GiveForward » Erica Trzeciak

Fundraising for Mom in Honor of Mother’s Day

Erica Trzeciak — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:37:30 +0000

There is only one day a year dedicated to the loving mothers that care for us so selflessly, when in reality, they spend much more time being caregivers than we give them credit for. Estimates of the percentage of family or informal caregivers who are women range from 59% to 75%, and the average caregiver is age 46, female, married and working outside the home earning an annual income of $35,000, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance.

Because moms are known to put the needs of others in front of their own, it is understandable that they have trouble asking for help when they are the one who needs care and support. In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, we are highlighting fundraisers that are supporting their mothers going through a medical crisis. For these three moms, the overwhelming financial and emotional support that their loved ones have shown on their GiveForward page will be better than any card or candy:

The children of Marilyn Gross (AKA Lady M) have all come together to raise $5,500 so far for her battle against a rare form of kidney cancer. Her pre-surgery mantra: “I Believe I will kick ass. I Know I will kick ass. I Will kick ass!”

Betty Goldberg‘s son, Christopher, says “I’m simply a desperate son trying to help his mom live her last days in relative peace.” He has raised almost $10,500 for at-home dialysis treatments for her to be closer to her family.

While Brenda Flowers is bravely fighting breast cancer AND caring for her 86 year old mother, her 4 children and 11 grandchildren have secretly raised over $8,000, and plan to surprise her on Mother’s Day with the news of the fundraiser.

If you know a mother/caregiver who is in need of some emotional and financial help, consider starting a GiveForward page for them to let the love and support last for more than just one day. Consider honoring your own mom by making a donation to one of these deserving mothers or any other project on GiveForward in her name.

Raising Money for Happy Feet

Erica Trzeciak — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:19:37 +0000

Sam Eaton is one of a kind, in every sense of the word, as he has a rare 16th chromosomal genetic abnormality that has no other documented cases. As a result of his condition, he suffers from hypotonia, static encephalopathy, severe speech apraxia, and bilateral skew foot; and he wants to just have “happy feet”.

His friends and family created Sam’s Happy Feet on GiveForward to raise funds for his orthopedic surgery to make his feet happy again, and free of the casts that he is forced to wear. Without the surgery, he was looking at a lifetime of worsening pain and risking the ability to walk. In addition to the care he has been receiving since birth for his feet, he receives regular speech, occupational and physical therapy. But that doesn’t stop him from being a carefree, loving, and contagiously happy little boy.

The outpouring of love and support that the community has shown for Sam has given the Eaton family the hope and financial freedom to make sure Sam has “no mo’ boo boo feet”, as he says. Please take a moment to look at the wonderful words of encouragement (and adorable pictures) on their fundraising page and send some virtual hugs their way.

Former Fire Victim Helps Another Rebuild

Erica Trzeciak — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:10:34 +0000

When the home of Ron Wallace was burning down the day before Thanksgiving, he never thought he would be visited by another fire victim who would provide him with hope to help him get through this tragedy.

But at that moment, Tara, who lost her own home to a fire in January 2011, happened to be driving by Ron’s home. She happened to be in the right place at the right time and stopped to give Ron a tote of essentials to help him take care of himself and alleviate the stress of losing his home.

The tote that Tara gave to Ron actually came from Tara’s Totes, a site she created after losing her own home to a fire. Now Tara is dedicated to creating totes of essentials to help people like Ron.

Before the fire, Ron was unable to afford to make necessary repairs to his house to qualify for insurance, so rebuilding is going to be much harder than typical families who are in the same unfortunate situation.

Tara felt that there was more she could do to help out Ron, so she looked to GiveForward.com to create a fundraising page as a place where others in the community can contribute to Ron’s expenses. Ron’s Fire Fund has created a way for members of their Wisconsin community to show their financial support as Ron rebuilds his home, and their emotional support as Ron mourns the loss of his canine companion, Klutz, who unfortunately did not survive the tragic fire.

Take a moment to check out their page and send some support their way.

World Give Day 2011 Fundraising Competition has Officially Begun!

Erica Trzeciak — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:57:26 +0000

Today is the day to start promoting your fundraiser to compete in the official 7 Days to World Give Day Fundraising Compet ition to win an extra $750 for your fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, the prize won’t come in a cute little stack of money with a bow on it like this visual display. (In all seriousness, the GiveForward team will donate $750 directly to the winning fundraising page on May 5th when the winner is announced).

