NAAFA POD Launches and Welcomes 100+ New Passionate Ongoing Donors!
Image description: The logo for the NAADA POD - Passionate Ongoing Donors.
By Amanda Cooper, Board Chair of NAAFA
Last month, NAAFA donor Lindsey Fowler issued a challenge to the NAAFA community. She pledged $100 for every new monthly donor we could secure for a donation of up to $10,000. Her passion for our work inspired us to create the NAAFA POD (Passionate Ongoing Donors).
Though NAAFA has always had regular donors, we wanted a way to acknowledge this very important kind of support and the people who choose to offer it. Monthly donors not only give NAAFA a regular, predictable source of income, they also signal to other donors and decision makers that people care enough about our work to commit to it for the long haul. This new support will generate $18,450 a year for our programming, advocacy and community building, in addition to Lindsey’s generous gift.
Our Fundraising Committee got excited about the idea of calling this group the NAAFA POD because it connects to a few ideas we thought really mattered. For one, a seedpod or peapod is a place where things germinate and grow, and people who give regularly make it possible for NAAFA to continue to dream and build on our programming.
A pod is of course also a group of sea mammals, most often associated with whales, an animal many fat people feel an affinity for. But what matters even more is that a pod is a group that comes together in solidarity or common cause. American society overestimates the power and influence of individuals, and between celebrity culture and the rise of online influencers, the media and even legislators often look to individuals to comment on or even define fat rights. But NAAFA is an organization, built in the proud tradition of civil rights groups and unions who have always understood that real power is built by people working together, for and with each other, taking collective action for the betterment of all. We appreciate that POD members and all NAAFA supporters want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
When we put out the call, we had no idea how it would be received. It is a tough environment for non-profit fundraising, as concerns about household finances, the election, and ongoing global conflicts have made people wary of giving, and/or already contributing to urgent causes. So we were extremely heartened by the powerful response to Lindsey’s challenge. And in the month of May, 111 of you stepped forward and became a part of our POD. We can’t thank you enough!
And the POD is always welcoming new members. For as little as $5 a month, you can become a POD member, too! It’s never too late to work together toward the world we want.