The Truman Charities Podcast
Truman Charities is the only podcast that donates $500 to each of our guests' charity of choice.
Jamie Truman, connects with individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities. From New York Times bestselling authors to innovative farmers, we share the untold stories of those who are shaping the world around us. We feature trailblazers, influencers, and innovators who are driving positive change, such as the lawyer who fought Dupont for two decades to protect our water and the vital work of an organization dedicated to supporting women who have been trafficked within the United States.
Jamie Truman is the co-founder of Truman Charities, an entirely volunteer-run organization. Since its inception in 2010, Truman Charities has successfully raised over $2.7 million for a variety of charitable causes.
In addition to her work with Truman Charities, Jamie is also the author of the bestselling book "Vanishing Fathers: The Ripple Effect on Tomorrow's Generation." This book has generated over $100,000 for charities supporting at-risk youth, as 100% of the book's proceeds are donated to these vital organizations.
The Truman Charities Podcast
Our Annual Halloween Bash | Q&A: Why Is No One Donating To My Child's Fundraiser? Ep. 122
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Learn about our annual Halloween Bash on October 26th in Bethesda from 6-10pm!!
This year our event is benefiting For The Kids Inc. We will be raising money for a local 12 year old boy, Dominick, who is battling brain cancer. We are 100% volunteer based organization so 100% of the money raised will go directly to Dominick and his family.
Also, don't miss our Q&A where I answer the question, "Why is No One Donating To My Child's Fundraiser?"
Register for our Halloween Bash HERE
Connect with Jamie at Truman Charities:
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Email: info@trumancharities.com
This episode was post produced by Podcast Boutique https://podcastboutique.com/
Truman Charities Halloween Bash Details
Speaker 1Welcome to the Truman Charities podcast . I am Jamie Truman , your host . If you're new to the podcast . I am the co-founder of Truman Charities , 100% volunteer-based organization . We have raised a little over $2 million over the past 15 years . We do this by hosting three events per year our annual Halloween bash , derby party and our Family Fun Event . We will be talking about our Halloween bash today , since it is coming up October 26th from 6 to 10 pm at Tommy Joe's , and also we'll get into a little Q&A why no one is participating in my kids' fundraiser . So let's talk about the Halloween bash that we have coming up . So this year the Halloween bash will be benefiting For the Kids . For the Kids is also a 100% volunteer-based organization . It began in 2000 by founders Mike Thomas and Gary Helt . They've raised over $600,000 for local families . They do this by each year hosting a golf tournament where every single dollar raised in that tournament goes directly to that family . That is their beneficiary that year . This year , their beneficiary is a little boy , 12 years old , from Bel Air . His name is Dominic and he is battling brain cancer right now is battling brain cancer right now . He actually just underwent brain surgery and his father , unfortunately , has passed away from the same type of brain cancer a few years ago . So we are raising money for Dominic and his family so his mother can make sure that she is at every single treatment and every single therapy session that Dominic needs . And I want to make sure that I reiterate that 100% , 100% of the money raised at our Halloween bash will go directly to Dominic and his family . We cover the cost of the event and all of our auction items are donated . We do not have any items on consignment . So what I want to talk a little bit about is the fun prizes and auction items that we have to look forward to at the Halloween Bash . I love all of our events , but people are the most excited , I think , about our Halloween Bash . So we get really into costumes . I used to not be a costume person until we started these events a few years back , but now I'm so into them I think about our costumes months in advance because we have some really great prizes . So we have two prizes One's for individual , one's for couple slash group . So our couple slash group is a week vacation in Fenwick , delaware , which is incredible beach town . That's where Jerry's parents live . My mom lives there . It's such a fun place to be . We are there as much as possible . You're going to have the best time there and it's a wonderful house . I saw pictures and , oh my gosh , such a good prize . And the individual winner will win a Mac Pro computer . And let's talk a little bit about some of our auction items . Oh , and don't forget , if you are a sponsor , you'll be in a special sponsor raffle and you are the ones that are going to be voting for best costume , individual and couple slash group costume . So it is so fun to be a sponsor . I love , love voting on the costumes and everybody's really nice to you . Everybody wants you to vote for them , so it is so fun . All right , so some of our auction items .
