One of the things that I am privileged to experience as the author of this little blog, is that I get daily emails from YOU.
Telling me your stories.
Sharing your hearts.
Giving me a glimpse into your pain…and how you do your best to turn it inside out for good.
And I know that you all know someone who is in pain. Someone who could use some help paying those bills. Those pesky, ca-ca medical bills.
*sneers at my own pile on the desk*
And sometimes, when you get that phone call from your friend on the other side of the country, you feel helpless.
Like saying “I’m sorry” or “I can’t imagine” rings hollow.
And maybe, you have a network of family and friends you can reach out to.
And you’re itchin’ to do SOMETHING.
Help, even in a tiny way.
I want to point you to GiveForward.
You can set up a fundraiser of your own…with your friend/family member as the beneficiary.
It’s free for you to set it up.
And easy.
They walk you right through it.
The money? It all goes to them.
You never see it.
And at the end of it, they take a (small) fee and then cut a check and mail it directly to the person!!!
It really couldn’t be easier.
You can set up a fundraiser and email your entire contact list.
Post it up on Facebook.
Got a blog? Use it.
In a lot of ways, I don’t think it’s really about the dollar amount you raise.
Because can you imagine the look on your friend’s face when they realize that you organized and rallied for them?
No matter if you raised $50 or $5,000.
Tears for sure.
I love GiveForward. No. Seriously.
Their customer service is quick to respond and always helpful…and not just through email…they’ll actually CALL YOU and you can talk to a REAL LIFE breathing human!
Shocking, right?!
And unlike many sites, you can fundraise for anyone and anything. It doesn’t have to be a non-profit (although it can be)…you can fundraise for your neighbor’s trip to Disneyland if you really want to!
Now, you might be wondering: “If you like GiveForward so much, why aren’t you using them for Cliff’s fundraiser?”
I know, right?
The reason in this case, is because I’m all set up with Reece’s Rainbow…and they specifically requested we use the paypal/chipin collection method. And since it’s really their thing, and I’m just the Resident Cliffy Cheerleader, I figured I’d just do it the way they wanted it done and not complicate matters.
While I love that Chipin uses Paypal because it’s easy and just about everyone has a Paypal account, I don’t love that I can’t say “For every dollar you donate, I’ll give you one entry to win…” Because winning stuff is rad. And fun. And I like giving things away. So Paypal sucks for that kind of thing.
(FYI, Paypal considers any kind of donation tied to an entry to be against their “no gambling” rules and will freeze your fundraiser and basically make you cry while they “investigate”…but not before they threaten you with all kinds of legal mumbo jumbo. BOO.)
With GiveForward offering a raffle is not only okay, but encouraged!
And they have a blog with some great fundraising tips too.
So, all of that to say…that I’m not special. I don’t have any kind of fancy clearances or certifications to fundraise.
ANYONE can fundraise.
YOU can fundraise.
Check out GiveForward.
They’ve helped a lot of people raise some crazy amounts of money!
{Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. GiveForward has generously offered me a ticket to Blissdom in exchange for some promotional posts on my blog. But really, I’ve been a GiveForward fan and sung its praises here well before I was ever sponsored for it. I truly wouldn’t ever recomment a product/service I didn’t wholly love. For realsies.}
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boy. that would be super nice.
you know, a life rearranged. i’ve thought about that alot and thinking wow… what if something like that happened to me?
and then yesterday, when i took my almost 21 year old son in to get his three temporary front teeth installed into the implant screws in his jaw and saw the look of delight on his face when he had “real teeth” and no appliance. for the first time in TWELVE years.
it melted my ever-lovin heart.
12 years ago he was 8. playing dodge ball and a kid repayed his bad throwing skills by slamming his face into a brick wall.
the doctor retrieved two teeth from his nasal cavity.
his mouth has been a train wreck for 12 years. but that hasn’t stopped my son from smiling. or sharing Jesus with others. he’s no shrinking violet.
we got a settlement for $25,000. a third went to the lawyer.
boywonder has had 12 root canals, 6 years of orthodontia, more oral surgeries than i can count for extractions, clearing dental debris, bone grafts, tissue grafts, more bone grafts, implants, etc. if he has a break from school, by golly…he’s being sedated and undergoing another procedure.
yesterday the dentist outlayed his plans that call for four crowns and two porcelain veneers. {cha-ching!}
our settlement covered the first round of root canals and the first installment of braces. we have dental bills out the ying-yang. and the crappiest dental coverage known to man.
boywonder’s accident was an enormous life altering event for us… but it’s also been a tremendous blessing. and seeing him smile so wide yesterday melted this mother’s heart. he’s waited so long… and he’s just weeks away from having a permanent smile that will light up the room. {even though the train wreck one has been doing that for years.}
pay it forward. what an awesome idea!
purejoy´s last blog post ..hee heee heeeee…