Starting April 28th, the fundraisers that raises the most money throughout the course of 7 full days will win an extra $750 for their fundraiser. Each day we will post the leaderboard here so you can track the standings of the Top Ten fundraisers. Even if you’re not always at the number one spot… keep promoting your heart out– there may even be a super secret prize to another lucky fundraiser if we’re really letting the spirit of World Give Day get to our heads *wink*

This is the time to gather your friends and tell the masses! You only have 7 days to win this competition, so don’t waste any time! Promote your page by asking everyone to help be a part of World Give Day 2011 by giving to your fundraiser and in doing so, helping you win $750. The more money you raise, the better chance you have at being crowned the King (or Queen) of World Give day 2011!

Winner of the World Give Day Competition

The 7 days leading up to World Give Day were exciting ones as each day it seemed a new leader was in the #1 spot every time we checked the leaderboard. We were happy to see all the generosity and love that poured out i n honor of World Give Day to all of the deserving fundraisers on the site.

GiveForward is very pleased to announce that the winner of the World Give Day fundraising competition is:

Brian Corbett Recovery Fund

April 18th 2011, Brian Corbett from Fort Lauderdale, FL, was injured in a terrible car accident that unfortunately took the lives of two of his friends. Brian and two others were lucky to survive, but were seriously injured. At only 18 years old, Brian is fighting for his life as he suffered neck and spine injuries and now remains in critical care. The huge network of support that has come together to help the Corbett family is truly inspiring.

This fundraiser was started by Brian’s cousin, Rob who lives in New York. Starting this GiveForward page was a way for Rob to organize this community of support even though he was so far away. This solidifies the idea that distance doesn’t mean you can’t show your love and come together to help a family in need. Congratulations; we send our well wishes and LOTS of positive vibes to the entire Corbett family.

Brian’s fundraiser will be awarded an extra $750 to his page in honor of World Give Day.

Congratulations to our March Madness Winners!!

Erica Trzeciak — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:02:57 +0000

Two lucky GiveForward fundraisers have competed against hundreds of other projects to fight their way to the final round of the GiveForward March Madness Fundraising Competition to win extra $ for their fundraising efforts! We are so proud to call these two our first March Madness winners, and they are more than deserving of the title

Super Jordan – Winner of $750!

“1 1/2 year old, Jordan, is battling Leukemia. The funds will be used for Jordan’s medical costs & related expenses not covered by insurance. Jordan’s journey began on 10/24/10, when he was diagnosed with a bacterial bone infection in his leg. A few weeks later, on 11/8, they received the life-shattering news that their precious 16-month-old had leukemia.”

Saving Simon – Winner of $250!

“Simon’s mommy is raising money to help pay for surgery to help give him many more happy, healthy years to share. Simon has a bladder stone that has become lodged in his urethra. It cannot be dissolved, and must be surgically removed. This is a life-threatening ailment that must be treated as soon as possible.”

Autism Fundraising: How to Raise Money for an iPad

Erica Trzeciak — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:46:56 +0000

On World Autism Awareness Day, we thought it would be a great time to appreciate that even though there is no cure for autism, the iPad and its apps are becoming a welcome addition to the repertoire of learning tools for autistic children. One of the most prominent characteristics of children diagnosed with autism is their impairments in communication. Although traditional methods of therapy will always be crucial in developing better communication and verbal skills, a recent technological advancement is changing the scene.

Since an extra iPad is not typically incorporated into a family’s budget, many parents of autistic children are seeking other ways to be able to welcome this life-changing tool into their child’s life. GiveForward allows these families to achieve this dream; and here’s how:

- Since iPads start at $499, having an achievable goal is a key element to starting your fundraising efforts off right. We recommend starting with a goal a little higher than the price tag in order to cover fees and the cost of apps. With a concrete goal of only $750, for example, donors know that anything they can afford to give will get you that much closer to your goal.

- Expressing how an iPad could change the way your child communicates with you is the most important part. Make sure your donors know how many obstacles can be conquered with their help in getting an iPad.

- Reach out to your immediate friends and family first and tell them about this great fundraiser. Emailing only your closest network first will be very effective because they know your child best. These members of your personal community are the ones who care most about giving your child the best quality of life. Before you know it, they will be spreading the word to their friends about your fundraiser getting everyone to make a contribution in honor of Autism Awareness Month.

Since GiveForward was mentioned the in San Francisco Chronicle in December 2010, we have had an incredible number of fundraisers come to us looking to raise money to make this dream come true for their child. Parents, therapists and strangers alike are supporting this growing trend in the autism community, some raising their goal in as little as a day! We even have a fundraiser, iPads 4U, organized by the founder of a great app resource site, Apps for Children With Special Needs. It makes us very proud to see so many families able to make such leaps in communication abilities with their children because of this.

