*** This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to see who won!***
Perhaps you’ve heard of a little store called Ikea? And perhaps you’ll be interested in a $350 gift card from them for this week’s giveaway? Yeah we couldn’t believe it either when they emailed us. Hooray is right, Ikea catalog. Well said.
And not only are they generously offering up this week’s sweet prize, Ikea’s also presenting “The Life Improvement Project” where they’ll award one philanthropic individual $100,000 to take a one year sabbatical to help others (start a non-profit, volunteer for a year, etc). Plus they’re hosting free seminars in their stores about improving your life through your living space.
But back to how you can get your mitts on that $350 gift card:
- PRIZE: A $350 gift card to Ikea!
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “IKEA Me!” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: … tell us what you’d do if you could spend one year helping others. Would you open an after school program? Volunteer at a homeless shelter? Rescue animals?
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, October 27th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
- PRIZE SHIPS: The United States
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday as an update to this post. That’s right, come right back here Thursday morning for the announcement of our winner. Good luck…
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You guys are quite impressive with your nearly 11,000 entries. So impressive in fact that Ikea decided to change their plans and give away not just one, not just two, but THREE $350 gift cards. That’s over $1000 in gift cards! Thanks Ikea!
So let’s see who the lucky three winners are according to random.org:
- Alyssa Allen (who’s Life Improvement Project would include moving her fam somewhere in the world to help the poverty crisis)
- NEPD (who’d give her wedding florist services away free of charge)
- Jill (who’d give a year working with the Wildlife Conservation Society)
Note: We weren’t paid or perk’d for hosting this giveaway, we just take them on to reward our lovely readers! See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from Ikea.
Heidi K says
Ikea me!
I would love to help more with rescuing animals. I would volunteer at shelters or maybe even start my own!
Bryanna says
IKEA ME!
I would start an afterschool program for elementary school kids in low income areas
Jessica says
Ikea me! I’d spend a year teaching English overseas in tribal villages.
kat says
IKEA ME!!!
I’d probably either become a big sister (been planning to do that anyways) or start an urban community garden for kids
Tiffany says
IKEA ME!!
I work as an RN with the developmentally disabled. I would take a year to work half days and then take them out into the community for the other half. As a whole, this population definitely gets jipped on the extracurriculars.
Laurie says
IKEA ME!
I would donate my skills to help out some aspiring entrepreneurs in struggling communities with starting businesses — helping people help themselves!
Cheryl says
Holy crap IKEA ME!
I’d spend a year at my local animal shelter and help with the efforts to make it a no kill shelter. Right now, animals are euthanized after 3 days. 3 days!
Tracie says
IKEA me!!
I would use the money and time to donate/volunteer at an organization that I currently volunteer with. It is a group home for at-risk teen girls. The program teaches them basic life skills (cooking, education, responsibility, money handling, etc.) so they can turn their lives around and become productive members of society. many of these girls are the way they are because of how they were raised. Their parents may have been neglectful or might have not had many opportunities. With more help, this organization can help turn lives around and break the cycle.
:)
Sou says
IKEA Me! I would love to volunteer with the habitat for humanity for a year.
Nicole says
IKEA ME!
I think I would get involved with an animal rescue group. We rescued a Golden Retriever this past year and it was one of the best decisions we ever made. It has really opened my heart, huge, to the over-breading of animals as well as, abused and neglected animals!
I love me some IKEA!!
Megan says
IKEA ME!
I would love to help spread the word about childhood diabetes.
Angela says
IKEA ME!!!
I would love to build a community garden at a school.
Angela says
IKEA ME!
I would probably do something related to helping animals.
bridget b. says
IKEA Me!
if i could spend a year helping others, i would volunteer for as many different health-related organizations as i could. i’m in the health education field and volunteer with several organizations, but a lot of our meetings and events take place during the day, when i am at work.
Ali Smith says
Ikea me!
If I had a year to do nothing but volunteer I think I would try to take on a few things like working at a women’s and children’s center, a humane society and maybe even an environmental org.
Anne Cookson says
IKEA me!
I would go to Africa and help children with AIDS.
Lindsay says
IKEA ME!
I would go back to school to become a family and marraige counselor so that I could give back for the rest of my life…School is so expensive!
Kelly says
IKEA ME!
Ah, a year sabbatical? I would dedicate my time to children about the world outside of their own. I think that the more you know about the rest of the world, the more open-minded and empathetic you are.
Stephanie says
IKEA ME!
I would dedicate the year to literacy for youths and adults in our city by getting involved in the schools and the community programs established with this mission.
Bethany says
IKEA ME! I would love to help out children who are abused without having to put them in the system.
Jilian says
IKEA Me!
