crowdfunding for social causes – Page 3

January 19, 2018

Alan’s Week of Action Against Adani in Queensland

“I am semi-retired and recently became a grandfather. 10 years ago I became concerned about Climate Change and became involved with taking local action to address it. Initially I was involved reducing my own carbon footprint and others who wanted to do likewise. Four years ago I met a young Climate Warrior who had come from the pacific Islands to protest at Newcastle against our coal exports. She told me how she sat and watched the coal ships sail past and she cried because they were destroying her island home and she could do nothing to stop them.

I realised that Climate Change is not something that will affect us in the future but is affecting real people now.

Since then I have become more involved with taking global action on Climate Change. 12 months ago I became involved in the #StopAdani campaign. This campaign is to stop the Adani coal mine from being developed in central Qld. I see this mine as a pivotal moment in Australia’s fight against Climate Change. If we can stop this mine, it is unlikely that any other coal mine will be opened in Australia. The campaign has been very successful, convincing WestPac not to fund it, convincing CommBank not to fund it, convincing the Qld govt not to accept one billion dollars from the federal government to fund it, convincing China not to fund it, convincing 30 international banks not to fund it and convincing Downer not to help build it.

The only thing left is to get Adani to walk away from the project. They have started preliminary work in Qld on the rail line. Since September there has been an ongoing protest to disrupt this work with over 50 people being arrested. In early December I joined with 45 others to blockade the work site. I, along with 15 others, were arrested and charged with trespass and fined. We were also charged with obstructing police. My Chuffed campaign is to raise money to help pay my fines and the fines of others. I see this campaign as an opportunity for others to show their solidarity with the protesters even if they are unable to go to Qld and participate.

I have always been a law abiding citizen, but I am convinced that we must take a stand against this mine, even if it means breaking the law.

The recent arrival of my first grandchild has encouraged me even more to make sure this mine does not happen.”

Learn more about Alan’s week of action to help the environment on his crowdfunding campaign below:

January 17, 2018January 22, 2018

Join the Crowd

Click here to join the Chuffed Crowd. Don’t forget to say hello!

Our mission at Chuffed is to do everything we can to help people make a difference in the world. There’s a lot more to making a difference than just raising funds. While we’ll always be there to help with that, we want to do more.

We’ve created a community of Changemakers, just like you. Here’s 5 reason’s why you should join:

Learn from the best

Many of our campaigners have gone on to build amazing organisations. Like Rob from TwoGood and Kyle from Edgars Mission. You can talk to experts right now and not just about running your campaign, our experts know how to help you achieve the greatest impact with the funds you raise.

Surround yourself with people who believe in change

Sometimes it can feel like you’re the only one who sees how important it is to just do something. This is a great way to meet others who believe in making a difference.

Meet people just like you

We have an international crowd with campaigners making a difference on almost every continent even Antarctica. We work with people involved in every cause imaginable, from building schools to saving animals, and everything in between.

Build connections to help you find more donors

We are surrounded by incredible people who are willing to donate to make a difference. Build connections with those who have run campaigns in the past and get their help to link you up with the donors that helped them.

Help others make a difference.

Running a successful campaign is an art form, and it takes great skill to use the funds raised wisely and effectively. The more support we can give each other, the bigger the changes we can make in the world.

We need your help to make our community grow. Whether you’re brand new to this world, or a seasoned veteran we’d like your help to create a movement around making a difference.

Click here to join today!

Above: Members of our community from the Hummingbird Project. They raised 15,000 to help people in Calais. Click the link to find out more.

January 12, 2018

Greyhound Rescue is Moving!

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“I became involved in Greyhound Rescue several years ago after we adopted
our first greyhound, Zac. He changed our lives completely and I knew that I had to help more greyhounds. Now, I volunteer and run the social media and fundraising for Greyhound Rescue, and it gives me new and interesting challenges every day. I really have to take my hat off to the volunteers who do the hard slog at the kennels day in and day out, taking care of the dogs and showing them human kindness, helping to prepare them for their new life as a pet.

Greyhound Rescue has been looking for a new property for a while, as Sydney expands, urban sprawl is taking over. We have the challenge of making sure that we are near enough so that all of our volunteers can continue to come and care for the greys, but also rural enough that we have enough space. We searched for ages to find a new property and we really need to move! The current kennel land has been sold.

