Fundraising and Cultural Engagement on Campus
Since the fundraising team was formed in the Fall of 2022, we have strived for greater involvement in the Georgetown University community as well as the greater Georgetown community. Our fundraising team primarily works to raise funds for our initiatives through collaborations with other student-run organizations on campus and through public and private grants outside of the university community. Our fundraising endeavors have helped partially fund our menstrual health and iron-deficient anemia projects as well as our trip to India in 2023. In addition to raising funds, our on-campus events also raise awareness for RISHI’s mission and have greatly expanded our presence on campus since our founding in 2020. Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, the fundraising team has raised over $1,000 through 9 different fundraising events in cooperation with on-campus organizations such as the Corp, the Hindu Student Association (HSA), the Asian American Student Association (AASA), and the International Student Association (ISA), as well as with the NGO, Maanushi for Earth, which is based in Kumily, Kerala. The 2023-24 academic year has been the most successful fundraising year thus far. Keep reading to learn all about it!
The Corp x Georgetown Project RISHI Drink Promotion
In October 2023, Georgetown Project RISHI partnered with The Corp for a drink promotion. A portion of all the proceeds went towards funding our Luck Shakti Leaf (LSL) Scale-up Part 2. The Corp is the largest student-run non-profit in the country that employs over 350 undergraduate students in their six storefronts and three company divisions. It collaborates with other on-campus organizations through drink promotions, scholarships, and various events. During our week-long promotion, we publicized our partnership and encouraged students from all schools and grades at Georgetown to buy a matcha latte and mention Georgetown Project RISHI at the time of purchase. We were able to hit our fundraising goal within the first few days of the promotion and raised $250! In addition to raising funds for our LSL project, we were also able to spread awareness of our organization to a vast number of students and community members as The Corp is an extremely prominent organization at Georgetown.
Kartik Mela
In collaboration with the Hindu Student Association (HSA), Georgetown Project RISHI organized a Mehndi fundraising event. The HSA is an organization on campus that aims to foster an inclusive and diverse environment where students can practice and explain Hindu traditions, culture, and spirituality. The organization is a resource for all members of the Georgetown community who are interested in learning about the Hindu tradition or interested in engaging with the community. During Kartik Mela, we were able to reach our fundraising goal within the first hours of the promotion and raised $85! In addition to raising funds for our project, we were also able to engage with a diverse group of students and community members of HSA to spread awareness for our organization and our initiatives in India.
Georgetown Project RISHI x Maanushi for Earth
In collaboration with Maanushi for Earth, Georgetown Project RISHI sold handmade artisanal soaps to the greater Georgetown community to raise funds for our initiatives as well as raise awareness for the missions of both Georgetown Project RISHI and Maanushi for Earth. Maanushi for Earth is an initiative that provides a livelihood to women living in Kumily, Kerala. They provide a space for sustainable women-owned businesses to sell their products, which range from handmade soaps and oils to herbs and sarees. We had the privilege of working with the founder of the Maanushi Foundation, Lakshmy Das, at EcoFemme during our menstrual health initiative. We loved supporting Lakshmy and the women in Kumily by purchasing handmade soaps from their foundation and spreading the word about their organization in the US. In early February, we sold the soaps at Georgetown and were able to raise $250 for our initiatives! We are extremely proud of the success of our first sales event and hope to continue working with the Maanushi Foundation in the future! Visit the Maanushi Foundation’s website, https://maanushiforearth.myshopify.com/, to learn more about their work in Kumily.
Mehndi Training Event
This year, Georgetown Project RISHI launched its first Mehndi Training event! For only $5, students were able to delve into the art of traditional henna designs. This event was a unique opportunity to practice intricate Mehndi techniques and patterns firsthand. This was also an opportunity for Georgetown community members to engage with South-Asian traditions through an art form that encourages expression. At the end of the event, participants were able to take home their own mehndi cone to continue practicing and designing. This community building event allowed everyone to participate–regardless of their skill level. Through this new event, we were able to raise $25 for our initiatives and train people to support our mehndi initiatives at future RISHI events!
SpringFest
Every year in early Spring, Georgetown Dharmic Life, the Hindu Student Association, and the Asian American Student Association at Georgetown University come together to celebrate Holī, Baisākhī, Soṅgkran, Yugādi, Mahāvīr Jayanti, Wesak, and the numerous springtime festivities of the Dharmas. For the past two years, Georgetown Project RISHI has held a mehndi fundraiser at Spring Fest to raise funds for our initiatives as well as to raise awareness for the cultural practice of applying mehndi at various dharmic celebrations. We invite volunteers from the RISHI community and beyond to do mehndi during Spring Fest. This year, we were able to raise $105 during the event! We have loved participating in and contributing to Spring Fest these past two years and are excited to continue participating in the future!
AASA Night Market
This year in early April, Georgetown RISHI participated in the Asian American Student Association’s second annual Night Market. This event pays homage to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders' (AANHPI) experience and diaspora by reclaiming traditionally white spaces as their own by bringing together the greater Georgetown community through an event that showcases Georgetown AANHPI student and non-student organizations’ products, traditional foods, and performances. Project RISHI was able to raise $440 by selling more soaps from Maanushi for Earth at the Night Market. We loved being able to celebrate AANHPI heritage alongside a number of other student organizations while also supporting Maanushi for Earth again!
GU Global Expo
This year in late April, the International Student Association(ISA) and the Office of Global Services hosted the 11th annual Global Expo. The Global Expo seeks to foster and celebrate cultural awareness by showcasing food and performance from countries around the globe. Global Expo is Georgetown's largest food event, featuring over a dozen food booths from around the world, accompanied by a number of amazing dance performances. Georgetown Project RISHI participated in this event and gave out samosas to students and their families. We also sold handmade artisanal soaps to the greater Georgetown community to raise funds for our initiatives.
We are extremely proud of the amazing work the fundraising team has done this year! Through the work of our team members, we have been able to raise a significant amount of money for our initiatives as well as increase Georgetown Project RISHI's visibility within the greater Georgetown community. It has been a very valuable experience to become more involved in the Dharmic and Asian-American community here at Georgetown as well as to directly support women in India through our collaboration with Maanushi for Earth. We are looking forward to even more successful fundraising in the upcoming year!
For more updates before our next blog post, check out our website https://georgetownrishi.org/, follow us on instagram @georgetown.projectrishi, or email us at dcprojectrishi@gmail.com!