WSA Service Fund Exceeds initial R10,000 goal

We set out to raise R10,000 to power our service fund, and to meet the immediate need for providing essentials during the Corona Crisis.

"Many people are concerned that their donations to charity may be reduced by tax or administrative costs, preventing the full amount from reaching the people or causes they really want to help. Thankfully there are ways to make the most of every donation to charity". - Charities Aid Foundation

The Service Fund and Our Commitment to Transparency and Impact

In early 2020, the WSA set out to establish a service fund that would facilitate community service and involvement, with the help of our broader community. The initial fundraising goal was R10,000 and the campaign was set up on crowdfunding platform GoGetFunding.

Challenges

• We knew it would be difficult to raise funds in a climate where community needs were so actively present and potential donours were getting charity fatigue.

• The funding platform would take a percentage of the donations which would detract from our efforts.

• There were administrative hurdles, such as a 20-day waiting period on the release of funds and authentication for ewallet management.

• Raising R10,000 in a climate where people were quickly becoming unemployed due to Covid-19 would prove challenging as many simply did not have the resources to contribute.

• Having to fundraise remotely with no special in-person events.

The Method

We set out with our fundraising campaign and social media accounts at the ready to ask our community for funds. We also began to speak to and partner with organisations that could help us roll out our ideas and learn to get the resources we needed. We ran the GoGetFunding campaign and personally donated food items to mitigate the costs of delivery and tax. It wasn't a perfect method but it would do. We also ran a Facebook campaign at the cost of R100 which generated R300 in donations and offered small incentives to donours in order to generate interest - but the most effective approach was simply to ask.

Solutions to Initial Challenges

We mitigated the additional costs by adding contributions at our own expense

We withdrew funds in stages in order to meet the pressing need for community work

We reached out personally to donors in order to break through the noise

We had to have team meetings over hangouts and fundraise remotely using the platform and social media.

The Result

In the end, we were able to exceed our goal, thanks to the help of an engaged community. This would serve as the starting point for our service work - kicking off with the Porridge Project - an attempt to alleviate the widespread hunger in South Africa.

Special Thanks

Karin Uys, Kerry Beetge, Laura-Anne Africa, Karen Dunlop, Azizah Masoet, Jamie Lee Jacobs, Kayli Vee Levitan, Jessica Manim, Jessica Shern, Jean-Marie, Huroenissa, Rudaybah Davids, Yaaseen Barnes, Wesley Mathew, Andrew MacPherson, Jerome Cornelius, Savannah Ensor-Smith, Siya Charles, Jules and Ryan Vermooten, Angelica Luthi, and all the anonymous donors and WSA members who helped us make this a reality.