As a happy and blessed expat living in Costa Rica for close to Nine Years, I have always believed that International Citizens living in a foreign country have a volunteer responsibility to give back to their "Home Away from Home". Nothing worse than the image of the 'Ugly Gringo" living cheaper in paradise than they could at home and feeling no obligation whatsoever to do anything for their host community, other than contribute to the economy by asking for "Otra Cerveza Por Favor".
Therefore it was pretty easy to say "yes" when a year ago, I was asked a year ago to "Get Naked , Drop Literally Everything" and apply my fundraising expertise to embrace SASY! (Stop Animal Suffering Yes) in Costa Rica . Modeled after the Original Calendar Girls Project, which has raised funds for Cancer Research in England and the popular film, which told their empowering story of female volunteerism, the WILD AND SASY CALENDAR GIRLS OF COSTA RICA was born over what else? Lunch with the Girls. We had after all been asked for help by 4 legged friends who desperately needed an advocate.
So we followed a Best Practice of Organizational Fundraising---Repeat Genius!
Find an Existing Fundraising Idea that works, research the critical ingredients of organizations who have been successful with it and customize to your unique cause/audience. This project entailed selecting a collection of international women who brought their beauty and their love for Animals to create the 2007 Wild and SASY Calendar Girls.
There were project guidelines: "Breathtaking, Award worthy Goddess- Like photography, Women who would not only tastefully bare all but commit to the project's success by sharing their creativity, community influence and special talents. Yes, among the girls you'll find a former Marine -- now a Jazz Singer who also donated a concert to SASY, Photographers, Event Specialists, A Computer Programmer who handle on-line Calendar sales and yours truly, a Professional Speaker, and Non-Profit Fundraiser.
While we will not be able to share the official results of this fundraiser until January 30, 2007, the response from a global world has been amazing.
What are the key components of a Successful Fundraising Initiative? Here's the prescription from the Wild and Sasy Calendar Girls to Volunteer Organizations Everywhere.
1.A Foundation: A Passionate Cause and Core of Committed Volunteers who are centers of influence in the community.
2.An Inspired Kick-Off . SASY Volunteers were treated to an initial VIP luncheon that outlined the vision and project milestones while getting great input. Remember, people support what they help create.
3.A Solid Project Plan—Get your Best Project Manager at the helm who manages a printed and continually updated task lists!
4.Communication: It's the leading source of problems and business as well as volunteer projects. Use multiple means to communicate with and motivate your volunteers, recognizing the often multi-generational communication preferences (web-site, blogs, e.mails, phone and yes even personal visits)
5.Volunteer Department Heads with diverse talents. Like Gilligan's Island, this particular fundraising team has A Gilligan with heart, Skipper, The Millionaire and his Wife, The Professor and Maryanne. It Takes a Village!
6.Leveraging of Your Project with Spin-Off Events. Having organized Non-Profit Gala Evenings for a variety of organizations, I have experience what I call the Thanksgiving Phenomena---All that work the last 6 months and in three hours it's over? Consider spin-off events. In conjunction with the Calendar, 4 months of special events were planned to promote the project.
7.An Elevator Speech for Businesses Sponsors: We were able to procure in-kind donations of a web-site, internet marketing, Restaurant Event Venues, Printing and Wine. How: A compelling Elevator Speech! That 45 second compelling description of your cause and the project. If you can't do it in the time it takes to get from the 1st floor to the 20th floor, forget the ear of today's busy executives.
8.A way for small and big pockets to help. With this particular project it was a tier of large corporate sponsors that we're looking for community exposure as well as $25.00 individual" supporters who just wanted to share their love for the animals.
9.Show Me the Money: SASY is fortunate to have a co-founder who converts promises into payment. Be sure you have financial accountability and donation collection well under control.
10.CELEBRATE: No, you don't need to take your clothes off but do thank in a spirited way, each and every volunteer that contributed to your project.
That Thank You is not only well deserved, it will serve as the springboard for a committed based of volunteers.
Finally, if this article touched you in some way or if you believe in the words of Mahatma Gandhi that "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated … That the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man" - please visit the SASY Web-site and order your 2007 Wild and SASY Calendar . www.sasycostarica.com
On our web-site, you can meet the SASY Volunteer Women and even get a sneak peak of the calendar.
"Life outside a person is an extension of life within him. This compels him to be part of it and accept responsibility for all creatures great and small. Life becomes harder when we live for others but it also becomes richer and happier"
Albert Schweitzer
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Rosemary Rein, PhD is a Key-Note Speaker on Business Management, Creativity and Non-Profit Fundraising She is also the author of Go Wild: Survival Skills for Business and Life, produced by Park University. To learn more about Rosemary's work please visit http://www.costaricatraining.com
