Austin Charity Spotlight: The Miracle Foundation

I’m really excited to spend a moment talking about the Miracle Foundation.I first met founder Caroline Boudreaux when she spoke to a small undergraduate nonprofit writing class I enrolled in.She was the fourth speaker in a line of other nonprofit executives and no one even came close to speaking as honestly and passionately as Caroline.Her story seemed to be the perfect nonprofit trifecta: passion for the cause, identification of a genuine need, and successful implementation of long-term change.

A far cry from the questionable adopt-a-child infomercials that take over my television at 4am, the Miracle Foundation passionately works to construct schools and orphanages in India – a nation with more than 25 million orphaned children.Providing quality educations and nutrition, the children taken in by the Miracle Foundation programs are increasingly more likely to attend college and break the cycle of poverty that has plagued India for centuries, all while growing up in a nuturing environment they wouldn't receive otherwise.

Perhaps I’m most impressed with how many avenues for participation the Miracle Foundation has at their disposal, especially considering their international scope.Donors can make a straightforward contribution, or have continued involvement by sponsoring a specific child.Volunteer opportunities in India allow supporters to visit orphanages and visit the children they’ve sponsored.Photos and art crafts are sent back from India to the organization, and the successes of the students in school are put on prominent display.This charity is 100% about the kids, and making an impact in a part of the world often forgotten.

Years after I first heard Caroline speak, I was planning a youth leadership development conference and I decided that our attendees should hear her story.I was thrilled that she agreed to come, and to see the local teens I’d been working with for so long respond to her story the same way I did was incredibly touching.I was especially impressed to learn that she had recently appeared on Oprah and CNN, and amidst all of this national acclaim for her work, she still took the time to come to a local event and talk to forty kids.

But that’s just how Caroline rolls. After leaving her successful corporate job to help save the world, Caroline’s Miracle Foundation continues to be remarkably strong. Below is a link to the charity’s blog, where “ambassadors” and other volunteers share their heartfelt experiences volunteering and making a difference in India.