Even If You Didn’t Reach Your Fundraising Goal, Your Voice Matters
While advocacy can be empowering, there are also moments where it can leave you asking, “Is anyone even listening?” When it comes to the fight against human trafficking, there are times when it feels like you are speaking to the void, which is especially apparent on social media. Have you ever experienced this? I know I certainly have.
Back in December, thousands of advocates joined together from all over the world. We’ve raised over $2.5 million so far this campaign season to fight human trafficking and counting—fundraising is still open until the end of this month.
If you participated in our Dressember 2020 style challenge and made a fundraising campaign page, we see you, and we thank you for stepping up and joining this fight! With advocating for freedom comes some challenges. There may have been moments when people asked you questions like: “What does a dress do anyways?” or “How does your tie really fight trafficking?” Or perhaps there were days that you felt like you were “too much” or “annoying” on social media while you posted about trafficking for the 15th time in one month. And maybe when it was all said and done, your fundraising goal wasn’t met.
If you have been feeling discouraged about not meeting your goal, know that you aren’t alone and that a difference was still made as you shared your dresses, ties and facts all month long.
Fundraising brings change, yes, but education and awareness are also a necessary part of this fight.
In a world that is filled with people who are “Insta-famous,” it could feel particularly draining to advocate even when you don’t have much of a following. Know that whether you have 5 followers or 500k followers, there are actual human beings impacted by your posts. Oftentimes, this impact goes unseen. You may not be able to see how far and wide your post went. This is because we typically don’t know if someone read it or if they cared at all! However, what we do know is that you showed up anyway. Whether or not you know about it, at least one person learned about human trafficking through your posts.
The dollar amount is not the only indicator of the impact you had on the community around you.
Thanks to advocates like you, communities all over the world are able to learn the truth about human trafficking. After a year like 2020, this was of utmost importance. With COVID-19, racism, and economic hardship all having a tremendous impact on human trafficking, this fight is more essential now than ever.
So here’s to throwing those lies out the window that you didn’t do “enough” this year. You showed up, you shared, and you brought awareness to human trafficking, and there is NOTHING that will take that away.
The harsh reality is that advocating can be lonely, and it could leave you feeling so tiny. Don’t buy into the lie that your voice doesn’t have an impact. Pick those dresses and ties up and continue this fight because you have already made a difference, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
About the Author
Shannon Haupert is originally from the West Coast and is now navigating life in New York City. You can find her anywhere with a journal in one hand and snacks in the other. She is passionate about sustainability, human rights, and creativity. When she's not writing, she spends her time working as a nanny, exploring the city, and drinking far too much coffee along the way.