In less than the amount of time it takes to watch a re-run of Who’s the Boss, Global Exchange intern Naomi Hill set up a fundraising page on Firstgiving.com to raise money to address climate change as part of Global Exchange’s Beat the Heat campaign. (In case you’re not a Tony Danza fan, an episode of Who’s the Boss runs roughly 23 minutes).
Naomi is currently the leading fundraiser in this Beat the Heat fundraising contest! Contest participants include Global Exchange supporters, staff, interns and board members who are each creating personal fundraising pages just like Naomi.
A small commitment of time for set up, and then a bit of follow up, and Naomi has been able to raise more than anyone else thus far to support our ongoing efforts to make sure the planet remains inhabitable for future generations of humans. We think that’s a worthy way to spend a few minutes, what about you?
Here’s the whole story, straight from the source:
Our source, seen here smiling about a funny limerick from her childhood
I was initially a bit nervous about jumping into the Beat the Heat campaign, but a few particular things I did helped me feel more comfortable with the process and become excited about promoting the great campaign:
1. Share the love: I’m letting my family and friends know what I am up to this summer and how I’m so enthusiastic and getting involved in issues that I’m becoming increasingly aware of and passionate about. By sharing my experience with people and asking them to read about what I’m doing, I’m involving them in the direction I’m taking and sharing this process with them.
2. Don’t just ask for donations: This might seem counter intuitive, but hear me out. I am excited about sharing what I’m doing, and I want to share with the people I care about, even if they can’t contribute. By taking a little pressure off the people I’m inviting to my donation page, hopefully they’re taking the time to read the page and get inspired. Even if people can’t give right away, it’s good to get them inspired too.
3. Prepare to be surprised: I was somewhat skeptical that my Facebook friends would step up to the fundraising plate, and was even a bit worried that they’d be annoyed. But I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people had ‘liked’ the page, and even brought it up in later conversation. A few even donated, which blew me away! If 20 year old college students working unpaid summer internships can give 10 or 25 dollars, well, anyone can.
4. Make it fun: People have told me the fundraising incentives I put on my page have helped draw them in. One of my supporters reminded me that she didn’t need a prize to give to a good cause, but she found the incentives clever and would forward the page to her friends to spread the word. While I’m sure the promise of a hand-made cookbook won’t light a fire for everyone, it certainly made things more fun for some.
So, has jumping into the Beat the Heat campaign been worth the uneasiness associated with fundraising? Absolutely!
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Thanks to Naomi for sharing!
Would you like to give Naomi a run for her money? We encourage you to join us as we Beat the Heat this summer. It only takes a few minutes to set up a page on Firstgiving.com, and all the donations you receive will be put to immediate use as we address climate change this year.
Biggest Prize Ever (Seriously!) Global Exchange is giving away the biggest prize we’ve ever given away to the person who raises the most funds. So visit our Beat the Heat page to see what the big prize is and how you can take part.
Questions? If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Corey Hill.