Acquiring funding for community and charitable activities is challenging. Many potential sponsors and event ticket buyers get dozens of opportunities a month. Events demand many hours of volunteer time and can wear out the enthusiasm of Directors and members. Two efforts are particularly well known for ending friendships and putting groups in the red - fashion shows and cookbooks. Some fundraising events are a bit tired/traditional and may no longer be able to create the interest needed to bring people out.

Making Change

Recently I was given one of the Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon coins. The quarters are a truly innovative Canadian approach to Breast Cancer awareness.

In the United States the Susan G. Komen Foundation does outstanding work for Breast Cancer. What would they think of our coin?

I called the Foundation headquarters in Texas to find out. When an elegantly professional woman called me back and I described the coin she was astonished that the Federal government would help in this way. I offered to send "samples" but she said she could just Google the coin. True, but it would not have the impact of placing a coin in someone's hand and then explaining what it was.

We discussed other ideas that were working well. I explained The Quilt Project (see Causes & Effects) and she found it on line as we spoke. She immediately wanted one of the quilts. She told me about their technique of having all their chapters report to headquarters when they had a successful event or initiative. Headquarters develops a how-to kit for each successful idea and makes all the chapters aware of the kits available.

Why waste valuable time and volunteer energy reinventing the wheel?

This is exactly the philosophy behind A Fund of Knowledge. The next day a package of Pink Ribbon coins travelled to Texas.

Share the Wealth

If you have had a successful, innovative fundraising event why not share the wealth and let others be inspired!  Email us!

For All the "Margarets" We Have Lost

There has never been a line between Women Like Me and the community it serves. It is an ongoing pleasure to be able to earn a living working on career and quality of life issues that I believe in. As you have noticed Breast Cancer is an ongoing theme on the web site. Ironically, this July my youngest cousin, Margaret, lost her life to complications of Breast Cancer.

In Canada only 2-3% of medical research funds are spent on women’s health issues.

The Margaret Fund is my first contribution to SHARING THE WEALTH.

The Margaret Fund - How it Works

When a participant in The Women Like Me Business & Networking Directory refers a colleague to the book and that person completes the listing process, the original participant receives a Networking Rebate of $5.00. Participants have the option of asking their colleague to check MF on the referral line after their name. This will allocate the $5.00 Networking Rebate to The Margaret Fund. The funds raised will be presented to Breast Cancer Research and Breast Cancer Prevention Projects. (See Book Participation Form).

The Fund will give you another positive reason to reconnect with your network. WLM can send you a personal link for your web site that will promote your referrals.

The more listings featured in the 10th Directory, the better we will all be represented.