Crowdfunding campaigns centered around a creative concept tend to capture the attention of potential donors and typically raise more funds.
In this article, we will show you how to make use of various fundraising opportunities throughout the year and even how to raise funds to support a cause on your birthday!
Coming up with a creative concept
Whether you are raising funds for a person or to support a charity, crowdfunding allows individuals the freedom to come up with their own creative ideas to relay their message and promote their cause.
Take a look at these creative BackaBuddy campaigns that went the extra mile
In 2018, Andrew Patterson pledged to climb Table mountain every day for a year with his 365 Ubuntuclimbs campaign to raise funds forHabitat for Humanity, One Life for Kids and The Sunflower Fund. By sharing daily video updates on his social media and inviting members of the public to join him on his hikes, Andrew managed to raise over R380 000 on BackaBuddy.
Andrew Patterson
In 2018, founder of Rise18, Zanele Hlatshwayo from Soweto, participated in 18 marathons, totaling over 648km to continue The South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s national suicide toll-free hotline in honor of her late father who took his own life due to depression. Read more.
Zanele Hlatshwayo
In 2017, American intern, Joseph Payne, supporting the DOCKDA Rural Development Agency, climbed Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain, and Lion’s Head with his campaign to purchase bicycles for disadvantaged students in the Northern Cape who walk the same distance to school every day.
In 2019, Leilani Kuter from Roodepoort, pledged to walk 27km per day, for 27 days, covering a distance of 729km, 27 years after the rape ordeal that changed her life.
Wearing yellow, the colour her attacker wore, Leilani broke her silence to empower sexual assault and gender-based violence survivors and free them from the stigma it carries. In sharing her very personal story, Leilani was able to crowdfund over R250 000 to purchase rape kits and comfort packs for those in need.
Her bravery also caught the attention of the national media and opened up a dialogue around the ‘taboo topic’. Read more.
To raise funds for Emil Erasmus’ cancer treatment, Zane Groenewald from Pietermaritzburg, pledged to shave his hair live on Facebook when he reached his crowdfunding campaign target of R5000. Through many small donations from close family and friends, Zane exceeded his initial target.
In 2020, Ross Hindle took on the Iron Man 70.3 with his campaign to raise funds for his friend, Prince Chikezie, to complete his medical degree
Prince Chikezie
Byron Leggett and 5 of his closest friends took on the Comrades Marathon to raise funds to purchase a highly specialized eye tracker to allow Isabella Beck, a young girl diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy to access her communication system through her eye movements. Read more
Byron Leggett, Bryan Hellon, Teran Peyper, JP van Zittert, Greg Kilfoil and Craig Pike with Isabella Beck before the Comrades.
Supporting a cause on your Birthday
In lieu of gifts, it’s becoming a popular trend for individuals to crowdfund for various causes on their birthday.
Founder of Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Org Trust (ARRO), Juanita Aitkenhead created a crowdfunding campaign to raise R4800 for her organisation on her 48th birthday. Highlighting the importance and positive impact of donations in a short, emotive video, Juanita came very close to reaching her fundraising goal.
Important fundraising days to remember
Mandela Day – 18th July
Every year on International Mandela Day (18th of July), we celebrate not only the birth of Tata Madiba but his 67-year commitment to social justice and servant leadership.
By volunteering 67 minutes of our time, we are encouraged to act in kindness, amplify the voices of those that often go unheard, serve our local communities, churches, and charitable organizations or offer kind donations to support causes in need of support.
Taking on the mammoth task of rescuing and maintaining the Shongweni Resource Reserve, Greg Vogt and Sara Agostini paddled 67 km on Mandela day with their crowdfunding campaign which raised over R63 000. Read more.
Greg Vogt and Sara Agostini
Giving Tuesday – 1st December
On 1 December 2019, following the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday & Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season when many individuals focus on their holiday & end-of-year giving.
Harnessing the power of social media & collaboration, #GivingTuesdaySA encourages individuals and non-profits alike to reach out to their communities, with the aim of creating meaningful social change and spreading goodwill.
During the festive season, there is a noticeable increase in giving as individuals and non-profits look to spread Christmas joy. Whether you would like to raise funds to purchase gifts for disadvantaged children or host Christmas parties for the elderly, consider creating a crowdfunding campaign during the holidays.
