Make Yourself Foundation

The Make Yourself Foundation is a non-​profit organization that funds various environmental causes and charities both locally and around the world.“Make Yourself” is the title of a song by the band Incubus and also what they named their Foundation, which was created by the band.
Funding for the foundation is creatively done «by donating a portion of the proceeds generated from touring, record royalties, online auctions of Incubus concert tickets and memorabilia, and special events,» according to the MYF website. The best part for the fans of Incubus is that MYF offers Meet-​and-​Greet and VIP Packages to the band’s concerts, whereby money raised is then donated to the MYF.
As of July 2009, MYF has raised roughly $ 1,209,734. With the recent leg of Incubus’s South American tour, several MYF Meet-​and-​Greets were offered and I am sure the coffers of the Foundation were generously filled.
Many times bands start up charities to get good publicity or a huge tax write-​off on their outrageously high incomes. Not so Incubus. They put their money where there mouths are. Surfrider and Heal the Bay-​two ocean-​inclined environmental groups seem to be favored recipients of MYF funds. Why I give this Foundation 5 Unilocal STARS is the subjective flexibility MYF possesses-​in other words, when a world calamity happens or a natural disaster occurs, MYF is right there with some much-​needed instant funds! Not for Incubus is sitting around a stodgy conference room and debating where and when to send. Those boys are right there on the scene!
More recently, while doing a brief concert tour in South America, the band headlined a benefit show Oct. 8, 2010 in Chile to raise money for the families of the 33 trapped Chilean miners. The mining company had filed for bankruptcy, meaning the workers were not getting paid. Incubus was the answer to many a prayer in Chile.
Along with the band donating its performance fee for the Oct. 8 benefit show, Incubus also auctioned meet-&-greets by way of the band’s Make Yourself Foundation with all proceeds going to the miners and their families.
I don’t have good luck on Ebay, so I don’t bid on any meet-​and-​greets anymore, but to those savvy internet shoppers, I say– go for it! Also the band has a habit of disappearing for long creative stretches of time. Nothing is posted fresh on the MYF website for eons to come. Incubus fans that belong to the Make Yourself group must be patient and good-​natured souls to wait the band out. Other than that, any creative artists looking to leave a charitable imprint on the world could glean some great lessons from the MYF and the great band Incubus.