SMALL STEPS FOR GIANT CAUSES

Fundraising! The word alone stresses me out. It reeks of ‘commitment’ ‘soliciting’ ‘organization’ ‘rejection’. But I believe in fundraising. I want to give; I really do. I have a cause that I care deeply about, Doane House Hospice, and I’m also looking for a needy cat shelter to donate to at the moment.Back to the question of fundraising... My theory is: when a task seems too big to tackle, break it down into small steps and take one at a time.

It began a couple of weeks ago when my husband and I were invited to friends of ours for drinks. Actually it was for a game of euchre, but that never got off the ground. There were eight of us there. I decided to make a loaf of bread that afternoon, a huge twisted loaf, which turned out ‘glossy magazine’ perfect. (That’s not always the case). I arrived at our friend’s house with the loaf beautifully wrapped in cellophane with a poster that read: “Draw – 1 ticket for $3 or 2 tickets for $5”.

I made $31 from 6 people that night (someone threw in an extra loonie) which I proudly handed over to Doane House first thing Monday morning.

So now my mind’s reeling. I’ve got my annual girl’s party coming up next month and yes, you guessed it, I’m making a loaf of bread, I’m making some of my signature spicy beans which I’ll present in a cool dollar store dish, I’ll package some of my husband’s phenomenal curry nuts, and I’ll scrounge up lots of other interesting stuff. And it’ll be a win-win for all: the prize winners will be smiling, Doane House too, and I’ll be happy knowing that it sometimes only takes small steps to help giant causes.

Every time you gather people together for a workshop, a party, a barbeque, remember to seize the moment to fundraise. Simply tap into your talents: Are you a gardener? Divvy up your plants and raffle them in a nice pot. Do you cook? Have a draw for your wares like I did for the bread. Are you an artist? People love having something created by an artist they’ve met in person. Get resourceful. Break the ice. Have a blast.

I kinda like the word ‘fundraising’ now; I think of it more like ‘fun-raising’!