Crowdfunding // How to Raise Money for Your Project or Cause {Indiegogo.com}

I have been doing a bit of research on the concept of crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is not a new concept: the Statue of Liberty, for example was a gift to the United States from France, but they did not have the funds to build the base on which to display it, so they crowdfunded it, asking the citizens to donate an average of £0.89! {indiegogo.com} Love it! 

To me, the possibilities of crowdfunding seem endless! You can start a project (e.g. a film, an album, a community garden, a new technological invention, etc) and crowdfund it rather than going to a bank or a venture capitalist. Or you can choose a cause that you are passionate about and crowdfund that!

So I went to www.indiegogo.com and signed up (yes I definitely have something brewing!) and watched some of their tutorial and webinars on crowdfunding (highly recommended), so whatever you are wanting to raise money for (a project or a cause), crowdfund it! 

Here are some tips from the guys at indiegogo.com:

Keys to Success:
1.     Engaging pitch
2.     Attainable goal
3.     Unique perks
4.     Proactive communication

Top 5 Crowdfunding Mistakes:

1.     Crowd funding is not a lottery 

2.     Setting a goal that is too high

3.     Jumping the gun with marketing

4.     Dry business pitch/video

5.     Promotion of perks that just don’t work

Check it out and see if crowdfunding could take your path to world change (or funding your inventions or projects)

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: http://www.indiegogo.com/}

CRC & END IT's mass exercise'athon in London TODAY!

CRC - London's mass exercise'athon is happening today (as we speak!) in aid of the END IT movement to put an end to human trafficking and modern day slavery in the 21st century!

Come and support! Or private message me if you would like to donate/sponsor! http://www.crclondon.com/exerciseathon.html

Together, we can put an end to human trafficking and modern day slavery!

Blessings!

Ronell x

Bake Sale {Mandela Day} 27 / 67 ways to change the world

One month to go until my initial 365 day challenge is complete! :)

As promised on Mandela Day 2013 (19.07.13), this is part of my series on their 67 suggested ways of changing the world. This one comes under the category of 'Help Out for Good Health:

27. Bake something for a support group of your choice.


I love the idea of baking and I love eating baked goods, but I just don't seem to get round to actually baking! Some of my friends are phenomenal bakers though, so they spoil me :) Recently, my church (regeneration church) had to fundraise for our latest mission trip. One of my friends suggested a bake sale as one of the fundraising methods and it really worked! He didn't just do a one off, but instead, he coordinated a group of people who are actually good at baking and asked them to take turns to bake for a bi-weekly bake sale after church. It was a great success and he raised lots of money! So, choose a charity or organisation and start baking (or if you're a non-baker, rope your friends in to bake for/with you!).

Blessings!

Ronell x



{photo credit: http://fimrc.sa.utoronto.ca/events-2012/bake-sales/}

CRC // Exerciseathon // ENDIT

I'm going to register for this event tomorrow! The CRC London exerciseathon on 14th September 2013 http://crclondon.com/exerciseathon Are you in? It's to raise money for The A21 Campaign as part of the ENDIT movement which fights against human trafficking and modern day slavery. I would LOVE IT if you could do it with me! The poster below is for more than one event (including their prayerathon happening from 8th September), but I'm going for the exerciseathon on 14th September. It is for men, women and children over 12 and should be really good! We need to register asap and then start getting people to sponsor us/donate to the cause. 

If you don't fancy taking part, you could always sponsor me/donate online to The A21 Campaign Check out The A21 Campaign here: http://www.thea21campaign.org/ and ENDIT here: http://www.enditmovement.com/
Blessings!

Ronell x


{photo credit: http://crclondon.com/exerciseathon}

3 Peaks Challenge: Supporting Naomi's Home Orphanage, Kenya

A group of us are attempting to complete the 3 peaks challenge in June 2013. This involves climbing the 3 highest peaks in England, Scotland & Wales in just 24 hours. 

