Here’s A Way To Really Make A Difference

Being philanthropic is always an admirable trait, but sometimes it can be hard to feel like you're actually making a difference. While we might share Bill and Melinda Gates' altruistic spirit, we lack their vast resources and oodles of cash that makes giving a million bucks to charity NBD.

Sure, every donation counts, no matter how big or small, but some days you just want to feel like you are truly furthering a cause that's important to you. Today just so happens to be that day. Gucci Fragrance and its Chime for Change campaign has granted $25,000 to Refinery29 to donate to the Chime for Change charity of our choice, and we're letting you guys pick where that contribution will go.

Here's how it works: Chime for Change raises funds and awareness for girls’ and women’s rights globally. There are three key "pillars" to choose from: Health, Justice, and Education. Underneath each of those pillars are hundreds of ongoing projects that need funding. Rather than donating to a large charity organization, you are helping to crowd-fund a specific project — everything from a one-touch street harassment app to a way to help human-trafficking victims rebuild their lives.

Co-founded by Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Chime for Change has already funded over 300 projects in 80 countries. By shining a light on the issues that affect women and girls, and allowing users to "chime in" by donating directly to a project that resonates with them, Chime for Change is indeed changing the way we look at philanthropy.

So, tell us in the comments below which pillar you want the $25,000 to go to — Education, Justice, or Health — and why. We'll tally the votes and then choose a project from within the winning pillar to receive the funds. This is your opportunity to actually make a real difference in someone's life, and we're thrilled to be able to offer you guys the chance be the driving force behind that change.

Want to have even more impact? Gucci Fragrance has pledged to donate $1 million from the sale of five iconic Gucci scents — Flora by Gucci, Gucci Guilty for him and her, Gucci Première, and Gucci Made to Measure — to Chime for Change. Now through June 20, when you buy any one of these scents in a Macy's store or online (while supplies last), you'll receive a unique donation code on the back of the fragrance box, which you can use on the Chime for Change site to donate to whichever project speaks to you.

Blake Lively, the face for Gucci's Première scent, says, "I want to get involved in causes I believe in, and I know so many others that want to also get involved, but it’s hard to know how. Often, it’s through big organizations and you don’t know exactly where your money is going or what effect you are having. With Chime for Change, you can really see the difference you’re making.”

Check out the Chime for Change site to see all of the current projects they are trying to fund, then tell us where you want us to donate in the comments below!