How to Raise $1,000 for Your Favorite Charity

Last fall I committed to raising (or donating) $750 for the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham during the month leading up to the organization’s big annual fundraiser, Smart Party. Those of us who sign up for this challenge are called Smarty Pants and how can you not want to be given that distinction?! My very frugal husband, however, was very nervous about this endeavor, worried that I’d only raise about 20 bucks and that we’d have to shell out the rest. But because of the generosity of the community I’ve built around the See Jane Write blog and brand, I raised over $1,000!

And now I’m at again. I’m working to raise $750 for the Women’s Fund by October 12, the day of this year’s Smart Party. If you’d like to help, simply click here to make your donation. Even a contribution of $10 would help and would be much appreciated.

If you’d like to use your platform for good, here’s a look into how I raised $1,000 last year and what I plan to do to pull off this feat once again.

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3 Reasons to Attend Magic City Fashion Week’s Bloggers Night Out

The organizers of Magic City Fashion Week are as much about community as they are couture.

Magic City Fashion Week is set for October 24 – 28, but creators Daniel Grier and Derek Matthews (the designers behind Splashed by DKG) are already busy adding magic to the Magic City through a series of smaller events leading up to the big week. Grier and Matthews see Magic City Fashion Week as an opportunity to not only cultivate, connect, and showcase Birmingham’s designers, beauty industry professionals, photographers, videographers, and models but also Birmingham bloggers.

Last month they hosted their first Bloggers Night Out, a networking event meant to help connect local bloggers with one another. On Monday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at the rooftop bar at Redmont Hotel, MCFW organizers will host another Bloggers Night Out event. Here are three reasons you need to RSVP for this event right here, right now.

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New co-working space will help Birmingham entrepreneurs “Forge” ahead

When Kim Lee started learning more about the concept of co-working spaces she quickly realized that Birmingham-area entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers needed a place where they could work and collaborate with others without signing a long-term lease. And eventually, Lee realized she should be the person to create such a space.

“My undergrad is in business and I have a master’s in counseling,” Lee says. ” As I studied and researched co-working more, it became clearer to me that my background is actually perfect for this is a business concept.”

And so the Forge was born.

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Vive Les Conteurs

Photo by Amy Dobelstein

“Qualified.” Megan Beam is not a fan of this word, especially when it’s used to ask questions such as: “What qualifies me to write what I’m writing?” or “What qualifies you to tell anyone else how to write what they’re writing?” or “How does my work qualify for publishing?” When Beam started her Birmingham–based writing workshop series Vive Les Conteurs in January one of her goals was to strip this word of its value.

“I think that there is this sort of romance around creativity that you can’t really approach it unless you’ve been born with some sort of sparkle,” Beam says. “And I’m not saying that that doesn’t exist but I think that creativity in whatever form it is can save people’s lives and give them a reason to get up in the morning and make sense of the chaos.”

Beam says her primary goal with Vive Les Conteurs is simply to give people a safe space to write so they can finally feel like writers.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Beam for my latest column for B-Metro magazine. Read the complete story here.