Access Queen Shares Ideas on How to Raise and Donate Money [long]

Lisa Heft lisaheft at openingspace.net
Tue May 4 16:20:49 PDT 2004


Dear colleagues -

Our annual global gathering for Open Space facilitators and enthusiasts
("Open Space on Open Space" or "OSonOS") is an amazing opportunity to
expand learning, research and practice as we get a rare opportunity to
meet some of each other face to face.  I highly recommend it.  Each year
it is held in another part of the world.

This September, as you know, it will be held in Goa, India (more
information including a registration form coming soon).

I never know how I am going to get to each year's OSonOS, as do not make
a lot of money.  But I always know *that* I will get there, and with a
mixture of faith in the unknown, intention about being there, luck, and
the kindness of friends and colleagues, I always get there.  I start by
saying, "I'll see you in Goa"!

Access Queen is a way for some of us to share our dream of going and for
others to know how to help us.  Stay tuned for more Access Queen
messages from now until the OSonOS.

And if you would like to contribute to the Access Queen Fund - a small
fund-gathering project I coordinate each year to help people who need
pocket money or just a bit more) to get to OSonOS, contact me directly
at lisaheft at openingspace.net).

For now, here are some ideas for those of you who need to fund your own
trip, and for those who would like to raise extra money to send to the
Access Queen Fund.  Do share with us all other ideas you have to add to
this list!

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Ways to Raise Money (for yourself or for the Access Queen Fund):
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(some of these ideas come from past Access Queen "Givers'" creativity;
some from my own experience; some inspired by the article "Fifty-Three
Ways for Board Members to Raise $1000" by Kim Klein, co-publisher of the
Grassroots Fundraising Journal - my thanks to Jan Strout of Seattle for
sharing this article)

(remember that in some circumstances and countries the amount you donate
to a charitable cause can be deducted from your taxes - therefore, if
you collect funds be sure to give Givers a receipt as / with their
thank-you note.)

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Give it yourself -
Put some money aside each week or month.  Pick an amount that's a bit of
a stretch for you but not impossible.  Watch it grow.

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Take someone to lunch or dinner -
.and have them donate their share (or more) to the Access Queen Fund or
to someone you know.

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Sell or auction off some original art -
Sell your poetry, your painting, your greeting cards to others and let
them know where the money's going to.  Have a coloring context for the
covers of your event's Book of Proceedings and auction them off to the
participants in your event, all for a good cause.

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Sell things from your home -
Do you have a collection stored away?  Sell it to other collectors.  Set
items you no longer need out in front of your house and have a jumble
sale and a lovely time chatting with neighbors.

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Donate a portion of your profits -
Give x% of the proceeds from your workshop, your book sales, or other
services and goods you offer and donate the money to the Access Queen
Fund or to someone you know (or yourself, because going to a conference
is professional development).

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Have a house party -
Invite people over for.beauty treatments . foot massages . a sewing
circle . recipe exchanges . storytelling . art projects . making music .
a talk on financial management . and have them each pay for the pleasure
of attending.

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Have your group, organization, company do a / some fundraising
project(s) -
Ask a group you are already a part of - faith organization? book
discussion group? gardening club? neighborhood group? workplace? school?
to think of some creative way to raise money that can go to you, the AQ
Fund or another worthy "Asker".

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Tell everyone you know -
.that you are raising money for your or someone else's participation in
OSonOS.  Give them some background on the method and the event.  Ask
them if they would like to contribute and/or if they have any other
ideas on how to raise more funds.  Ask in your own style - with a lovely
card, with an article on Open Space, with a newsletter sharing what
you're learning, over tea.

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Ask an organization or individual to match your funds -
Everything you raise by a certain date - can they match it as increased
incentive for your creative fundraising efforts?  If they can, then
explain this opportunity to everyone you know and ask them to donate,
too, to double your collective donation power.  Ask people you know in
other organizations to consider donating to your worthy cause and having
their corporation or business match it, too.

