How does one raise money?
This question might strike fear into the heart of even the most robust midwife. Or it may spark her creativity and zeal! Likewise for anyone else who wants to be involved in the initiative to educate Haitian women about prenatal care and provide them skilled birth attendants.
North American midwives volunteering to go to Haiti often seek to raise money to pay for their trips. One of the unique aspects of Midwives For Haiti is that we’re a collaboration model. We don’t fund anyone’s trip. Volunteers pay their own expenses. And we show them the ropes, provide the materials and point them in the direction of the need.
Since the earthquake in January, a groundswell (if you will) of support has come in from across North America. We are a generous and compassionate people when it matters most. Women who have delivered their babies with the help of midwives – even grandparents whose grandchildren were delivered by midwives – are anxious to contribute, and they have in some of the most creative ways.
What follows are some ideas and anecdotes for fund-raising. Please let us know what has worked for you, so we can share other ideas.
Capture the low-hanging fruit
Even the most fundraising-challenged among us, can do these three things.
- Make your mission intentional. Whether you are a clinician travelling to Haiti to help educate midwives or you do not have clinical skills but this cause “speaks” to you, be intentional about what you want to come out of your fund-raising (or contribution in general).
“I want to raise $250” is a fine intention. “I want to encourage others to open their hearts to this initiative” is another. “I want to change the way my community sees international outreach” also is on target. But each requires a subtly different direction, so just be clear what you want to accomplish.
- Share your intention whenever possible and appropriate. Tell people if you’re travelling to Haiti soon. Let people know you’ve become interested in the maternal-child situation in Haiti. Have a general understanding of what Midwives For Haiti and other groups are doing and share that: a nonprofit group is coordinating volunteer midwives from the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom to spend time in Haiti educating women who will provide prenatal care and serve as skilled birth attendants to pregnant women there.
- Ask for contributions when possible and appropriate. You might start with friends and family. Be specific about how contributions are used: a Haitian midwife’s salary, medical supplies, training materials, etc. You can make your request by email or by using your Facebook page, if you have one. Some churches have funds available for this kind of thing or could earmark them. Mission work in Haiti – especially maternal child oriented – is very popular among Catholic congregations, and we have several ties to such here in Richmond, Virginia. Any employer that offers matching gifts is worth pursuing – whether your employer or a friend’s. Likewise your own employer may see fit to make a contribution as part of their own outreach.
Ready to get creative?
A lot of people request donations in lieu of gifts, such as for a birthday.
Writes Cathy Rasmussen of Eugene, Oregon: “Please find a number of checks for your work in Haiti! My son Elijah recently celebrated his fifth birthday with a swim party. We asked friends to bring a donation for your organization in lieu of gifts. I work as a labor and delivery nurse, and Elijah was delivered by a certified nurse-midwife named Chris Heritage at our freestanding birth center in Eugene. So midwives are close to our hearts.”
Cathy and husband Randy heard about Midwives For Haiti through Cindy Hunter, C.N.M., a Eugene midwife and L&D educator who is travelling to Haiti later this year. They designated the funds to help pay her expenses.
Some people are able to partner with someone having a local event and the proceeds are shared.
Modesto, California disc jockey Honey B earmarked proceeds of “an evening of live local reggae and island music” to Midwives For Haiti. She called it “FunRaiser to shift the focus away from the destruction and devastation of Haiti and emphasizing its rebirth! Get tropical, do good.”
One midwife from Vermont recently came up with the idea to host a silent auction with all funds raised going to Midwives For Haiti.
They’ve raised close to $10,000. Her husband, Gary Lange, wrote to us: Martha Redpath, C.N.M., who is my wife, had this idea to organize a fundraiser/silent auction to help the folks in Haiti. [It] was success with amazingly generous offerings for the silent auction and correspondingly generous bids for auction items.
The parents of children delivered by midwives have made donations in honor of the midwives.
When you make it known what you’re doing, people are very curious; hearts open up. One family gave to the initiative in honor of the first birthday of a midwife-delivered child.
Check back to this page often for more ideas.
Last updated April 27, 2010