We are hoping to raise money for 'Naomi's home', a small, dilapidated, ill-equiped orphange in rural Kenya run by Naomi, a native Kenyan woman, who begs from farmers and villagers to feed and clothe the children she cares for. The orphange is responsible for looking after roughly 25 children, with over 300 more children on the waiting list to get in! However, without additional support the orphange will have to close. A couple of the team visited the children there last October and wanted to do more to help!

Through our Virgin Money Giving page, you can sponsor us and donations will be quickly processed and passed to Watershed Corporation Kenya, who will distribute this directly to the orphange.

This is going to be a HUGE challenge for me, but one that I believe will be totally worth it! Sponsor our team to help us raise money for this amazing cause!

We are aiming to reach £10,000 between us for Naomi's Home. We have raised £1,080 to date. Please help us meet/exceed this target and change the lives of destitute orphans who are waiting for somewhere to call home.

Blessings!

Ronell x

Cancer Research: Race for Life

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.

Race for Life is Cancer Research UK’s flagship event, with more than 230 events taking place across the UK. Use the postcode finder or interactive map to find your nearest event.

Race for Life is the UK’s biggest fight against cancer and the largest women-only fundraising event in the UK.

Since Race for Life started in 1994, an incredible six million participants have raised over £493million, more than any other UK event series raising money to fund cancer research.

Some of the Race for Life women take part in celebration of surviving a cancer experience. Others take part in memory of a loved one or to give hope to a cancer-free future. But all of you share a common goal: to raise money for Cancer Research UK's groundbreaking work and to help save more lives.

Cancer, we’re coming to get you. Join in this year’s Race for Life and show cancer who’s boss. Come along and run, walk, dance or sponsor - together we will bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

You have the opportunity to fund the next big discovery in the fight against cancer. Every pound you raise in sponsorship helps more people survive and will bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. Here is some more information about fundraising.

You can volunteer to help with a Race for Life event in different ways and keep up to date with the latest Race for Life news throughout the year.

I will shortly be signing up for the Brentwood event on 25^th May myself in memory of friends and family members who have been lost to cancer (Oupa Bokkie, Arno, Diane, Gill, Jim, Claus...) and for those who are kicking cancer’s butt (Marina, Rachael...)!

Support this tremendous cause and help to find a cure for the different cancers that are out there robbing us of loved ones or quality of life unnecessarily!

Blessings!

Ronell x

Sevenly: People Matter. One Week. One Cause.

Sevenly is an organic movement to raise capital and awareness for he world’s greatest causes. Their motto?- “One Week. One Cause. For every purchase we give $7 to this week's charity”.

In January of 2011, two Entrepreneurs got together with the mission of leading a generation toward generosity. With a belief that people mattered, they began a journey to change the world. Their driving theory was, “If we could help people give, we could get them to care.” June 13th 2011, Sevenly was born. By creating weekly cause campaigns where people could purchase lifestyle products that benefited a partner charity, Sevenly successfully unlocked a way to not only raise major funding but huge awareness too.

The other overall goal of Sevenly is to activate intentional generosity and love for others, but it’s an ongoing process. Their model is a funnel: There are millions of people who have never supported a charity before, so asking for a monetary donation might be weird. Instead, they encourage people to donate their social influence first. Next, they have custom designed vests, t-shirts and hoodies which people are able to purchase online. By purchasing one of these products, they are able to give money to a cause that they support, and show their support. Lastly, they encourage their donors to connect deeper with the charities that they are supporting.

So far Sevenly have seen millions of people donate their social influence, and hundreds of thousands buy awareness products for the causes they support. Overall, their mission is unfolding before our eyes and a generation is moving toward generosity and a world that is beginning to realise that people matter!

This week, your purchase funds an undercover rescue mission, freeing girls from child prostitution.

Problem: Hema was sold into prostitution by her family at the age of 12. As a sex slave, she was beaten, tortured and forced to have sex with multiple men, daily. Forcefully controlled by her abusers, who make money on the sexual acts she is forced to perform, Hema is trapped in a living nightmare. Hema’s story is just one example of the estimated 500,000 girls who are forced into sex slavery in India.