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Write a proposal and / or give an oral presentation -
You will find a sample proposal at
http://www.openspaceworld.org/wiki/wiki/wiki.cgi?OpenSpaceInstituteUSA/A
ccessQueenKing    Share this at your school, faith organization, service
club or community group.  Ask other people you know if you can do the
same at their organization.

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Ask everyone you know to save their pocket money -
Ask your friends to save the coins they find in their pockets - you can,
too.   A few months before OSonOS collect and count it all up and share
the exciting announcement!

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Have a one-hour, $10 benefit (or whatever is your currency) -
I once did this to raise money for a refrigerator for the local AIDS
food bank.  We invited everyone we knew to send or bring a minimum of
$10 by or before a certain date.  Everyone was invited to a one hour
party.  At 3:30pm the doors opened and they all came up to a friend's
empty work-loft space, donation money in hand.  All around the edges of
the room were alarm clocks.  Food, beverages and flowers were donated, a
friend played dance music, and everybody partied until.all the alarm
clocks rang at 4:30pm and everybody left.  We raised $2,000.

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Have a silent auction -
Have friends, co-workers, colleagues donate things and services.  Each
should fill out a card placed next to that item saying what it is, who
is offering it, what its normal cost would be, what would be a minimum
bid, and blank lines below with name of bidder and amount they are
bidding.  Invite everyone you know to a party, picnic or other event
(ask them to bring their cash or checkbooks and tell them of your worthy
cause) and set up a table with these items.  Announce the auction is
open and participants are invited to write down how much they wish to
pay to be the highest bidder and win the item or service.  Towards the
end of the event announce 'last call' for anyone who wants to write
their final, winning bid.  Collect the bid cards and announce the
'winners', asking all 'winners' to bring you the money before they
leave.

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Lead a nature walk -
.or an architectural tour, a historic tour, a sailing trip, a rafting
trip, a horseback ride, a salsa or capoeira class.  Charge each
participant (a bit more if you wish to provide lunch).

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Sell your frequent flyer miles or donate them to an "Asker" or the
Access Queen Fund -
Check with your airline for their rules and restrictions regarding this.
Be sure to note any time restrictions on usage.

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Buy an OSonOS registration for an Access Queen Asker or buy a two-person
room at OSonOS so an asker may stay for free (let me know if you are
doing this and if you would like to be introduced to your Asker or
instead remain anonymous.)

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Offer to do something your friends and family have been nagging you to
do anyway -
.and attach a price to it.  Quit smoking on the condition that your
friends donate to your cause, or get them to pay a certain amount for
every day you don't smoke.  Agree to give them their money back if you
do not reach a certain (reasonable, pre-set) goal.

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See if your business has a community fund -
Check with your workplace to see if they have any funding programs that
might support you or this sort of fundraising effort.  Sometimes
businesses will agree to match dollars raised for worthy causes;
sometimes they can give small amounts of 'seed' money.  Check to see
what sorts of things they will fund and see if you can fit your cause to
their guidelines.

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If you have a wedding or birthday party -
Ask friends and family not to give gifts but instead donate money to you
or to the Access Queen Fund.

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Ask a local store to donate a percentage of a day's profits -
..or week's profits.  Pick a store where all of your friends or
co-workers shop.  Then ask everyone to shop at that store on a certain
day (or between certain dates) and let them know that by doing so x% of
the store's profits will go to your worthy cause.


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Givers:
Any amount is the right amount.  Small amounts add up to large amounts.
The Access Queen Fund (and individual Askers) can use every bit, and
anything raised that may be extra goes to 'seed' the next year's fund.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Askers:
Be direct about it in your gracious and charming way -- people are just
waiting to find ways to help each other.  When you name those ways
people come out to help in any way they can.

Most of all, dream, dare, leap...don't hold on too tight to your concern
or anxiety about lack of money but open up and let go and breathe and
hold your arms out wide and trust that the money will always come...

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________________________________

L i s a   H e f t (also known as Access Queen)
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net


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