On the 8th of July 2021, Henry Cock (34), a business owner from Sandton, Johannesburg, will attempt to smash the Guinness World Record for most consecutive half marathons in a row, to uplift South Africans struggling with mental health, particularly during the lockdown.
Henry, who is admittedly not a professional athlete, is training to take on 133 consecutive half marathons over 133 days, covering a distance of 2800km from Kosi Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, to Vioolsdrift, Namibia, to break the current record for men, which stands at 75.
Shattering Mental Health Stigma
Having battled depression and anxiety in recent years, due to the dissolution of his long term relationship, the strain that the ongoing pandemic has had on his businesses, as well as the daily personal struggles we can all relate to, Henry wants to dismantle mental health stigma with his mammoth challenge and be a beacon of hope to those who suffer in silence.
Henry Cock
“I only became aware of my mental health issues in 2019. The more I started to delve into my personal experiences, the more I began to understand how important mental health is, and the more I learned that it is still a very stigmatised and taboo subject. It took me months of therapy to work up the courage and put myself on medicine, and admit to the people I cared about the most that I suffered from anxiety. It takes great courage to speak out and recognize that you suffer from a mental disorder. The more we can open the conversation surrounding mental health, the greater the understanding and empathy will be with those that suffer.” – says Henry.
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
With a crowdfunding campaign launched on BackaBuddy, Henry has also set himself an ambitious goal of raising over R6 million to support The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), an organisation on the forefront of patient advocacy, education, and de-stigmatisation of mental illness in South Africa.
According to SADAG, one person commits suicide every hour in South Africa.
Henry Cock and with friend and supporter, Jake Franklin.
Since the launch of his ‘Mentally Aweh’ campaign, Henry has thus raised over R250 000, with contributions from 77 donors both locally and internationally which will be used to help those without the means to prioritise their mental health and access treatment.
‘It’s time for togetherness, not individualism.’
With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a ‘new wave of mental health concern’ says Henry, as people have struggled with isolation, fatigue, illness, and the death of loved ones on a larger scale than we are accustomed to.
“My hope is that as many South Africans as possible can have access to the help they need, and that is why I have set up my BackaBuddy campaign. I want people to know that it is okay to tell people you’re struggling with your mental health. It doesn’t mean your life is over, or that you’re different or weird – and it’s OK to take medication for it. These things all help, they’re not there to be stigmatized or laughed at or looked down upon as a weakness. The misconception that this problem has no solution is simply not true” – says Henry
Support Henry’s campaign on BackaBuddy by donating here:
When Mornay Le Roux (49), a doting dad from Hilton, Kwa-zulu Natal was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in August 2019, it shocked his family and three daughters aged 5, 19 and 26.
Rocked by the news but determined to put up a fight, Mornay, spent his life-savings to cover his medical expenses as he had to undergo a liver operation, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and cover the cost of his surplus hospital and surgeon bills.
Mornay and his daughters
After a year-long battle with this dread disease, doctors pronounced that Mornay was finally in remission.
This was a great feat for the Le Roux family, but their celebration was short-lived.
In October 2020, just two months after receiving the ‘all-clear’, tests revealed that Mornay’s cancer was back with a vengeance and had spread to his lymph nodes, liver, and had begun attacking his immune system. Mornay Le Roux
In November 2020, Mornay had to undergo another liver operation to remove a sizable tumour.
Whilst in hospital, he faced another setback when he picked up a superbug and had to be re-hospitalised for 7 weeks. Furthermore, Mornay had a fifth of his lung removed due to the abscess the superbug caused.
Crowdfunding on BackaBuddy
To continue his aggressive chemotherapy, which makes him incredibly ill, Mornay cannot return full time to his work as a labour consultant.
To alleviate the financial stress Mornay is facing, the Le Roux family has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to appeal to the public for support as Mornay fights for his health.
With the support of generous donors, over R 162 987.90has been raised towards their fundraising target of R400 000 with contributions from 131 donors from Hilton, Pietermaritzburg and around the globe.
“Mornay is humble, kind, and was reluctant to appeal for any sort of donation, but at this point, it is all we have left. We want to alleviate the financial stresses he faces so he can focus fully on healing and his next 6 months of aggressive chemotherapy. We want and need him to be around for his family for many more years to come. “ – says Kelly Stegen who helped Mornay set up his campaign.
