United Colors of Fashion in 2013: A charity with a niche for Novelty.

BY: Jamil Khan

The Mayans might have taken some shortcuts on their research, making the proposed doomsday one of the most lackluster events of 2012. On the bright side, we have another year to look forward to. A year of new opportunities, new energy and new possibilities gives us the chance to learn more, do more and give more.

As a charity organization, it is easy to fall into a clichéd comfort zone of fundraisers and donation pleas. United Colors of Fashion (UCOF) has invested much thought and creativity into redefining and renewing the operation of non-profit work and 2013 is going to be the year to set the wheels in more rapid motion. We have been driving our mission to raise funds for children with HIV/AIDS in Soweto, Johannesburg in South Africa. We will visit South Africa in March to deliver the fruits of this mission to the children of Mapetla Day Care Centre. In addition to this imminent mission, UCOF also raises funds for those suffering with paralysis and sickle cell anemia and runs a fashion education program in New York City. The program aims to educate under-resourced youth about the opportunities in fashion and expose them to the industry in its true form to give them a platform to become professionals in the fashion industry. This program is unique in that it is the only one of its kind and magnitude in the USA that is offered to interns free of charge.

Each donation is 100% tax-deductible as we are a 501 (c)(3) organization. Donating to UCOF means that your entire donation makes its way to the people we support, as our staff do not get paid and private donors cover our operating costs. All the people who work tirelessly to honor the mission of UCOF contribute their time and expertise with a selfless generosity that enriches the character of this one-of-a-kind organization.

We aim to raise $1 million by the end of 2013 for our Fashion Education and Charity Care programs. We intend to expand the reach of our Charity Care program to Haiti and the rest of the world in future. In order to make this possible we will need the strong support of our many existing donors and that of the donors we hope to gain in 2013. Every initiative at UCOF has the trademark of being different and we want our donors to embody that spirit, so our amazing creative team has formulated some suggestions on how you can raise funds for our mission.

Children at Mapetla Daycare in Soweto-photo by Lorenzo Torres for UCOF

Children at Mapetla Daycare in Soweto
– photo by Lorenzo Torres for UCOF

Create A Personal Campaign using these steps:

1. Create a theme for your personal campaign.
2. Set a goal for your campaign and create a customized campaign page.
3. Broadcast your mission and invite people to donate to your cause via e-mail and social media.

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