😡🍋➡️🌈🍭 Updates and Reflecting on 2022, from Madison & Emily
Published on December 28, 2022 by Emily Weltman
2022, R2R by the numbers, for Giving Tuesday:
From 0 to 40+ donors in a few days.
4 monthly recurring sponsors.
2 days of social media posts
1 LinkedIn Article
1 email update via coFLOWco's list.
We raised over $2,200 for smaller LGBTQ orgs for the month of November in 1 day!
Bonus: It was nice of the Senate to pass the marriage equality act the same day...Our feeds really did become full of rainbows!
We'd 💙 to make this even higher. Please consider giving again before the end of the year, OR sharing about our campaign and the link to this OC page!
4 monthly recurring sponsors.
2 days of social media posts
1 LinkedIn Article
1 email update via coFLOWco's list.
We raised over $2,200 for smaller LGBTQ orgs for the month of November in 1 day!
Bonus: It was nice of the Senate to pass the marriage equality act the same day...Our feeds really did become full of rainbows!
We'd 💙 to make this even higher. Please consider giving again before the end of the year, OR sharing about our campaign and the link to this OC page!
We believe in this work and want to do more! The trolls haven't quit, so we can't either.
R2R is a grassroots effort started with Madison’s idea to deal with her LinkedIn trolls. She donated on their behalf, and Emily matched that donation. We created a website and campaign for our initial launch 2 years ago, November 2020 for Giving Tuesday. In 6 weeks R2R grew quickly and we raised over $12k by the end of the year.
In 2021 we raised about half that. Creating content at scale and keeping up tracking and posting was tough. Compounded by jobs, families, strategic planning, volunteering, on top of our entrepreneurial pursuits, we were spent.
In 2021 we raised about half that. Creating content at scale and keeping up tracking and posting was tough. Compounded by jobs, families, strategic planning, volunteering, on top of our entrepreneurial pursuits, we were spent.
Donating through our page on Open Collective supports our labor too!
This work matters to us. There is research and partnerships we'd like to explore for safer online spaces. We have several projects in the works and a collaboration on a toolkit that will provide tons of resources for those speaking up and calling out the -isms online.
The #GayAllDay campaign we did for Giving Tuesday 2022 took months of planning, content creation, asset downloads, copy, social posts, outreach/partnerships. Grassroots efforts means scrappy...and usually lots of unpaid labor. There is still tons of work to be done! If we had help we could have gotten the 100s of social posts designed out to brand ambassadors, spread the message with a teaser campaign, and posted more than on LinkedIn. Our traction was good but we learned the importance of building up efforts across platforms.
The #GayAllDay campaign we did for Giving Tuesday 2022 took months of planning, content creation, asset downloads, copy, social posts, outreach/partnerships. Grassroots efforts means scrappy...and usually lots of unpaid labor. There is still tons of work to be done! If we had help we could have gotten the 100s of social posts designed out to brand ambassadors, spread the message with a teaser campaign, and posted more than on LinkedIn. Our traction was good but we learned the importance of building up efforts across platforms.
A safer working world online and irl takes intention and investment.
To design, create, manage all admin tasks, and write communications, pay for R2Rs website, set up proper emails, as well as time to connect, research, and collaborate also takes time and money. Compensation for hard costs and some of our labor has to be part of the plan if we want R2R to be sustainable.
Fiscal sponsorship was a game changer for us, but we were slow to share the news.
Our first year as a fiscally hosted nonprofit was a relatively quiet one.
We nearly launched our big campaign 3x since May 2022. Unfortunately, there was always one disaster after another in the news. It's hard to know where to give with so many competing orgs and we are so honored so many trusted us with their funds to put them to good use.
We nearly launched our big campaign 3x since May 2022. Unfortunately, there was always one disaster after another in the news. It's hard to know where to give with so many competing orgs and we are so honored so many trusted us with their funds to put them to good use.
With OCF’s transparent budget we can turn our rage into regenerative rainbows.
Going the nonprofit route was not our first choice, but people kept saying they wanted to give on our site but were confused. Leaving to go donate, then return to fill out a form was an added step and barrier to donating. Fiscal sponsorship was the fastest, most equitable and sustainable way we could collect money, grow this movement, and do so with full transparency and accountability.
Fundraising on OC will help offset some of that personal financial burden and emotional labor. We spend a lot of time supporting those being trolled, and the time it takes to maintain, update, R2R's site and fighting algorithmic bias just to be heard (which can be a full time job in itself). Besides time, creative, and hard costs, we also donate money of our own, supporting several mutual aids and nonprofits, and provide pro bono services for causes we believe in.
Going the nonprofit route was not our first choice, but people kept saying they wanted to give on our site but were confused. Leaving to go donate, then return to fill out a form was an added step and barrier to donating. Fiscal sponsorship was the fastest, most equitable and sustainable way we could collect money, grow this movement, and do so with full transparency and accountability.
