Math is a lot more fun when you’re counting rabbits, but these cute, cuddly creatures are an important part of the rural economies in disadvantaged parts of the world. People raise rabbits to feed themselves and their families, and earn an income to boot. Heifer International, a nonprofit charitable organization, collects donations to get precious livestock animals into the hands of people who need them.

I am determined to help Heifer by raising enough money to buy 233 pairs of rabbits. That’s the answer to Fibonacci’s famous math problem! (It’s also 466 individual rabbits!) At a cost of $60 per trio of rabbits, that means we’ll need to raise $9,320!

Readers may contribute to this project by donating to Heifer. Hopefully, we will hit our goal and be forced to move onto to the next highest Fibonacci numbers: 377... 610... 987...  1,597... 2,584... and so on!

The link at the bottom of this page will take you directly to a special Fibonacci Giving Project page on Heifer International’s website, where you can donate any amount you like. (The transaction is safe and secure, and tax-deductible.) I’ll post the results of our group efforts here from time to time.

If you are are teacher whose students come up with a great way to raise money for this project, please write and tell us about it! Here are some ideas for getting started at your school.

Ways to get involved in the Fibonacci Giving Project:

1. *Invite me to visit your class via a Skype visit. (See my Teacher’s page for more information.) I don’t charge for these visits, but I ask that your class donate a Fibonacci number of money to the Fibonacci Giving Project for each Skype session we conduct. It’s fun. The amount can be as much or as little as you wish, as long as it’s a Fibonacci number! (I’d love it if you gave $144 per session, but I’d be happy with $21 per session, since that’s about how much one rabbit costs Heifer to provide to a family. And both are Fibonacci numbers!)
   

2. *Instead of simply making a donation, you may wish to engage your students or children and come up your own idea for a fundraiser. That’s terrific! Some advice: Be creative about the way you raise money: It might be fun to ask friends and family members to donate a Fibonacci number: $1, $2, $3, $5, $8, and so on. If your donors don’t know about Fibonacci numbers, this is your chance to explain it to them!
   

3. *When the fundraiser is done, an adult should donate the earnings to Heifer via this special link to the Fibonacci Giving Project page on Heifer’s site. It’s safe, secure, tax-deductible, and you can contribute from anywhere in the world. Donors will need to use a credit card.
   

4. *If you want to get involved but aren’t sure how, send me an email via the contact page and I can help you do some brainstorming.
   

5. *If you are an author, consider donating a signed copy of one of your books that can be raffled off to raise money for the project.