Speaker 1I don't know if you've been here yet . It's about two hours away from DC Keswick Hall Resort . We have two nights , three days stay . My husband and I go there with about four or five couples every year and it's such an incredible resort . So if you like golf , they have a really great golf course there , and then , if you're like me and you don't golf , they have a really nice spa there as well . They have two restaurants on premises and we actually never leave Some people leave the resort , but I have not , I've yet to leave it , because the restaurants are delicious . They have a pool with , like this really cool infinity pool you can get , you know , food and drinks there , and then I mean I could stay all day in their spa . I mean , let's be honest . And we also have Morazzi Pizza . Everybody knows him . He was at our Family Fun event and then Jerry will be offering a 20-person pizza party and we also have a 10-person Italian dinner prepared by Mark Freeman , and Jerry will be his sous chef , and then Mark Freeman's wife , who's a fantastic event planner , she will be putting together the table and all of that . So it's going to be a really , really fun night .
Speaker 1We also have a designer package I don't know if you know of Boone Son Jewelry . That is where I get all of my jewelry . That's where my engagement ring came from , wedding ring , all of my diamond earrings and necklaces Every piece of jewelry that I get is from Boone Sons . Daryl Boone has been more than generous to us and has donated an item every single time that we've had an event , and he has helped raise so much money for various causes throughout the year . So we really want to thank him for just being such a big supporter of Truman Charities .
Speaker 1But you cannot have jewelry , a beautiful piece of jewelry , without a nice Gucci bag that was donated by Britt Allison . If you know her , you know she looks fabulous all the time and she only has the best of the best . I've seen this black Gucci bag that she has so generously donated and this will go with basically almost all outfits , so it's really great bag . And then , of course , you need designer eyewear to really make the whole outfit . So our good friend , jeff Press , founder of Press Eyewear , is joining one of his pieces . His collections are gorgeous . Make sure to go on Press Eyewear online to take a look at all of his different collection pieces .
Speaker 1Let's do one more , okay . So , oh , mgm , one night stay with dinner and show to the Black Crows . I haven't heard them in a while , but I hear that they are really good in concert . And , mgm , we go there every once in a while because it's kind of close . They have a really great concert venue there and they have several different restaurants which are delicious . There's so much to do there and they also have a spa as well , so it'd be a really great stay for you . So those are some of our auction items .
Speaker 1Those are our costume prizes , which you should get really excited about . Make sure to register , because space is limited , so you can register at TrumanCharitiescom . You can register just yourself for a ticket to go there . You can also purchase raffle tickets online as well as a sponsor . It's really great for business owners because as a sponsor you get , depending on the sponsor level , x amount of tickets you can bring your best clients . You can have employees come as a thank you . There's just so many different things that you can do with all of these tickets and you get a lot of raffle tickets as well with that sponsorship and , of course , you get to vote on best costume . So that's a big one .
Speaker 1If you have any questions , make sure to email me at info at trumancharitiescom . I'm happy to answer any questions you may have . All right , let's get into the Q&A . Okay , here's our Q&A from Bridget .
Speaker 1I'm having trouble raising money for my daughter's fundraiser . She's in Girl Scouts and no one seems to be responding . Okay , all right , this is a good one , because I have a story because my husband and I were just talking about this about a month ago that I'll tell you guys . So I wanna make sure that we're talking about the correct type of fundraising . I'm not talking about when your child is inviting people for a fundraising event , where he or she is going to be hosting a fundraising event . The fundraisers that I'm talking to you about now , or referring to , are the fundraisers that your child has for you know their football team or baseball team where they're raising money for you know , new uniforms or to travel to somewhere . Or you know Girl Scouts where they're selling cookies , or Boy Scouts , where I think they sell I think it's popcorn where they're selling popcorn . Those are the ones that I'm talking about and I think all right . So , bridget , I think I understand why you're not getting the response that you were hoping for for your daughter . So let me tell you the story .
Speaker 1About a month ago , my husband gets a text message from one of his good friends . He says hey , my son is raising money for his football team to get new uniforms . Here's the link donate . And my husband texts his back and says well , if he would like me to donate money for his football team , then why don't you have him call me and ask me himself . And his friend texts the back and was like come on , you got to be kidding me and my husband said no , if he wants people to give money , he needs to call me and ask himself . And I think that this is where people are getting a lot of fatigue with this . It's because , for example , this week I've received two emails from different people that I know asking for me to donate to like a lacrosse team and a baseball team or some sort of sports teams for their sons . And what has happened is that let's take Bridget , your daughter . She's in Girl Scouts .
