How I raised $5000 in two weeks

CMMB volunteer Kirollos Fares, a public health specialist, reached his fundraising goal of $5,000 in two weeks (and is now surpassing it!). Here are some tips from Kirollos on crowdfunding. 

The first and most important thing you MUST do is to share your campaign widely and repeatedly. I cannot stress this enough. People need reminders. We are bombarded by information and we miss things. Give people the chance to give.

Here are some other tips to ensure that your social media posts get maximum exposure:

1. Make sure the privacy of your campaign posts are set to “public” so that people outside your network will be able to see the posts once your friends and family share them.

Simply click on the button next to “Post” and select “Public.” Now you have a much wider potential audience.

2. Use relevant and compelling images because they are an excellent way to communicate your story and message.

3. Describe the situation in the field in a brief but powerful way and explain what the organization you volunteer for is doing to help.

How is life in South Sudan?
You can’t have a good life without good health. South Sudan, the world’s newest country, suffers from a chronic shortage of health facilities and workers.

The lack of doctors, nurses, and health workers has had a catastrophic effect on the health of its people. One in ten children born in South Sudan won’t get to live to the age of 5. (5X the mortality rate of children in Egypt) Scores of pregnant women die during birth or shortly after.

4. Include a short bio about yourself – your background and motivation – so that people who don’t know you will be encouraged to give.

Dear All, For those of you who didn’t see my previous posts or those who did and want to know a bit more, here’s my story: 

I’m Kirollos from Cairo, Egypt. I’ve been fortunate enough to volunteer in Sub-Saharan Africa (and a little bit of Asia as well) ever since I finished my bachelors. Having recently finished a Master of International Public Health from the University of Sydney, I am about to start a year adventure in rural South Sudan, the world’s newest country.

I’ll be working for CMMB, an organization that runs health projects aimed at improving the survival chances of women, children, and HIV-positive individuals.

5. Translate the post into other languages if you can. I’ve done mine in Arabic and English and that lead to an increase in social media activity, and donations!

6. Provide regular campaign updates and urge people to keep sharing your posts.

Good luck!

Kirollos Fares is from Cairo, Egypt. He is a graduate of Pharmacy and Bio-Technology who has spent the last three years volunteering and working with humanitarian organizations. He recently completed postgraduate studies in International Public Health at the University of Sydney, Australia. This July he is moving to rural South Sudan to volunteer with CMMB.