How I Raised (almost) $10,000 This Week

As Acumen Fund Fellows, we showed up to work a few weeks ago and were handed another tough assignment. Just like our previous assignments of being homeless for a day or writing/performing a poem in front of hundreds of investors, this was once again true boot camp style experiential learning.

Our Homework: Raise $10,000 for Acumen Fund

Why?
To learn techniques for mobilizing resources and to get the courage and confidence to “make big asks.” It is something that we will have to do often in life as social entrepreneurs, so might as well start practicing.

How?
We are allowed to raise money anyway we can imagine as long as we do so in the next nine months. Don’t forget, these nine months will be spent working full time on other projects in developing countries…and most of us have never raised money before. Yikes!

So what did Keely do?
I had no idea where to start. First, I went to certain people at Acumen and tried to get some tips and some stories that make for effective ways to get people interested in the topic as a whole. Then, I came to a workshop on Social Edge titled “Why is it Hard to Ask for Money?” and listened to the advice, dug deeper into the resources shared. I was then walking in the park with my friend Sarah Caddick and we began to brainstorm ways to make this happen. We threw out ideas such as having people sponsor me with donations to Acumen Fund for every post to my blog or every meter I hike of Mount Kilimanjaro or every bednet I can distribute once I get to Tanzania. We really wanted to be sure that the fundraising efforts were also ways to spread the mission of Acumen Fund, even if people did not end up donating.

About twenty minutes into the walk Sarah says to me, “I think I will throw a party for you in my new apartment. I can invite some friends and they will be interested in hearing about how to support the exciting work you are doing.” Wow- what a generous offer, I thought.

Neither one of us had done this before.

That is really just the beginning—it gets even better. A few days later I meet her friends, Cynthia Joyce and Laurie Campbell, who are also excited about this and offer to co-host the party! What amazing women, no? They just met me and yet they reached out to their family and friends to help me reach my fundraising goal.

We had fun preparing the party invitation list and collateral…thinking about where in her apartment we could hang the bright blue insecticide-treated-long-lasting bednet. Sarah was especially good at being upfront and authentic in communicating to her invitees that this would be a cocktail party with the mission of raising $10K for Acumen Fund. Between Sarah, Cynthia, Laurie and I, we had a great group of people turn up. Most had never heard of Acumen fund.

With my heart racing and the blue bednet and 7 foot tall Acumen poster behind me, I performed a poem; Sarah and Laurie gave wonderful speeches which included a distinct ask for donations. We even had heartwarming words from current Acumen Fund investor, Lesley Goldwasser, who spoke of her roots in Africa and her belief in Acumen Fund’s approach to using markets to solve poverty. I felt so humbled that so many people came out to hear from me about my work. What a gift! When the party ended, I felt like doing cartwheels all the way home that night.

So, what did I learn?
1) set a goal you think is unreasonable
2) be authentic
3) be clear and be a storyteller—share opportunities as if they were stories
4) follow up is everything
5) take time to understand your networks and how they may see value in your work
6) people are generous when they believe in something

The best news is that I came very close to my $10K fundraising goal and met some new friends along the way.

So, not being afraid to ask: if you would like to support the Acumen Fund and my work this year with a tax deductible donation, you can donate online by clicking this link:
https://secure.ga3.org/01/acumendonation. If you do, please post a comment or email me to ensure I can add your gift to my goal and thank you personally with a note from Tanzania.

So, I did it and I am still alive to tell the tale (thanks to Sarah, Cynthia and Laurie…and all the wonderful donors!)