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Brainstorming ideas on how to raise money for the Massage Therapy Foundation
OK, so I recently had a clickfest around the MTF website and got a wave of guilt.
They have a list on the site of contributors to the MTF last year and my name isn't on it. There's a reason for that. I didn't give them anything.
Most people already know that the MTF is involved in providing grants for research, but they do much more than that. They provide therapeutic massage to people in need, education and provide us with a free open access journal.
So I was thinking of ways in which I could give. I could just write them a check, but I was also thinking of maybe doing something cool once a quarter and giving the proceeds to the MTF while providing massage too.
They have some information on different ways people can donate on their site (CE providers can donate proceeds from a class, for example), but I was just wondering if anyone had some interesting ideas on what we can do in our businesses.
I know that a lot of people got involved in helping raise money for Haiti and maybe this is the wrong time to throw this on the board, but I'm doing it anyway!
Thoughts?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on
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I threw this out there on FB a month or two ago...since the economy is hurting a lot of people, I thought "what amount could people give without missing it?" Who would miss one dollar a day? At the end of the year, that's 365.00. If a dollar is too much, then save a quarter a day. Throw it in a jar and give it on your birthday, or on someone else's birthday in honor of them.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Jeffrey on
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Hi Laura and Vlad
sorry to say I've no new idea's for fund raising, BUT am proud that I finally got my thumb outa my rear and made a donation via their web site. :)
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Permalink Reply by Christopher A. Moyer on
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Good thinking Vlad.
Once I finished grad school I began making a modest contribution at the end of each year. Nothing really creative - I just try to give something back to a really great organization, and one that has played a big role in my own career.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Hinkle on
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Hi Vlad,
One great way all therapists could help, would be to add a little more information about the Foundation (If only a link to MTF) to their websites. We need to let therapists and public know about the Foundation, as a lot still do not. How many therapists even have a mention of it, on their sites? Few. And I would think massage research on your page would let people know you are more serious, about massage, than just a logo from an association.
The only drawback, I have heard, is from energy workers that want to see more of their funds go towards energy research.
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Permalink Reply by Robin Byler Thomas on
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I'd like to see their 2009 results posted. They got my attention last year with weekly e-reminders of giving. On the option page was the choice of "the average cost of one massage" or whatever amount you'd like to donate. I thought it was pretty effective.
I have a research page on my site with links posted to a couple sources and just added MTF, per your suggestion Mike.
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Permalink Reply by Vlad on
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Laura,
I like your idea of giving in honor of someone. I just found out that one of my clients passed away (it has left me sort of shocked and sad), so I think it would be cool to give in honor of them. And yes, when you think of a buck a day, it's not that much. Or maybe I thinking of giving up a Starbucks mocha every week and doing that instead would be a way of looking at it.
Stephen,
It's cool that you've donated.
I went and gave them a small donation when I signed up for the conference in May and I want to continue to do so - it's easier for me to give in small chunks rather than one big one.
Doc - I saw yours and Robin's names on the contributor list. Very cool. Also, I'm going to give a shout out to Angela Palmier since she gave a huge donation - nice one, Angela!
Terry, I think your idea of contributing from tip money is a really good idea since I view my tip money differently (even though it's a weird thing since it's all income in the end). But I think I'm going to make a wee MTF box, keep it in my work and when I get tips that are change instead of notes I'll put them in there and when I get a great tip (those $50 tips are lovely, aren't they?) then I'll get it changed out and put $25 in there. Yep, definitely using tip money is a very good idea.
Mike, YES! Excellent idea. I think that getting the word out to other therapists about what the MTF does is pretty important. I think that sometimes we presume that other therapists wouldn't be looking at our sites, but they do. On Friday I got a call from a MT student in Dallas who wanted to interview me for part of her business class. This is the third interview I've given over the past 2 weeks - weird. All three of them came from them finding my site (or blog) online. So, yes, I think information about the MTF on websites is a really good idea. I need to update mine, so I'll be sure to add it.
Robin, you're on top of things! Not only in giving to them but in getting the links going on your site. Cool.
I had a wee idea that I'm going to test out involving CDs. I've tons of CDs with relaxing music. So I was thinking of gathering them up, putting them in a box, marking them as either $2 or $1 and putting the box down at the local school for the students to buy, then all the proceeds from that go to the MTF. I'd print out some info on the MTF too so that the students might have a perusal of info on the MTF. I need to talk to the director of the school, of course, but if it works then the students get some cheap second hand CDs for their practice, the MTF would get the money and I'd clear out some junk (I use my iPod for music these days).
If the idea works, then I might get some local therapists involved in it too. I'll test the waters first though and see what happens.
I was also thinking of doing a chair massage gig somewhere and donating the money from it to the MTF - haven't made up my mind about that though.
Your ideas are great!
Keep 'em coming!
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Lot's of good ideas Vlad. I really like the idea of donating in honor of a client's death.
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Permalink Reply by Angela Palmier on
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Thanks for the shout Vlad----but I actually don't consider the donation huge---in fact, I'm embarrased by the number. Each time I discuss the benefits of massage, how it's integration in conventional healthcare would help decrease costs and effectiveness. Every time I speak with a school, educator, chapter, legislator, allopathic healthcare provider, and discuss the research findings I'm standing on the shoulders of the Foundation and those researchers who commit time, money and energy to making our profession stronger, I realize just how small that donation is, but I do what I can when I can. I recall Diana Thompson giving an empassioned speech at an AMTA National Convention about the impact that just $10 would have---imagine if each person on this massageprofessionals.com site would donate $10! That would be over $40,000, right??? Think of the work that we-the therapists could be be directly responsible for funding!
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Hi Angela
you are so right, I'm embarrased by my figure also ....so here's my late new yrs pledge to times by 10 before 2011.....keep the good idea's coming in folks :)
Its an even better feeling knowing we all in this together :)
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Angela,
You're being too modest since you gave a good chunkachange, and I really see your point about the importance of the MTF. They're actually named very well, aren't they? They way I look at it is they're playing a huge part in the foundation for the whole profession.
Would it be a good idea if someone video'd some of the speeches made at the next AMTA convention that had to do the the MTF? Maybe?
Stephen,
Yep, you're right. I definitely think it's a unifying cause.
Anyhooo.......I'm updating my business site tonight and I'm adding a blurb about the MTF. I did a wee blog entry about them too, but I'm going to put a "I support...." thingy at the side of the blog down the road too. I think that getting the word out about them is pretty important too.
I've got my wee pink mtf box in my room now (you can see it on Lisa's thread) and I hope to get the CD thing tested out next week.
I'll keep y'all updated in how that goes.
Keep the ideas coming!
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Permalink Reply by Ivy Hultquist on
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I also felt bad about not giving last year to the MTF. January 1st we changed the set up on our website to help change that this year! We now donate 50% of all continuing education sales to charity, including the MTF. This help us and others support this great foundation.
Ivy Hultquist
Advanced Massage Techniques Charities
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Ivy,
Wow, you're really on the ball. I really like the way you've got your site set up where it's clear that 50% are going to selected charities. It's a brilliant idea. I've a wee site for Texas therapists and CE providers (it's mostly for the CE providers to list classes - it has about 350 registered users) and I send out an email blast every 6 months or so. What I'll do is write about CE providers giving a percentage of their sales to the MTF and and use your site as a reference for the article and maybe that will entice some of them to follow in your footsteps - it might also draw some of the therapists to your courses!
Yep, actually you've given me an idea to just make the next email blast just about the MTF.
Thanks!
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