THINK ABOUT IT - There are millions upon millions of needs in this world. Charities are set up, government help is offered, individuals meet needs wherever possible. The human spirit is resilient. But we lack resources to help. There is only so much money to go around. And people are busy working two and three jobs to make ends meet. The Red Cross needs volunteers and dollars. So do other vital charities - think of AIDS, cancer, health - physical, spiritual, psychological - and community and religious programs, education, and the arts. All of these depend on funding to fulfill their missions. But needs are not being met. It is an underestimate to say that charitable giving was 999% less than what it should have been even in the 1990s when the world's economy was in a boom. With the recession in the new millennium the problem is now even worse. The world is in a crisis. Something has to change. If you look around you and see need then we haven't done enough. Could anyone disagree?

THE SOLUTION - Clearly the problem is lack of funding and volunteer resources. Time and money. How does LIFT propose to create time and money? What is LIFT proposing to do that is not already being done?

There is very good news - extremely good news. There is actually a clear way to create both time and money on a worldwide level by doing something that has not been done up until now. There have been efforts but nowhere near at the level of what is needed. Simply by bringing attention to the facts and then engaging in a focused and concerted effort we can actually and very literally begin to meet every need. This is not an exaggeration!

Of course, it is easier to think about a person who is dying of a disease that needs a cure and to want to contribute to help because we can relate to the result. Or if there is a starving and malnourished child to want to contribute and directly meet a need. The solution we propose will meet these needs and many more. But the path is less direct. It requires an understanding of certain economic facts. The bottom line is this - in order to provide sufficient funding and support to charities, to governments and to individuals who can meet needs you must first have a thriving economy. It is quite an amazing thing what proper funding can do for governments, for charities and for individuals. The solution is to ignite free trade in every way possible. It is a very simple concept. But up until now not enough has been done. Stimulating the economy may lack the emotional appeal many charitable organizations have. Yet, a charity where the mission is to accomplish worldwide enablement ought to be understood by all as the mother of all charities. LIFT should be the first and foremost charity any person should consider giving to because ultimately every charity will depend on the fulfillment of its mission. LIFT will nourish if it can flourish.

MEASURABLE INPUT - What is currently being done to assist small businesses and microbusinesses? There are numerous programs and resources available but not nearly enough! Very typically we rely on banks to loan money and government agencies to guarantee loans. Some grant money is available but very little. And most of it is very specialized. Venture Capital is nearly impossible to obtain. Loans are very hard for new and not yet profitable businesses to obtain and grant money is even harder. LIFT asks you to consider carefully what is currently being offered to small businesses and to envision a radical change to the current approach. We can begin by directing you to the US senate and congressional committee web sites for these efforts:

Senate Majority Small Business Site
Senate Minority Small Business Site
Congressional Majority Small Business Site
Congressional Minority Small Business Site
Department of Commerce