Many NGO run schools are doing great work with educating girls from marginalized backgrounds. The core idea is to empower women through education. However, one key aspect is often missing from school education – how to handle finances. The only universal financial training women in India ever receive is that their bodies as well as their property belongs to a man. This is doubtless a patriarchal ploy to keep women from possessing property as this could be a threat. To counter this threat, growing girls need to be educated about financial rights, benefits and money matters. Crowdfunding such classes are going to go a long way in making women financially independent.
What can and cannot be discussed under financial literacy? Inheritance laws and property laws can be explained, as many women are still deprived of their inheritance by the male members of their family. Students should be given hands on practical advice on investment and income taxes, things that are never discussed in schools and things that we increasingly need as we keep growing older. In case of schools which are run by NGOs and where most girls come from marginalized communities, knowledge about small scale investment and government schemes is helpful too. These are things all women need at some point of time in their lives. NGO fundraising can change all that. Crowdfunding has changed a lot of things in the medical sector. Crowdfunding for education too, has caught on with NGOs and other charity institutions taking to the process to fund their own initiatives. This would be a great way to do something important and has the potential to get many donors. However, you need to pitch the idea carefully so that people can understand you clearly. Here are some things you can do:
- Make sure you choose the right crowdfunding platform. You should choose a platform that has experience with crowdfunding education. Your platform should be able to provide you with a campaign manager. Impact Guru is one site that provides all of these.
- Write your fundraiser well. In your fundraiser, delineate your project the way you imagine it. However, it should be backed by some practical research too. You should also provide a budget in your fundraiser. It is a good way to convince people that you know what you are talking about.
- Education crowdfunding is not just about writing your fundraisers. You should also have a clear idea of where to hold your classes and who will hold your classes how many times a week. These things are important in order to get contributors.
- Try crowdfunding with a team who are dedicated to your cause. This gives your fundraiser larger outreach on social media. This means that you get to cut across social barriers existent in the virtual world. Ask your team to post and share information about your project as much as possible. Write to people on direct messages as much as you can.
- Publicizing is not just about social media. You should also explore email, text messages and phone calls. These are out fashioned but solid ways to reach people.
- If you think that one fundraiser will not give you as much visibility as you want, consider creating support fundraisers which will raise a portion of the target amount. These can be publicized by your team.
Crowdfunding is low risk and low investment. It is a great way to educate young girls about money.
