We're always grateful for any funds that can be raised on our behalf. Whether you are organising a concert or running a marathon, your profits or sponsorship can make a real difference to people in the slums of Delhi. Fundraising at public occasions has the additional benefit of allowing other people hear about Asha and its work. Just email us or go to the Contact Us page if you need any leaflets, brochures or other means of letting people learn more about what we do.
Below are a few ideas to get you thinking...
Sponsored events are a great way of raising money. You could be sponsored to not do something for 24 hours (speak, eat, smoke etc) or for doing something continuously (singing, chess-playing, walking). Sporty people could do a sponsored swim, run or cycle ride, or more adventurous people could do a bungee jump, skydive or climb a mountain - there are unlimited possibilities!
Some of our supporters have had great success raising money in schools. Perhaps your school decides to support a different charity every year - if so, you could ask them to consider Asha next time they choose one. Other people have asked primary school children to bring in a small amount of money each, and they have also drawn pictures and written letters for children in our slum areas. The children are overjoyed to receive these things, and it can often lead to ongoing links between schools and slum areas, with the children learning a lot from each other.
If you sell anything on online auction site such as Ebay, hold a yard sale or a car boot sale, you could pass the profit on to Asha. If you're selling items in person, make sure that people know that the proceeds are going to a very worthy cause and buyers will be less likely to haggle over the price!
Find a venue that you can use free of charge and then have a barbeque, a themed evening or just a party and charge people to attend. You could hold a raffle at the same time and raise even more money. One organisation has found a way to make this easy - you can go hold a dinner party and raise money for Asha through Friends of Asha (GB) by visiting www.dinner4good.com.
Once you've thought of something to do, JustGiving can make collecting money for your efforts really easy. It's simple to set up a fundraising page through JustGiving and email the link to all your friends and family.
Anyone with debit or credit card can support you, wherever they are in the world. Our Friends of Asha group for Great Britain can be found at www.justgiving.com/friendsofasha, and there is also a USA fundraising page at http://www.firstgiving.com/npo/12202.
Getting involved with Asha was a turning point in my life. I became part of the women's group where I realised that there were other women like me, and we can be listened to and our views consulted. The confidence I gained has given me strength to help so many people.
Noorjahan, CHV and midwife, Seelampur
