Random Opportunities for Kindness

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BT supporters have come across our cause in more ways than we are even aware of, so it comes as no surprise when Ellie Chernosky of the University of Texas at Austin contacted us out of the blue about getting involved. As philanthropy chair for her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, she was looking for a meaningful cause for the chapter to get involved with. She was researching online when she stumbled across our small but mighty organization.

She was taken with BT’s purpose and knew that it was the perfect cause for Kappa to rally around. In an email that she recently sent us, she said that after exploring our website—particularly www.calculateit.org—and learning about our other active college chapters, she was excited about Building Tomorrow’s mission and all the ways there are to fundraise and tell others about the cause. Ellie “loved that people could see directly where their money was going” and that 100% of funds raised by students go directly to building schools in Uganda. With the large support-base of the 150 girls in her chapter and the Greek system at the University of Texas at Austin, she saw the huge potential for getting others engaged and excited about BT’s compelling cause.

But as with any college project, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Our college chapters have often run into the obstacle that students who don’t often have much cash to spare are therefore tight-fisted with their wallets. Ellie’s solution to this problem was to translate her chapter’s efforts into real, understandable change. Kappa Kappa Gamma’s first fundraiser for Building Tomorrow was a guest lunch to spread information about the cause while asking for donations. This first effort raised around $250. While some were less than enthusiastic about that number, Ellie encouraged her KKG sisters by reminding them that the amount would pay for 2 chalkboards in a school. Even just $1 can buy 10 bricks in Uganda, proving that every little bit truly makes a difference.

The Kappas at the University of Texas at Austin took there small success and ran with it…literally. With the powderpuff football game the girls hosted in the spring and and their continuous efforts to fundraise online through their I am Building Tomorrow pages, they’ve raised $25,302 this year and show no signs of slowing down. Ellie has said that the legacy “of having a ‘Texas Kappa’ school in Uganda” has really fueled the excitement for the cause. Now there is an excellent example of how something can start small, but can grow into something amazing with some focus and unceasing motivation.

Learn how you can get involved and/or start your own chapter.

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