My Nonprofit Reviews

Cheerful Givers embodies the imperative values of generosity, thoughtfulness, and kindness in its mission to make sure that children are remembered on their birthdays. I have had the privilege of collaborating with their enormously talented and dedicated President, Karen Kitchell, for several years, a woman who cares deeply about her volunteers and organization. Cheerful Givers is a first class charity and I am grateful for all that I have learned from their example of giving.
Cynthia Brian,
Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3

It's hard to imagine that now in it's 16th year serving women, families, and youth, Be the Star You Are!® has not only survived but thrived as an ALL volunteer charity with no paid employees. Every penny of every donation works for the services we provide to others.
It's been challenging yet every year the volunteers become more and more dedicated having served almost 355,000 hours of volunteer time. We are proud of our accomplishments in serving over 400,000 individuals and working with 89 organizations. Our Starstyle® Be the Star You Are!® radio program broadcasts live weekly and our teen show, Express Yourself!™ has trained 29 hosts and reporters from around the country. Both shows provide listeners with uplifting, life affirming interviews with best selling authors, experts, celebrities, musicians, Olympians, and the movers and shakers of the world. Check our Be the Star You Are!® and join our Galaxy of Stars. http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org, http://:www.BTSYA.org, http://www.StarStyleRadio.com, http://www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com.

Thanks for making us a Top Rated Non Profit since Great Nonprofits was established. Everyone counts!

Looking back over the last fifteen years at what has been accomplished by Be the Star You Are!®, I am awed by the creativity and commitment of the talented volunteers from around the world. When I founded the charity in 1999, I had lofty ideas of “If I build it, they will come”. Perhaps I had watched the film, Field of Dreams, one too many times. Yet, despite the heart felt intentions and the hard work, the contributions and donations did not materialize. Be the Star You Are!® has remained a 100% all volunteer charity, which is no easy feat. We have operated numerous programs on a shoe-string budget (that’s less than a beer budget) and I am eternally grateful to our global volunteers and supporters who have kept our small and mighty non profit alive and serving those in need.

A few accomplishments: In March 2014, we celebrated our 10th year collaborating with The Reading Tub to have young people read books then write reviews. Check out http://thereadingtub.com/pdfs/btsya_catalog.pdf.  We have published two award winning books, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts and Be the Star You Are!® for Teens. We have broadcast over 120 teen radio shows on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, 798 Starstyle®-Be the Star You Are!® programs, orchestrated ten years of national essay competitions, participated in numerous community events, published 310 articles, and thousands of blog posts. Our youth offer a creative space for the young at heart to Express Yourself at www.BTSYA.org and volunteers from Dell are working with our web mistress, Kim Carlson to design a brand new web site for Be the Star You Are!®.  And best of all we’ve donated more than $1.7 million in resources to 84 organizations serving over 400,800 families and our volunteers have contributed over 354,900 hours. Check out our twenty outreach programs at http://www.btsya.com/programs.html.

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As I write this 5 star review, Be the Star You Are!® is in the middle of its 14th year as a 501c3. Throughout these years, the charity has exhibited a stellar record of growing leaders, beginning with youth. This past year has seen tremendous growth in our radio outreach programs. On our teen program, Express Yourself!™, http://www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com, more than 18 young people from around the US participate as hosts and reporters interviewing guests from around the world. On our author/book program, Starstyle® Be the Star You Are!®, http://www.StarStyleRadio.com, we continue to inspire listeners in more than 219 countries with segments on health, lifestyle, gardening, and of course, books with interviews of the pioneers on the planet. Thousands of books were donated to the families affected by Hurricane Sandy this past winter and more books were donated to shelters, hospitals, and schools. Volunteers herald from countries around the globe as we continue our mission of "read, lead, succeed." Thank you to everyone who continues to support Be the Star You Are!® with your time, money, and expertise. Make sure to check our http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org, http://www.BTSYA.org.

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Thanks to all the supporters and volunteers of Be the Star You Are!® who have done so much to make this grassroots charity a TOP NON PROFIT for the past three years. As you read this, Be the Star You Are!® has launched Operation Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief to supply books and resources to families adversely affected by the super storms on the East Coast. We hope you'll join the campaign and help as much as possible so that kids have a gift for the holidays. EVERYONE COUNTS. More info here: http://www.btsya.com/hurricane_sandy_relief.html

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2011-2012 has been an amazing year of growth for Be the Star You Are!® charity with several new programs launched including the creative community website for writing, arts, music, videoes, etc at www.BTSYA.com, Operation Tornado Relief which sent thousands of books valued at $49,000 to the Joplin, Mo schools and hospitals, and the new teen radio program, Express Yourself!™ broadcasting on the Voice America Kids Network, hosted by youth around the country ages 13-18. I am very proud to be a volunteer with Be the Star You Are!™ and delighted that it is a top rated non profit. Visit www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com for the newest outreach program, where teens talk and the world listens.

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It has been an honor to watch the growth of Cheerful Givers over the years under the expert guidance of President Karen Kitchell. The dedication to giving children a very happy birthday goes above and beyond greatness. Cheerful Givers is my role model for how a charity needs to function.

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