Rebels Unite!
The Rebels United and we still can’t get over the result! For those of you who couldn’t attend, here’s the lowdown on our first ever fundraiser. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry; it’s going to be an annual thing so you can join the next one!
Considering that breaking the mold is kind of our ‘thing’, why would our fundraiser be any different? We threw out every traditional fundraising rule and threw the party of the year instead! This party was the launch for our monthly donor base, the Army of Rebels, a community who supports the work that T.E.A. is doing. In true Rebel Nell fashion, the location was kept a secret until the day-of. Guests received vague and mysterious invitations, sneak peek emails and were updated on event details through an IG account. Then on the day of the event guests were sent to the Jam Handy, where free valet from LAZ Parking awaited their arrival. Guests sipped on our GraffiTEA beer from Batch Brewing Company (remember our Feelgood Tap in March 2018?), wine from Left Foot Charley and had delicious bites from Plum Market. Our team put together a killer raffle package that included tickets to Red Wings and Pistons games, a gift card from Beyond Juice and Batch Brewing Company and a night in the King Suite at the Shinola Hotel – it’s no wonder we were able to sell 54 raffle tickets! At 6:30 sharp, T.E.A.’s COO, Diana Roginson and CFO, Keri Gallagher, called together our Army of Rebels. Those who wanted to make a deeper commitment to their community pledged an annual commitment to T.E.A. After happy tears were shed and money was raised, we got back to the party with tunes from DJ Amy Dreamcatcher and live entertainment from some insanely talented Detroit artists (featured in the video below). Now while the fundraiser slayed ALL expectations, it’s the creation of the Army of Rebels that made this event so successful!
The idea behind the Army goes beyond developing a group of individuals who give every month; it’s also a collective that, we hope, feels a sense of duty to assist others in their community and play an active role in what that looks like. This is group of people are strongly motivated to make a difference in the lives of others by being present and engaged; sharing their opinions, knowledge, resources and solutions. Too much of today’s charity has gotten muddled from technology and disorganized funding, we hope to change that! The Army seeks to reconnect those who are giving the assistance with the ones who are receiving it. Wouldn’t you want to know how you’re making a difference? Wouldn’t you want someone to help you if you needed it? We become a better society when we treat each other as neighbors and not as strangers, when we become responsible and accountable for one another again. When we pool all our strengths and talents to solve problems, we can each reach our fullest potential!
You may wonder, “How do I join the Army of Rebels?” If you commit to giving $1,000 annually or $83 monthly, you’ll automatically be a member of the Army. From there, you decide your level of involvement. Do you want to come to our studio and meet our team firsthand? You got it! Do you want two free tickets to join in on next year’s T.E.A. party? They’re yours! Want to know what we’re up to? We’ll drop a monthly update in your inbox. And on…and on…
Wondering what the Army of Rebels funds go toward? The funds generated through the Army of Rebels are allocated specifically for supportive services the Creative Designers receive while working at Rebel Nell. The supportive services we provide are focused on the really important things in life…finding housing, providing legal aid, transportation to work, covering the cost of uniforms, micro-loans, school scholarships, case management, you name it…if it’s creating a barrier to consistent employment, we help our team members work toward overcoming the barrier. The premise is that individuals can reach a place of higher self-sufficiency when they collaboratively work on all the areas of their life, not just one. That’s what sets us apart from other nonprofits. A traditional nonprofit typically has the capacity to focus on a singular issue with their clients, often neglecting the other issues that are directly related to or causing that singular issue. The innovation of a social enterprise model allows for services, training and employment to be intertwined. This is the type of change that is sustainable. Pretty cool, huh?
As you see, it takes more than one person alone, a team or even a whole company - it takes an Army to build up a community!
Interested in joining the movement? You can join the Army of Rebels at https://armyofrebels.funraise.org.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and our mission, it’s because of you that we can continue to do what we do!
Xoxo,
T.E.A.
*Rebel Nell’s non-profit arm