Support Mornay’s medical treatment by donating to his campaign here:
The Gift of the Givers have been working tirelessly to fight the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic.
Through the launch of a campaign on BackaBuddy, the Gift of the Givers have raised a total of R 1 908 064.41 with contributions from 1380 donors, to provide medical practitioners across the country with much needed support.
Please see below, a brief update on this campaign by Dr Imtiaz Sooliman from Gift of the Givers.
With support from the public, The Gift of the Givers has intervened in the Covid-19 challenge in several decisive approaches:
1. Focused on front line health care workers by providing protective materials and essential equipment.
“In addition to the procurement of one million masks, we have ordered or already have in stock coveralls, Hazmat suits, reusable and disposable surgical gowns, scrub suits, latex gloves, head covers, shoe covers, goggles, visors, thermal scans and sanitiser. Thus far we have distributed protective supplies to 160 hospitals and clinics nationwide and the list is expanding. ” – says Dr Sooliman.
2. Set up 30 triage tents at key hospitals to limit virus contamination to the outside of the hospital.
3. Carried out Covid-19 testing. Over thirteen Covid-19 testing sites have been set up and over 5000 patients have been tested. The Gift of the Givers team members have been actively involved in the testing process. Gift of the Givers has partnered First Care Courier Pharmacy to provide a mobile Covid- 19 testing team that travels distances for mass testing. The testing team covers parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo. Gift of the Givers has purchased six ILEX pcr test machines which will be set up in specially designated Covid-19 lab facilities to speed up the testing process.
4. Provided over 70 000 food parcels to vulnerable individuals and supported over 100 feeding centres nationwide.
“Food intervention is an absolute necessity. We envisage a much greater intervention in these areas in the coming days.” – says Dr Sooliman.
5. Provided water in drought stricken areas.
“Our water tankers deliver 530 000L of water per week in the Eastern Cape. In addition we have 400 fully functional boreholes drilled over an 18 month period which provides clean drinking water daily.” says Dr Sooliman.
6. Produced and distributed material re-usable masks.
“Material masks have been donated to us as well as rolls of material. Various women sewing groups have participated in sewing masks for us. These are being provided to the health department Covid-19 contact tracing teams to hand out to high risk individuals.” – says Dr Sooliman.
7. Supplied over 40 000 maternity and baby packs to mothers on the verge of delivery.
8. Provided a toll free line to give feedback on testing and related Covid-19 information – 0800 786786
9. Provided a toll free counselling service to assist individuals with domestic and other counselling matters.
10. Placed medical volunteers on standby to intervene in a major crisis.
“Our core volunteer teams are ready to intervene in the face of a major crisis, are reviewing and studying Covid-19 information on a daily basis, and are playing a major role in testing.” – says Dr Sooliman.
11. Provided protective material for SAPS.
“Supporting SAPS has become an important consideration seeing that they are so vulnerable being exposed to those positive patients in various communities. Gift of the Givers has been supplying SAPS headquarters, various divisions of the police services and various regions with protective supplies as well as food and water at checkpoints.” – says Dr Sooliman.
12. Fifteen video laryngoscopes for ICU have been bought. The first five have been delivered to Steve Biko, Tshwane General, Charlotte Maxeke, Rahima Moosa and Sebokeng Hospitals.
13. Gift of the Givers will be supporting the eThekwini Municipality homeless shelter by paying for registered nurses to attend to 2700 individuals.
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.
Upon learning that the Umgeni River Bird Park, was under strain due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Romario Valentine (8) nobly asked his mum, Delsha Moodley, if she could help him set up a fundraiser on his 9th birthday to support the sanctuary’s “Inspire to Conserve” program. Read more.
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 changeand 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:
According to BusinessTech, over 3.8 million South Africans use Instagram.
With over 1 Billion users globally, Instagram allows you to reach a wide audience of supporters through sharing beautiful photos, engaging videos and trending hashtags.
In this guide, we will discuss the power of sharing your crowdfunding campaign on Instagram and share practical tips you can use to promote your cause.
Why use Instagram to share your crowdfunding campaign?
