Portland, OR. When Michelle Obama visited Portland for her sold-out appearance at the Moda Center on March 19th, she also visited Broadway Books. She promoted, Becoming and wrote on her Facebook page that she, “Spent time with a group of young professional women who are juggling careers, relationships, and children, and trying to find a little time for themselves too. We talked about the importance of self-care and finding a group of women to support us through all our ups and downs as we try to manage our chaotic lives.”
Michelle Obama said she hopes her book inspires people to see themselves in her story and “own who we are with pride.”
Michelle Obama also suggested book groups who read Becoming can share comments. “Let me know what you and your book clubs have been discussing! #IAmBecoming.”
Michelle Obama and Barack Obama have a foundation to advance their causes:
That mission begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. But it extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.
The Global Girls Alliance continues the work of First Lady Michelle Obama to empower adolescent girls around the world through education. Learn how you can directly support the grassroots leaders working to educate adolescent girls today.
Leaders: Africa
Leaders: Africa is a year-long initiative to inspire, empower, and connect 200 emerging leaders from across Africa to take on the biggest challenges in their communities, countries, and continent. Explore +
The Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corps builds upon our pilot training programs to bring together rising leaders to identify and address community issues. Learn More+
The Community Leadership Training Day is a one and a half day, introductory training that is designed for young people ages 18 to 25 who want to get involved in their community, but, don’t know where to start. Read More +
We developed the Obama Foundation Scholars Program to give rising young leaders around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level through a newly designed curriculum that brings together academic, skills-based, and hands-on learning. Read more +
To ensure all young people can reach their full potential, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance focuses on mobilizing mentors, reducing youth violence, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color. Read more +
The Obama Foundation Fellowship supports outstanding civic innovators from around the world in order to amplify the impact of their work and to inspire a wave of civic innovation. Read more +
We brought civic leaders from around Chicago, the U.S., and the world to come together to exchange ideas, explore creative solutions to common problems, and experience civic art, technology, and music. Read more +
Obama Foundation Values
With you, we will inspire and empower people to change their world.
We focus on solving problems, not taking sides. We strive to collaborate, not to compete. We win when ordinary citizens understand the impact every individual can make in a community, regardless of who they are or what they believe. For us, there is victory in civic engagement that goes beyond border, party, or pride.
We are defined by our values:
TEAM
We are invested in the success of others, we treat each other with respect and kindness, and we will work diligently to lift each other up.
HUMILITY
We share a passion for impacting the lives of those around us. Sometimes that means speaking up and other times that means stepping aside to create space for other voices. We recognize that we do not have all the answers, and we commit to showing up and learning from others.
INTEGRITY
We recognize that how we do our work and how we collaborate with others is just as important as what we are seeking to accomplish.
INCLUSIVITY
We value each other’s contributions and hold the conviction that only from diverse backgrounds and divergent points of view can we find the best solutions.
STEWARDSHIP
We roll up our sleeves, work hard, and focus on what we are giving back to our communities, rather than what we are gaining ourselves. When we find success, we remember and support those who are just beginning to take risks and make a difference.
FEARLESSNESS
We have a fearless mindset. We are not afraid of taking risks, sharing a new idea, meeting new people, or admitting when we just don’t know the answer. Something great might come of it.
IMAGINATION
We strive to be novel thinkers. Unconventional ideas and new perspectives are why we’re here. We are willing to make big bets on ideas that haven’t been tried before as we aim to solve the hardest problems of our times.
February 15th, 2013. With award season upon us, it seems like you can’t turn on the television or pick up a newspaper without viewing the famous. Would you look at those celebrities differently if you knew which stars used their fame to help others? Did you know Tina Fey supports the National Kidney Foundation? (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage) The nonprofit rating organization, Charity Navigator, has compiled a list of celebrities who put their star-power to good use.
Actor Kerry Washington, seen here with Jeff Daniels at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, supports the nonprofit Boys & Girls Clubs of America and V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. (Photo by Michael Buckner/WireImage)
Charities cultivate relationships with stars for their ability to increase the public’s awareness of their charitable endeavors and thus stimulate more donations. Celebrities can be spokespersons, board members or even a founder of a charity. These stars were out at the Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/WireImage)
It is wonderful that celebrities have the power to make us aware of causes that need our support. But the onus is still on us to do our homework before making a contribution. A celebrity’s endorsement simply can not serve as a substitute for researching a charity. First of all, even if you are the number one fan of a particular celebrity, you two probably do not have exactly the same philanthropic interests. Second, the celebrity may not have thoroughly vetted the charity’s finances, commitment to accountability and transparency or its programmatic accomplishments — all steps that savvy donors take before making a donation.
