Monique A. Anderson, Founder of Prizedream wants to revolutionize current charity and fundraising models by creating unique incentives for entrepreneurs to donate to charity. At 20 years old, Anderson is currently studying Management and International Studies at the University of Manchester, UK. She considers herself to be a passionate Social Entrepreneur, who likes to analyse different societal issues and develop strategies to overcome them. Prizedream will be her third venture, after already successfully running other social organizations.
“Small charity organizations are going through a hard time in Britain, largely due to government cuts and a significant reduction in public donations. I’m on a mission to help them out,” says Anderson.
Peter Lewis, the Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising, commented on a report by the Office of National Statistics which stated; “In 2012 the public gave 1.2bn less to Charity with the total amount given to Charity falling by 2 billion in 2 years.” Lewis echoed Anderson’s thoughts on implementing innovative fundraising methods, “The report shows how important it is for Charities to fundraise effectively to support their vital causes.” With one out of 5 Charities being forced to shut down, it is clear that something needs to be change. The public’s current disengagement towards the Charity Sector is extremely threatening to the whole sector and is something that needs to change.
With Prizedream, Anderson aims to revolutionize current charity fundraising models. Donating to Charity can be an experiential process where both the Charity and the donator can benefit. “We want to actively change the way people perceive Charities by working with highly acclaimed Entrepreneurs who will provide exclusive mentoring opportunities for people that can benefit from their wisdom, experiences and inspiring stories.”
The concept is simple. Every person that donates to the chosen Charity will be entered into a draw for a chance to win an exclusive experience with an Inspiring Celebrity Entrepreneur who has agreed to spend quality time with the prize winner. In order to win this prize, entrants will have to donate a minimum of £4 pounds to the Celebrity Entrepreneur’s chosen Charity via the Prizedream website. At the end of the campaign two winners are chosen at random. According to the national poll, 69% of young Entrepreneurs have stated that a mentor would be beneficial, and Prizedream aims to facilitate this.
In addition to being the founder of Prizedream, Anderson is also the incoming President of Manchester Entrepreneurs making her the first female to become President of the prestigious society based at The University of Manchester. Her strong interpersonal skills have facilitated great relationships with entrepreneurs and PR companies who are keen to work with Prizedream.
As an avid Charity fundraiser, Anderson identified the gap in the market after she noticed that many Charities in the UK were struggling to stay open, due to a lack of donations. She thought that she could tackle the problem by providing people with a unique experience to donate, and one which she herself would have loved to have benefited from. The Prizedream ‘incentive’ approach is working extremely well in the USA and Anderson feels that the UK can learn a lot from America’s ‘giving’ culture.
To learn more about how you can get involved with Prizedream, visitors should go to: http://Prizedream.com, or send an email to info@prizedream.com.