*** 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.
Jessica says
IKEA ME!
I’m a psychotherapist and I’d like to spend my year coordinating therapists into a network to provide low cost or free services to folks who need it. Our services are usually quite expensive and it’s hard to source affordable options – I’d like to create a central organization that can act as a one stop shop, and an enticement for other professionals to start incorporating pro bono work into their practices regularly.
CJ says
IKEA Me!
I would spend a year saving animals and trying to find them good homes.
Lindsey Turner says
IKEA Me
I would love to use the money to rescue women and young girls out of the sex slavery trade.
Juliann says
IKEA Me!
It’s been a little dream of mine to teach younger children to cook.
Ananda says
IKEA ME!!
I would love to work with any organization like Local Matters for a year. I imagine it wouldn’t even feel like work.
Andrea J. says
IKEA Me, please!
Joan Eddy says
IKEA ME! Please…..I need to redo a spare room into a nursery – a “grandma’s nursery” that is =)
Abbie says
IKEA Me!
I would love to spend that time doing several short term mission trips to Haiti. I would like to not only meet physical needs but, more importantly, bring the hope of Christ to meet all their needs!!!
Amy B. says
IKEA ME!!!
I would love to spend a year working for an organization that helps animals or children.
jlim in SA says
IKEA ME!
I’d spend it working with orphan children.
Johnna S says
IKEA ME!
I’d like to work with Habitat for Humanity
Carrie says
IKEA Me!! I would spend a year helping families affected by cancer.
Tara F. says
IKEA ME!! If I could take off a year with the sole purpose of helping others I would either work with kids in the hospital to make their lives more fun and enjoyable or work with teenagers who feel like they don’t have a hope in the world of succeeding.
Kristjan says
IKEA ME!
I’d like to spend a year helping elderly with keeping up their house. I’d love to paint and all that stuff that they’d be unable to do themselves.
betsy says
i’d probably break the year up and do 3 months at 4 different places (one with animals, one with terminally ill children, etc) so i could be more well rounded and educated on where more funding is needed, etc
Marina D says
IKEA me!
P.S. I stumbled upon your blog a few days ago and can’t stop reading since then! You’re wonderful, awesome, and all other superlatives you can think of.
Gone back to reading…
Marina
Dusty says
IKEA ME! I would spend a year rescuing animals.
Wesley Little says
IKEA Me!
I would spend a year working in an addiction center and also start a side business selling hand pies in a less privileged area to educate about local ingredients and good food!
Tina Bousu says
IKEA ME!!
Jen C says
IKEA ME!
I would spend my time creating programs for mothers … just the regular mom of 2.5 kids who are often neglected as far as services go.
Ka Yan says
IKEA Me!!!
Gwen says
IKEA me!!
I’m a teacher. I’d love to take a year to travel and visit schools around the world. We can learn so much by watching others. I’d love to bring the ideas back to help children in my own classroom.
Kristen says
IKEA ME!
If I could take a year off, I would do two things: be a foster parent, which I’ve always wanted to do, but I’m not home enough to care for a child, and volunteer with an animal rescue. There’s a theme, here I think–I believe all people and pets deserve a caring home with people who love them!
Maky says
IKEA me!
Needless to say, IKEA brought me to you so I shall forever be thankful to them for that alone! (nevermind the mindboggling furniture and stuff they produce at fab prices!!!).
Anyway… if I got the money to be philantropic for a year, I would support Kiva.org in any which way I could. It’s such a fantastic way of helping others – invest your money in microlending and it’s the gift that keeps giving… and giving… and giving!
Or I would get involved with SU2C to try and finally find a cure for cancer. It’s unacceptable we’re still so far away from a proper cure!!!
Or… oh nevermind, I could be here all night!
Rachel says
IKEA Me!
I would help a community reclaim their neighborhood, to make is a safe and beautiful place that they can be proud of.
