As a privately funded organisation we have always relied on our community of donors and fundraisers to support our operations and make the life saving work we do at sea a possibility.
The engagement of our donor society and their commitment to advocating on our behalf is what makes them so special. We have an incredibly active network of individuals, social groups and families who not only click the ‘donate’ button but truly interact with the issues and are an ever present part of the MOAS team. We love to follow the fundraisers and donors as they engage their own communities, spreading the word of our work, raising much needed funds, and bravely representing us at the front lines of dialogues surrounding migration and search and rescue more widely.
In order to help our supporters we have been trying to offer them more support and guidance as they seek out information to explore different aspects of migration, look to learn through testimonials and stories from on board, or spread word of our work and operational activities. To this end we have been putting an incredible amount of work and effort into our blog page, both the series as well as one-off pieces designed to inform and inspire. We have recently kicked off a podcast where interviews and stories from world leading experts are curated especially for our supporters.
Perhaps our most ambitious project launch in this regard has been the launch of our very own crowd-funding page. At www.moasfundraising.com we provide resources, tips, tricks and links to those who want to fundraise on our behalf. By setting up your own profile online you can share your own story of your MOAS journey, share a link to your own activity page, monitor your progress and reach out to your sponsors as you engage in fun activities and educate your own communities.
The aim for this platform is that it will become the hub we have always wanted for our extended MOAS family where we can communicate and support one another as we work toward a shared goal.
We have had some incredible fundraisers in the past, from Guinness record attempts, to family bake-sales and lemonade stands. We have watched as supporters have pushed themselves to their physical and mental limits, swimming the distance from Turkey to Greece fully clothed, participating in marathons and Iron Man, to cross-continental bike trips that have gone on for weeks. We are always incredibly impressed in the MOAS office when we see the lengths our friends across the world will go to in order to spread the message and drum up funds.
The creative community has also been particularly kind to us with artists donating their work, artisans auctioning of bespoke jewellery and countless concerts, gigs and talent shows. All ages, all backgrounds and all talents used for a singular purpose- to come together to save lives.
Our hope is that this space will allow us to show more gratitude and provide more support to those who wish to help us, and also allow all the different people in our extended family to see what is going on at any time and how they can help or get involved.
MOAS would not exist if it were not for the private individuals who have stood behind us. We are incredibly lucky and grateful to those who have made our work possible.
As we move into the high season on yet another mission in the central Mediterranean, the number of people saved by MOAS crews rises to over 35,000. Each one of those people have been offered a hand by someone within our community, working though our crews on board. Our successes are shared by all those who have run, sold, danced, worked, talked or cycled for the cause and we hope that those who are interested in helping raise funds and awareness for MOAS will visit our platform and sign up.
We are always here to help and support. Please contact us on [email protected] for more information.
Thank you to all those who have already done their part and welcome to any new voices who want to join the chorus from all of us here at MOAS.
