RainMaker Fund... Disburse!

The "Make It Rain for Change" Challenge is on! What will our 35 ChangeMakers do with $10?

We have $350 in the RainMaker Fund.

It’s time to make it rain!

This week, I counted up our RainMaker Fund dollars plus my contribution and realized we could do something fun, innovative and impactful. And, we could do it this year.

With $350 in the RainMaker Fund thanks to the paid subscribers to this very publication (wow!), I have asked our 35 ChangeMaker organizations:

What kind of impact can you make in the lives of the people you serve with USD$10?

And, so the challenge begins. How far does $10 go in Africa? We will see! All ChangeMakers participating have agreed to send me back their written reports with pictures. So, you can look forward to lots of intriguing updates the rest of this year as reports come in.

Choose your own adventure…

For those of you who are new to RainMaker & ChangeMakers, stay for a little background and context to the project, premise, and proposition.

If you’ve been here from the beginning, feel free to skim to the end for a preview of what some of our ChangeMakers are planning. Or just wait for our “Make It Rain for Change” Challenge Posts!

The RainMakers & ChangeMakers Proposition

It was a 61-day challenge… project… definitely a challenging project!

I drew and wrote 61-days straight featuring 61 individuals affiliated with 35 organizations doing incredibly community development work in the fields of permaculture, climate change, arts, education, and skill building. Almost a quarter of the interviews were refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in settlements/camps in Uganda or Kenya. Click here for the directory of people and posts!

Here’s my original post before the madness began!

Welcome: RainMakers & ChangeMakers

After I completed the 61-day portrait and storytelling project on July 31st, I realized I had so much content and there was so much potential, that it was worth kicking it up a notch. With the support of the people I interviewed, I… well, really, we… decided to launch an experiment.

The need

ChangeMakers are operating on thin to no budgets. Resources are scarce. I’m in no position to fund all of them. Our ChangeMakers, due to many obstacles and challenges, are unable to start, sustain, and/or receive paid subscriptions on Substack (read why here!)

The question

Could I successfully leverage my Substack publication’s paid subscription function to raise funds to support these groups going forward?

Without the answer in front of me and nothing to lose (and only gains in sight for people who need it the most), I decided it was worth a shot.

CrowdFunding, Substack Style: RainMaker Fund

So I did it. I turned on paid subscriptions in August. And, I committed to sharing the challenges and successes of these amazing people here on this publication going forward.

I also launched the GiveBackStack Directory as a side project, hoping that there were other Substack publications out there with a charitable giving mission. Turns out there are! Check out the Directory which is now 17 strong (including my two publications).

The GiveBackStack Directory

I requested readers and supporters to consider upgrading to a $5/month subscription, annual or founding membership. Here’s my post from August 8th, just 8 days after finishing my marathon art and interview project.

61 Days of RainMakers & ChangeMakers

Here’s a short visual explaining how the Fund works:

Six RainMakers Stepped Forward!

Honestly, I was shocked. For people to step forward with donations meant the world to me and our ChangeMakers. It meant we had a chance at meeting the need.

One is a founding member, three are annual subscribers, and two are monthly subscribers (one at $5/month and the other at $15/month, which was my original paid subscription amount; they kindly kept their contribution at that level).

While our goal is still the equivalent of 70 monthly subscribers, we are all so thankful and appreciative of the generosity of these six. Consider joining us, we have big plans! Read on for more!

Fund Status Report

Paid subscriptions received to date have built a RainMaker fund worth $335 (gross subscription fees; I contribute the Stripe and Substack fees back to the Fund).

While we have not (yet) hit the paid subscriber level I was hoping for (the equivalent of 70 monthly paid subscribers), I decided this…

It does not do anyone any good to hold onto the funds we have already raised.

So, I added another $15 to the pot to top it off at an even $350. With $350 in hand, each organization I highlighted this summer¹ will get a one-time donation of $10 by the end of November.

Preview of the “$10 Make It Rain for Change” Challenge

Already ChangeMakers have been telling me what they plan to do. Here are a few of their ideas already:

• Belinda Akongo of Ubuntu Ghana has a “Slippers for Street Kids” fundraising initiative.

• Jenipher Nyangah of Kakamega Days for Girls plans to purchase 4 fruit tree seedlings for a local school.

• Polydord Wasokye of Life Skills for Better Future hinted that he will be supporting his child artwork and psychosocial support activity program.

I can’t wait to see what they all plan to do with $10! Can you? Subscribe now so you don’t miss the updates! Or upgrade your subscription so that we can start to rebuild our fund for next year’s “Make It Rain for Change” Challenge!

If you’re not interested in subscribing or upgrading but wish to make a one-time contribution, the button below will take you to the “Buy Me A Coffee” page that I set up specifically for one-time RainMaker Fund donations.

Full List of ChangeMaker Organizations

Wondering who our 35 ChangeMakers are? Here is the list! More information and the full directory of articles can be found here and in the Archive.

1. GoGreen Social Initiative, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

2. K5 Village, Kenya

3. Iganga Women & Children Center, Uganda

4. Kotengu Village Project, Kenya

5. Hope for Ethiopia Permaculture, Ethiopia

6. Thuchila Youth Empowerment Network, Malawi

7. Kakamega Days for Girls, Kenya

8. Kunyasa Dimba Eduplant Inspired, Malawi

9. Life Skills for Better Future, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

10. Kwetu Regenerative Hub, Kenya

11. Nakivale Crafters Collective, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

12. Dolls & Lions, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

13. SHISABA Water Initiative, Kenya

14. Social Action for Vulnerable Individuals, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

15. SheGenerators Hub, Kenya

16. TeleMed, Uganda

17. Nakivale Young Talent Community, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

18. Healing Circle Arts, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

19. Stella Amuge, Social Impact Researcher/ Sector 39 Permaculture

20. New Talent for the Best Future, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

21. Regenerative Agriculture for Community Empowerment, Kenya

22. Future Within CBO, Kenya

23. SURE, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

24. PermoAfrica Centre, Kenya

25. Sustainable Innovations, Kenya

26. Uganda Permaculture Institute, Uganda

27. Agape Hope for Kibera, Kenya

28. Ubuntu Ghana

29. WasteFree 23, Malawi

30. Teso Advanced Permaculture Association, Uganda

31. Life Foundation, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

32. Folona, Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda

33. Never Again International, Canada/Democratic Republic of Congo

34. Yesterday Today Tomorrow, Uganda

35. Kevin Kamau’s Animal Rescue Initiative, Kenya [see below for our 35th]

Kevin who work for Kwetu Regenerative Hub was one of the interviewees this Summer. As such he didn’t officially count as an organization. Since this Summer, though, Kevin has been working to save the lives of animals in his community with a dream of opening up a dog rescue. With a mission like that, I had to add him as our 35th ChangeMaker!

Thank you for reading. I’ll be back soon!

Be well! Make it rain, create some change!

1. Originally there were 34 organizations but now there are 35 because I decided to count Kevin Kamau who has started a dog rescue initiative!