Solution: This week, your purchase will fund a rescue mission to save the lives of girls who have been kidnapped, coerced or sold into prostitution. Your support will help fund a rescue mission, including pre-investigation and intervention. With your help, we can remove these girls from the horror they are living and give them a chance at a new life.

So please share this blog post, or the following link: http://www.sevenly.org/ and spread the word!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,” {Luke 4:18}

Institute of Fundraising: One Day Courses

Today's post is for those interested in learning more about effective fundraising. The Institute of Fundraising is the professional membership body for UK fundraising. Their mission is to support fundraisers through leadership, representation, standards-setting and education. They champion and promote fundraising as a career choice, but also support those who fundraise in addition to their chosen career path.

They offer a wide raise of fundraising training courses, suitable for both new fundraisers and fundraisers with several years' experience. They also offer fundraising qualifications
enabling fundraisers to gain professional recognition for their knowledge, work and experience.

The run a programme of one day conferences
throughout the year which focus on innovation and best practice across a variety of fundraising techniques. Their flagship event, National Convention, takes place in July each years and is attended by over 2,000 fundraisers.

They provide legal and best practice guidance on a wide range of fundraising techniques. Our Code of Fundraising Practice provides a guide to the law and best practice in relation to fundraising activity throughout the UK.

So if you are passionate about fundraising, get in touch with The Institute of Fundraising!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem." {Gandhi}

Delicate Fortress: shop with a purpose

Delicate Fortress is a site where you can shop with a purpose! What is that purpose? To end human trafficking! Each item you find in this store provides dignity, livelihood and fair wages to female artisans all over the world.

At Delicate Fortress, they believe that women shouldn’t be forced to relinquish or sell their children or themselves in order to allow for their survival, which is why they support culturally appropriate opportunity, investment and advocacy.

Help Delicate Fortress to fight for women and their children by shopping at their online store, by connecting to their facebook page, do some fundraising or becoming an ambassador to help put an end to human trafficking!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” {Acts 20:35}

21 Ways to get involved with the A21 Campaign (15/21): incorporate the corporate

Today’s suggestion for how to support the A21 Campaign is to incorporate the corporate!

Many companies are now partnering with nonprofit organisations for seasonal moments of giving back. If you work in the corporate world (or know someone who does), ask if A21 could be considered as part of the contenders for a partnership program, matching funds or a sponsored charity. This also usually works best if you have a basic plan in place for how you intend to raise the funds (often companies only match funds raised, not funds donated, so you need a way of raising money).

A friend of mine (Becs) works for Barclays, who have previously very generously matched the money she has been part of raising for charity. One of the ways she has done this fundraising was to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts to raise money and then asked Barclays to match it, which they generously did! We also already have something in the pipeline to support the A21 Campaign’s fight against human trafficking in 2013.

The Polaris Project have a peer to peer fundraising  site (US) and a site that I have used previously for fundraising in JustGiving.

We all have some corporate friends/contacts and it is well worth contacting as many as can lend their influence in the corporate world to the fight against trafficking, so get networking!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“With every bone in my body I will praise Him: ‘Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?’ ” {Psalm 35v10}

21 Ways to get involved with the A21 Campaign (13/21): party with a purpose

I hope you all remembered to wear your poppies with pride today for Remembrance Sunday!

So today’s suggestion of how to get involved with the A21 Campaign is (13/21): party with a purpose!

So grab your friends and throw a party! But not just any party—a party with the purpose of informing those closest to you about human trafficking and how we can stand up and make a difference.

The A21 Campaign provides the brochures, the short films, a party-planning guide, and all you have to do is bring your friends! This can be done at any time, but you can join up with thousands around the globe who party with a purpose for our annual KEY2FREE campaign (start planning for October 2013).

Click here for more information on hosting an abolition event.

