Mrs. Bullock, Mrs. Easter and Your Two Cents: How to Fund a Movement

This is Cleo Bullock. She called me over yesterday to talk about her fundraising ideas. She says she could make Scrollworks 'bloom' with children, but she's afraid she'd overwhelm our resources. So she wants to help us raise money to do more. Mrs. Bullock has already donated over $700 she collected standing outside her Family Dollar.

As she began to get fired up, Mary Easter joined in the brainstorming. Mary studies piano. Her grandchildren come every Friday and Saturday for violin, drums and piano lessons. Her whole family believes that music education is critical.

Both ladies really want to do a raffle. They suggested that people would readily buy raffle tickets for a dollar, even if the prizes were inexpensive. Mary said she would donate some music cassettes she has that are still in the wrapper.

Cleo turned to the keyboard and lovingly ran her fingers up and down the keys. She wondered if she could convince people to sponsor an instrument:
$.25 for each key on a piano -- $22
$1 for each string on a violin or cello -- $4
$1 for each string on a guitar -- $6

She also wondered if people would match her donations with a pledge of two cents per $1. That'd be $14 so far.

Mrs. Bullock and Mrs. Easter say that Scrollworks is a blessing. Their fund raising goals are modest. And yet Cleo has managed to raise an amazing total in a short time. My friend, Leslie, has told me about ladies like this who were the soul of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. I am so proud that they see the value of what Scrollworks is offering.

Those of us involved in this program know it is a movement with the potential for profound social transformation.