I would build or work with an organization that educates young teen girls about the importance of birth control!
Jes says
IKEA ME – If I had a year off and the dough I would volunteer/donate to a Feline Rescue Center near my home. She spays and neuters cats for minimal cost, and takes in cats in need. She runs the operation from her home and I can only imagine the impact she could have with more volunteers and extra money…
Kaitlyn C says
IKEA ME!
I am actually already spending one year helping others! I am an AmeriCorps*VISTA, which means I am helping end poverty in my area by working at a non-profit organization. :)
Deborah says
Ikea Me!
I would love to work with underpriveleged children who don’t get the attention they need from a parent or gaurdian to help them learn important life skills like the benefit of hard work, having an open mind and creating a budget.
Melissa says
IKEA me! I would spend the year working for Habitat for Humanity, building homes for people who need shelter.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Sarah says
Ikea me!
I would help inner city and/or rural girls attain higher levels of education.
Mrs. G says
“IKEA Me!”
I would like to volunteer in animal shelters and also work with children.
Chris says
Ikea Me!
I would work at an afterschool program to help keep inner city youths stay off the streets.
Emily says
IKEA me!
I would love to help underprivileged highscool kids make plans to make it to college. I would also enjoy working with rescue dogs.
Amanda Paige says
Ikea me! I would love to donate money towards our local dog park which doesn’t even have running water and only recently has a something that could be called a fence (before it was chicken wire and stumps where holes were). I would use the rest to A) Donate to the shelter where my pup came from which only has outdoor cages and despite receiving very little funding is run by some of the most compassionate and dedicated people who make the most of what they have and B) Buy them some vans and lots of gas gift cards so that when they find other shelters that their pups would have a better chance at getting adopted from, they could drive them there with no worries about money. :)
Jessica says
IKEA me!
I would spend an entire year working with the ASPCA and rescuing abandoned and abused animals around the country.
Dana J. says
IKEA ME!! I would help school that lack resources for their students. There are too many places in my state that are struggling to provide even textbooks.
Stacey says
Ikea me!
I’d help in Africa– clean water, mosquito nets, food, etc..
Alba says
IKEA Me!
_ I’d spend that year building a recreational place for children whose family income cannot afford them afterschool programs & activities and tutoring!
Belen says
Ikea me!!!
I would spend my time helping underprivileged kids in after-school programs in the arts and sports.
Kristin says
Ikea Me!
I would spend part of the year building homes & going on medical brigades in Honduras. I would spend another part of the time on suicide prevention. And the other part of the time in soup kitchens and building homes in my local neighborhoods.
Ann says
Ikea!
I would teach children to read!
Carrie says
IKEA ME!
Oh, this one is easy. Our daughter lived in the NICU for months after she was born due to an umbilical cord abruption (vasa previa). I’d spend the year setting up programs for NICU families to offset expenses and provide comfort and support during that difficult time. I’d cuddle the NICU babies that needed some extra love, too. ;-)
{we have a small foundation set up to provide Care Bags for NICU families at http://www.teamabby.com}
Keelin says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend a year doing non-profit work promoting Community organized Music Education…
Katie says
IKEA ME!
I would volunteer to help educate children in poorer parts of town. After all like Whitney Houston says– the children are our future!
Abby says
IKEA ME!!
I would love to spend a year building and after- school program at my husband’s school. The kids really could use a place of their own!
Elizabeth says
IKEA me!
I would spend one year to help abused women re-enter the workforce and establish a safe home for them and their children.
Kent says
IKEA ME!
Jennifer says
IKEA ME! I would volunteer with a micro loan organization that supports small businesses for women.
Gloria says
IKEA ME…
I’d spend a year helping in a crisis pregnancy center.
robyn says
I would want to do something to help kids…all kinds of kids who are hurting or underpriviledged and are too innocent to know anything different.
Lara says
IKEA ME!
With a year off, I think I would go back to Kolkata, India, where I spent 4 months in 2007. I’d work with women and children. And since the standard of living is waaay cheaper there, I could probably give most of the 100,000 away.
This is a fun giveaway, guys! I’ve never won, but never say never!
Catherine says
IKEA ME!!!
I would use the $ to establish a university-centered volunteerism program. College students are some of the most able volunteers and yet too few of them participate. I’d hope to change that!
Emily O. says
IKEA ME!
I would probably do some sort of mission work – here in the US or overseas. Maybe teach ESL?
Savannah says
IKEA Me!
If I could devote a year to others I would like to go into schools and educate students and faculty about Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes. It is a very real and serious disease that many young people suffer from and it is imperative that they have the understanding and support of those around them. Unfortunately, the world at large is shockingly mis- and under-informed, which places those battling it daily at risk of complication and even death.