Access Queen Shares Ways to Raise Money and Other Resources for AQ Askers or Yourself

Thu Feb 25 11:28:40 PST 2010

OSLISTers, I am having a bit of trouble sending and receiving OSLIST
postings. My thanks to Jutta for posting this on my behalf.

_____

[This is a message from Access Queen - Lisa Heft. In 2001 I began a
resource-sharing-and-awareness project to help people of lower financial
means get to each year's annual international in-person gathering of Open
Space facilitators and enthusiasts - the WOSonOS.  Our late great OS
colleague Laurel Doersam named me 'Access Queen'. The Access Queen Project
has helped diverse and wonderful people come to the WOSonOS, sharing many
resources besides money.  This is not a big-money project (such as for your
air ticket) but rather a way to help you identify your needs or the
resources you have to share so that others may help you or benefit from your
generosity.  Usually any money in the fund each year is divided into small
portions to help a number of 'Askers' rather than one or two. The project
includes your thoughtfulness and resource-sharing *before* the WOSonOS as
well as some lovely resource-sharing activities *at* the WOSonOS. Read on,
and let us see how to help 'Askers' who hope to join their international
colleagues at this year's WOSonOS...]

_____ 

Dear friends - remember that the World Open Space on Open Space (WOSonOS) is
coming up in Berlin, Germany this May. See
http://en.boscop.org/events/508-wosonos-2010 

If you are already thinking of registering, think about whether you can
donate extra resources to help someone who would like to go but who just
needs a little extra help.  For example - let the Berlin host team know if
you can pay for 2 registrations (and offer one for an "Asker"), of if you
can reserve accommodations for 2 people (and share your room with an Asker)
or bring some extra cash to to the WOSonOS (to give money to Askers who may
wish to socialize with you in the evenings).

The concept of 'the Access Queen Project' is about sharing resources
(financial and otherwise) and actions (helping each other).  If you have
resources such as the ones mentioned above, let me know.  If you would like
to contribute money, you can send me a check through the post for US dollars
or send via PayPal ( <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net>
lisaheft at openingspace.net) - for those of you in the USA who need a tax
deduction you can also send to the fund via PayPal to
<http://www.openspaceworld.org/donate>
http://www.openspaceworld.org/osi-usa/pmts.html  (the Open Space Institute
of the US, who will pass on 100% of your donation to Access Queen - be sure
to write "Access Queen" in the comments section there or send an email to
the address listed there to alert the OSI-US of your Access-Queen-specific
donation).

Some of you do not have access to much money, but perhaps this list will
help you with ideas for how to ask others for help.  And remember, with
email as a tool these can be people you ask who are in your own community or
elsewhere, and if you cannot do these things below perhaps you can ask
someone else to do them for you.

So: 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
Project.  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 Project):
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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.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Give it yourself -
Put some money aside each week or month.  Pick an amount that is 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 is going to.  Have a coloring contest for the covers of
your next OS 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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Cook up some delights -
Are you always the person people ask to bring desserts to their dinner
party?  Are you known for your special recipes?  Do you have a fruit tree
just yearning to be harvested and made into a delicious pie?  Cook up some
luscious tasty goods to sell to your faith group, or your neighbors, or your
school, or your workplace - people will enjoy both the benefits of happy
bellies and contributions to a worthy cause.

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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 seminar 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, to 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
WOSonOS.  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 (ask me if you need one), with a newsletter sharing
what you're learning, or 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 -
Your proposal can include a clear request to attend, why it is
professionally important for you to attend (make a good case), the dates and
description of the event (including the learning opportunities there and a
request to arrive several days earlier / stay several days later to
acclimate to the time zone and attend pre- and post-conference learning
opportunities), perhaps a short description of Open Space, and an itemized
budget (the host teams can usually help you with identifying in-country
costs) for air and ground transport, accommodation, registration and pocket
money. Do not forget to include extra budget for pre- and post- conference
accommodation, including any you may need to use during layovers if you are
flying across the world.  Offer your proposal / request for funding to 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 WOSonOS 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 3:30
pm (15:30) 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
4:30 pm (16:30) and everybody left.  We raised $2,000 US.

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Have a silent auction -
Have friends, co-workers, colleagues donate items 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 on the cards 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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Donate your frequent flyer miles to an "Asker" -
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 extra WOSonOS registration for an Access Queen Asker or buy a
two-person hotel room at WOSonOS 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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Put yourself on the map -
Join the Open Space World Map and weave our world together - often the World
Map contributes a portion of the profits to Access Queen Askers.

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Join (or renew your membership for) your regional Open Space Institute -
Some of the OSI's and other regional collections of Open Space facilitators,
learners and enthusiasts contribute funds to the Access Queen Fund or raise
funds on their own to send a deserving colleague from their region to the
WOSonOS.  In adding or renewing your membership you also contribute to the
support, learning and growing communities of Open Spaceniks (thank you,
Raffi, for that term) around the world. 

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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
do not 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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Join this year's host team with the role of raising sponsorship money -
Ask them if they have (enough) sponsors, and if not, help them find sponsors
to increase resources for Askers. Let them (and me) know if you are about to
do this outreach so it can be coordinated, tracked and followed up as
needed.

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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.  

Think also of the things you have that are not money but are useable,
shareable resources.  The Fund typically does not fund single individuals
but spreads little bits of resources among several. 

If you know of other places where Askers can apply for funding, please do
let us know.  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...do not hold on too tightly 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...

Lisa Heft
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
Opening Space
lisaheft at openingspace.net
www.openingspace.net

Ask me about the 2010 Open Space Learning Workshops 

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