Our team of volunteers are absolutely the most incredible bunch of people you’ve ever met. Unending compassion and care for these dogs, some of whom have really been through some tough times. Volunteering at the kennels is hard work and certainly not glamorous, but the reward of seeing these beautiful animals come out of their shell is worth it.

The campaign has really taken off. We’re happy to say that we will be able to make some fabulous upgrades to the facilities so that we
are able to care for these dogs at the highest standard, and hopefully will be able to rescue many more in the future.

It’s not my first time running a campaign on Chuffed, I’ve done a couple of other fundraising projects using this platform, including Pointy Pembleton, a children’s book that I wrote to raise money for Greyhound Rescue. Chuffed is a great platform for social causes, and I look forward to being able to continue to use this tool in our fundraising.”

Learn more about the awesome Greyhound Rescue cause on their latest crowdfunding campaign:

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017

The Spirit of Community by the Helping Hand Project!

“I first became involved with The Helping Hand Project (HHP) in 2004. I was going through a difficult time in my personal life at the time and a friend recommended me to program believing it would help me through this period. I was immediately drawn to program; not having known my father growing up I was aware of how important it was to have a role model in your life. I was also starting a business which was to be listed on the ASX and thought mentoring would be something which gives back to the community rather than taking.

I mentored a number of young refugees but one in particular, Peter, I have known for 12 years. I met Peter when he was about 13 just after he arrived in Australia. I say about 13 as it is common with refugee minors they don’t know their birthdays. Peter had fled Sudan by foot aged about 6 and ended up in a Kenyan refugee camp where he lived for five or six years.

When Peter arrived in Australia he had no family and little English, lived with a couple of other Sudanese boys in the Flemington flats.

There are many stories to tell about mentoring experience but Peter now has a degree, a full-time job as a supervisor while he is also a leader within the local South Sudanese community. Peter recently got married in South Sudan which I was supposed to attend however decided not to on safety concerns and instead bought 10 cows which were given to the bride’s parents. Peter and I also recently organised a fund-raising event to provide vaccinations in South Sudan for the cholera outbreak. It was a fully inclusive night of South Sudanese and the local Flemington community enjoying some African bands, beats and food.

I believe the most rewarding part about mentoring it that it is two-way street. I thought Peter would be learning from me however he has been inspirational with his resilience and perseverance. I have made many friends in his community and have been welcomed with open arms. Most importantly it has made me aware of the refugee plight. Now when I see someone that maybe of a refugee background I know they will have an incredible back story.

While I have been on the HHP committee for about 8 years I became chairman about 4 years as the then chairman was moving overseas. It is incredibly rewarding hearing about the wonderful partnerships this program has created. Hearing the stories of first time mentors talking about their mentee relationship and interactions is always heartwarming. Many have gone onto to lifelong friendships.

Mentoring and chairing the program are undoubtedly the most rewarding things I have done in my life.”
Noel Newell

For more on this inspiring cause, check out Noel’s crowdfunding campaign page below:

December 15, 2017

Asante Children, bringing water to disabled children in Kenya!

“I was born, raised and educated in Kenya and for the past 20 years I have lived in Australia.

On a recent trip back to Kenya, to visit friends and family, I met Eric. He was 13 years old and he is the grandson of a very dear friend. I was devastated to find that he had been paralysed for a few years, he was extremely depressed, had no walking aids or wheelchair and was desperate to go to school. Eric had been a healthy, growing boy when he suffered a bout of severe dysentery. Eric’s family are extremely poor and they live far from any medical services. They were simply unable to afford the treatment for him, and this left him with muscular dystrophy. Eric will not walk again, but I wanted to ensure that he, and children like him, get the opportunity to be their best. Eric is now attending school, 2 hours from home, and therefore boards nearby, along with 30 other physically handicapped children.

The boarding block has previously not had water and it has been carried in buckets from a well on a neighbour’s property. Following consultation with the boarding block coordinator, Hannah Njeri, a plan was put into place to dig a well so that water could be pumped to a new tank next to the boarding block. This will provide running water to the washrooms, kitchen and laundry. This work is now in progress by paid contractors.

