The Annual Chapter Contribution directly supports Global Brigades’ year-round holistic development work. Use this guide to get informed about where the funds go, and learn how to execute awesome fundraisers in order to meet the fundraising deadline by December 31st! Your Chapter might even get featured!
As an organization that mobilizes 9,000+ volunteers annually, it’s impossible to discredit the impact volunteers make during the time they spend in-country on their brigade. Not only do volunteers serve as a catalyst for project implementation they also are the primary donors behind the projects themselves. In order to participate in a brigade, each volunteer fundraises for their program contribution, which covers everything needed for a successful brigade including all program-specific supplies (medications for Medical & Dental brigades, cinder blocks for Public Health brigades, etc.). Although each individual program contribution ensures projects are completed during brigades, what happens when volunteers are not in-country?
In order to guarantee that the program teams can perpetuate projects year round, all Global Brigades chapters fundraise at least $1,500 towards the annual chapter contribution. All donations made toward the annual chapter contribution directly support program specific funds that fund the year-round execution of that program. For example, the annual chapter contribution for the Medical program provides year-round healthcare in GB partner communities through training community health workers, connecting patient referral patients to the necessary healthcare services, and conducting year-round follow-up visits.
These program funds are an essential component of Global Brigades’ Sustainable Transition Plan. Once a partner community has met specific health and economic development goals and brigades are no longer necessary, GB transitions projects fully to the community and offers follow-up with local staff. The success and impact we have as an organization is now in the hands of our chapters; the more that chapters fundraise for their annual chapter contribution, the more impact we can have on the ground.
In effort to promote chapter fundraising efforts, Global Brigades is launching our first annual chapter contribution fundraising campaign. Throughout the month of December we will highlight the top fundraising chapters, share fundraising ideas, and feature program initiatives that each program fund is supporting. Is your chapter in the running to be featured? Here are some tips and the important FAQ in order for you to get started:
- What is the fundraising deadline for the Annual Chapter Contribution? Chapters brigading in 2017 need to fundraise their Annual Chapter Contribution by December 31st, 2016.
- What if we think our chapter can’t meet the fundraising deadline? Do not fret yet! There are still two months left to fundraise. Get your leadership team together and create a fundraising plan. Not sure where to begin? Contact your Chapter Advisor or Program Associate and they will be happy to facilitate a brainstorming session. We believe in you and you should believe in you, too!
- What fundraisers have worked for other GB chapters? Café Holísitico is Global Brigades’ dynamite fundraiser. Café Holístico coffee sales provide chapters an opportunity to fundraise for their annual chapter contribution while supporting the economic development of rural coffee farmers. Chapters have the option to sell Café Holístico coffee by the cup or by the bag. For more information on how to order or to determine which Café Holístico coffee sales method will work best for your chapter, complete this contact form and one of our coffee representatives will reach out to you. If coffee isn’t your thing, check out other fundraising strategies on the Volunteer Resource Site.
- Why is this a chapter fundraising goal? In the past, a portion of each volunteer’s program contribution was allocated to year-round project continuation. However, from a budget standpoint, it was very difficult to predict the number of volunteers each program would have a year in advance. Although volunteer numbers per program have fluctuated, chapter numbers have remained fairly consistent. Because of this, Global Brigades decided to have all fundraising goals that support program continuation and sustainability to be associated with the chapter.
How do we donate towards our chapter’s annual chapter contribution? Each chapter has an annual chapter contribution that is updated live on the Global Brigades dashboard. These fundraising campaigns are housed under the chapter section of the dashboard/website.