Instagram boasts 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook, According to ecommerceCEO
60% of Instagram users use the platform once a day, according to Sprout Social
Before posting on Instagram, consider these key factors:
Put your crowdfunding campaign link In your bio
Whether you are creating posts, stories or IGTV videos to promote your campaign, it’s important to give your followers a call to action to donate to your campaign.
How to post a link in your Instagram Bio
When posting on Instagram, direct your audience to click on the link in your bio for more information and to make a donation!
When to post on Instagram
According to Hubspot, the best time to post on Instagram is between 2pm-3pm. There is also an increase in engagements on Thursdays 5am, 11am and between 3pm-4pm.
Quintly also states that interactions are 22.29% higher on Saturday and Sunday.
Please note: You can post your campaign on any day, see what works the best for you! We recommend sharing your campaign at least 2/3 times a week across your social media platforms for the best possible result.
Visual content
Photos and videos are the language on Instagram, you will need to upload visual content in order to create a post with a caption.
Photo
Instagram images get on average, 23% more engagement than Facebook images, according to Business of Apps.
Post hi-quality photos that tell your crowdfunding story. Avoid shocking or graphic content, as this might discourage Instagram users engaging with your content.
Video
Video posts get up to 38% more engagements than image posts, according to Mention.
Post short, informative videos on your Instagram timeline to introduce the aim and importance of your crowdfunding campaign and direct users to your campaign link in your bio.
For videos longer than 60 seconds, you will need to upload your video to IGTV (more information below)
Writing your Instagram post caption
Keep your message short and specific
While you have more than 2000 characters at your disposal when writing your post caption, Sprout Social, suggests 138-150 characters will get you the most engagement (shares, likes, comments)
If you want to ensure that your full caption is visible and is not cut off by the “see more” tab, keep your post within 125 characters.
What information should your post include?
To introduce your crowdfunding campaign, make sure you answer the following questions in your post.
Whoare you raising funds for? (name, age, location)
Why are they in need of funds? (what has lead you to crowdfunding?)
What will funds raised be used for? (in a tangible way mention how funds will be used, for example “We are raising funds to purchase 100 pairs of shoes for 50 children”
Where can people make a donation? (Direct your audience to click on the link in your bio to make a donation to support your cause)
Take a look at this example below:https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MV0BgJhBk/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=12&wp=500&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.backabuddy.co.za&rp=%2Fnews%2Fsharing-your-crowdfunding-campaign-on-instagram%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A14821.220000041649%2C%22ls%22%3A9928.710000007413%2C%22le%22%3A9972.820000024512%7D
#Hashtags
Make use of hashtags to make your post more discoverable – this will allow you to reach more people who are interested in your topic.
Instagram allows users to post 30 hashtags in a single caption, to avoid your post looking like spam, it’s recommended to use no more than 10 relevant hashtags in your post.
Even including one hashtag in your post can increase your engagement by 12.6% according to PR Daily.
Creating a hashtag
To Create a hashtag, simply type # and your keyword in your post caption.
Popular hashtags to use when sharing your crowdfunding campaign
When creating a post, Instagram allows users to mention/tag other users and influencers, their location, organisations and businesses. This will notify other users to view and interact with your post.
Location is key
By tagging your area location in your Instagram post can increase your engagement by 79% according to PR Daily.
Research also shows that crowdfunding campaigns are typically supported locally – be sure to let Instagram users know where you are from!
Not sure what to say? Use this template:
We have created a crowdfunding campaign on @backabuddy to raise funds [to/for]. Funds raised will allow us to [positive impact]. Click on the link in my bio to make a donation. #crowdfunding #backabuddy #donations #fundraising #southafrica
Include:
Other relevant/trending hashtags
Tag your location
Tag Instagram users/organizations that relate to your cause
Post multiple images/videos
By creating a carousel on Instagram, you can post up to 10 images to tell your crowdfunding story and increase engagement.
Make use of these Facebook tools to promote your crowdfunding campaign
Direct Message
Make use of Instagram’s direct message option to reach out to close friends and family, influencers and organisations who might be interested in supporting your cause.
With Instagram Direct, you can send messages, photos and videos to one or more people. Messages won’t appear in Feed, search or your profile.