If there is another cause that you are passionate about other than the A21 Campaign’s plight to abolish modern day slavery, party with a purpose to raise money and/or awareness for that cause!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middle of them.” {Matthew 18v20}

UNICEF’s Day For Change 2012

UNICEF protects children’s rights. The five rights that UNICEF fights to uphold and promote are:

1.   The right to be heard

2.   The right to a childhood

3.   The right to fairness

4.   The right to education

5.   The right to health

This is your chance to get involved with this fantastic organisation and set aside a day dedicated to change. This campaign in particular is aimed at schools to promote awareness amongst children of rights that they may not be accessing and also of the millions of children around the world who have access to few, if any, of these rights.

Every year, UNICEF chooses a project: a different country and a different theme. This year, your school can help to change the lives of children Uganda by funding Sports for Development programmes.

UNICEF believes that sport can be used to engage children, developing their confidence, talent, skills and sense of teamwork. It is essential for their physical, mental and social development. But lots of children, especially girls, are being denied their right to an education. In Uganda, UNICEF is helping children realise their rights through sport.

Denying children's rights is wrong. Help us to put it right.

To find out more, go to: http://www.unicef.org.uk/Fundraise/Community-Fundraising/Schools/Day-for-Change-2012/

To register to take part in a Day for Change in 2012, go to: http://www.unicef.org.uk/asp/regions/events/registration_dayforchange/index.asp . If you are unable to get involved with Day for Change 2012, start planning now for a Day for Change in 2013!

To watch/share a video about UNICEF’s Day for Change, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgZECRy6PU

Register now for a free resources kit! Every school that registers receives a free resource kit packed with fundraising ideas, assembly and lesson plans, real life stories, stickers, posters and much more to make their Day for Change a success. Schools can also download additional resources or print out extra copies on our Day for Change 2011 resources page.

If you do not work in a school, you can still help to make a difference!

-       If you have children, nieces, nephews or friends whose children go to school, pass this on to them to suggest to their school.

-       Pass this on to your friends who may work in schools.

-       Pass this on to schools in your local area.

-       Organise your friends and family to fundraise for UNICEF, or do your own, unofficial Day for Change and donate the proceeds directly to UNICEF!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Safeguarding the rights of others is the most noble and beautiful end of a human being.” {Khalil Gibran}

21 Ways to get involved with the A21 Campaign (Suggestion 3 of 21): multiply your pennies & become a partner

Today’s suggestion (3 of 21) from the A21 Campaign to fight against modern day slavery and human trafficking: multiply your pennies & become a partner  (http://www.thea21campaign.org/21-ways-to-help.php&lang=en).

So many of us look at our modern day conveniences and excesses as necessities. We are far too quick to say “I need this” or “I can’t live without that” or “My life isn’t complete if I don’t have it”, when in reality, most of those things are luxuries! I know that I am personally guilty of this! And if you really need something, or even just want it, you will make sacrifices and put money aside to get it because it is important to you. Well, today I want to challenge you to thinks about it in this way…

If I don’t get the latest iPhone or the newest fashion trend, my life won’t end… If I don’t get a bigger house or a better car, I won’t have to sell my child or myself into slavery to provide for my family… If I don’t buy that new lipstick or a new Xbox game, I won’t die from an easily preventable or curable disease… If I don’t get my weekly take away my family won’t face starvation… But if we don’t give to those in need, they will not have enough food to feed their families; they will likely have to sell their children or themselves into slavery just to put food on the table; they will likely die, or have to watch their children die from an easily preventable/curable disease.

So today, set yourself a challenge to give up a luxury to provide for someone else’s necessity: be a lifeline today!

My suggested charity is the A21 Campaign, but it is up to you to select a cause that is near to your heart. If you do choose the A21 Campaign, as well as giving donations, they also have an option to Become a Partner of their fight against modern day slavery and human trafficking (http://thea21campaign.org/21-21.php).

What are you passionate about changing and who are you passionate to reach out to? Find that and give generously!

Blessings!

Ronell x

“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” {Deuteronomy 16:17}