Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share #31: How a student at UMD raised $30,000 for Students Helping Honduras through letter writing-- with Melissa Frankenberry
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
#31: How a student at UMD raised $30,000 for Students Helping Honduras through letter writing-- with Melissa Frankenberry
While studying at the University of Maryland, Melissa Frankenberry raised more than $30,000 for Students Helping Honduras. In this episode, she breaks down her process step-by-step and talks about facing her own fears when making the ask.
Show notes for Melissa Frankenberry- Melissa Frankenberry first heard about SHH at UMD’s First Look Fair where 500+ clubs on campus try to recruit members
- She was actually looking for Habitat for Humanity and instead joined SHH!
- She knew very little about Honduras
- She remembers the upperclassmen members like Nahal, Kristin, Peter, Brandon
- Melissa still remembers the first meeting still
- She volunteered in Honduras four times while at UMD
- Honduras was Melissa’s first exposure to a developing country
- She worked at Balsamo village during her freshman and senior year
- She worked hard selling grilled cheese in front of bars during weekends
- Melissa used www.fundaround.com to create an online fundraising page
- “It’s really scary asking people for money.”
- The first thing she did was craft a long email message to her family and friends
- She sent it out to her immediate circle
- It wasn’t as bad as she had imagined
- Her father’s business clients got involved and donated
- She customized the messages of each letter to personalize them
- Photos and videos were critical
- At first she wrote it “straight from the heart” but it ended up being too long
- She placed the link to her fundraising page at the very beginning of the letter and not at the end
- The subject line of the emails was important. For example, saying Students Helping Honduras instead of SHH was helpful
- Follow up phone calls and emails after each campaign was critical
- There is a Fundaround “hack” that Melissa did. She used a photo collage for each of the photo boxes, to increase the number of total photos she could post!
- Showing your passion is critical for fundraising success
- “Don’t just half-ass on the fundraising.” -Melissa Frankenberry
- “Don’t be afraid to ask for donations. People want to help.” -Melissa Frankenberry
View all episodes
By Shin Fujiyama, Social Entrepreneur, CNN Hero, Nonprofit Organization ManagerWhile studying at the University of Maryland, Melissa Frankenberry raised more than $30,000 for Students Helping Honduras. In this episode, she breaks down her process step-by-step and talks about facing her own fears when making the ask.
Show notes for Melissa Frankenberry- Melissa Frankenberry first heard about SHH at UMD’s First Look Fair where 500+ clubs on campus try to recruit members
- She was actually looking for Habitat for Humanity and instead joined SHH!
- She knew very little about Honduras
- She remembers the upperclassmen members like Nahal, Kristin, Peter, Brandon
- Melissa still remembers the first meeting still
- She volunteered in Honduras four times while at UMD
- Honduras was Melissa’s first exposure to a developing country
- She worked at Balsamo village during her freshman and senior year
- She worked hard selling grilled cheese in front of bars during weekends
- Melissa used www.fundaround.com to create an online fundraising page
- “It’s really scary asking people for money.”
- The first thing she did was craft a long email message to her family and friends
- She sent it out to her immediate circle
- It wasn’t as bad as she had imagined
- Her father’s business clients got involved and donated
- She customized the messages of each letter to personalize them
- Photos and videos were critical
- At first she wrote it “straight from the heart” but it ended up being too long
- She placed the link to her fundraising page at the very beginning of the letter and not at the end
- The subject line of the emails was important. For example, saying Students Helping Honduras instead of SHH was helpful
- Follow up phone calls and emails after each campaign was critical
- There is a Fundaround “hack” that Melissa did. She used a photo collage for each of the photo boxes, to increase the number of total photos she could post!
- Showing your passion is critical for fundraising success
- “Don’t just half-ass on the fundraising.” -Melissa Frankenberry
- “Don’t be afraid to ask for donations. People want to help.” -Melissa Frankenberry