Charity Navigator presented a list of celebrity-related charities to help you determine which may be worthy of a contribution from you. While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, it is an extensive list of celebrity-charity relationships. The Charity Navigator rating shows
Charity Name
Rating
A Place Called Home
Al Roker
Africare
Nelson Mandela
Alaska Conservation Foundation
Jimmy Carter
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Afleet Alex, Alex Gordon, Anna Gunn, Bailee Madison, Cindy Crawford, Jordin Sparks, Marc Summers, Peter Facinelli
American Academy in Berlin
Henry Kissinger
American Museum of Natural History
Michael Bloomberg, Tom Brokaw
amfAR
Elizabeth Taylor, Harry Belafonte, Kenneth Cole, Sharon Stone
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Kate Snow, Lynn Swan, Matt Lauer, Nick Lachey, Patricia Heaton, Wayne Brady
The Boomer Esiason Foundation
Boomer Esiason
BRAC USA
Mahabub Hossain
Canine Companions for Independence
Dean Koontz
The Carter Center
Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Danny Glover
College Summit
Don Cheadle
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Jack Hanna
Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation
Gary Sinise
Dream Foundation
Priscilla Presley
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Gloria Reuben, Neal McDonough, Nigel Barker
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg
Environmental Advocates of New York
Blythe Danner
Fisher House Foundation
Denzel Washington
Free the Slaves
Desmond Tutu
Grassroot Soccer
Ethan Zohn
Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association
Betty White
Harlem RBI
Mark Teixeira
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
George H. Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Ronald Reagan
Keep a Child Alive
Alicia Keys
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Michael Bloomberg
Livestrong Foundation
Lance Armstrong
Magic Johnson Foundation
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Eva Longoria
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Michael J. Fox
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
Amy Grant, Bon Jovi, Donny Osmond, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
John Walsh
National Kidney Foundation
Rusty Wallace, Tina Fey
National Organization on Disability
George H.W. Bush
Natural Resources Defense Council
James Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Redford
Naval Aviation Museum Foundation
George W. Bush
New York Restoration Project
Bette Midler
Oceana
January Jones, Kelsey Grammer, Pierce Brosnan, Ted Danson
Project A.L.S.
Ben Stiller, Julianna Margulies
Rainforest Foundation US
Sting , Trudie Styler
Refugees International
Matt Dillon, Queen Noor Al-Hussein, Sam Waterson
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Al Roker, Billy Bush, Carl Lewis, Cindy Crawford, Hayden Panettiere, Mario Lopez
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
George Schultz, Nancy Reagan, Rudolph Giuliani, Rupert Murdoch, Steve Forbes, T. Boone Pickens
Shelter Network
Maya Angelou
Special Olympics
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bart Conner, Jackie Chan, Maria Shriver, Michael Phelps, Nadia Comaneci, Pierce Brosnan, Scott Hamilton, Timothy Shriver, Vanessa Williams, Yao Ming
Sundance Institute
Robert Redford
The Sunlight Foundation
Jimmy Wales
Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation
Tony La Russa
UCP Wheels for Humanity
Ali MacGraw, Tim Allen
United Nations Foundation
Ted Turner
United Way Worldwide
Dolly Parton
V-Day
Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Salma Hayek
Vital Voices Global Partnership
Diane von Furstenburg, Sally Field
Water.org
Matt Damon
The Wild Animal Sanctuary
Jessica Biel
WildAid
Bo Derek, Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Dick Cheney
American Film Institute
Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Steven Spielberg
American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta
American Heart Association
Andie McDowell
American Humane Association
Paula Abdul
American Parkinson Disease Association
Muhammad Ali
America’s Promise Alliance
Colin Powell
Baby Buggy
Jessica Seinfeld
Baltimore Reads
Cal Ripkin, Jr.
Best Buddies International
David Caruso, Mark Montigny
Better World Fund
Kofi Annan, Ted Turner
Blue Ridge Broadcasting Corporation
Billy Graham
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Ashanti , Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Courtney Vance, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Denzel Washington, Edward James Olmos, Gen. Wesley Clark, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jimmy Rollins, John Mellencamp, John Singleton, Kerry Washington, Mario Lopez, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Queen Latifah, Ruben Studdard, Shaquille O’Neal, Smokey Robinson, Swin Cash, Usher
Camp Boggy Creek
Norman Schwarzkopf, Paul Newman
Camp Sunshine, Georgia
Jeff Foxworthy, Julianne Chambliss, Saxby Chambliss
Careers through Culinary Arts Program
Al Roker, Jacques Pepin, Marcus Samuelsson, Tim Zagat
Celebrity Fight Night Foundation
Muhammad Ali
The Center for Strategic and International Studies
Henry Kissinger
The Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation
Chi Chi Rodriguez
Children Affected by AIDS Foundation
Doris Roberts, James Gandolfini, Jamie Lee Curtis
The Children’s Health Fund
Paul Simon
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Christopher Reeve
Coalition for Clean Air
Ed Begley, Jr.
