It’s amazing how fast time moves sometimes. In my previous post I wrote I hoped to post again in two or three days and include a link to my RESULTS contribution page. Well, due to multiple technical issues and shifting priorities it took a couple weeks to get my personal RESULTS contribution page and a Contra Costa Team page published. It took a few more days to publish this post with the link to my personal RESULTS contribution page.
On Sunday, March 18, I sent two e-mail about my contribution page. The first e-mail was to my family and friends and included a request to read the personal stories I wrote and published on my personal page and the team page and to consider contributing to RESULTS if it made sense to them. The second e-mail went out to members of several business referral groups to which I belong with the request that they forward the e-mail to people they thought would be interested.
Once the e-mails went out late Sunday night, I thought the hard part was over. I thought at least a few of the people I sent the e-mails to would be moved by my stories and immediately accept my offer to fund RESULTS. I was wrong. Of the 47 or so friends and family and 69 business referral group members, none have contributed or passed the e-mail on to someone else who contributed to RESULTS through my page. While my goal remains to raise $1000 for RESULTS, I’m chagrined to see that with only a week and a half left in the fundraising campaign, I’ve raised exactly $0.00.
I was warned that it would likely take several messages to people before they would take action. But I thought that the ease of contributing through a website would entice at least a few people to take immediate action. I was wrong.
While I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the dearth of donations, I was mentally prepared to send out a few reminders. After getting the e-mails out last Sunday, I purposely waited until today to blog about my contribution page, so this post would serve as a second opportunity for at least some of my friends and family to contribute.
I think I’ll send another e-mail out to my friends and family this coming Sunday. I’m a little hesitant, however, about sending another e-mail out to my business colleagues. In a meeting with some of them today, I got the impression from one person my initial e-mail was unwanted.
The initial e-mail to my business colleagues was carefully worded to avoid asking them to contribute directly and instead only requested they forward the e-mail to any they knew who might be interested. If I do send them another e-mail it would be similarly worded.
Any thoughts or comments from my loyal followers on whether to send another e-mail to my business colleagues?
Hey Uncle Jim! I’ve been reading your blog here and there and I want to say I appreciate your fundraising intentions and activism! Unfortunately I’m a broke college student and can’t help financially but I’ll spread the word about your blog on my Facebook in hopes that some friends will read it and donate or gain consciousness on your topics! Thanks for the thought provoking topics and best of luck with your fundraiser!