524: Find a Cause, Make a Difference, and Change the World: Fundraising, Charity, and Volunteering with Kelsey Bradley

Kelsey Bradley founded her nonprofit Design Cause Inc. 9 months after graduating from university. Within a year she raised $35,000, enough to build a series of classrooms she had designed while in school. With the money secured she moved to rural Cameroon for a few months to oversee construction, manage the finances, and document the successful completion of the project. With this first project completed Kelsey is working to grow her organization that recently took on a new project in Malawi. Kelsey is passionate about business and helping others, which she feels are intrinsically connected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owhQc3xa_U0 Quotes:                                                                                                                                    “When you're so far out of your culture that you don't even know how to eat anymore, it is very challenging.” – Kelsey Bradley “A lot of people don't realize that when you make a donation to charity, it goes a long way and can do a lot of good.” – Kelsey Bradley “Get involved in an existing charity. There's so much you can gain from even just a couple of hours a week of volunteering.” – Kelsey Bradley Takeaways: 04:04 Successful projects often take years of organic growth and patient development. 11:20 Your energy and attitude during fundraising meetings directly impact your success. 18:05 Personal growth and fulfillment come from pushing beyond your comfort zone, not from easy achievements. 20:19 Small donations to existing charities can create meaningful impact without starting an entire organization. 22:34 Not all large charities are inefficient; many require infrastructure to create broader change. Resources Design Cause Inc. (Official Site) Design Cause Inc. (Facebook) Kelsey Bradley (LinkedIn)