Speaker 1What's happened to Girl Scouts over the years when it comes to their fundraising efforts ? Back when I was younger and I was a Girl Scout , you would go door to door so you would meet up with some of your Girl Scout friends . You'd have a parent with you and then they would just kind of hang on the sidewalk and then you would just go door to door and you would sell cookies and I remember being very nervous going up to the door . You have to ask strangers , you have to explain what you're doing and it's really nerve-wracking but it's also really awesome . When you get a sale , you get excited , like it's a sense of accomplishment . And last year , two of my friends I have all boys , so there's no Girl Scouts happening over here . But my friends that have girls there was a couple of them that just texted me so I got a text from my friends with a link to their page and on their page it just had like a 30-second clip of their daughter being like hey , this is blah , blah , blah . Please donate and buy cookies from me . And that was it . And then they don't even have the girls deliver the cookies . Now the parents are delivering the cookies . So basically it's went from kids having to do the work to now parents are doing the work for the kids .
Personal Fundraising Methods for Children
Speaker 1I never get a phone call from a kid asking for me to donate to their fundraiser . I'm getting a text message or I'm getting an email , or I'm even getting a Facebook or social media or Instagram or whatever , and you're tagged on it . You're sent it in your DMs . So some aren't even an email , a personal email or a text , even though I'm sure those are just mass . But you're getting them on social media . So the parents aren't even calling you . They're just sending it out in mass amounts to people . So there's nothing personal about what they're doing and I am a big believer that making kids be uncomfortable is really , really good for them .
Speaker 1I know that when I saw my son and his two friends when they did their fundraising event and we made them do a little speech , it was really great to see how worked up they were before and they were like saying the sentence in their head and da-da-da , and they were like really nervous about it . And then the sense of accomplishment they got after they were done . And so , bridget , this is what I would tell you to do , because this is what I now tell people to do when they send me these things is that have your child either if it's say your daughter , if , if it's say your daughter , you know if it's in the neighborhood , right , have her walk around the neighborhood with her friends and do what the Girl Scouts used to do . Because , again , if you think about people that are very successful or any type of industry , that's relationship-based . If you kind of peel it back and you ask these individuals about the type of jobs , that's relationship-based . If you kind of peel it back and you ask these individuals about the type of jobs that they had growing up , a lot of them I would say 9 out of 10 , say they did some sort of door-to-door . I mean honestly , I think that most kids should have to . You know , the Mormons do the one year where I mean , like those poor kids , oh my , they spent a full year getting rejected . But if you see them , they are so successful in any type of business that they do Because you learn so much by being uncomfortable in front of people . I know for myself , even now , when I'm asked to do a speaking engagement , each time I'm really nervous and I go back and think , oh gosh , I shouldn't have done this , I'm so nervous . And then afterwards it's such a great feeling of accomplishment after you're done .
Speaker 1So if your son or daughter is participating in any type of fundraiser for their school or for scouts , whatever it is , make sure that they are personally going out and doing the work and not you . Have them call their family members , have them call their friends' parents , have them do the work , because I'm telling you right now that I do not say no to any child that calls me and asks me to participate in a fundraiser . I love seeing them explain what they're doing and how excited they are about it and what will happen if they raise X amount of money . So that would be my answer to this question is stop doing their work . It's their work , not yours . Have them call , have them go door to door , have them do the work and I can guarantee you that you are going to see such a high response rate of people wanting to participate in your son or daughter's fundraiser . I hope this helps and if you have a question , send it to me at info at trumancharitiescom .
Speaker 1If you liked this episode , please make sure to rate and review it . I read every single review and they really do count . And , while you're at it , subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes . If you'd like to follow us , you can follow us on Facebook at Truman Charities , instagram at Jamie underscore Truman Charities . You can follow me on LinkedIn at Jamie Truman . And to make sure you don't miss any of our upcoming events or our Halloween bash , of course , or our derby party or family fun event and , of course , all of our Bethesda Best Happy Hours go to TrumanCharitiescom and sign up for our newsletter . I hope that you enjoyed this episode . Until next time .
