This pandemic is giving us the platform to prove we are all builders. From our homes, we’re building new solutions to help us connect. What would it look like to leverage this creative pursuit of connection to build meaningful impact for others in the middle of this historic moment?
This is why we created the Neighborhood.
The Neighborhood is a community of monthly donors who are safely housing some of the world’s most vulnerable families. Right now, this looks like providing rent relief for families facing eviction due to losing their jobs to COVID-19.
When you join the Neighborhood, you’re invited to form a team to help you include your community and make a collective difference. This team page is an easy-to-use, customizable template that makes donating simple. Here are a few ways we have seen members of the Neighborhood form teams and make an impact together:
Social Media Posts
Jennifer rallied her team to raise $2,045—enough to fund rent for two families! Here’s how she raised funds entirely through social media posts:
“What helped me the most was frequent social media posts of updates and gratitude. As much as I typically don’t enjoy them, I would do selfie Instagram stories updating my community on our progress, creating a sense of urgency, and inviting them to be a part. People love seeing their friends’ faces right now!
Also, I would be very specific with my gratitude. I would tag all of my friends who donated and shout them out in my video updates. When my friends knew who was joining the cause, it made it more exciting for other friends to join as well. $2,000 on my own seemed impossible, but together, it was easier than I expected.” —Jennifer
(When you join the Neighborhood, our team provides you with assets along the way to make sharing easy. Here are a couple of posts to help get you started.)
Fitness Challenge
Some members of our team ran a half marathon to raise over $4,000 in one day! We made a public google sheet where family and friends could write in their name to sponsor a mile for $20. A giving link was on the sheet to make it easy for anyone to donate.
“Since many gyms are closed, I noticed more people are walking or running their local streets to stay active. I thought a ‘race’ that we ran in our neighborhoods, for the Neighborhood, would be a simple way to make a difference as a team.” —Luke
Some of us even ran the half marathon in an unconventional—but more manageable—way by running one mile an hour for 13 hours. In between the hours, we would do fun and productive activities around our home and enter what we did into the google sheet to help our donors feel more connected with the activity and the cause.
The more transparency and inclusivity we could provide, the more people were likely to be a part of our team.
Virtual Auction
Something Bold, an Atlanta-based jewelry shop, held an auction through Instagram. Atlanta businesses provided the shop with art, food, and experiences that were sold through Something Bold’s Instagram account (@trysomethingbold).
Each item was auctioned off with its own post, and anyone could comment with the amount they were willing to pay for it. After auctioning off nearly 40 items, Something Bold and the Atlanta community raised over $3,000 for the Neighborhood!
Freelance Services
One freelance photographer offered “porchtraits” for families as a way to raise funds for the Neighborhood. These at-home porch photo sessions gave families a unique way to connect while supporting this local photographer and the Neighborhood.
“More families are at home together for a longer season than we have ever seen. I thought these photoshoots would be a special way to break up the monotony of the days and give the families a fun memory to look back on once we’re all past this difficult time.” —Robert
Work looks different for all of us, but consider what it would look like to offer your services in a way that benefits your neighbors and the Neighborhood.
We’re thankful for the Neighborhood members using creative means to build impact together, and we’re excited to see how you will do the same with your community. The average rent of the families we’re supporting is around $1,000, making it a great goal to start with. While $1,000 seems like a lot for you to donate on your own, it is a feasible amount for you to raise with your family and friends. Your community wants to make a difference. Create a team today to help them help their neighbors.