Fundraise for SQSH

Ignite Our Fight for Queer Liberation

Mobilizing your social connections can create a ripple effect! When you start a fundraiser for SQSH, you join a grassroots movement of people who draw on our personal resources to contribute to systemic change. All funds you raise will support SQSH’s mission to strengthen the St. Louis LGBTQIA+ community.

Whether you are honoring someone, challenging yourself, or celebrating a milestone, you can create a personalized donation page with SQSH! SQSH has accounts with Facebook, Instagram, and Givebutter that make fundraising easy. 

So You Want to Fundraise for SQSH?

A step by step guide (with personal anecdotes) about how I fundraise for SQSH • Written by Kelsey (they/them), SQSH Volunteer

Hey you! Yes you! Hi, hello, I’m so happy you’re here, and hope this article finds you well. 

As SQSH moves through 2024, we are planning to grow our capacity to support and empower our community to heal and flourish. In order to accomplish our collective goals, we would be so grateful for your help!

SQSH is a grassroots organization, led by queer and trans St. Louisans, funded in large part by donations from individual community members. SQSH believes in community-centric fundraising, which works to dismantle class systems and value all donors regardless of donation size. Community-Centric Fundraising is a fundraising model that prioritizes the entire community over individual organizations, fosters a sense of belonging and interdependence, presents our work not as individual transactions but holistically, and encourages mutual support between nonprofits (CCF Website). Since our founding in 2019, SQSH has received much of our grassroots funding from fundraisers by local businesses, groups of performers, and fundraisers by individuals (like me)!

Even “small amounts” can help to fund SQSH’s most crucial programs. Did you know that $30 funds one SQSH Helpline Volunteer’s weekly stipend? That $50 funds one month of SQSH’s phone bills? That $100 funds one SQSH Peer Counselor’s monthly Training costs and cohort experience? With the dedication and support of our community, we can continue to grow and improve the capacity and sustainability of our programs like our Peer Support Warmline, SQSHBook Resource Guide, STARLING Healing Justice Collective, and more!

“But Kelsey,” you might think, “asking people for money is super awkward!”

Yeah, that’s true and so valid. I struggled with that, too. While I did reach out directly to a handful of people who I had a good feeling about contributing, I found that just taking the time to personalize and connect with people – even through social media posts – was an effective way to garner support for my fundraiser.

“Huh okay. That does sound like something I can do. So where do I start?”

I’m so glad you asked! I present to you: Kelsey’s Super Unofficial Step-by-Step Grassroots Fundraiser Planning Guide:

  • My $1,000 goal was the first decision I made related to my fundraiser. I used my 30th birthday, which happened to be during Pride Month, to give my friends and family a special occasion to donate to SQSH.

  • I used Facebook’s Birthday Fundraiser feature to collect donations so that I didn’t have to worry about the transfer from my account to SQSH, but there are so many other ways to collect donations:

    • Collect donations into your personal account/money app, then donate all the funds to SQSH at once

    • Share SQSH’s money accounts (Venmo, CashApp, PayPal), and ask supporters to donate directly to SQSH, maybe with a fun memo specific to your fundraiser (ex. “Kelsey’s 30th Birthday Bucks”)

    • Collect cash donations, then deposit them into a bank account – or email general@thesqsh.org to organize your drop-off to SQSH staff

  • My entire fundraiser took place on social media, i.e. Instagram with cross-posts to Facebook. This is where I had fun taking photos, writing silly captions, and engaging in personal storytelling and relationship building. But if content creation doesn’t come as easily to you, this webpage includes resources and a PR Kit to help! I did my best to make my posts informative about SQSH and the impacts that fundraising has on our ability to do queer liberation work. You could also fundraise through…

    • Professional platforms – like blog posts, posters on work bulletin boards, or a message in your company’s newsletter

    • Direct asks of personal contacts i.e. direct messaging or texting to ask for donations

    • Tapping on local networks e.g. at a market or event where you’re tabling for your small business

  • There were days during my fundraiser where I didn’t get donations at all. And I’m here to tell you (and past Kelsey) that it’s okay! Hosting a fundraiser can be really challenging to begin with. That you’ve decided to try means the world to us- whether you raise $10 or $1,000. We recognize that not everyone is in the position to donate, and that our community is disproportionately affected by poverty, un/underemployment, and housing insecurity. On that note, I would like to especially invite the white, cis-het allies reading this piece to consider what organizing your own grassroots fundraiser might look like this year.

