<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Hello, dear colleagues - </div><div><br></div><div>I will be at the World Open Space on Open Space in Florida, USA this May 16-19.</div><div>I will also be offering an Open Space Learning Workshop May 14-16 in Florida. More soon about that. I do hope you will join me for one or both of these lovely co-learning experiences.</div><div><br></div><div>For more information about the WOSonOS - including a registration form - see <a href="http://wosonos2013.crowdvine.com">http://wosonos2013.crowdvine.com</a> . </div><div>(if you think you'd like to join me for the pre-conference workshop, do plan to join us on the morning of May 14 - more info on that is coming soon). </div><div><div><br></div><div>One of my roles in the World Open Space community is what our late great colleague Laurel Doersam named as 'Access Queen.' </div><div>Access Queen is a way for some of us to share our dream of going and for others to know how to help us. </div><div><br></div><div>I am passionate about access and inclusion in dialogue-based events. And I love helping all of us help each other get to whichever of these face-to-face Open Space community events we can get to.</div><div>Some of my dearest friends (I smile when I think of you and you *know* who you are) are those I have made at a World Open Space on Open Space or regional Open Space on Open Space event.</div><div>There is nothing like sharing learning (and laughter, and good food and drink, and walks in lovely neighborhoods, and late nights telling stories ) with you marvelous Open Space colleagues.</div><div><br></div><div>I do not have a huge money source - but I do have ideas to share with you, and I do believe in you, and I do know our community has a lovely way of looking after each other at these live events.</div><div>So if you feel you can find the resources to get there, we can share a lot of ideas with you about how to access low-cost housing (including shared rooms or homestays), ride shares, and more. And if you get there and have zero funds left there is always someone who is honored and delighted to take you out to dinner or share what they have with you in wonderful creative ways.</div><div><br></div><div><div>(By the way, if you would like to contribute to the Access Queen project – a small resource-gathering project I coordinate each year to help people who need pocket money or just a bit more) to get to WOSonOS, </div><div>contact me directly at <a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a>. )</div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Perhaps you are one of those people who have raised almost enough resources to join us at the WOSonOS - such as your airplane fair - but you need just a little more to be able to join us.</div><div>If you are working hard to raise your own funds and you are just seeking a little bit more funding, here are some ideas for you.</div><div><div><br></div></div><div>I never know if or how I am going to get to each year’s WOSonOS, as I do not usually make a lot of money. I have a lot of family care and self care needs which also require my time and resources.</div> <div>But in those years I envision going there I always make a point to start early thinking creatively so I can get there. And with a mixture of faith in the unknown, intention about being there, luck, and the kindness of friends and colleagues, I usually can get there. I start by saying, “I will see you in Florida”! That is my first recommendation: say it as if it is true, and it is amazing what intention and clarity do to create reality.</div> <div><br></div><div>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 the other ideas you have to add to this list! </div><div><br></div> <div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Ways to Raise Money (for yourself or for the Access Queen project): </div> <div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>(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… </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Give it yourself – </div> <div>Put some money aside each week or month. Pick an amount that is a bit of a stretch for you but not </div> <div>impossible. Watch it grow. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Take someone to lunch or dinner – </div> <div>…and have them donate their share (or more) to the Access Queen project or to someone you know. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Sell or auction off some original art – </div> <div>Sell your poetry, your painting, your greeting cards to others and let them know where the money is going to. Have a coloring context for the covers of your Open Space event’s Book of Proceedings and auction them off to the participants in your event, all for a good cause. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Sell things from your home – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Donate a portion of your profits – </div> <div>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 project or to someone you know (or yourself, because going to a conference is professional development). </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Have a house party – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Have your group, organization, company do a / some fundraising project(s) – </div> <div>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 Access Queen project or another worthy “Asker”. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Tell everyone you know – </div> <div>…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, with a newsletter sharing what you’re learning, over tea. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Ask an organization or individual to match your funds – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Write a detailed, cost-itemized proposal and / or give an oral presentation – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Ask everyone you know to save their pocket money – </div> <div>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! </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Have a one-hour, $10 benefit (or whatever is your currency) – </div> <div>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 US by or before a certain date. Everyone was invited to a one hour party. At 3:30 pm 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 US. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Have a silent auction – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Lead a nature walk – </div> <div>…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).</div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Offer a month of consultation to someone in something you are very good at. Or something such as personal coaching for writers or five horse-riding lessons or three house-sitting sessions for someone’s time away or six months of walking their dog once a week or helping someone in their garden for three months. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Offer to do something your friends and family have been nagging you to do anyway – </div> <div>…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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>See if your the organization you work for has a community fund – </div> <div>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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>If you have a wedding or birthday party – </div> <div>Ask friends and family not to give gifts but instead donate money to you or to the Access Queen project or your airplane ticket fund. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Ask a local store to donate a percentage of a day’s profits – </div> <div>..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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Givers: </div> <div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>Buy a WOSonOS registration for an Access Queen Asker or buy a two-person room at WOSonOS location 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…) </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>Pay a high - or even higher than you see listed - amount for registration to the WOSonOS and tell the Host Team you are paying this extra money as registration fee for an Asker. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>Any amount is the right amount. Small amounts add up to large amounts. The Access Queen project (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. </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div>Askers: </div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>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. </div> <div>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... </div> <div><br></div><div>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </div> <div><br></div><div>We believe in you. </div> <div>- Access Queen (also known as Lisa Heft)</div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; 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