Founded by a 7-year-old boy named River Sharp who had a simple idea to help people. The Tower of Niceness has grown into a movement with hundreds of supporters and volunteers around the country connecting with a common mission: provide niceness for those in need.
Using fundraising projects promoted primarily online with videos and social media, we coordinate "Niceness Projects" to provide volunteers and funding for everything from local homeless shelters to worldwide disaster relief. In addition, we support other charitable organizations by coordinating volunteers to support them as well as promote them to our community.
Ultimately, we like to think of ourselves as a coordination of niceness - connecting companies, volunteers and causes in our community. By empowering more people to give their time, talent and money, we will help more people in need while cultivating a culture of niceness the in communities in which we live.
River, as he tells the story, first had the idea after seeing a movie where another kid had his own business. He then figured that meant any kid could have a business, only the type of business he had in mind was a little different. He told his dad he wanted to start a business, but he didn't want to keep any of the money. Instead, he wanted to give it all to people that needed it. The idea continued to grow as he came up with a name and even the logo. It took nearly a year before he convinced his dad he was serious enough to really start what has now become the Tower of Niceness. But River was not alone. His big brother, Ryder, soon joined in to support however he could. Together they started promoting their projects by making videos, rallying support at school and sharing on social media (with dad's help).
The Tower of Niceness is dedicated to raising money and awareness for important community causes. 100% of the proceeds from our fundraisers are used for our projects (The River Rule) to ensure your kind donations are put to work to help those who need it most. That's also why our sponsors, supporters and volunteers are so critical as they allow us to keep the Tower operations running and focused on helping others.
General funding for the Tower of Niceness programs and to cover operational costs.
The Help the Homeless program is our founding event and has grown each year since we started. The goal is to serve 200+ homeless people plus dozens of local youths living in or utilizing homeless shelters in the area.
In 2022, more than 100 amazing volunteers helped hand out 500 hygiene kits, 50 sleeping bags, 50 backpacks, 30 pairs of shoes, and dozens of jackets, blankets, and sweatshirts. We were also able to hand out additional supplies to 2 local shelters. Funding for the Help the Homeless program runs every November on Thanksgiving. Donations will go to the growing homeless population in the Sacramento and Placer County areas.
The Tower of Niceness Toy Drive started 14 years ago when a boy got sick and spent time in the Child Life department at a local hospital. The hospital can be a scary place. Especially for first-time parents who had never been in the hospital for an extended period of time, the experience was overwhelming and difficult. The one thing that helped him and his family through the process was the Child Life Department at the hospital. What the family soon realized was that the Child Life Department was not only serving the entire hospital with virtually no funding, they also primarily operated on a volunteer basis. Their kindness turned into organized niceness and the toy drive was born.
What started years ago after a commitment by one family to support the Child Life Department has turned into a project that benefits hundreds of children each year.
Funding for the annual Tower of Niceness Toy Drive runs every December around Christmas. Donations will be used to buy toys that will be provided to children in need with presents. This supports children that are in the hospital, ICU, or shelters during Christmas. Funding will also be provided to the Child Life programs that support families staying in the hospital year-round.
The Halloween Helpers Project directly benefits children at the Mustard Seed School, a free, private school for homeless children in the Sacramento area, and Acres of Hope, an organization that offers housing and education to homeless women and their children. We raise money in October and use the proceeds to deliver costumes to children who otherwise would not have the means to celebrate the holiday. Funding for the annual Halloween Helpers program runs every October. Donations will be used to deliver costumes to children who otherwise would not have the means to celebrate the holiday.
The Furry Friends Project is an annual project dedicated to supporting local animal shelters. Funds have been used to provide training for difficult to adopt animals, paid for adoption fees, and provide much needed supplies.
Organization name
Tower of Niceness
2015
Tax id (EIN)
82-5093324
Mission Category
Philanthropy & Grantmaking Organizations
Operating Budget
$0-$50,000
Organization Need
Funding: Unrestricted, Funding: Program
Demographics Served
Youth & Children, Homeless/Underhoused/Unhoused
Local Counties Served
Placer, Sacramento
Address
5960 South Land Park Dr #505Sacramento, CA, US
Roseville, CA, US
Rocklin, CA, US
Auburn, CA, US