Avaaz crisis fund

28th February 2008

Avaaz are running an online fundraiser for a 2008 crisis fund.

As ever with these guys, it’s a model of email fundraising laying out what they’ve done, what they need, how they’ll spend it and a nice crunchy deadline to create the urgency. Even when what they are asking for is a reserve fund to give them more strategic flexibility.

This an excerpt:

Over the last year, we’ve shown together that global people power can make a decisive difference in moments of global emergency. So when the next crisis hits ”like the recent flare-ups in Pakistan, Kenya, or Gaza” we want the best strategy, not budget constraints, to guide our actions.

That’s why we’re launching the 2008 Crisis Action Fund. Our goal is to raise 50,000 Euros this week to fund rapid-response advocacy as crises break throughout the coming year. The money could pay for rallies in cities across the globe; it could buy vital communications equipment for endangered democracy activists; it could fund emergency media campaignsâ€¦ whatever will have the greatest impact when our voice is needed the most.

Interestingly, the email sets a target of raising the money in a week, whilst the webpage talks about raising it in a day. But then, they’ve already raised $40,000.

You can donate here and learn more about Avaaz here.