Make sure to honor April as Autism Awareness Month by providing this resource to someone you know or giving to one of the many iPad for autism fundraisers on GiveForward.com

Championship Round: March Madness Fundraising Competition Finalists Announced

Erica Trzeciak — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:46:48 +0000

GiveForward’s March Madness Fundraising Competition is coming to an exciting finish as the final two fundraisers in each category will duke it out to win the coveted prize money for their fundraising efforts. They fought their way to the top, and now were are extremely excited to announce the top two fundraisers in our 2011 March Madness competition. (Seriously, the GF staff is really pumped- we filled out our brackets before it began to compete against each other. The prize? A petite lap giraffe.)

The final competitors:

To Lani, With Love VS. Super Jordan

The final two pet fundraisers:

Emmy’s Chemo Fund VS. Saving Simon

March Madness “Final Four” Finalists are Announced!

Erica Trzeciak — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:16:27 +0000

We’re in our last week of the nail-biting competition that is GiveForward’s
March Madness fundraising competition. We’re down to the final four contestants that are fighting their way to the Championship round to win extra $$$ for their fundraiser! We now have all new match-ups for the next three days of fundraising before the final round that starts April 2.

We are proud to reveal the superstars that are the FINAL FOUR:

Super Jordan VS. MatthewRobertHeartfoundation
Emily Stueve Medical Fund VS. To Lani, With Love

And the FINAL FOUR contestants for the pet bracket:

The Manchas Fund VS. Emmy’s Chemo Fund
Miracle for baby blue VS. Saving Simon

Meet Our New Fundraising Coach!

Erica Trzeciak — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:56:10 +0000

The best part of working at GiveForward is the one-on-one interactions that we have with our users, especially when it comes to fundraising coaching. Even though every employee at GiveForward is required to send out virtual hugs to a different user every day, we like to make sure that there are people here 100% committed to our users. So we are very happy to welcome Michael Powell to our team! And here’s a little bit of information that we’re sure you are dying to know…

What drew you to GiveForward?
Stage one: the use of humor in a sea of meaningless, conventional job descriptions. Stage two: the opportunity to participate in a rapidly-growing community of love and support.

Signed headshots are available for a limited time.

What’s your favorite chia-pet shape?
Mr. T Chia, naturally.

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
The remote island of Tobal, Aur, where I lived & taught during the 2009-2010 school year.

Name your go-to Chipotle order.
Chicken, rice, black beans, hot salsa, corn salsa, guacamole

What was your favorite board game growing up? And now?
Hungry Hungry Hippos; Apples to Apples

Walk us through an ideal day in the life of Michael.
Sleeping in, going for a run, returning home to a hearty brunch and strong pot of coffee prepared by elves that invite me into a hot air balloon to fly around the world and see amazing places and people. We’d land in time for me to enjoy a mom-cooked meal with my entire family followed by drinks with all my friends.

Do you have any hidden talents?
I can speak and write in Marshallese. Also, I roll a ridiculously tight sleeping bag.

What was the most interesting class you took in college?
Viticulture & Enology

What are your top 5 favorite bands/artists?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Belle & Sebastian, Mika, The Avett Brothers, Sean Kingston

What’s your favorite thing about Chicago so far?
The varieties of food, people, and potential adventures.

Not enough fun facts for you? Check our About Us page to learn about the rest of the GiveForward team and hopefully more information about Michael is on its way!

GiveForward March Madness Fundraising Competition’s “Elite 8? Announced!

Erica Trzeciak — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:45:02 +0000

Congratulations to our Elite 8 in each category! The finalists have moved onto the next round of competition, getting them closer to a spot in the Final Four to compete for the coveted championship prize $$$!

And now… we are proud to announce the winners of the first round of match-ups who are moving on to the next step. These finalists will keep competing head to head in hopes of getting to the Final Four:

For Nancy PDJ VS. Super Jordan
Sharletta Torres – In a time of need VS. MatthewRobertHeartfoundation
Cindy Needs your Help VS. Emily Stueve Medical Fund
Heart Heroes for Josie VS. To Lani, With Love

As much as we’d like to see all our cuddly, furry friends advance to the next round; only 8 can move forward. Here are the pet fundraisers who won their match-ups and have gained a spot in the Elite 8:

The Manchas Fund VS. Helping Silvio
Abby’s Stem Transplant VS. Emmy’s Chemo Fund
Miracle for baby blue VS. Willow
Support Scrappy Doo VS. Saving Simon