CrowdFunding & Fundraising

Education can be a significant investment in your future, both financially and in terms of time and energy. SOIL aims for you to thrive and grow into an informed, empowered, and engaged change agent. To that end, we’d like to offer the following tips on how to draw on a larger web of support for your SOIL learning experience. Asking your friends and family—or even perfect strangers—for help with funding your education may seem like a stretch for you. While we recognize that it may not be comfortable or easy, we also believe that the choice to engage a wider support network has many benefits.

By choosing to raise funds, you will:

  • Strengthen your resolve and deepen your commitment to this learning pathway
  • Grow in your awareness of the web of support that holds you on your journey
  • Build important relationships with mentors who can hold you accountable to your learning objectives
  • Raise awareness about aspects of life you care about and important needs in the world
Photo showing a larger lizard holding a smaller lizard from falling with text Ask for help not because you're weak, but because you want to remain strong

How To Raise Funds

How do you go about raising funds? Here are some strategies that have worked well for others:

  • Write a personal letter to friends and family asking for donations
  • Create a fundraising campaign online
  • Ask someone to sponsor your program and offer to pay it forward or help them out with a related project that they care about
  • Throw a fundraising party or host an auction
Hands Holding covered with festive paint from celebration

Fundraising can be intimidating, but online platforms such as Wethetrees.com (which focuses on sustainability and permaculture education), Youcaring.com (targeted toward “compassionate crowdfunding”), Indiegogo.com, and Kickstarter.com seek to make it as simple and effective as possible to create your own Community Supported Education campaign.

For more guidance on crowdfunding, friendraising, and fundraising, check out these useful links:

9 Tips for Crowdfunding Your Education

More tips for Crowdfunding your Education

How to Write a Perfect Fundraising Letter