Empower Holiday Crowdfunding Guide

Thank you for joining the Empower holiday giving campaign from 11/18 – 12/31. We have affectionately named the campaign, “We’re Here for You” to remind children they are not alone in their grief.  We hope you feel our sincerity when we say thank you for being there for us!

This guide includes sample emails, social media captions, and graphics that make it easy and fun to be a part of the campaign!  If you have questions, we would love to hear from you!  Please contact Sam Loutzenhiser at sam@weareempower.org.

*Empower’s campaign officially launches on November 18th—let’s make a powerful start to giving season by rolling it out together! We kindly ask that you wait until 11/18 to share and to make the greatest impact.

CREATE YOUR PAGE

• Click HERE and go to the “Create a Fundraising Page” button on the right. 
• You must have a CauseVox account to create a page.  If you have been a part of our campaigns in the past, log in, or create an account.
• Share your story of loss and love, and tell donors why you are passionate about Empower.

Talking about loss is hard, but as we say at Empower, we can do hard things.  The more personal, the more impactful it will be for friends and family who visit your page. Add your own write-up and personal photos, or simply use our write-up or photos from our GUIDE – it’s up to you! 

SHARE WITH FRIENDS + FAMILY

• Kick things off with a donation of your own (any amount counts!), and invite others to donate too!
• Send at least 4 friendly nudges — drop an email, text, or social post every week this month inviting friends + family to give!
• If someone prefers giving another way, such as through a foundation, no worries—have them reach out to Jeff Kimball at jeff@weareempower.org.

SAY THANK YOU

• Every donor will receive a thank-you from Empower, however a little personal “thanks” from you will go a long way! Let’s make them feel extra special for joining our cause!
• Know that in being a part of this campaign, every single dollar helps and 100% of all funds raised go directly to our program. So, smile and have fun knowing you are changing a child’s life for the better. 

Fundraising is never easy, but we are here to support you all along the way and have some really fun challenges and prizes to keep the momentum going! Rally the most donors on Giving Tuesday, kickstart the campaign with a crowd, or get creative on social media to snag prizes like an In-Home Wine Tasting, gift cards to your fav spots, or dinner with our Founder (just to name a few). And, for the ultimate reward, the top fundraiser will score an epic trip to New York City this Spring 2025!

Using any one of these stats can help your friends + family better understand the issues children who are bereaved face after the loss of a parent:

• 1 in 11 children (6 million) in the United States will experience the death of a parent by age 18. That number more than doubles to 14 million by age 25.
• 93% of grieving children report feeling “significant isolation” at a developmental age when they need connection and nurturing.
• In a study of teachers with students who have experienced the loss of a parent, 87% report children having difficulty concentrating in class, 82% report withdrawal and absenteeism, and 68% report a significant decline in academic performance.
• Children who lose a parent are 75% more likely to join a gang or be incarcerated.
• When death is not openly and honestly discussed, dissonance is created between what children experience and the discussions that are had around or with them, causing psychological harm.
• Complicating problems for children, widows are twice as likely to experience bankruptcy, and their income falls on average by 31%.
• Data shows that unresolved grief leads to a lifetime of complications such as those listed above, and also issues with employment, mental health, food insecurity, finances, and relationships.

When a child’s parent dies, the loss is life-changing, isolating and a potential source of a number of lifetime consequences, unless support is provided. Losing a parent shouldn’t mean losing the promise of a child’s life, and that’s why we’re here.

Confidence and resilience are built when a child whose parent has died finds relief from his or her grief through a supportive community, and learns from a mentor who has also experienced loss.

• Empower supports, connects, and empowers children, teens and young adults up through age 24 who have experienced the loss of a parent.
• Empower serves 600+ children, teens, and young adults and our programs are available in 8 regions nationwide (Southern New England, New York City/New Jersey, Southern California, Denver, Washington, DC, Chicago, North Carolina, and Southeast Florida).
• All programs are non-therapeutic, volunteer-driven, and community based and are provided at no charge to the family.
• Our support comes in two forms: Year-round Events that remind children they are not alone in their grief and a unique one-on-one Mentor Program with positive role models from the community who help show there is life after loss.

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