Starfish Campaign Benefits Local Nonprofits

Feb. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) has selected four nonprofit organizations, including two Middle Tennessee-based charities, as 2012 Starfish Campaign recipients.

This year, ISTS will provide financial support to Ronald McDonald House Charities (Oak Brook, IL), To Write Love On Her Arms (Melbourne, FL), Happy Tales Humane (Franklin, TN) and the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (Nashville, TN).

In 2010, ISTS President and CEO Becky Sharpe launched the Starfish Campaign to support ISTS’ mission of “Giving Back” on a corporate level and encourage her staff to give back individually.

Sharpe said the idea for the Starfish Campaign originated from a story she heard about a young boy who was desperately trying to save hundreds of starfish that had washed up on the shore by throwing them back into the ocean, one at a time. In the story, a man approaches the boy and says, ‘You can’t possibly help all these starfish!’ The boy replied, ‘No, but I can help this one.’

“We must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the neediness of the world.  Instead of doing nothing at all, we choose to be proactive and help in any way we can – big or small,” Sharpe said. “People are energized by the opportunity to connect with a charity or organization that holds personal significance. We bring attention to these groups and it does have an impact.”

Previous Starfish Campaign recipients include the American Cancer Society, Nashville Rescue Mission, Mercy Children’s Clinic and The Compassionate Friends Nashville.

Throughout the year ISTS staff members and their families give back to the community in other ways, such as volunteering at local food banks and joining fundraising efforts for various causes like the American Heart Association’s Start! HeartWalk.

ISTS President & CEO Becky Sharpe is available to comment on the importance of cultivating a corporate environment that supports state and local organizations.

# # #

About International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc.
Founded in 1985, International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. provides comprehensive scholarship, grant and tuition program management services for corporations, foundations, associations, unions and trusts worldwide. For more information about ISTS, visit http://www.applyISTS.com.