A word on fundraising goals

Here we are three hours later, and I've already reached my fundraising goal! This is, I believe, a testament to how many people remember Bryan fondly, and want to support this endeavour in his name. It is also a testament to the fact that cancer has touched so many people's lives. It's also a testament to the fact that I set a crazy low fundraising goal.

A word about that. You may well be thinking, "Krista is a moron. Why did she set such a low fundraising goal?" If you know anything about nonprofit fundraising, you are definitely thinking "Krista is a moron. Why did she set such a low fundraising goal?" If you work at a nonprofit organization, you are probably thinking, "I may hire Krista for our next fundraising campaign, provided all the Cocker Spaniels in town are otherwise occupied." 

That...is a fair reaction. I did set the bar low. This is partly because I hate asking people for money. Not because I feel this cause isn't worthwhile, but because of the proliferation of fundraising campaigns that already barrage people every day. Ads on the bus encourage us to "text" a 5$ donation to a homeless shelter, and grocery clerks ask us to give 2$ to the Make A Wish Foundation.  I feel like people are solicited enough without being met with my pleas every time they sign into Facebook. So that's part of it.

The other reason I set the fundraising bar low is because I wanted to meet my goal quickly; I wanted people to be able to donate without the pressure of an external "goal" goading people into giving a certain amount. Fundraising goals stress me out. They remind me of watching Fawlty Towers marathons with my dad during PBS's telethon season.  Basil would be yelled at by his wife, the credits would roll, and an earnest man with a tote bag would prattle off all the reasons why I SHOULD be donating to public television AT THIS VERY MINUTE. I felt like he was talking to me and me alone. That by sitting on the couch eating Zoodles, I was not only letting him down, but the entire Western Civilization. It was all very stressful for an overly-sensitive seven year old.

But I've had feedback from people saying I should raise my goal, and they may be right. I seem to be letting my own hangups fundraising get in the way of the generosity of others. People are being exceedingly generous, and I should accept that generosity and chill out. Just because I have hangups about fundraising doesn't mean that others do. Obviously.

So, I will raise my fundraising goal to 250$. The same rules apply - I appreciate all donations, regardless of the size. Thank you again for your support, and for reading this.