http://www.peacefultomorrows.org/
September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows is an advocacy organization founded by family members of September 11 victims, devoted specifically to advancing peace, justice, and awareness of the impacts of war and violence on civilians and families. With members in twenty-one states and four counties, Peaceful Tomorrows is a model of how the Internet can enable a tiny coalition of founders to grow into an internationally recognized vehicle for peace and justice work.
A project of the Tides Center, the organization was founded in February 2002 and quickly became what founding member and Western U.S. Coordinator Kelly Campbell calls "a virtual office." Peaceful Tomorrows knew that not only was
online donation capacity vital to how they function, but online capacity was integral to their ability to connect and enjoin people around the world. Since their founding, members have given over three hundred public speaking engagements - and have sent delegations of members to meet with families in Iraq and Afghanistan who have been impacted by the violence of war. Their website has been, and continues to be, the primary vehicle for people to learn about and join their efforts.
Campbell reflects, "People who connect with our organization come from various backgrounds, ages, ethnicities and ways of life. In this way we are a virtual: you can be anywhere and be deeply involved with our work. I have to say, if this had happened twenty years ago, I don't know if we could have made this organization happen, because of the technological capacities now available."
Peaceful Tomorrows chose Groundspring's DonateNow tool for their online giving capacity. When asked why they chose DonateNow, Campbell responds, "There are other services we could have used, but DonateNow seemed specifically tailored for nonprofits. Also, as a new nonprofit organization, partnering with Groundspring helped build our credibility. It is a name people can recognize and trust."
Without implementing any fundraising strategy or active solicitation, Peaceful Tomorrows has raised approximately $11,000 online through their high visibility and publicity. The highest individual donation made online by a supporter to date is $1400.
Says Campbell, "The way our fundraising has worked so far is tied to the fact that our work is very public: we have had major media exposure, such as the trip we organized to Iraq to meet with families who had been impacted by U.S. military invasions. We were also featured on Connie Chung's show, and we see surges in donations after a major media appearance. Having the online donation function from DonateNow allows that to happen, by having a way to donate to us from wherever you may be in the world, regardless of the currency. They just need a major credit card."
The organization relies mostly on individual donations - much of the support comes from overseas, Europe, Japan - and virtually all of the international financial contributions comes through the DonateNow button. "Having DonateNow makes the whole process easier - we don't have to deal with the mail system," remarks Campbell. "It also enables us to invite participation from audiences we were not reaching before."
Peaceful Tomorrows is now in the planning stage for finding new ways of raising money; rather than waiting for spikes in donations after media coverage, they want to actively invite people to contribute. Tying donation appeals to the programmatic work will be vital. "We will send out monthly updates about programs we are doing, and asking for financial contributions will be a part of that. We have realized that we could be communicating better about our financial needs to our email list," says Campbell.
Peaceful Tomorrows currently has 80 members now who have lost family in September 11 events and a mailing list of 3000 supporting members. Campbell adds, "The membership has been growing rapidly since the war with Iraq, when it became clear that our loved ones deaths were being used to justify this unrelated war."
As far as plans to increase membership, Campbell admits it would be good to have more membership. However, she acknowledges, "We have not been aggressive about recruiting new family members of 9/11 victims because we want to respect people's rights to grieve in their own way, and find responses that are appropriate for them. Peaceful Tomorrows is just one more avenue for family members to honor their lost loved ones and express their hope for a positive future."
She adds, "9/11 family members often tell us 'this is the group I feel most comfortable with.' That is encouraging. It's all a big experiment. We are doing what we can, and the organization will continue to grow and evolve as time goes on. One thing that's for sure, it's not a static group."
