We are collecting 19,000,000 pennies to display on World AIDS Day, December 1.

That's one penny for each person estimated to have died of AIDS in Africa as of the end of 2007.

Every Day approximately 1,800 children are infected with HIV and every day 8,219 people die of AIDS (UNAIDS) (World Vision)

Over 6,100,000 pennies

as of August, 2008

How to donate your pennies Ways to help us collect more Other ways to help

Our plan for the pennies:

1. Collect

We began in 2005 and we will continue to collect pennies through World AIDS Day 2008 from individuals, companies, organizations, churches, groups, and schools.

2. Display

At the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention and on World AIDS Day, Dec 1, 2008

3. Give

We will donate the money to existing charitable and religious organizations that are working for AIDS relief in Africa and will continue efforts to make the AIDS crisis real to Americans.

About Got Cents?

Got Cents? is a program of Change for a Penny, Inc., a non-profit corporation seeking to raise awareness of the pandemic of AIDS in Africa, while at the same time raising funds for existing charitable and religious organizations that are already addressing the issue.

More about Got Cents? and Change for a Penny

To Our Dear Friends and Loyal Supporters

Five years ago, we began an adventure together to raise awareness around the issue of the HIV pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. We began with the simplest of ideas – collecting pennies to symbolize the numbers of Africans dying and invited others to join with us in the little mantra:

Start where you are,
Use what you have,
Do what you can,
It’ll be enough.

During that time, we have made hundreds of new friends, in 21 states of the United States and in Canada, we have held multiple displays of pennies, collected more than 6.1 million pennies, partnered with ONE.org, World Vision, churches and synagogues, and dozens of community organizations to make the issue more real to Americans. We’ve also funded and participated in building thousands of HIV/AIDS caregiver kits that have been sent to Africa and put in the hands of volunteers caring for neighbors with AIDS.

Through donations, we’ve also been able to encourage other “husband and wife” non-profits who are making a difference in Africa on the issue of AIDS and the people it leaves behind.

On December 31, 2009, Change for a Penny will be closing its doors. We can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support and encouragement over the past five years.

We couldn’t have done any of this without you. We are indebted to all of you for joining us on this amazing journey, and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.

Todd, Lil, Sara & Emily Johnson
(on behalf of Change for a Penny and the Got Cents? campaign)