​My friend Tyler Stanton has asked for an unusual birthday present this year—water for the people of Central African Republic.  And after seeing the video above, I caught his vision and joined the 30 Bloggers, 30 Days, $30,000 challenge.

3 Things to Know: 

1. 100% of your money will go to water projects. Charity: Water is a reputable and effective organization in which overhead costs are covered by private donors.  The money raised through this project will go straight to Central African Republic. 

2. I promise not to blog about this every day during the month of September, so no need to unsubscribe. 

3. $20 provides one person with clean water for 20 years!

3 Places You Might Find $20 in Your House:

1. The Closet. (I have three formal dresses in my closet that I’ve been saving for…what? The Pulitzer banquet? Who am I kidding? My prom days are over and those babies can fetch at least 20 bucks on ebay, providing a kid with safe drinking water for the next twenty years!) 

2. The Cupboard. (You know how it goes. It’s 6:00 on a Wednesday night and you realize you have nothing to make for dinner.  This time, instead of going out, go to the cupboard and make a peanut butter sandwich or waffles or a bowl of cereal…and send the $20 you saved by not eating out to Charity: Water.)

3. The Change Jar. (Like all kids, I was once tricked into thinking that sorting and rolling change is a fun game. Have your kids do the dirty work here.) 

3 Things to Do: 

1. Donate the $20 (or $10 or $5) you find and track our progress here. 

2. Spread the word (#30Water). 

3. Use the comment section to tell us where YOU found YOUR $20 (or $10 or $5) and you will automatically be entered to win a free SIGNED copy of Evolving in Monkey Town. Contest ends on Friday at midnight.

Thanks ahead of time for your ideas and contributions!