Discovering Your Passion
Figuring out what cause you want to promote may not seem difficult on the surface because there is a multitude of amazing non-profits that you readily find. The tricky thing is finding the cause that you are truly passionate about. What does this mean? I know this can especially difficult for someone who is younger, like myself, who hasn't spent their whole life working to support a cause. However, I think there are a few characteristics of a cause that can help you know if it is the one.
Personal Connection
Firstly, you should have a personal connection to the cause. It should be something you can directly relate to. You certainly don't have to personally experience what the cause helps to promote or solve, but you should have your own way to understand how important the cause is.
For me, my personal connection was my aunt Joanie (Jojo) Triestman (pictured to the right). She wasn't just a family member to me, she was one of my closest friends and confidante. She battled ovarian cancer for years before passing in the spring of 2015. Her experience with ovarian cancer had an extreme impact on me, specifically because I got to see her strength and never ending positivity. She often lived her life by the term N.E.G.U (never ever give up). After she passed away, I was completely distraught and I started searching for memories of her. I knew she kept an online blog when she was diagnosed and when she went through chemotherapy, but I had never read it. As one does in the grieving process, I was looking for answers to questions I could no longer ask her, and the blog provided me with all the answers I desired and more.
One phrase I noticed throughout her blog posts was "find your sunshine". Whether she was talking about her son, her husband, or her friends, she rarely discussed the hardships she was undergoing, but rather talked about all the sources of positivity in her life. She talked about how throughout her tough battle with cancer, she tried to find sources of light, sources of sunshine, within her life. She also encouraged people to do the same.
Throughout her time in chemotherapy and treatments, she not only remained strong and positive, but also advocated for ovarian cancer research. One of the causes she supported and worked directly with was the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA).
This encouraged me to want to fundraise for the cause. I had a personal connection to the specific cause because my aunt had supported it. It is important when selecting your cause, you have a similar personal connection. By being connected the cause, you are more invested, and more likely to be willing to put in all the hours of hard work required to plan a successful charity event. The cause should be your motivating factor in everything you do, and if you are truly passionate about it, the work you put it into planning will be very clear.
Interest
When choosing a cause, it is also important that you're genuinely interested in what they're working towards. I feel that if you can speak endlessly about the cause with admiration and interest, then you've found the right thing to support.
Specifically for me, ovarian cancer research was not only personally connected to my family, but also I realized the importance of just spreading the awareness of the cancer. Not to diminish other cancers such as breast cancer, but ovarian cancer is typically not talked about as much as other cancers. This often leads to women not getting checked or thinking about it, and getting diagnosed too far down the line. If more people are aware of it, then they might get checked earlier and prevent the risk of finding out too late. The last thing I want is someone else's aunt, mother, or sister to taken away by ovarian cancer because they didn't know about it. That's why I believe the message is so important to spread. Also, by raising money for the cause they can do more research and find more ways to prevent ovarian cancer in the first place.
It is so important that you choose a cause you have interest in because, similarly to having a personal connection, it will help in kindling the success of your project. Also, when people see your excitement for the cause, they tend to be more interested and supportive.
Research
Once you think you've found your cause, it is time to research! Honestly, when my aunt died, I didn't know much at all about ovarian cancer. I took the time to go through websites and statistics to find out more about it and the OCRFA so I felt more knowledgeable and connected when talking about the cause.
There are plenty of resources today to research whatever you are passionate about, and it is extremely vital you go into your project knowing exactly what you are supporting and why. Figure out what the cause means to you, why it is so important, and what it is all about. After that, you are ready to start brainstorming!
As always, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me at find.your.sunshine.concert@gmail.com and send them my way!