In December 2019, Porky’s People, created a campaign to purchase gifts to the value of R200 to give the children of Thandi House, a registered non-profit children’s home a warm and memorable Christmas. Read more.
Instagram: Porky’s People
Choosing your crowdfunding campaign name
An important part of establishing your crowdfunding concept is what you decided to call your campaign.
Your campaign name should be no longer than 5 words – think of it as a title of a book. Consider the most important elements of your story, the beneficiary, and the positive impact you will create.
A catchy title could be the difference between individuals scrolling past your post or clicking through to make a donation. Remember, your campaign name is your first impression, avoid generic statements and make it memorable!
Take a look at these BackaBuddy campaign names that caught our attention:
BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up crowdfunding campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various other causes in South Africa.
According to Stats SA, Four in 10 marriages don’t last longer than 10 years.
To help children cope with the emotional challenges and confusion that comes with divorce, Natalie Knox (46) a primary school teacher and a counselor from Cape Town, South Africa, now living in Spain, has penned a resource book called the ‘Mending Chronicles of Liam & Emily.’
The colourful handbook, which has an inspiring Christian message, is filled with advice and activities that give children the tools to navigate and express their feelings when their parents make the difficult decision to separate.
Divorce, Knox says, is a trickier subject than we realise, especially when young children are involved.
“Divorce is so common that I find people tend to think that kids can bounce back easily and will turn out okay. Sadly, in my experience, kids who aren’t given support and a safe space to process the changes and their emotions tend to carry related issues into their teenage years and adulthood. These stem potentially from unprocessed emotions and misconceptions kids pick up about themselves and their family during the divorce. These could look anything like feeling as if the divorce was their fault or they aren’t worth sticking around for.” – says Natalie
Teacher and author, Natalie Knox
Translating into Afrikaans
‘The Mending Chronicles of Liam and Emily’, which is currently only available in English, is already a page turner, having been a finalist at the 14th National Indie Excellence Awards in America.
To fulfil her dream of translating the book into Afrikaans, to reach and heal more families, Natalie has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy with the help of her friend of over 14 years, Lana Potgieter who lives in Bellville, Cape Town.
“Divorce knows no boundaries and happens in every culture and language. Sadly, resources to help and support families and children are not always easily available in other languages besides English. Books that deal with such personal and sensitive issues are more accessible and effective for the young reader if it’s in their mother tongue. So I think that The Mending Chronicles is going to be an incredibly helpful handbook for Afrikaans children who have experienced divorce, as well as a great addition to Afrikaans children’s literature.” – says Natalie
Since the launch of the crowdfunding campaign, almost R30 000has been raised towards the fundraising target of R70 000 which will cover the cost of the translator, editor, proofreader, designer and the first print run of the book.
“My hope for The Mending Chronicles handbook is that children of divorce can go on a journey with the main characters, Liam and Emily, and work through their own responses to divorce and be equipped to deal with the changes they face. I am a firm believer in the power of emotional intelligence to help children express themselves effectively so that they can communicate their thoughts and needs and receive the help and support they require. Spirituality is also part of Liam and Emily’s story, which I hope will be well received by the Afrikaans community. I’m very excited to think that this amazing resource can be made available to Afrikaans children in their own language bringing healing and emotional wellness to the next generation.” – says Natalie
Support this campaign by making a donation on Backabuddy here:
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R250 Million.
Little Zara was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor (ATRT) in April this year when she was just 19 months old. The news of Zara’s diagnosis has been absolutely devastating to the family. Before the diagnosis she was a happy healthy little girl who reached all her normal milestones.
ATRT (atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour) is a rare, fast-growing, aggressive and re-occurring tumor that is found in fewer than 10 percent of children with brain tumors. It is most often seen in children age 3 or younger, but it can also occur in older children and adults.
Zara’s tumour was located near the cerebellum and was removed on 17 April 2021 during a 6-hour surgery. On 29 April 2021, after the craniotomy, Zara underwent her second operation to place a VP shunt in her brain to drain fluid from her brain to her abdomen. This resulted in an infection that needed to be cleared before the chemotherapy could start.
