100th crowdfunding campaign raises enough money for a Tovertafel within 10 days
Since early 2016, many care institutions have launched crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for a Tovertafel. At PCSOH-Westerkim in Nieuw-Vennep, the crowdfunding campaign was particularly special. Within 10 days, initiator Sarina Duwel and her colleagues raised the full amount! “Every morning I would wake up and check the counter. Seeing it rise again and again gave me such a thrill.”
It all started with a contest organized by optician Kriek Optiek. It was announced on Facebook that the proceeds from the winter sale would be donated to a good cause. There were three charities to choose from, but Sarina saw her chance:
“I responded to the post saying that we wanted to buy a Tovertafel at Westerkim. Kriek Optiek also thought this was a good cause, so we were added to the list. Then I tagged all my colleagues and together we won the contest.”
Building Momentum
“Now we have to keep the momentum going, we thought. We had actually already tried before, but the little donation jar at the entrance barely brought in anything. So we first requested a demonstration of the Tovertafel and were told that Tover also has its own crowdfunding website with resources that we could use,” says Sarina.
Unexpected, large donations
The crowdfunding page was just the beginning. Sarina and her colleagues reached out to local businesses, sent letters to all the residents’ families, and shared widely on Facebook. Sarina laughs: “Yes, I think people were getting a little tired of me. But it worked. Within a day, I received a response to my email from a local company: they offered to sponsor half of the amount! And then I received a mysterious private message on Facebook: could I call this man; maybe he could help? He had found out that week that his mother had dementia and wanted to help us with a donation of 1,500 euros!”
“That week he had just found out his mother had dementia, and he wanted to support us with a donation of €1,500!”
Within 10 days, the target amount had been reached, but the donations didn’t stop there. This extra money will also be put to good use, says Sarina: “We will use it to buy additional games and an extra mounting point in the large hall, which we’ll use during our festive opening.” The opening will take place in September, once the Tovertafel has been installed. All donors will receive an invitation, with special thanks to the local optician who set everything in motion.
Want to start your own crowdfunding campaign?
Use the crowdfunding platform to finance a Tovertafel with the help of your own network. We will help you create your own page where people can donate to your Tovertafel.