As the founder of the crowdfunding platform LaunchGood, created to empower Muslims to give and get involved in causes important to them, I’m often the first person contacted when something big happens that affects Muslims ― good or bad.
One such instance is a case I will never forget. This past Father’s Day, which happened to fall during Ramadan, a Northern Virginia teen went missing after leaving a mosque in Dulles, Va., after a late-night prayer. The devastating news came to me via Facebook from my friend Khadija, a member of that community, who asked for prayers for the missing girl.
Soon after, our worst fears were confirmed. A body was found, presumably the young girl’s. Her name was Nabra. The few photos of Nabra shared on Snapchat showed her bright smile. My heart dropped.
Messages started to flow in via iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger: Should there be a crowdfunding campaign? How can we help? Where can I donate?
Based on my experience running LaunchGood, I believe people give to online campaigns during tragedies to demonstrate solidarity with a cause and to try to make a difference in an otherwise helpless situation.
At pivotal moments like this, we have a chance to turn a sea of raw emotions into something productive. However, we must be strategic and sensitive. Our task is to act quickly in gathering information on the victim, the family, and the community while carefully navigating a painful situation.
Here are seven important steps to take when creating an emergency crowdfunding campaign:
- Find the leader. One person must manage the effort, have sincere intentions, and embrace the challenge. For Nabra’s campaign, the leader was Khadija.
- Get buy-in from others. It’s crucial to have support. Otherwise, the campaign will feel disingenuous. This means holding rallies, offering support, and otherwise raising awareness.
- Create a team. Identify other community leaders to bring on as team members. Teams increase the fundraising potential, add more credibility, and broaden the reach of your message. For this campaign, we recruited multiple community leaders, including one who had been on former President Obama’s White House team.
- Choose an effective means of communication. Quick communication is essential to getting these campaigns off the ground, and every minute counts. We often use WhatsApp.
- Move quickly and keep it simple. Ask the campaign leader to begin writing a call to action for the crowdfunding campaign. At the start, the bare necessities are most important. Details can be added as the plan develops.
- Review the plan before going live. Don’t hit the publish button before reading it through one last time. Inaccuracies tarnish credibility.
- Donate, share, and invite. The two most important steps are to make your own donation and then share and ask others to give.
That’s how members of Nabra’s community worked with LaunchGood to produce an online fundraising campaign for her family. It brought in more than $3,000 in just 30 minutes. Ultimately, the campaign raised $376,619, one of the largest this summer.
The funds raised will never replace Nabra, but we pray they bring some peace and support to her family while they try to find a way to move forward.
Chris Blauvelt is the founder and CEO of LaunchGood, a Muslim crowdfunding site.