She has undergone radiation and chemotherapy at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre from May 2021. Even though the tumor was removed if one cancer cell remains another tumor can grow, which is why radiation and chemotherapy are necessary.
Funds needed
In the last month the family’s medical aid has already rejected claims and requiring co-payments to treatment bills. Your donation will help them cover the cost of little Zara’s treatment and give her a chance at life.
Eight years ago, Stan Engelbrecht (45) from Cape Town met Poppie van As (65), an elderly underprivileged lady who has a small roadside ‘roosterbrood’ stand on the N1 in Laingsburg.
“I happened to be cycling in Laingsburg around New Years about 8 years ago, and to be honest, the first thing that drew me to Poppie’s roadside stand was the wonderful aroma of her ‘roosterbrood’! I bought one – with jam and cheese if I remember correctly – and we had a chat. If you’ve ever met Poppie you’ll know that she is instantly likeable. Just full of great energy. Before I left town I returned to her stand and bought a few more plain ‘roosterbrood’, simply because they’re that delicious.”
A few months later Stan had the idea to ask Poppie to prepare some ‘roosterbrood’ for a bicycle race he was organising.
“She was a huge hit, preparing her ‘roosterbrood’ on a hill just outside of town near the end of that day’s racing stage! Everyone loved it, and so she was asked to return every year.” says Stan.
Pictured above: Poppie van As (63).
Touched by Poppie’s incredible life story and her bubbly personality, the Italian representatives at the Eroica South Africa event had invited her to Gaiole, Italy to attend the main Eroica event as a special guest, covering the cost of her plane ticket for the 3 day event.
“When I told her about the invitation to visit Italy in September, she ran around screaming at the top of her lungs as she has never left the Western Cape in her life. I knew that this was a dream-come-true for her, and this experience would change her life forever.” says Stan
Pictured above: Stan Engelbrecht (43) and Poppie van As (63).
To make the trip as special as possible, Stan and his girlfriend Donnet Dumas (32), decided to accompany Poppie on the trip to show her everything that Italy had to offer, and took her on a once in a lifetime road trip.
With a campaign launched on donations-based crowdfunding platform BackaBuddy, Stan appealed to the South African people to make small contributions to Poppie’s trip to make it unforgettable.
The campaign had received overwhelming support in a few short weeks, raising a total of R103 225.60 towards the fundraising target of R100 000 with contributions from 182 donors.
Pictured above: Poppie van As (63).
Donations to the crowdfunding campaign went towards Poppie’s visa appointment, travel to-and-from Cape Town, getting her a few things that will make her comfortable on her first airplane trip, and her first visit overseas.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition, and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R270 Million.
On Freedom Day, the 27th of April 2021, South African’s will celebrate 27 years of democracy. Inspired by the significance this day holds, Kola Cohen, a 19-year-old from Hout Bay, will be paddling 27km to provide 27,000 meals for vulnerable Capetonians.
Paddling on a prone board, Kola will be participating in the Freedom Paddle, an initiative where paddlers paddle from Cape Town to Robben Island (and back) to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela and the struggle heroes who fought for South Africa’s freedom.
Looking to pay it forward, Kola has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to support Love in a Bowl, a community farming initiative that delivers a ‘community pot’ of nutritious, organic food to 32 different creches, soup kitchens, and NGOs in the Hout Bay community.
Kola Cohen (Image credit: Jacque Smit)
“Although South Africa has a lot going for it, we still have some very deep systematic issues. A notable one is food security, as an athlete, I know that there is a direct relationship between nutrition and people’s ability to succeed. Love in a Bowl is playing their part by providing people with locally grown organic vegetables and I think there will be some great outcomes in the future.” – says Kola
With his ‘Paddle for Love’ campaign, Kola hopes to provide Love in a Bowl with enough funds to make 1000 community pots that will be able to serve 27 000 meals to those who need it the most.
In anticipation of his paddle, Kola has raised over R70 000 towards his fundraising target of R150 000 with contributions from 80 donors.
Cohen (Image credit: Jacque Smit)
Support Kola’s campaign on BackaBuddy by donating here:
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far risen over R240 Million.
