Jennifer with Vanessa, Tariro's youngest sponsored student
Hello Tariro friends! In my last post, I promised to offer suggestions of ways you can get involved in supporting our work. Today, I’m writing to offer a few ideas.
Hold a benefit event
Most of Tariro’s annual donations come from community events held on behalf of Tariro in cities as diverse as Albuquerque, Boulder, Lopez Island, and Santa Cruz. Community events to raise awareness of our work, and the financial resources to enable us to continue our mission, are critical to our success, and represent one great way for you to support Tariro by giving your time to create a worthwhile event.
Houseparties
Examples of events held to benefit Tariro in the past include houseparties featuring storytellers, music, or other entertainment. If you’re interested in having a houseparty to benefit Tariro but can’t find live entertainment, we have a starter pack we can send you, which includes a CD of our students performing traditional music from Zimbabwe, as well as a powerpoint slide show accompanied by speaking points to guide you through letting friends know about the critical need for educational sponsorship in Zimbabwe, and the great work Tariro is doing in this regard.
Concerts
We have also worked closely with various musical groups, and a big portion of our donations comes from concerts held to benefit Tariro. If your group is interested in putting together a benefit show for Tariro, please let us know! Student performing ensembles and bands have also pledged to sponsor a child jointly through Tariro, whether from individual donations, the proceeds from CD sales, or benefit concerts.
Public talks
Not a musician? We’ve had great success with people hosting talks about Tariro in schools, churches, libraries, and community centers, in addition to house parties. The powerpoint slide show and talk are a perfect way to give this type of talk to raise awareness and funds for Tariro. Additionally, since I travel frequently on behalf of Tariro, it’s always worth asking me if I will be in your area in the coming year if your community is interested in having me come and give a talk in person.
Get the word out
Finally we’re in full expansion mode right now, seeking to get the word out there in as many ways as possible. If you write on a blog, please consider posting about Tariro’s great work, and refering your own readers back to our blog and website. If you think of a good print source we could be featured in, such as a local newspaper, weekly, alumni magazine, newsletter, or other publication, please let us know.
Join us on Facebook
Our online presence is also growing, and I encourage you to join us as a supporter of our causes page on Facebook, which you can find in the links section on the righthand side of this page. Once you have added Tariro to your Facebook site, don’t forget to spread the word to family and friends about our great work!
Sign the mailing list
Last but certainly not least, please visit our website and sign up on the mailing list, in order to receive important news and updates over email. You can register for the mailing list at http://tariro.org/news-updates/#joinlist
Or…
Obviously, these are only a few out of many suggestions of ways you can get involved with Tariro’s work. Please write in and let me know if you have a creative idea you would like to initiate in your community! We always welcome new initiatives to support our work.
In closing
As Tariro nears the end of the second month of our fundraising campaign, we’re pleased to have raised almost $15,000 in donations toward our goal of $40,000. Donations are welcome at any time, and are easy to make online through JustGive, a secure, non-profit donation site. If you haven’t already made an annual contribution to Tariro, please consider doing so! And for all those who have donated, I can’t thank you enough for helping ensure the continuity and growth of our work with Zimbabwean girls in communities affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty.
Tariro 