SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The African Well Fund has launched its fifth annual Got Water? online auction (http://myworld.ebay.com/theafricanwellfund/) to raise money to fund water and sanitation projects in Africa. The auction, which features over 50 lots including signed items from the members of U2, Weezer, Anti-Flag, The Swell Season and director Kevin Smith, as well as handmade arts and crafts from Africa, concludes on Nov. 16.

"It's exciting to be able to feature items purchased in Ghana in the auction," said Diane Yoder, vice chairman of the African Well Fund. "It enables us to support the local artisans who created them at the same time that we are raising money for future water projects."

Handmade arts and crafts featured in the auction include baskets from Ethiopia, jewelry from Ghana, paintings from Senegal, a blanket from Sierra Leone and a beaded purse from Zimbabwe.

...

The African Well Fund is hoping to win one of the daily prizes in America's Giving Challenge. To win, AWF must get the highest number of unique donations between 3 p.m. ET today, Oct. 22, and 2:59 p.m. ET tomorrow, Oct. 23, to its Facebook Causes page. The cause with the highest number of unique donations for the day will earn $1,000; the cause with the second-highest number of unique donations will earn $500.

You can help AWF win the daily challenge by making a minimum $10 donation and spreading the word to your family and friends through Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites today and tomorrow. Last week, 22 supporters donated $495 to AWF during the 24-hour challenge period and dozens more spread the word about the challenge online.

Supporters are limited to making one donation per day in the challenge. You don't have to belong to Facebook to make a donation.

...

The African Well Fund is still participating in America's Giving Challenge, hoping to win one of the daily prizes between 3 p.m. ET each Thursday and 2:59 p.m. ET each Friday until the challenge ends on Friday, Nov 6.

During the daily challenge period that ended Oct. 16 at 2:59 p.m. ET, 22 AWF supporters donated $495. Thanks to additional donations made over the weekend, AWF now ranks 101 out of the 5,621 causes entered in the challenge. Dozens of supporters around the world have also been spreading the word about the challenge through their Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

To help AWF win one of the daily prizes in America's Giving Challenge, make a donation and tell your friends between 3 p.m. ET each Thursday and 2:59 p.m. each Friday until Nov. 6. AWF will next compete for the daily fundraising prize Oct. 22-23.

America's Giving Challenge, a partnership between Causes, a Facebook initiative, the Case Foundation and Parade...

Causes, a Facebook initiative, the Case Foundation and Parade magazine have teamed up for America's Giving Challenge, a 30-day national competition that encourages people to leverage their personal networks and online social media to help their favorite nonprofit win cash awards. The African Well Fund is taking part in the challenge and is asking supporters to make donations and spread the word about the challenge today and tomorrow, Oct. 15-16.

Through the challenge, cash awards will be given to the c...

The African Well Fund has posted a new flier for download by volunteers interested in printing and distributing the flier at upcoming U2 360° Tour dates in North America. You can view and download the flier here.

The quarter-page flier features the lyrics "Only Love ... Can Leave Such a Mark" and hearts marking the 12 African nations where AWF has funded projects. The flier says, "It is estimated that over 250 million people on the African continent lack access to safe, clean drinking water and basic sanitation facilities. Since its founding in 2002, the African Well Fund has raised more than $700,000 to build water projects in 12 African nations, benefiting more than 250,000 people. How will you leave your mark? Visit www.africanwellfund.org today."

...

In order to spread awareness of global water issues and attempt to combat the problem from a grassroots level, members of the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona's Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) have organized the Tucson World Water Walk, taking place this Saturday morning at Pima College West Campus. The goal of the YVC is to raise $6,000 to provide a Ugandan school with sanitary well and latrine water.

The Tucson World Water Walk is a walk-a-thon designed by youth volunteers to increase awareness about global water issues while raising money to fund the construction of a well and sanitary latrine in a Ugandan school.

Anti-Flag is giving fans at the Vans Warped Tour the opportunity to donate to the African Well Fund and a chance to win a Sparrow Guitar.

"The guitar is a one-of-a-kind Sparrow Guitar, hand-painted, it features the Anti-Flag 'GunStar' logo and the African Well Fund logo," said Chris 2, bassist and vocalist for the band. "It plays great and looks amazing."

Fans can stop by the Anti-Flag merchandise booth during one of the band's 32 Vans Warped Tour dates to donate to AWF and be automatically entered into a drawing to win the guitar. The winner will be notified via e-mail by Sept. 1.

"We have a great relationship with the AWF; we like to push the envelope with what
...

The African Well Fund raised $27,119.68 to fund a water project in Liberia during the seventh annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. The "70 Days to Change the World" fundraiser was held between March 2 and May 10, Bono's birthday, and included four eBay auctions.

In honor of Adam Clayton's March 13 birthday, an "Under the Blood Red Sky" reissue CD/DVD signed by Bono, Edge and Adam was auctioned for a winning bid of $449. An anonymous supporter donated a "Joshua Tree" LP signed by Bono, Edge and Adam that fetched $610. Tickets for the North American opening night show of U2's 360 Tour in Chicago went for $346. Tickets for the closing night show in Vancouver went for $140.

The money raised will go toward funding a $29,996 water, health and hygiene improvement project in Nimba County, Liberia, that will be implemented by Africare. Learn more about the project here.

...

The African Well Fund auctioned two pairs of tickets for the upcoming U2 360 Tour to raise money for the seventh annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser. Tickets for the North American opening night show in Chicago went for $346.00. Tickets for the closing night show in Vancouver went for $140.00.

AWF launched the fundraiser, which gives U2 fans the opportunity to change the world in honor of Bono's May 10 birthday, on March 2 to coincide with the release of U2's latest album "No Line on the Horizon." In addition to collecting donations from fans, AWF held several auctions to raise money for water projects in Liberia. Donors were also invited to add their names to a birthday card that will be sent to Bono via Principle Management.

...

The African Well Fund is accepting donations for the seventh annual Build a Well for Bono's Birthday fundraiser through this coming Sunday, May 10. On Sunday, AWF will also be announcing the results of our U2 360 Tour auctions. Bids for the Chicago auction ended Friday morning. Bids for the Vancouver show will end Saturday morning.

Click here to place a bid on the Vancouver tickets. Click here to make a donation to the fundraiser, learn more about the water project in Liberia or add your name to Bono's birthday card.