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Sigourney Weaver
Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation For Autism
Doug Flutie
Eisenhower Fellowships
Christie Todd Whitman, Colin Powell, George H.W. Bush, Henry Kissinger
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Charlize Theron, Katie Couric, Pierce Brosnan
Farm Aid
Dave Mathews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson
Freedom Alliance
Oliver North
The Fresh Air Fund
Mariah Carey, Tiki Barber
Geffen Playhouse
David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg
Gilda’s Club Chicago
Gilda Radner
God’s Love We Deliver
Joan Rivers
The Goodman Theatre
Brian Dennehy
Green Dot Public Schools
Oscar De La Hoya
Greenpeace Fund
Bono
Habitat for Humanity International
Jimmy Carter
Healthy Child Healthy World
Amy Brenneman, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Olivia Newton-John
The Hole in the Wall Gang Fund
Julia Roberts, Paul Newman
Horizons National
Brian Williams
Human Rights First
Sigourney Weaver
Hunter’s Hope Foundation
Jim Kelly
In Defense of Animals
Elaine Hendrix
International OCD Foundation
Elizabeth McIngvale, Jeff Bell
International Tennis Hall of Fame
Jim Courier, Pam Shriver, Patrick McEnroe
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Michael Bloomberg, Wynton Marsalis
Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation
Joe Torre
John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
Caroline Kennedy
Joslin Diabetes Center
Ray Allen
KICKSTART
Chuck Norris
Literacy Partners
Liz Smith
Make-A-Wish America
Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Donnalley, Michael Johnson
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Bob Hope, Michelle Obama, Ronald Reagan
Mitchell Institute
George J. Mitchell
The Museum of Modern Art
Michael Bloomberg
Museum of the City of New York
Michael Bloomberg
My Stuff Bags Foundation
Michael Reagan
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Thurgood Marshall
National Constitution Center
Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Sandra Day O’Connor
National Inclusion Project
Clay Aiken
National Women’s History Museum
Meryl Streep
The Nature Conservancy
Michael Douglas
New York City Ballet
Michael Bloomberg
New York City Center
Joanne Woodward
Operation USA
Julie Andrews
The Paley Center for Media
Kim Cattrall
Positive Coaching Alliance
Barry Zito, Bart Conner, Bill Bradley, Dean Smith, Doc Rivers, Dot Richardson, Herm Edwards, Kerri Strug, Larry Brown, Nadia Comaneci, Phil Jackson, Ronnie Lott, Summer Sanders, Tony Dorsett
Pro Kids Golf Academy
Ernest H. Wright, Sr.
The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival
Jimmy Smits, Kevin Kline, Liev Schrieber, Michael Bloomberg, Morgan Freeman, Nora Ephron, Sam Waterson
Race to Erase MS
Avril Lavigne, Tom Arnold, Tommy Hilfiger
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
Christina Ricci
Riverkeeper
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Room to Grow
Uma Thurman
Santa Barbara Zoo
John Cleese
Several Sources Shelters
Stephen Baldwin
SOS Children’s Villages-USA
Sarah Ferguson
Spirit of America
George P. Shultz
Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
Lee Iacocca
Symphony Space
Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon, Stephen Colbert, William Hurt
Portland, July 24th. The President landed at the Oregon Air National Guard base and met with greeters, including his brother-in-law OSU basketball coach Craig Robinson. White House journalists who travel with the President were treated to Voodoo Donuts. According to Jeff Mapes, they were quite amazed by the bacon maple bars. In a lighthearted moment, President Obama asked local reporters, “Got any granola?”
The quick fundraising visit brought out protesters and created traffic snarls.
The President held two fund-raising events. An invitation-only gathering where 25 people paid $30,000 each to meet with the President, according to campaign officials. He also attended a fundraising lunch, where 950 people paid about $500 to attend. At the Oregon Convention Center, President Obama told supporters, “It’s wonderful to be back in Portland, one of the memories I love is the rally we had by the water four years ago, it was just as pretty as can be. There were people kayaking and in boats, you could see just as far as… it was just beautiful.”
Along with supporters, protesters lined the streets outside the convention center. Many waved signs pushing for stricter gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting in Colorado.
The First Family has a warm relationship with OSUÂ basketball coach Craig Robinson. That connection brought Robinson’s sister, First Lady Michelle Obama, to Oregon State University’s graduation last spring.
Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker at the main graduation ceremony for Oregon State University on Sunday, June 17, 2012.
Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republic presidential nominee, visited Portland in June. Romney was in Portland for a luncheon at the downtown Governor Hotel. The event was not open to the public or media. The event reportedly cost $2,500 per person to attend.
Look for more campaign visits from the Presidential candidates in advance of the November 6th General election.
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