All fired up
In between high school exams and college applications, seventeen year old Spencer Brodsky has found time for charity. A lot of time! Having created three webpages and raised over US$130,000 in donations, we reckon this teen can help you with your fundraising homework.
Submitted
1/20/2010
By
actnow
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751
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Updated
2/11/2010
Photographer : camobdia4kidsorg @ Flickr
Two years ago, at the age of just fifteen, Spencer Brodsky decided to do something about the crisis in Darfur. He didn’t just send out a status update or run a cake stall. He produced and sold his own DVD, drawing parallels between the Holocaust and the crisis in Darfur, and rallied support through social media and connecting with people on the world wide web. According to the teen, ‘speaking up when there is injustice was a central theme’ of the project. And that was just the beginning.
The DVD helped raise awareness about the situation in Darfur as well as raise valuable funds. Spencer sold the DVD at local events and contacted various groups for donations. He organised his own PR, contacting local media for publicity and winding up with a stint on CNN. From there the project spun into a website, a partnership with CHF International and over $130,000 in donations.
The first website was focused on raising money for Spencer’s favourite CHF International program – providing fuel efficient stoves to families in Darfur. When CHF were unable to continue their work in Darfur, Spencer turned his sights elsewhere. He now raises monies for the same CHF International project in Rwanda through his Stoves for Rwanda website.
In addition to these websites Spencer runs ‘Interviews by Spencer” – a website dedicated to showcasing Spencer’s journalistic skills. If you’re impressed by one of Spencer’s interviews with Senator Hillary Clinton, Andy Roddick or one of his other celebrity interviewees, he asks you to send a donation to his Stoves for Rwanda project. Finally, Spencer has used social media (like his Facebook following and Twitter feed) to spread the word, garner more support and add additional followers to his cause. .
Amidst these epic fundraising efforts, celebrity meetings and high school exams, Spencer found the time to talk to ActNow.
ActNow: Why stoves?
Spencer: I chose to support this program and set a goal of raising $12,000—enough to buy 400 stoves. Even though there is a shortage of fuel wood in the desert, families still rely on this resource to prepare food. To gather fuel wood, women and children leave the relative safety of their camps, up to seven hours each day, venturing into remote, often dangerous areas where the risk of robbery and physical harm is always near. Fuel-efficient stoves use 70% less fuel wood to cook the same amount of food, reducing the number of dangerous wood collection trips. These stoves are also more environmentally friendly.
ActNow: Why do you do this?
Spencer: I do this because I believe in “Tikkun Olam,” which in Hebrew means repair the world. I also believe that every individual, regardless of age, has the ability to facilitate positive social change. Knowing how much fuel efficient stoves help women, children and even the environment is very empowering and motivating.
ActNow: How do you get others onboard and excited about your campaign?
Spencer: I feel that if you put a project together to promote a worthy cause, you will not have a problem receiving support. One must reach out and be persistent. Many celebrities are looking for ways to become involved in global relief efforts. I vividly remember receiving a call this past summer, “Spencer, this is Dick Van Dyke. What can I do to help you?” Matt Damon, now working with water.org has agreed to meet with me in February – we are rolling!
ActNow: Both your Stoves for Rwanda and Stoves for Darfur campaigns seem to be social media based. Why did you choose this medium to raise awareness of your project?
Spencer: Social media has the ability to reach large groups of individuals. Facebook and Twitter afford the user the ability to choose sites, individuals and groups that interest them. There are many opportunities to connect with others interested in human rights and social justice. Additionally, this medium offers an easy way for users to join and participate in a campaign.
ActNow: Why aren’t their more young people initiating projects like these?
Spencer: There are many other teenagers doing amazing projects. I believe if I can be successful in my work, others can too. Sometimes the hardest part is just beginning.
This work is licenced under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence.
© 2008. First published on actnow.com.au
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