Harambee Toolkit

Harambee Toolkit

STEP 1 – Choose a Day and Time

The day and time of your event will depend on who you are inviting.

A workplace Harambee? Hold it on a weekday, during or after work, at your office or a nearby restaurant. Friends, family or colleagues outside or your workplace? Consider a day and time when it’s convenient for most people.

Many of our most successful Harambees are held on a Sunday evening, from 7 to 9 pm. Most people weren’t busy with other activities and it was a short and sweet night out with friends!

STEP 2 – Choose a Venue

Depending on the time of your Harambee, you’ll probably want to provide some kind of food for your guests.

Options for the Venue:

  • Hold the Harambee at your home, or a friend’s home.
  • Hold it at an outside venue like a restaurant or bar. Contact a local venue that has space for your group.
Use this letter giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit_step2.php to ask for a donation or discount.

STEP 3 – Invite your Colleagues, Family, and Friends

Make your guest list! And then add some more! Acceptance rates may vary but be sure to invite more than you think will attend. We suggest you use a great online invitation site called www.evite.com. If you wish, you can include one of the photos below. To let Give a Day know you are hosting a Harambee, please add coordinator@giveaday.ca to your list of invitees.

If you choose not to use the invite service but wish to invite friends by email, you can use this email and invitation template giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit_step3.php to customize and send.

Photo #1 Photo #2

If you choose to invite people by phone or mail – please don’t forget to contact Give a Day and let us know so we can support your event.

In your invitation tell your friends to follow Give a Day on Twitter Twitter@giveaday and join the Give a Day page on Facebook www.facebook.com/giveadaytoworldaids

STEP 4 – Party Tools

Following is a list of resources to help others learn about HIV/AIDS in Africa. If you are planning to show video, an LCD projector at a venue or your home will make it clear for everyone.

VIDEOS

  • Give a Day to World AIDS Channel – Harambee video with Stephen Lewis, Dr. James Orbinski and Dr. Jane Philpott www.youtube.com/user/giveadaytoAIDS
  • Stephen Lewis Foundation Channel www.youtube.com/user/stephenlewisfdtn
  • Dignitas International Channel www.youtube.com/user/dignitasonline

CLICK HERE to go to a comprehensive list of available Videos. Create link with list in ‘Resources’

PRINT MATERIALS

CLICK HERE to access available Print Materials (giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit.php *** old Harambe toolkit ***)

SPEAKERS

Harambees that have 20 or more guests can request a speaker from Give a Day. Our volunteer speakers are individuals who have personal and professional experience with the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa and can help with ‘making the ask’ for donations. A speaker request is included in the order form.

MUSIC

Give a Day has produced a great CD of African influenced music from Canadian artists for your Harambee! Everyone who hosts a Harambee will receive a CD. If you would like more CDs to sell at your Harambee, use the space provided on the order form.

TIPS for SUCCESS

Download the file “5 Tips for your Harambee” for some great ideas to help you plan your event.

For more resources from our recipient organizations, please go to:

STEP 5 – Encourage Everyone to Give a Day’s Pay!

Clearly invite everyone to join you in giving a day’s pay to recognize World AIDS Day.

Direct them to a donations table set up at your Harambee where they can go online and donate, or put a cheque in the donations box. Remind them that they choose the recipient organization – the Stephen Lewis Foundation and/or Dignitas International.

If your guests don’t donate at the Harambee, remind them to visit www.giveaday.ca when they get home and donate within the next 24 hours.

When donating online guests should choose the name of your Harambee from the drop down list of each recipient organization.

Donations Booth or Table

It’s a good idea to set up a place for people to make donations right at your party.

Print off this sign www.giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit_step5.php to place at a donations table.

You can also leave extra brochures, tribute cards and “I Gave a Day” stickers at the table and encourage friends to take them to pass along.

WE GAVE A DAY POSTER

Before your party, purchase a large piece of Bristol board and print off this heading:

“We Gave a Day” www.giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit_step5.php heading.

Glue it to the top of the Bristol board. Put the “We Gave a Day” board at the party and have everyone sign it – then you can take a photo of the group with the poster and send it to us to post online!

STEP 6 – After the Party: Thank you and Sharing

The day after your party, please thank all of your friends for attending and donating. You can also remind those who haven’t yet donated to go to the website and donate there.

Here’s a sample thank you email giveaday.ca/harambee_toolkit_step6.php to send out.

Please forward your photos to coordinator@giveaday.ca and we’ll post them on our blog or you can go to the Facebook page www.facebook.com/giveadaytoworldaids and post your “We Gave a Day” group shot.

Sharing the Total raised at your Harambee!

Cheques: If you have gathered cheques at your party, please add them up and let us know how you did! Then send them to the respective organizations (addresses below).

Online Donations: If most of your friends have donated online – we will contact you a week to ten days after your party and give you the total donations received from the two organizations. Because people will be choosing your specific Harambee when they donate, we will be able to track this for you.

Both: Keep the total of your cheques – we will let you know the online total and then you can add it all up!

After letting us know your totals, mail your cheques to:

Dignitas International Stephen Lewis Foundation
2 Adelaide Street West, Suite 200 260 Spadina Avenue, Suite 501
Toronto, Ontario M5H 1L6 Toronto, Ontario M5T 2E4

Thank you for hosting a Harambee!

Order Form and Toolkit Files for Download

Materials Order Form for Harambee

Zipped Folder of all Harambee Toolkit Files

  • 5 Tips for your Harambee
  • Donation Request Letter
  • Email Invitation ***needs updated photo***
  • Donation Table Signs
  • “We Gave a Day” Banner
  • Thank You Letter