Member blog post: Spread the news about Fund a Fellow

By Meg Heckman, JAWS member

The Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) is raising funds to send 10 emerging female journalists to the Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) this fall.

I went to my first CAMP last year, and it changed my professional life for the better. Everyone was fantastic, but I was especially impressed with the women who had won fellowships. As a college journalism professor, I’m grateful such programs exist to support rising female journalists. That’s why I volunteered to organize this year’s crowdfunding campaign.

As many of you know, women represent the majority of entry-level reporters, producers and editors, but they’re far less likely than their male peers to rise to leadership positions. The fellowship program is one way to help ensure diverse newsroom leadership in the decades to come.

Our goal is to raise $12,000 by June 30. It’s a big number, I know, but I’m certain all of you will help us get there. Crowdfunding is different from a typical fundraiser. The idea is to raise money and to tell people about an organization’s work.

Will you help me spread the word about JAWS and this important fundraising campaign?

I gave $25. It was secure, easy and took about five minutes. It’s my goal to persuade 10 people in my social and professional networks to do the same by the end of the week. I’ll use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email to reach potential donors.

If any of you are willing to do something similar, it would mean a lot to this year’s class of fellows and the audiences that will benefit from their journalism in the future.

JAWS has received a record number of fellowship applications, which will be reviewed by a committee over the next month. This shows the value of the program and the importance of a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Again, here’s the link to the fellowship campaign. Please spread the word far and wide.