Instagram Stories
Posting stories is a great way to create awareness about your campaign, share updates and ensure your campaign maintains momentum.
Instagram stories are typically about 15 seconds long and stay on your profile for only 24 hours.
Why post Instagram stories to share your crowdfunding campaign?
According to The Mobile Media Lab, Instagram stories receive 2-3 times more engagement than regular posts.
According to Social Media Today Instagram stories boast over 300 million active daily users.
Before posting a story on Instagram, consider these key factors:
Place your text toward the center and bottom of the screen and keep your message short and clear.
Mention other Instagram users and organizations in your story, to allow your story to be re-posted.
Use 1 or 2 relevant Hashtags on your Instagram story to increase your visibility.
Save your story to your highlight reel, so your campaign updates can be viewed longer than 24 hours.
Share your Instagram story to Facebook
Add your story to your highlights
IGTV
With the introduction of IGTV, Instagram users can post 10 minute long videos and increase their visibility by appearing on the “Explore” tab on the platform.
Need advice for putting together your video? Read Our Guide.
GO Live on Instagram
Instagram now allows users to post 60 minute live videos. Just like Facebook live, your followers will be notified when you’re live and will be able to interact with you in real-time.
Sharing live videos is a great way to introduce your campaign, share campaign updates and milestones, conduct short interviews and provide additional information about your project.
We hope you enjoyed our tips for sharing your crowdfunding campaign on Instagram!
While Instagram is a great tool to use to reach a wider audience, it should not be used in isolation.
Take a look at our other social media guidelines below
The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre is a captive breeding facility for South African cheetahs and other animals that is situated in the foothills of the Magaliesberg mountain range in the North West Province of South Africa.
The centre prides itself on its contribution to the conservation and survival of the cheetah species through meticulous breeding (ensuring genetic diversity) and the ability to release captive born cheetahs as and when suitable space becomes available.
The facility has also played an important role in the academic arena, thus far 80 research publications have been written and undertaken through the organisation.
Veterinary support
The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre currently has over 80 Cheetah’s in their care who constantly need vaccinations and health checks.
As a non-profit organisation that receives no government funding, the centre relies heavily on sponsorship, donations and income generated from tours and the adoption programme, to subsidise their various conservation projects.
With the implementation of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation has been deeply affected financially as they have been unable to fundraise and operate at full capacity.
To secure funds to cover their outstanding vet bills that have accumulated to over R300 000 over the last 3 years, the organisation has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to appeal to animal lovers for support.
With generous support, almost R100 000 has been raised towards their fundraising target with contributions from 45 donors from across the globe, to settle their account at the Old Chapel Veterinary Clinic.
Kya and Roxanne are two of the Cheetahs at the centre that have contributed to the vet bill after suffering health setbacks.
Kya, is an 8-year-old, female Cheetah who at the end of 2017 injured her left hind leg and fractured her Calcaneus which resulted in her Achilles Tendon becoming very loose. At the clinic, X-rays were taken and Kya had to undergo surgery to insert screws and pins in her legs. Unfortunately the skin did not grow over and close her open wound, so a second surgery was needed, as well as vet care for nearly 6 months. Kya is still on the road to recovery.
Roxanne, is a 2-year-old Female Cheetah, who was only 7 months old when she climbed a tree and jumped out, putting all her weight onto her right front leg resulting in a Distel Humerus fracture. She was rushed to the veterinary Clinic, for complicated 3 hour surgery that thankfully repaired her fracture. As her elbow had to be fused, she is unable to bend it, but she has made a full recovery from her ordeal.
Make a donation to support The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre
Established in 1971 by Ann and originally known as the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre, the name was changed in 2010, to the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre as a tribute to the woman who has devoted her life to the survival of cheetahs and other rare and endangered species.
Two hour guided tours are offered daily, and on certain mornings guests have the option to book a cheetah run and guided tour package. The cheetah run offers an opportunity to witness a breathtaking high speed cheetah chase. Tours are led by a knowledgeable guide and visitors to the Centre will see a variety of animals including cheetah, King Cheetah, African wild dog, caracal and vultures amongst others.
Henry Cock
Henry Cock and with friend and supporter, Jake Franklin.
