(Apologies, this is a little late)
Welcome, Champions. And thank you for what you’re about to do. You’ve selected your cause, and you’ve joined the game. Let’s jump in to Round 2 tasks and see if we can’t make something happen.
When looking at traditional charity fundraiser activities, they generally follow a very specific structure : the charity holds a large event to gather together a bunch of people in one place to perform a certain task. Frequently, these are physical challenges – walk-a-thons, biking events, jumping rope, climbing stairs, but there are exceptions certainly (bake sales, telethons, Desert Bus). But their one unifying feature is they say “Come do this activity and help us raise funds.”
I Am Your Champion turns this statement around. Instead, you will say “I will perform this activity, if you give my charity a donation.”
What kind of activity? It’s entirely up to you. But let me throw out some examples.
“I will run a custom encounter for your gaming group, if you give $20 donation to my charity.”
“I will draw a dungeon map and release it Creative Commons, if you give my charity $100.”
“I will record an acoustic version of King Of The Road, and put it up for everyone to hear, if you give my charity $50.”
“I will knit a scarf and donate it to my local homeless shelter, in exchange for a $30 donation to my charity.”
“I will pass out fliers promoting your event, in exchange for a $10 donation to my charity.”
“I will go volunteer at your charity for 4 hours, in exchange for a $40 donation to my charity.”
By taking this approach to fundraising, Champions can put their best talents to work for their charities. Champions are not bound by the constraints put on them in large events, and nor are they bound by financial or time constraints. Champions can set their own boundaries and limits, and work toward them.
Task 1 : Set Your Goal – Spend some time thinking about how much money you would like help raise for your charity. Don’t limit yourself or get caught up in feelings of “Too Little” or “Too Much”
Task 2 – Design A Reward – Determine what you are going to offer the world in exchange for their donation to your cause. It could be one thing, it could be twenty things. The important thing is, it should be something new. Don’t offer copies of work you have already done. This is an opportunity for an act of creation. Take advantage of that. Size the reward or rewards appropriate to your goal.
Task 3 – Issue A Challenge – Once you have a goal, and a reward, it’s time to step out on the field and issue your challenge to the crowd. You are the Champion of your cause, and you have something to offer the world should someone choose to support your cause. Let people know what you’re doing, via blog post, personal conversations, fliers or skywriting. Make your cause, terms and reward clear, and dare people to take you up on it.
Set Your Goal, Design A Reward, Issue A Challenge. Complete these three tasks, and you will have completed Round 2.
Drills
1 – Find other Champions who are having trouble designing a reward. Offer your creative assistance.
2 – Find a symbol to represent you as Champion.
3 – As other Champions issue their Challenges, help them spread the word.
Questions, comments and Challenges below.
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I have nothing to offer anyone.
Comment by Erin
— February 8, 2011 @ 10:37 am
Sure you do.
I’m going to offer transcription to podcasters, either to create notes for x amount of episodes or transcribe an entire podcast. I can type, and I can listen to podcasts.
Do you play games? Are you willing to group with someone in WoW, help level a character from 1-30?
Do you play a certain RPG? Are you willing to help someone create characters in that setting?
Find something, something you do every day. I think this challenge is not finding an elite skill you have that others don’t, rather, what are you willing to spend a few hours a week doing, even if it’s mundane, to help your cause?
Comment by Michael Hasko
— February 8, 2011 @ 10:52 am
Erin, to echo Michael – sure you do. And we’ll help you figure out what it is.
Comment by Duane
— February 8, 2011 @ 11:08 am
[...] currently doing I Am Your Champion, a game/project in which you choose a charity and support [...]
Pingback by Reading Dagon — Thieves Of Time — February 8, 2011 @ 1:55 pm
I’m going to read Dagon.
http://www.thievesoftime.com/news/?p=143
Comment by Graham
— February 8, 2011 @ 1:56 pm
Nah, it’s cold in Minnesota, so it’s not like I can hold any outdoor events, and even then, I don’t even know how to organize a city wide event. I play no RPGs, and it’s not like my friends will give me money, they’re more broke then me!
My favorite hobby is parkour, but nobody else is interested in it here in this town, so I can’t offer that. If I could play a music instrument I would and leave a box…
I guess I’ll sit this one out. Maybe I can throw in some of my own dosh?
Comment by Erin
— February 8, 2011 @ 3:39 pm
You don’t need to execute your reward by Friday – you only need to design it. It won’t be cold their forever! As for your friends being broke – don’t let that stop you. The world is a big place, and I’m certain you can find supporters. You may want to start with a small simple goal. Even ten dollars.
Know anyone with a camera? You might consider offering some specialized parkour videos.
You can always offer your volunteer time at a local charity chosen by a supporter of your own. (More about this sort of thing tomorrow).
If you have regular access to a computer you can offer a number of things like research, transcription, or even encouragement in exchange for donations to your cause.
Comment by Duane
— February 8, 2011 @ 4:19 pm
Oh really? That really opens things up. Hmm…
I think I have a plan but I don’t think I’ll have the contacts to execute it until like two years from now. Is that okay? <.<;
I was thinking maybe me and a bunch of guys could run some sort of parkour for charity thing. Kind of like those running for charity things? That'd be cool.
Comment by Erin
— February 8, 2011 @ 4:41 pm
So just a few ideas here, working off the parkour angle.
Is there anything you can do indoors that would allow for an intro to parkour thing? Like, donate x and I’ll spend an hour teaching you some basic intro stuff? Or, if I reach a certain threshold, I’ll release an instructional video on youtube showing you some intro parkour things once the weather allows for it.
Comment by Michael Hasko
— February 8, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
Well, to be honest, I don’t think I’m quite good enough to be teaching others quite yet. And there are plenty of tutorials that do a fine job of teaching on youtube already.
Comment by Erin
— February 8, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
http://www.haskonomicon.com/blog/2011/2/8/yo-i-heard-you-like-text-so-i-put-text-in-your-podcast.html
Wherein I set myself up to listen to things and type a lot…all for the kids.
Comment by Michael Hasko
— February 8, 2011 @ 5:22 pm
Erin,
I had an idea driving home about taking people on a virtual hike or run. I haven’t fleshed it all out yet, but it was something like picking a good local hike or some good local obstacles, and shooting POV video as you go through them.
Something like that anyway.
Comment by Duane
— February 8, 2011 @ 7:45 pm
For my reward I’ll be creating a PDF fantasy broadsheet/newspaper that GMs can use for inspiration or hand to their players and say “you find this”. It’ll be full of plot hooks, adventure locations, items and NPCs. It’ll be free for everyone, but if you donate, I’ll name an NPC in one of the articles after you or your character. I’ve got a few levels of rewards, so you can have an adventure location or an artefact named after you too, a longer article or series of shorter articles on a theme you’re interested in.
http://www.pyresofvam.com/announcements/i-am-your-champion-act-for-peace/
Comment by Mockingbard
— February 10, 2011 @ 3:19 am