I have raised funds in the past amongst friends and family, through the sale of Kenyan made keyrings. With these funds I now fund a full time physiotherapist at the boarding block. The physiotherapist also assists with nutrition advice and in training the carers who support the children.

The need for a constant water supply is urgent and necessary. This is why I chose a crowdfunding platform. The wider base of donors available through crowdfunding will hopefully ensure that I can raise the necessary money to complete the water project.

I have been absolutely excited with the response that I have received. One donor alone has made a substantial donation and that donation has been a major motivation to succeed in reaching our target.

When the children return to school in early January their lives will be transformed and the carers’ work made easier, thereby giving them more time to devote to the health and care of the children!”
Isobel Daphne Bellingeri, Asante Children Inc

For more on this awesome cause, check out Asante Children Inc’s crowdfunding campaign page below:

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017

Christopher is crowdfunding to bring smiles to Asylum Seeker children this Christmas!

“After a phenomenal effort two years ago where we provided 800 Asylum Seeker children with toys, I have decided to get the band back together (some 220 dedicated supporters!) and see how many smiles we can bring this year to Asylum Seeker children in need.

You all know that Asylum Seekers are vulnerable, and commonly experiencing isolation and financial hardship. Most of you know that this includes young children and families. What this project aims to do is to put smiles on the faces of Asylum Seeker children and families by providing them with a gift this Christmas. Such generosity will not only brighten a child’s day, but it will help to shine a light on Australia’s truly generous nature, show Asylum Seekers that many Australians do empathise with them, in the face of negative media that seeks to spread division and an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality. This will help to provide a sense of community and break feelings of isolation.

Ok, for some quick background… I have previously worked with, volunteered for, protested for, written University papers on and supported Asylum Seekers, both in and out of detention now for nigh on twelve years. This has been completed across a large number of organisations and roles and has provided me with amazing insight into the complex issue that is people seeking asylum, as well as granting me such a huge privilege in being able to support such people and help them to find their feet and place within our community.

Witnessing first hand the level of hardship Asylum Seeker children endure in their family’s efforts to make it to Australia I decided this year to create a toy drive, seeking to provide as many Asylum Seeker children as possible a gift this Christmas time. The smallest gift or donation will greatly aid this project to help as many children as possible. Every single cent donated through my crowdfunding will be used for purchasing toys and gifts for Asylum Seeker children.”

This is what Christmas is all about! For more on this important cause, check out Christopher’s crowdfunding campaign below:

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017

Providing an Education for Kibera Girls by Kibera Hamlets

“Shortly after I moved to Nairobi, Kenya two years ago, a friend introduced me to Kibera Hamlets School in Kibera slum. I was immediately drawn to their work because the school was started by young adults from the community who deeply understand the challenges of growing up in the slum. At the time, the school did not have text books or running water, but what they identified as a top concern was that female graduates of their primary school often were not able to continue their education due to lack of school fees, family pressures to start working as teenagers, early pregnancies, sexual assault, or drug abuse inside the slum.

The founders asked if I could help them raise school fees for these girls to attend a low-cost boarding school in rural Western Kenya, to allow them to focus on their studies away from the risks of Kibera slum. I was inspired to take on this task, since I saw how one person’s donation of just $415 per year could literally change a young woman’s life. Previously, I often felt that it was hard to genuinely make a difference, but I saw that this was a rare opportunity where mobilizing my community could l make all the difference in the world.

I ran my first crowdfunding campaign in 2015 on the Chuffed site. Although I set a goal of $6,500, I received an overwhelmingly positive response from my friends and family as well as strangers on the Chuffed site and raised over $10,000! This year, I have partnered with Kibera Hamlets USA, a non-profit organization set up to support the school, to expand the scholarship program to 36 girls.

This project has been one of the most meaningful and fulfilling experiences of my life. It brings me so much happiness to know that my contribution has allowed young women to continue their education and lift themselves out of poverty. In the words of one of these inspiring students, “Here in Kenya, finding someone who can pay school fees for you is like a dream. But I don’t know you and you have helped me. I don’t have words to express my feeling for you. After school, I want to open a big organization that will help women and girls in slums. I believe education is key in life.”

You can find out more about the Kibera school and Kibera Hamlets vision here: