The best part of science class has always been the hands-on activities and experimentation – learning how and why things explode or creating your very own volcano. What kid doesn’t like to explore and discover the world around them? Unfortunately, not every kid has the opportunity to experiment with hands-on science education
Enter the BioBus! Based in New York City, this Cell Motion BioBus is a science lab on wheels that runs on vegetable oil, with several donated microscopes onboard can be powered entirely by solar and wind energy. Retrofitted with four solar panels, a wind turbine, and a green roof, the BioBus’ goal is to make science accessible to all. This mobile lab reaches over 10,000 students a year, traveling to public schools across New York City and the country.
Li Murphy is a summer intern for this incredible nonprofit mobile laboratory. With the summer coming to a close, Li’s passion for the BioBus, and how it’s driving science education to communities that lack hands-on resources, stimulated her interest in joining the Mobile Lab Coalition conference in Seattle, WA – the only meeting of this kind in the country. There was only one problem: money. “I needed to fund my own flight and seize an invitation to join in representing the BioBus at the Mobile Lab Coalition. Without Fundly, I wouldn’t have had the guts to ask for the money I needed.”
Li decided the best way to raise the funds to make her trip a reality would be creating an online fundraising page with Fundly. In just five days, Li was able to raise $1,005 ($5 over the goal) in gifts from friends, family, and others.
What tips would Li give to other Fundly users?
- Paint a clear picture. “I made sure to convey that givers would be contributing to something concrete. I needed money for a flight. Why did I need to fly? To be the best intern I could be for my nonprofit organization. How did I intend to be the best intern I could be? Use my training as a videographer to take footage of the incredible things that my coworkers contributed at the Mobile Lab Coalition Conference. I included some informational Youtube videos about the nonprofit organization and made sure to put a picture of my face with the BioBus in the background.”
- Cast a large net. “I sent a total of fifteen individual emails, posted the link three times to my Facebook wall, and I sent emails to three different mailing lists from my University student organizations. I got incredible returns and had twenty donors in the span of three days. My largest donation was secured via Facebook in the final hours before I had to purchase a plane ticket, all thanks to the flood of likes from high school friends and random acquaintances alike. I believe my page got forty-three likes in forty-eight hours. This drove my post up in the newsfeed and brought it to the attention of the person, my athletic trainer, who ended up carrying me over the edge to my goal. My campaign was over in five days.”
- Just because they gave once doesn’t mean they won’t give again. “The most important point is to send and connect to people who have backed you in the past, even just folks who gave you money for graduation. It’s a myth that the individuals who fund you once are done giving to you. In fact, it’s just the opposite, as Andrea Kihlstedt, the founder of askingmatters.com, would say. If you connect with your donors and get them excited about what you do, they’ll be your donors for life.”
- Say thanks ASAP. “Reach out immediately after the gifts are given using the great donor contact sheet that Fundly generates for you to thank and inform your donors about progress. This will spark uplifting correspondences with individuals who care enough about you to believe in your cause, and these positive messages will keep you trucking towards your goal. This type of fundraising with Fundly facilitates a wonderful opportunity to not only connect but to reconnect.”
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