We are in trouble. Will you help us?

We’re looking for a few heroic individuals to act as fundraisers for Niños Del Sol.  Will you help?

The Problem

We’ve been losing donors steadily since the beginning of the pandemic and not picking up new ones because tourists aren’t visiting the Casa like they used to. We’ve lost more than half our income.

Here’s a rough overview of our finances to give you a picture of our problem:

$ 8,000 = What we need to pay the bills every month (rent, food, staff, education)

$ 3,200 = The amount we have coming in now from regular monthly donors, minus fundraising and bank expenses.

There’s a shortfall of nearly $5,000 a month. We have to choose between paying staff and paying rent at this point.

In short, we’re desperate.

Our program works

One after another, our kids are graduating college and moving into jobs in their fields. Here are eight of our most recent grads:

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We’re down to just nine kids who need to finish school — but college is expensive. We’ve cut our budget dramatically — even moved the remaining kids into a smaller home — but we simply don’t have enough revenue to keep things going for these remaining nine dreamers.

We only need TWO MORE YEARS to finish our work! But we can only get there with your help.

What We Need You To Do

Last time we were this desperate was 2017. A few of our supporters reached out to their friends and family, and they led us into an era of prosperity that didn’t end until the pandemic. We still speak their names in awed voices — but they were normal people just like you who cared enough to help.

We need you to reach out to your friends and family. Tell them the story of your connection with Niños Del Sol. Let them know why you’ve chosen to become part of our Global Family, and ask them if they will commit to even a small monthly donation.

Asking for money is hard, but remember — people want to help, and they often don’t know where they can make a big difference with a small donation.

We’re hoping each of our Heros can persuade 10 friends to donate $25 a month, for a total of $250 per campaign. But we’ll be thrilled with whatever support you can bring in!

Step By Step

We’re using the same tool we used in 2017. It’s called Rootfunding, and it lets you set up your own fundraiser for the Niños. You’ll be able to set your own fundraising goal and add your own text or images. to your page. It’s your own campaign!

Step 1

Click this link to open our main Rootfunding page and click the “Branch” button

NOTE: If you want to use some or all of the text from our main page, you’ll need to copy it so you can paste it onto your branch page — it doesn’t appear there automatically.

Step 2

Fill out your name and email address and choose a password. You’ll be taken to your new campaign page.

Step 3

Use the “edit” buttons to add your own text and images and set a goal. I recommend leaving our video as the default, since it explains our program so you don’t have to type so much.

People can see your photos when they click through the gallery, and your image will show up when you share your page to social media. Photos of you with the kids are ideal, but share whatever you’d like.

If you’d like to see an example of a personalized campaign, click here to see the one I created for myself.

Step 4

Share your campaign on social media and/or by e-mail with your contacts and friends, using your own words and speaking from the heart.

Step 5

Follow up.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response right away. Sometimes people are interested but they don’t have their debit card handy or don’t have time to sign up right away. It often takes several messages to get people signed up.

In my experience, campaigns work best if you keep sharing two or three times a week for the next month or two.

• Share a story about your time with the Ninos
• Give a reason why you think this is a great charity to support
• Remind your friends and family that they can change someone’s life with just a few dollars
• Thank someone who has signed on as a donor
• Let your friends know how much more you need to reach your goal.

If you have any questions about using the Rootfunding campaign tool, you can call or e-mail Sandy Ungar at sungar@rootfunding.com or 888-766-8386 Ext 201. She is so helpful and knowledgeable, and really wants to see us succeed!

Thank you always for your support and love. We’ve kept these Ninos going so far with nothing but your love and a series of miracles, paired with the hard work and sacrifices of Viviana and Avishai. It’s time to finish our work!

Lauren