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21 Explore Your Topic

There are many times in life when we must explore our options. Whether we are choosing what vehicle to purchase, what school to go to, or which person to hire for a position, we have to think through all the options and through our own biases so we can make an objective decision.

For this assignment, you’re going to be exploring ideas for your final argument paper. Choose a non-profit organization whose goal is to help others and/or make the world a better place. You may choose an organization you already support, one that you want to learn more about, or one that serves a cause you care about. Do not choose an organization related to controversial topics such marijuana or gun control, as we cannot adequately cover all sides of these topics for this assignment.

Here are some excellent sites  to begin your research:  http://charitywatch.org  and http://Give.org  and http://best-charities.org. These sites rate hundreds of non-profits and highlight how each organization spends their money. In addition, these sites group the charities according to social topics to fit your interest, such as veterans, hunger or cancer.  
Some ideas include…
MADD, Homeless shelter/food bank, an animal shelter, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, a school, Make-A Wish, or a Military support organization. You might even choose a small group, like the NBWCC, a women’s networking group who works to raise money for scholarships.

Your job this week is to explore this cause/organization. Think through why this is important to you–and why it might be important to your classmates.

Think about why you chose this organization/cause. What do you believe to be true about this topic? Consider what in your background, education, history, family, friendships, upbringing, and work experience has helped you come to the conclusions you have reached about the topic. Why do you believe what you do?  Then, write down some questions you have about the organization you chose and the problem it solves.


Attributions:

Adapted from “Assignment: Explore Your Topic” created by Dr. Karen Palmer and licensed under CC BY NC,

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