JOIN THE TEAM: Raise at least $150.
401 Gives START: Tuesday, March 31st at 6:00 AM
401 Gives END: Wednesday, April 1st at 6:00 PM
TEAM GOAL: to raise a total of $40,000
PURPOSE: to inspire hope and be part of the solution

OUR 2026 TEAM

WE ARE STARTING TO BUILD NOW!

ADVISORY COUNCIL
[past & present]
Ally Marrinan
Alyssa Kohler
Maggie Stark

BOARD of DIRECTORS
[past & present]
Martha Cummings
Meg Pickering
Kim Finnerty
Susan Wolf Greene

FAMILY & FRIENDS

HOW TO SIGN UP

Step One
Write us (info@universalpromise.org) or text us (+14018558984) to tell us you’re interested and to give us your email address. You will receive an email from us with all the details about what to do. When you get that email, please scroll down, down, down until you come to a link that will invite you to “visit your fundraising dashboard.” Click that link. [If you are new to 401Gives and do not have an account yet, you may have to create one. Let us know if you have any difficulty doing that.]

Step Two
Then click on “Tell Your Story,” and personalize your page with a photo of yourself, set your fundraising goal of $150, $250, $500, $750, $1,000, $2,750*, or whatever you wish (above $150). Put in your phone number (if you’d like), and include this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=253QWnZNhik.

You may change the text we have pre-populated.

Step Three
After you complete Step Two, scroll down, and click “Save Changes” at the bottom.

Step Four
Then look for the column on the right that reads “Progress,” and copy the link under Share Your Fundraiser. Send that to family and friends for them to donate to help you reach your goal!

*ANYONE WHO RAISES - not donates - at least $2,750 as a member of Team UP may qualify to earn a spot on a future volunteer trip. All volunteers must follow the guidelines presented here, and may be subject to minimum age restrictions, and anyone who does not meet those guidelines may not be allowed to participate, even if he or she has raised the requisite $2,750.

Included are housing, meals, ground transportation in South Africa, gratuities, a safari, and cultural events, only during the period of volunteerism. Excluded are round-trip airfare and personal items (including, but not limited to, laundry, phone, insurance, alcohol, snacks, etc.).

Offer must be completed within two years from April 1, 2026. Non-transferable.

TELL YOUR STORY

Dear Family and Friends:

Would you be willing to help me do something amazing?

People are always on the lookout for nonprofits with a clear mission, a real impact, organic decision-making, and financial transparency. Universal Promise ticks all those boxes and then some, and I am writing today to ask you to help me raise $XXX for this great organization during a “friendly fundraising competition” called 401 Gives! We have from March 31st at 6:00 AM until April 1st at 6:00 PM to get this done!

Universal Promise (https://www.universalpromise.org/) is a Rhode Island-based nonprofit (501c3) that focuses exclusively on education in rural South Africa. The organization relies on feedback from school stakeholders to identify and then address their top 10 wishes to transform school facilities, academic and co-curricular programs, and hope. In short, Universal Promise actively listens to the locals, because they know best.

This year our 401Gives goal is to raise at least $40,000 to fulfill an array of school-wide dreams & wishes:

academic posters
backpacks
classroom resources
clean water
computer lab
eyeglasses
overhead bluetooth projectors
playground toys
school kitchen serving tables
school uniforms & shoes
security measures
sports equipment
sports facilities
staff room upgrade
study guides
textbooks
whiteboards, markers, and erasers

Please give whatever you can, as you make a difference every day.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
XXX

WHAT TO POST and WHEN

March 1, Sunday
Start to build your fundraising approach by signing UP. Make a list of social media sites on which you will post and a list of people to whom you will reach out via social media, email, phone, and/or text. Consider family, friends, family friends, colleagues, volunteers, gala attendees, etc. Need help with your page? Text 401.855.8984 or email.

March 24, Tuesday
By this date, finish creating your fundraising page. Make your first outreach to your contacts, and tell them what you’ll be doing as of Tuesday, March 31st. Consider copying and pasting the TELL YOUR STORY content as part of your outreach. Need help? Text 401.855.8984 or email.

March 30, Monday
Sometime during the day, copy and paste the following text on your social media sites, and email, phone, and/or text family and friends. INCLUDE YOUR PERSONAL FUNDRAISING PAGE LINK on all communication.

Hey, family and friends. The Universal Promise 401Gives online fundraising challenge I am participating in starts March 31st at 6:00 AM! My fundraising goal is $XXX, and this is the link (link here) to my fundraising page. Please be ready for emails, texts, and posts on March 31st and April 1st, because once 401Gives launches, we will be on a whirlwind-of-giving for 36 hours.

This year our 401 Gives goal is to raise at least $40,000 to support an array of school-wide initiatives:

academic posters
backpacks
classroom resources
clean water
computer lab
eyeglasses
overhead bluetooth projectors
playground toys
school kitchen serving tables
school uniforms & shoes
security measures
sports equipment
sports facilities
staff room upgrade
study guides
textbooks
whiteboards, markers, and erasers

If you would like to give early, you may through Venmo: @unipromise. Look for the round UP logo of the child with this tagline: Justice. Civility. Hope. Thank you!

March 31, Tuesday
Early-morning
As of 6:00 AM, we are off and running in the Universal Promise 401 Gives online fundraising challenge! The easiest ways to give are to click my link (link here) to my personal fundraising page or to donate via Venmo: @unipromise. Look for the round UP logo of the child with this tagline: Justice. Civility. Hope. Thank you!

Morning
Hi, all! As you may know, my fundraising goal for this online donation challenge is $XXX. So far I have raised $XXX. I hope you will help me hit my goal by clicking this link (link here) to my personal fundraising page or donating via Venmo: @unipromise. Look for the round UP logo of the child with this tagline: Justice. Civility. Hope. Thank you!

Afternoon
I am on again to update you on my fundraising progress for 401Gives. As of right now, I have raised $XXX to help Universal Promise uplift thousands of schoolchildren. Please help me hit my goal of $XXX. Just click this link (link here) to my personal fundraising page or donate via Venmo: @unipromise. Look for the round UP logo of the child with this tagline: Justice. Civility. Hope. Thank you!

Evening
We are nearing the end of the day, and so far I have raised a total of $XXX and have $XXX more to go. Please donate any amount to help me improve South African students’ chances of succeeding in school. The event ends April 1st at 6:00 PM, and time is running out. Please. Every dollar matters, and this project means so much to Universal Promise and its partner-schools, so I hope you will choose to give, if you haven’t already.

Just click this link (link here) to my personal fundraising page or donate via Venmo: @unipromise. Look for the round UP logo of the child with this tagline: Justice. Civility. Hope. Thank you for making a difference.

April 1, Wednesday
Morning and Afternoon
[You may repeat the morning and afternoon messages under March 31, Tuesday.]

Anytime after April 5th, once the final totals have come in
401Gives 2024 is officially over, and we had so much fun! This year Universal Promise raised a total of $XXX. The results speak for themselves. Year One we raised $400, Year Two we raised $6,000, Year Three we raised $12,000, Year Four we raised $24,000, and Year Five we raised $35,000.

My initial fundraising goal was $XXX, and thanks to you, I raised $XXX. I am sincerely grateful you care about an organization and a mission that mean so much to me.

Please think about joining our Universal Promise 401 Gives team in 2027. The bigger the team, the greater the impact.

Thank you!