Serf City received a nice email from the folks at the Fresh Air Fund, asking if we would help out with their year-end fundraising campaign. Since I’m a big believer in encouraging non-governmental solutions to social welfare issues, I am more than happy to do so.
Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations in the country to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend one of five Fresh Air Fund camps.
 Like other non-profits, I am sure that the Fresh Air Fund has taken a bit hit lately in its fundraising, due to the recession.
Unlike other non-profit organizations, the Fresh Air Fund is supported entirely by private donations. They receive no government funding, and they like it that way. As libertarians, we need to be able to point to real-world examples of where the free market provides services that most people would assume could only be provided with government assistance. We need groups like the Fresh Air Fund to be successful.
With the year-end approaching, now is the time to maximize your charitable donations so you can take a big deduction for the 2008 tax year. Would you rather see your money go to send a kid to summer camp, or would you rather it go to the next government bailout of a failed corporation?
That’s it, I just convinced myself. I’m sending a donation to the Fresh Air Fund right now. I hope you’ll do the same.