Image description: A selfie of phonebankers from 9pm last night, the end of give out day.

Give OUT YAY!

May 15, 2018 — By Lavender Phoenix
Image description: A selfie of phonebankers from 4/19 9pm, the end of give out day. A sign reads “$17,085” and “358.” Stickers on the photo say “OMG” and “Breaking News!”

Thanks to our 21 stellar fundraisers and to our community abound with ABUNDANCE, we exceeded all of our goals, raised over $18,000, and engaged over 320 people during this year’s Give OUT Day on April 19th! We also landed 1st place on the national mid-sized organizations leaderboard, granting us an extra $10,000! APIENC is deeply appreciative of all those who donated to power our work.

Max, a Team APIENC fundraiser, reflects on their experience with Give OUT Day:

Asking for things is a big fear of mine that I have been trying to overcome. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to make asks for a cause that I care so much about, while being surrounded by warmth and support of the wonderful people at APIENC. I was really apprehensive at first, but I ended up being overwhelmed by the love of all of the friends and family that I contacted. I was especially moved by the help that my mother gave in spreading the word. It felt really special to do work with her that is so closely connected to my personal identities.

Connie, who also fundraised on Give OUT Day for APIENC, shares their experience:

This was my first time participating in a grassroots fundraiser since two years ago, during my first Give OUT Day in 2016. This Give OUT Day was an opportunity to reflect on my commitment to APIENC and to the queer trans community. At first, I felt really nervous and unsure about making asks and I didn’t think I would meet the goal I had set for myself. Asking for money is very scary, so I knew that I wanted to ground my asks in values of vulnerability, abundance, and interdependence. With the support of my coach and my friends, I was able to craft an ask that allowed me to deepen my connections with people that I care about, while offering them an opportunity to support an organization close to my heart. I was blown away as I received responses to my countless emails, messages, and conversations. They reminded me of the love and support that I have in my life and they were a testament to the strong relationships that I have been fostering over the last few years. I was able to far surpass my initial fundraising goal and I am so excited for all of APIENC’s projects coming up this summer that are possible because of the work and dedication of our team and our communities.

Thank you to ALL the people who donated, posted, shared stories, and fundraised! APIENC runs on the support we get from individuals. Over 50% of our budget is individual donations, and your contributions help our leadership development work, values shifting workshops, oral history project, and more. Want to get involved with even more FUNdraising? Email info@lavenderphoenix.org.