Fundraising on OC will help offset some of that personal financial burden and emotional labor. We spend a lot of time supporting those being trolled, and the time it takes to maintain, update, R2R's site and fighting algorithmic bias just to be heard (which can be a full time job in itself). Besides time, creative, and hard costs, we also donate money of our own, supporting several mutual aids and nonprofits, and provide pro bono services for causes we believe in.
The need for safer spaces for marginalized people has never been more important.
People said we’d go bankrupt donating to every troll. We can’t give for every troll as we had hoped because frankly, there are dozens that show up for Madison daily-we have day jobs.
The first year we launched R2R we spoke as guests on 3 podcasts and the excitement was palpable. People loved the idea, and it's one everyone seems to get excited about. Since 2020, however, enthusiasm to fight hate, racism, sexism and misogyny online has waned, even though the trolls and hate speech and harassment continue.
The stats of online harassment and harm have only gotten worse in the past 2 years.
Twitter is the tip of the iceberg. Social media, and online overall, has zero protection for those who need it most. There are still so many problems for women, non-binary, and LGBTQ folks, especially Black queer women like Madison, when they show up as themselves online or irl.
They have made zero inroads to improve moderation, on LinkedIn or any other social platform. Those who are speaking the truth, calling out Big Tech, Big Oil, and the White Supremacy are usually the ones getting shadowbanned or deplatformed. Big Tech usually takes the side of the harasser, aggressor, and those spewing lies and hate speech.
We have a LOT more work to do before everyone can be authentically themselves AND be safe in the workplace, online and irl. Learn more about cyberbullying and how you can help protect yourself and others here.
What did we do with the money? So far nothing! We had wanted to split the funds between 3 orgs, but given what we raised, we may just give the funds to 2 and donate to the 3rd in the future.
The first year we launched R2R we spoke as guests on 3 podcasts and the excitement was palpable. People loved the idea, and it's one everyone seems to get excited about. Since 2020, however, enthusiasm to fight hate, racism, sexism and misogyny online has waned, even though the trolls and hate speech and harassment continue.
The stats of online harassment and harm have only gotten worse in the past 2 years.
Twitter is the tip of the iceberg. Social media, and online overall, has zero protection for those who need it most. There are still so many problems for women, non-binary, and LGBTQ folks, especially Black queer women like Madison, when they show up as themselves online or irl.
They have made zero inroads to improve moderation, on LinkedIn or any other social platform. Those who are speaking the truth, calling out Big Tech, Big Oil, and the White Supremacy are usually the ones getting shadowbanned or deplatformed. Big Tech usually takes the side of the harasser, aggressor, and those spewing lies and hate speech.
We have a LOT more work to do before everyone can be authentically themselves AND be safe in the workplace, online and irl. Learn more about cyberbullying and how you can help protect yourself and others here.
What did we do with the money? So far nothing! We had wanted to split the funds between 3 orgs, but given what we raised, we may just give the funds to 2 and donate to the 3rd in the future.
When our budget hits a certain threshold (tbd), additional funds will go right back into growing R2R, the orgs we support, and making work safer for everyone, online and irl. Our goal is not to take away from the orgs that need our help.
What's next?
We'll continue to add to Resources library (check it out!) with articles, research, and tools to help you stay safe and informed online. How to deal with internet drama and trolls, steps to protect your data privacy, and learn about social media and tech ethics issues.
We have ideas beyond campaigns and fundraising including several research projects, apps, and product development, collabs and partnerships. We want to contribute and collaborate with other orgs working on a safer internet but can’t do that at our current capacity.
To create a bigger strategic roadmap for R2R will require attention and additional help to explore and to execute from our initial concepts. And, we'd like to create a 2023 calendar, updating this 2022 R2R Days.
To create a bigger strategic roadmap for R2R will require attention and additional help to explore and to execute from our initial concepts. And, we'd like to create a 2023 calendar, updating this 2022 R2R Days.
We can't wait to see what 2023 brings.
The response to this work has been so positive! With even a little added support, we can increase our impact and continue to turn our collective rage into something good. We’re not curing Covid or ending racism, but we are doing something.
When you put your money where their mouth is, you make a difference. When you give to R2R, you are doing something too. We pay it forward with education, resources, and actual grants to orgs that promote equality and condemn hate speech, promote online safety, protect GBV and DV survivors, and provide safe spaces for sex workers and the queer community.
When you put your money where their mouth is, you make a difference. When you give to R2R, you are doing something too. We pay it forward with education, resources, and actual grants to orgs that promote equality and condemn hate speech, promote online safety, protect GBV and DV survivors, and provide safe spaces for sex workers and the queer community.
If you'd like to partner with us, sponsor R2R in a bigger way, or have your organization be considered for future featured giving campaigns, please email us at [email protected].
To make systemic change, we need more collective action. We're beyond grateful for your support, regardless of monetary contributions, and for amplifying this work. We're committed to building safer spaces for everyone, online and irl––and we're just getting started!
More UPDATES to come. PLEASE subscribe on our site too!
Thank you!!!
E + M