New Yorkers: WE NEED YOUR HELP!

So often, many of you ask what you can do to help Acumen Fund. Well, right now the answer is easy:

HELP US RAISE $10,000 by December 31, 2009.

As the founding chapter in a global web of volunteers for Acumen Fund, we here at New York for Acumen Fund (NYfA - formerly the Young Professionals) want to show the rest of the world that when it comes support, we are the best. Not only are we committed to spreading the word about the work of Acumen Fund, but also we actively raise critical funds for transformative businesses across the globe.

To make it easy for you, we’re using a great website called First Giving that lets you create your own fundraising page that you can send to friends, family, colleagues – whomever! Click on this link to set up your page: www.firstgiving.com/acumenfund (click Get Started, then New York for Acumen Year End Campaign).

AND – the person who raises the most funds by November 15 will be invited to attend the evening cocktail party during Acumen Fund’s Annual Investor Gathering on November 17 in New York City.* This is an incredible opportunity for anyone interested in meeting, greeting, and networking with the contemporary leaders in social enterprise, and the brilliant investors whose support keeps Acumen up and running and changing lives.

Since our fundraising efforts will go through the end of the year, the person who raises the most funds by December 31 will be featured on Acumen Fund’s blog for all the world to see!

Like Acumen Fund, we encourage innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, so feel free to get as creative as you want. Please be sure to include the acronym NYfA in the body of your page so we can track your progress! www.firstgiving.com/acumenfund

Fundraising is not as difficult as it seems, and any funds raised will greatly support Acumen's work in providing sustainable solutions to global poverty. Consider some of these ideas:

• Give up your birthday and ask friends/family to donate instead!


• Ask for contributions based on the number of miles you run, bike, or swim – for fun or in a race!


• Tie it into the theme of Thanksgiving and ask friends to give!


• Throw a party and display a donation box or ask friends to bring a contribution instead of wine!


• Link your FirstGiving page to your status update on Facebook and Twitter accounts for a day (or week, or month…)


• Consider giving up Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or any other holiday that falls between now and 12/31/09**

Happy Fall, Happy Fundraising, and THANK YOU in advance for all your help in supporting Acumen Fund.

--The New York for Acumen Fund Leadership Team
(Bryan Brady, Mark Disston, Seth Nemeroff, Theos Stamoulis, Wendy Wecksell, and Nina Sharma West)

PS - if you need any help with your fundraising page, or have any fundraising-related quesitons, please contact Nina at ninaswest@gmail.com. Thanks!

PPS - don't forget to join NYfA's community page - community.acumenfund.org/group/NYfA - to share ideas, stay in the loop, meet other NYfA members!

*Cocktail Party admission for winner only. Transportation will not be provided.
**The contest for the cocktail party ends on November 15th, but we have until December 31 to raise the full $10,000.