Grassroots Fundraising

11/2011 – working on putting info up on this page, stay tuned for more details!

Published Articles
Staff Member
Consultant/Trainer
Board Member
Volunteer
Trainings Attended

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

Crowdfunding: The New Wave of Online Grassroots Fundraising by Emily Nepon. Grassroots Fundraising Journal. Nov-Dec 2011, Vol. 30 No.6. Building Our Collective Resources.

There are new tools to raise money online for all kinds of projects, even those without 501(c)(3) status. Get an orientation to some of the hottest crowdfunding sites and how you can make them work for you. 

STAFF MEMBER

Director of Grassroots Fundraising,  Sylvia Rivera Law Project, NYC, NY.  (2007-2010)
Annually met budget expectations through diverse events, donor campaigns, direct mail, newsletter, annual report, earned income strategies, and online outreach. Increased total donor giving by 25%, and online giving by over 50%. Doubled income of largest annual event. Coordinated database transition to CRM model, managed organizational website. Managed interns and volunteers, co-supervised development staff.

At SRLP I produced many successful events including the annual Small Works for Big Change Art Auction which brought in crowds of 400-500 each year, the annual Summer Reception & Award Ceremony gathering SRLP’s legal community, house parties including events focused on community members and allies in academic and medical fields as well as a Brooklyn Pride after-party at Transy House and a Glitter in the Garden party co-produced by the NYC DisOrder of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Imperial Court of NY, benefit show musical events, and I worked with nightlife party promoters to organize benefit events like the 2009 Pride JUDY Party.

Here’s a great article about SRLP’s Grassroots Fundraising:  GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE START: Building a Grassroots Fundraising Program  By Dean Spade, JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2005 • GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING JOURNAL

Founding Director, The Self-Education Foundation, Philadelphia, PA.  (1998-2003)
This grassroots fundraising Foundation distributed $30,000 in grants to over 80 grassroots organizations, sent four local youth leaders to the 2005 INCITE! (Women of Color Against Violence) Conference, and supported ten grassroots education-activist programs as a fiscal sponsor. Raised annual budget through grassroots and institutional fundraising. Acquired 501(c)3 status. Solicited and managed National Board of Advisors, Program Staff and volunteers.

In 2010, Enough blog (a site focused on “the Personal Politics of Resisting Capitalism”) featured an article by Jessica Hoffman:  The Practice of Freedom: A History of the Self Education Foundation.

More coverage of SRLP:

• Social Change Philanthropy and How It’s Done in Foundation News and Commentary
• Interview in Life Learner Magazine
• SEF’s origins in No More Prisons, by William Upski Wimsatt

CONSULTANT/FUNDRAISING TRAINER

Mariposa Food Coop, Philadelphia, PA.   (2011)
Worked with Expansion Committee to successfully meet the fundraising goals of the first phase of Mariposa’s Capital Campaign. Primary responsibilities included pursuing leads and closing loan and donation pledges.  Coordinated creation of online fundraising campaign including video, and led a fundraising training for the Board of Delegates.

Some of the organizations I’ve worked with as a fundraising trainer over the past decade:

• Mill Creek Urban Farm
• Books Through Bars Philadelphia 
• Hummingbird Collective: Migrant Justice Solidarity Working Group
• Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project
• ACT UP Philadelphia
• Projet Mobilivre/Bookmobile Project
• An Olive on the Seder Plate (traveling theater production)

Reflections from a RG Fundraising Training – Hummingbird Collective’s Sarah Abbott documenting lessons learned from a 2011 fundraising workshop by myself and Yasmeen Perez.

BOARD MEMBER

Resource Generation,  Boston, MA   (2004-2006)
Chair of the Fundraising Committee; member of Executive Director Transition Committee. Co-presenter on Young Donor Organizing panel at the 2002 Council on Foundations Conference.

New Society Educational Foundation, Philadelphia, PA    (1999-2005)
Board Member, Treasurer.  Duties included bookkeeping and development of quarterly Board reports, as well as preparation of annual taxes and Bureau of Charitable Organizations filings.
NSEF is a fiscal-sponsor to many small progressive organizations working for social justice using nonviolent organizing tools such as education, community empowerment, and non-violent protest.

VOLUNTEER

TRAININGS ATTENDED

• Money for Our Movements 2010: A Social Justice Fundraising Conference
• Raising Change 2008: A Social Justice Fundraising Conference
•  “Securing Assets for Grassroots Empowerment” (SAGE) Training, presented by Kim Klein in 2001. With ACT UP Philadelphia, attended program designed to improve the capability of social justice non-profit organizations to mount effective annual donor campaigns.