IKEA ME! says
I would spend a year working with children. There is so much that could be done with that group.
beka says
Ikea me, please! I’d love to spend a year teaching people about the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of cutting out processed foods and animal products in favor of a natural, whole foods diet!
Stephanie B says
IKEA Me!
Dan S says
I’d save kitties
Emily says
IKEA ME!
I would most likely work at some type of animal shelter or rescue program. I have a soft spot for animals and we have 2 rescue dogs!
Amanda says
IKEA me!
I’d love to spend a year working for a no-kill animal rescue.
Courtney says
IKEA ME! I love IKEA!
Olga says
IKEA Me!
Mary says
I teach deaf students and I would love to spend a year setting up after school and social activities for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Allie says
IKEA me!
I would really love to help teach young, single mothers life and job skills to help them provide for themselves and their families.
amanda says
IKEA ME! I would spend that year building homes with habitat for humanity. Everyone deserves a place to call home.
Stacey C. says
I would spend the year helping kids who are less fortunate…and their families. Whether that be with schoolwork, gathering food/clothes, etc. It always breaks me heart to see children without the necessities and without the small pleasures in life.
Anita says
IKEA ME!
For the bonus question, I would bake! That might include treats for offices of non-profit organizations, homeless shelters, charity events, local fire stations, and wherever a cupcake could bring a smile! :)
Nichole V says
IKEA me! I’d love to spend a year working with the Boys and Girls Club.
Antonette says
IKEA ME!
I’m an animal lover so I would love to help animals, especially disabled ones!
Greg F says
IKEA ME!!!
I’d volunteer at a hospital. I’ve always been interested in the healthcare field!
Sarah says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend a year helping The Humane Society with all the sweet homeless animals or The Ronald McDonald house or Habitat for Humanity….there are so many good ones, how do you decide!??!
Ilana says
Ikea me! I would start a literacy program! Yay reading ;)
Gabi says
IKEA ME!!
Holy moley, I had *no* idea this Life Improvement thing existed. I am totally going to enter!
If I would take a year off to make people’s lives better, I would start a program on community college campuses that worked with students to build and engage a community within their school. I firmly believe that community colleges are going to be the most common of post-secondary education options in the years to come, but they definitely lack the sense of community and engagement that you’d feel at a more traditional four-year university. I’d work with students to offer a three-pronged program: community, service, and civics. The first step to encourage the shopping, living, and working locally, build relationships with those around you, and to work with students to make them invested in their school and neighborhood. Second, students would work together to plan projects serving their school and neighborhoods — volunteering at local non-profits, tutoring school kids, and being engaged with student life. Third, students would sponsor voter registration drives, set-up local representatives town halls and meet and greets, and receive advocacy training so they can lobby for themselves and the causes they care about at the local level.
The idea is to encourage an educated workforce to stay within the communities they built in school, bringing higher-skilled, higher-paying jobs to an area full of committed, active citizens.
Yep. Dream job, right there.
brianne says
Ikea Me! For me, it would be architects without borders.
la petite figue says
IKEA ME!
Don’t get me wrong, I know one can always do more, but I am already in a helping profession. I work in Special Education, and I love my job … but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that it is long, hard, emotional work and that I fear burnout from time to time.
Thanks for offering this giveaway!
Sally says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend a year at our Church’s food pantry – helping to feed even more people.
Meredith says
IKEA Me!
I would like to take the lead on one or multiple Habitat for Humanity projects and put my engineering/ architecture/ design skills to good use!
brooke @ claremont road says
IKEA ME!
…I’d partner with my friend Melissa from OperationNICE.com to make Operation NICE a full-fledged non-profit organization that teaches the importance of kindness to youth (and beyond). Hers is a project I really believe in and support and she has been trying to find a way to keep building on the idea for a while now! I’d love to be a part of it.
Samantha Deitch says
IKEA ME!!
I would spend the year volunteering in urban homeless missions… or teach painting classes to battered women in East Africa.