so wonderful for us because we are able to give individuals a way to monetarily contribute to the cause in Darfur without actually having to spend any money. Creative activism is what Tents of Hope is about and working with ECO-CELL is a perfect fit. Not only are we helping a worthy cause in Darfur, but we are simultaneously doing something good for the environment."

Lindsey Ronay, Community Relations Director of ECO-CELL comments, "At ECO-CELL we use the statement 'It's amazing what you can save when you recycle.' We are so pleased that this partnership is being announced and launched on World Refugee Day because it demonstrates how we are one global community and how one very small action here at home can improve the lives of people suffering far away. Every phone collected not only keeps toxins out of a landfill but also generates valuable dollars for a cause that needs our help. In this way, we can all be activists."

In addition to recycling on World Refugee Day, Tents of Hope is also encouraging everyone to VOTE for the right of the displaced people of Darfur to safely return home. Vote online at www.tentsofhope.org or visit your local Tents of Hope event to place your vote in the tent ballot boxes. All online votes and ballot boxes will be delivered to the Democratic and Republican conventions. Contact Parveen Kaur at prvnkaur@yahoo.com to find out about local World Refugee Day events and voting locations.

About Tents of Hope
Tents of Hope is a one-year campaign created to inspire and activate people to respond to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan by creating tents that are unique works of art and ongoing focal points within communities for learning about, assisting and establishing relationships with the people of Sudan. Tents of Hope already has over 200 cities in 43 states participating and 30 major partner organizations including Save Darfur, STAND, United Church of Christ, Amnesty International, Lost Boys Rebuilding Southern Sudan, Genocide Intervention Network, American Jewish World Service, Church World Service, Lutheran World Relief and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. For more information visit, www.tentsofhope.org.

About ECO-CELL
ECO-CELL is a cell phone recycling and fundraising company that works with a variety of organizations in the U.S. and Canada, particularly zoos and conservation programs, to collect used cell phones and raise funds for those organizations. ECO-CELL helps keep cell phones out of landfills and provides organizations with a profitable, easy to use, environmentally focused fund-raising program. For more information, visit: www.eco-cell.com.

        

U2 Fans Raise Money to Build Wells in Honor of Bono's Birthday - FINAL DAYS

The African Well Fund is collecting donations in honor of Bono's Birthday. The money raised will be used to build wells in Africa. The fundraiser is entering its final days!

Schenectady, NY (PRWEB) May 7, 2008 -- For the 6th year in a row, the African Well Fund is conducting a fundraiser in honor of singer/activist Bono's May 10th birthday. Donations collected will be used to build wells in Africa. AWF has been collecting donations in Bono's honor since March 17th and the fundraiser is now entering its final week.

Each year, U2 fans and others inspired by Bono's tireless activism on behalf of Africa come together to raise money to build water and sanitation projects in Africa. Donations from the five previous fundraisers totaled more than $110,000 and have been used to fund water projects in Angola, Uganda and Zimbabwe. These projects have brought clean water and improved sanitation to thousands of people who were lacking it. This year's campaign is themed "Walk to the water…. walk with me" bringing attention to the distances so many in Africa must walk to obtain a day's supply of water. Donations to the fundraiser may be made by visiting http://www.africanwellfund.org/Bono-Well-2008.html . As in previous years, contributors are invited to sign our online card and leave a birthday wish for Bono after donating. The messages, along with a "Well Share" certificate for the amount donated, will be delivered to Bono at the conclusion of the fundraiser.

Walk to the water…. walk with me

Donations collected during this year's campaign will be used to fund a project in Zimbabwe. AWF works with a partner organization, Africare. Africare is one of the leading private, non-profit, charitable organizations assisting Africa. The proposed project seeks to provide clean water to over 11,000 beneficiaries by rehabilitating 30 boreholes, sinking 7 shallow wells and 2 deep wells. The project will also improve sanitation facilities for over 300 pupils at 3 separate schools. Improved sanitation facilities is a necessary component to improving school attendance especially among female students.

The African Well Fund is a unique organization in that it began when a group of U2 fans, inspired by Bono's activism wanted to do something more to help address problems in Africa. The group became a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2002 and partnered with Africare. Aside from the annual fundraiser in honor of Bono's birthday, AWF works year round to raise money and awareness to bring clean water to Africans. AWF is a grassroots, entirely volunteer-run organization enabling administrative costs to be kept at a minimum. Donations collected by the African Well Fund go directly to Africare to fund water and sanitation projects in Africa.

African Well Fund is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 2002 to focus on one achievable goal: providing access to clean water to everyone in Africa. Working with our partner Africare, AWF has helped to bring clean water to more than 100,000 people in over 100 communities across Africa. The African Well Fund believes that access to water is not merely a basic human need but a basic human right.

Africare is a leading non-profit organization specializing in African aid. It is also the oldest and largest African-American led organization in that field. Since its founding in 1970, Africare has delivered more than $710 million in assistance and support -- over 2,000 projects and millions of beneficiaries --to 36 countries Africa-wide. Africare has its international headquarters in Washington, DC, with field offices currently in some 23 African countries.

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Podcast Gives Author a Voice for Koalas

Reaching a wider audience in an effort to raise funds for the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

(PRWEB) May 13, 2008 -- Thanks to author KS Augustin's Web resource, Radio Free Bliss (http://radiofreebliss.ksaugustin.com/), author Lee Barwood is now able to reach a wider audience in her efforts to raise funds for the Australian Wildlife Hospital. SF/F and romance author Augustin's website features a popular podcast page, Radio Free Bliss, for which she interviews authors monthly. Barwood, the highlighted interview for the month of May, is the latest author to join the company of writers whose insights and works are featured.

Listeners can now tune in on iPods or through downloads to hear Barwood talk about her work on Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings (www.koalajo.com), as well as her other writings, the plight of the environment, and her fascination with koalas. They'll also learn how the Australian Wildlife Hospital, the beneficiary of each sale of Barwood's book, grew from a small avocado packing shed to a size requiring a new, earth-friendly structure. Ground was broken last year and the project is due to be completed this year, with a much larger facility, state-of-the-art equipment, and room to accommodate the ever-growing number of animal patients brought in each day for care to help them survive disease or catastrophic injury.

Augustin, who has spent considerable time in Australia, has some hopeful news for those concerned with the plight of the koala and other natural wonders from Down Under as she points out that those on local committees are pretty savvy about the animals and land they are charged with protecting. She also takes the opportunity during the interview to urge her listeners living in Australia to contact those committees with their concerns on behalf of local wildlife and habitat.

Augustin's program, not subject to the time boundaries of conventional radio or TV interviews, is archived at the site. She also offers a feature called "Bliss Alumni," which offers readers a link to click so that they can sample some of the work of the authors Augustin talks with. Listeners can find not one, but two samples of Barwood's writing on Bliss Alumni now that the link has gone live (as of May 1): a chapter from A Dream of Drowned Hollow and a story from Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings.