.Anjali (left) with Bella from StreetSmart receiving a certificate of appreciation for her fundraising efforts
10 year old Anjali takes action on homelessness through reading
Anjali’s impressive fundraiser started with a simple observation and reflection: there’s more and more people on the street needing help and support – how can I make a difference? Encouraging her to think about actions she could take, Anjali’s parents helped Anjali to research homelessness in Australia and reach out to us at StreetSmart. They wanted to ensure a localised, grassroots response to homelessness and connected with our place-based model of impact.
With a love of reading, Anjali chose a read-a-thon as her challenge, setting up a fundraising page and even producing her own video to connect with her family and friends. Within the first 12 hours Anjali had smashed her initial target of $1000, with donations from across the globe. As she finished her 60th book, Anjali had raised $2,750 and over 40 people had supported her with contributions.
”My name is Anjali and I'm 10 years old. I want to raise money for homelessness because I believe that everyone deserves to be safe and have a home. I have been seeing a lot more homeless people, and I always give them money or buy them something that they want from the supermarket or bakery but I want to do more.
Anjali, 10 years old
Start your own fundraiser
Anjali’s fundraiser showcases how the humble peer-to-peer fundraiser is a vehicle of collective awareness and united action. It’s a great example of how we can all take action and create change. We don’t need to own a company or be part of a philanthropic trust to make a difference, in fact all we need is passion and purpose.
It can be as simple as a read-a-thon, a fun-run, or hosting a fundraising dinner in your backyard. Let everyone know how much you’d like to raise and you’ll be surprised by how powerful the collective approach can be. For example:
- $1,000 helps those going hungry access food relief and community meals
- $5,000 helps provide medical outreach and support to those sleeping rough
- $8,000 helps set up eight households with all the essentials to make a house, a home
Once you’ve picked your activity, easily set up a fundraising page with platforms like MyCause, GoFundMe or Shout for Good. Our team can always support you with this step!
Share your page with everyone and let them know about your fundraiser, so they can help you reach your target!
”My advice to anyone who is not sure where to begin...don't worry about getting it right and just start somewhere. Fundraising with StreetSmart was so simple, it was a great experience for our whole family. It's helped Anjali feel confident to keep taking action and making a difference
Anuja, Parent in VIC
