WordPress resource site WPBeginner, is celebrating its fifth birthday. As part of the celebration, it’s giving away $26K worth of prizes. Prizes range from licenses to popular WordPress plugins such as Backup Buddy and Soliloquy to webhosting packages with Pantheon and SiteGround. However, it’s not just about giving away prizes, Syed Balhki wants to help build two new schools in Guatemala.
Last year, Balhki and those who donated helped build a brand new school building with 12 classrooms with $25K. According to the project’s description, it only takes $25 per year to educate a child. Photos of the WPBeginner staff interacting with the children at the location of their new school building are available on the project page.
The campaign is part of the Pencils of Promise charity. Pencils of Promise is a for purpose organization that builds schools, trains teachers, and funds scholarships. According to the Pencils of Promise website, a for purpose organization is defined as “blending the head of a for-profit business with the heart of a humanitarian nonprofit.” The entirety of online donations go to PoP programs. To date, the organization has built 224 schools with 28,310 students served, and 15M education hours delivered.
How To Earn Entries
To enter the giveaway, simply provide your email address or login using Facebook. The email address is used as the primary means of contact if you win. If you’re not sure about the details of the giveaway, read the Terms and Conditions at the bottom of the form. After filling in your details, you’ll be given the option to Tweet the giveaway and follow WPBeginner on Twitter. Each action gives you an extra five entries. Donating $25 to the cause will also earn you bonus entries.
Balkhi’s fundraising goal is $50K. At the time of publishing, $38,134 has been raised with 40 donations. While the names of donators are not explicitly public, those who have chosen to share their amounts and names are available in the comments of the project page. Several WordPress companies have jumped on board to show their support for the cause by either becoming a Platinum, Gold, or Silver sponsor. Those sponsors have donated $5K, $1K, and $500 respectively.
The donation amount is not set in stone at $25. You can donate any amount you’re comfortable with. If you can afford it, consider giving to this noble cause. It’s a win-win situation for donators. You get to help build a school in Guatemala while putting yourself in the running to win some cool prizes.