AWARE decided to expand their current services to launch a Sexual Assault Centre so they set out to raise $30,000 in ten weeks. Jolene Tan, the Programs and Communications Senior Manager at AWARE, led her team in this effort.
To their great surprise, they raised $33,000 in one month! With the help of a compelling video, long-term supporters jump-starting the campaign, and friends sharing on social media, their first-ever crowdfunding campaign was a huge success. Let’s hear more from Jolene now.
What’s the story of AWARE & the Sexual Assault Care Centre?
AWARE was formed in 1985 and is Singapore’s leading gender equality advocacy group. It was founded by a group of women who decided that they needed to do more than make or listen to speeches about the situation of women in Singapore. AWARE was born out of their desire to create a group able to campaign for gender equality in a coherent and consistent way, basing its arguments on research and a thorough understanding of the issues.
The Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) was launched in May 2014, expanding AWARE’s previous services for women who have experienced sexual assault. SACC offers therapeutic counseling, a specialized helpline and email support, volunteer befrienders to accompany them to the hospital or police station, legal advice, and now, a drop-in center where women can consult a social worker without an appointment.
Some have found it difficult to crowdfund for sexual assault. What do you think was your most compelling fundraising tool?
A central part of our crowdfunding campaign is a video we launched with the campaign, of survivors of sexual violence sharing their stories. The women in the video talk about their experiences, about how others reacted to their story, and how coming to AWARE helped. I think the video really showed the need for a service like the Care Centre, and that powerful message helped a lot with fundraising. We also had the very kind endorsements of Zoe Tay, a hugely successful television star in Singapore, and Judee Tan, a popular comedian.
What was the Sexual Assault Centre’s fundraising need?
SACC is a new venture, and we needed to raise funds to keep it going and to keep its services free. We especially needed resources to create the new drop-in centre for SACC.
Crowdfunding was a great opportunity for us to raise funds by connecting with our supporters, and to expand our outreach by reaching new people as our friends created their own fundraising pages and shared the campaign. Crowdfunding also gave people a chance to easily contribute to a cause they believe in. Even if they didn’t have many funds to donate, they could donate smaller amounts or help us raise funds by sharing the campaign with their social circles. It turned out to be a great success – we reached our target in just a month and gained many new donors.
What were some of your concerns or fears going into fundraising?
This campaign was AWARE’s first attempt at crowdfunding, so I was a little concerned we wouldn’t have the experience or expertise to run the campaign successfully. Of course, not reaching the target was a fear, but it was quickly dispelled as we started getting support.
What were you surprised by?
I was very surprised by the speed at which the campaign grew and reached its target. Many of our supporters started their own personal fundraising pages as soon as we launched the campaign, invited their friends, and shared their page on social media many times. We’d been prepared for a ten-week campaign with lots of publicity, but with the help of our supporters, we reached our target in a month.
I was also surprised by the amounts some people donated, and by the number of people who donated! We received several really large donations, which I thought was rare for an online crowdfunding campaign. And many, many people contributed smaller amounts that helped us reach our target – overall, we had more than 350 donors!
What advice would you offer other fundraisers?
I would advise them to have a specific, strong cause that will appeal to people, that people can rally around. Another thing that worked for us was having a strong way to show the importance of the Care Centre. We created a video in which survivors of sexual violence spoke about their experiences. Sharing their stories helped us clearly demonstrate the need for the Sexual Assault Care Centre and how it helps those in need.
It also helps to get a few longstanding supporters to kickstart the campaign by making initial donations and creating fundraising pages to reach their social circles. It helps break the ice – people feel they’re joining a movement with momentum.
What’s next for AWARE five or ten years down the road?
Over the next few years, we’re going to focus on expanding our outreach. We want to have a bigger base of people who will champion the cause of gender equality in Singapore, supporting our work and starting their own campaigns and events to push for change. The services we offer to support women in need will continue and hopefully expand to reach more women.
A big part of AWARE’s work is our research-based advocacy, which we will continue and grow over the coming years, trying to bring change in both government policies and societal attitudes in Singapore.
