Philanthropy Team Redefines RSSA Fundraising

by Addy Camisa '21

In order to give back to the community and foster connections within the Retail Management Institute community, RMI executive board’s philanthropy team put together a unique philanthropy event. Isabelle Sung ‘22, head of philanthropy, collaborated with her committee and the social media team to organize the event that involved a 3x3 social media Venmo fundraiser. With the template that members of RMI could post on their social media pages, RMI was the first club on campus to provide an incentive for Santa Clara students to donate money while also being automatically entered into a raffle. Not only was this philanthropy working for a great cause, it was giving back to the students of RMI who have had a less than conventional year.

The event had hoped to raise funds for The Opportunity Fund, which helps fund underserved small businesses, particularly those owned by low-income immigrants, individuals of color and women. According to Sung, RMI felt passionate about donating what they raised “so that the Opportunity Fund can continue to foster entrepreneurship in low-income communities. ” Sung states that RMI hoped to aid those hit hard by the pandemic, and support black-owned businesses in the raffle while also donating to efforts to help small businesses.

Individuals could become a part of the fundraiser with donations of anywhere from $2-$15. With those donations, these individuals would be entered into a raffle worth $150 and give back towards a great cause. The raffle prize included gender-neutral items from black-owned businesses such as Salt n Sprinkles, a vegan baking company, as well as Rosen Skincare, a clean beauty company whose products are healthy for you and the planet. Needless to say, students were eager to take part in the fundraiser.

Although it was more difficult to reach students in person while not being on campus, the social media and philanthropy teams worked to create an impactful and effective event. The fundraiser raised hundreds of dollars for The Opportunity Fund. We here at RMI are grateful to the community for their involvement and look forward to more philanthropic events in the future.