I know that donating to causes you believe in can feel like drops in a bucket; but as just one person doing a birthday fundraiser, I was able to individually raise $1,310 for SQSH in one month! That’s enough money to pay SQSH’s warmline phone bill for over two years!

In the end, grassroots community-centric fundraising is just one way that you can get involved in and support SQSH’s work. For more information and opportunities to get involved, check out our Volunteer webpage, follow us @thesqsh on Instagram and Facebook, check out our flyer on ways to support, or reach out directly to general@thesqsh.org. We look forward to connecting with you!

Past Fundraisers for SQSH

Host a Campaign or Event

Interested in hosting a campaign or event to raise funds for SQSH? This section will give you the tools and resources you need to get started.

  • Email our Fundraising Team to tell us about your fundraiser idea! This allows us to work in collaboration with you to make your fundraiser as impactful and successful as possible.

  • Check out the SQSH PR Kit to download our logo, flyers, and other standard graphics and language to use in your fundraiser PR material.

  • Thank you for raising funds for SQSH! Please send your proceeds to SQSH via Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or Check.

    Please address your check to “St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline” and mail it to:

    4220 Duncan Ave, Suite 201
    St. Louis, MO 63110

Fundraise on Social Media

Start a Facebook Fundraiser

Start a Facebook fundraiser today to ask your Facebook connections to support the St. Louis LGBTQIA+ community.

  • Visit our Facebook page, then select “More,” then “Fundraisers.”

    On the right hand menu, find the heading “Create a Fundraiser,” then click “Raise Money.”

  • Set your Fundraising Goal and End Date.

  • Set a Fundraiser Title that summarizes why you're raising funds for SQSH.

    Example: “Randy’s Birthday Fundraiser in Honor of SQSH”

  • Write a more detailed description: why are you raising funds for SQSH?

    This is the chance to share your story! Why are you joining the fight to create spaces and support for queer St. Louisans to thrive?

  • Hit “Create”! Now you’re ready to start sharing your page with your network!

  • Email our Fundraising Team to tell us about our campaign. We’d be happy to boost your fundraiser for SQSH!


Instagram Bingo Cards

Download our Instagram Bingo Cards and post them on your Instagram Story to encourage your followers to donate to SQSH! Read more about how to use Instagram Story to fundraise.


Sample Social Media Posts

If you need language for your outreach, look no further! We’ve put together some scripts and templates for you to use on- and off-line. Feel free to copy-and-paste or customize these to support your fundraising efforts. Please add your own touch, if possible, to any bolded elements.

  • To celebrate my birthday, I am raising money for SQSH! SQSH’s programs use a peer-based, community-driven approach to provide support, education, and advocacy for queer St. Louisans to thrive. Research shows that at least 61.6% of St. Louisans have experienced violence or victimization due to queerphobia over their lifetime. A donation to SQSH is a step towards creating safe, healthy futures for our local LGBTQIA+ community. Help me reach my goal by making a donation below!

    [Add Your Personalized Link]

  • SQSH exists to provide emotional support, resource referrals, education and advocacy for queer St. Louisans, because gender- and sexuality-based oppression affects everyone, especially LGBTQIA+ individuals living in hostile or under-resourced environments.

    We know that the St. Louis queer community faces higher rates of violence, discrimination, housing insecurity and substance use, as well as medical, mental and sexual health disparities. We also face additional barriers to accessing the identity-affirming resources needed to meet those needs.

    Everyone benefits from a region that is more affirming and accepting of diversity, fluidity, and exploration in our gender, sexuality, and relationship identities.

    Please consider making a donation to my fundraiser to help make St. Louis a region where LGBTQ+ people can live courageously and authentically as ourselves!

    [Add Your Personalized Link]

  • Thank you to everyone who helped empower, support, and advocate for queer St. Louisans by donating to my fundraiser! Together we raised $[DOLLAR AMOUNT]. To learn more about SQSH, visit www.theSQSH.org.

  • Make a splash on your feed by pairing one of our striking graphics with your heartfelt post!

    Visit the SQSH PR Kit.

  • Email our Fundraising Team to tell us about our campaign – we’d be happy to boost your fundraiser for SQSH!

Join Our Team on Givebutter

For a more sustained campaign, join our team on Givebutter to raise funds for SQSH through multiple avenues! Givebutter is a modern, donor-friendly fundraising tool that anyone can start using in minutes, allowing you to make use of SQSH’s existing fundraising platform to amplify your voice.

Tips & Tricks for a Successful Fundraiser