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Paying it forward on #GivingTuesday
Calling all Erma champions!
The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop will wrap up its ambitious 25K in 25 Days campaign on #GivingTuesday by asking Erma champions far and wide to use their creativity to show their love and support for the workshop.
#GivingTuesday on Nov. 27 is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to make a difference in the lives of others and the causes they support.
In the past two years scores of writers have created inspiring, imaginative and funny "UNselfies" and shared them through social media on #GivingTuesday to encourage others to give.
This year's fundraising effort kicked off early on Nov. 2 with the announcement of a $50,000 challenge gift from a New York City couple in honor of the late Erma and Bill Bombeck. For every dollar raised, the anonymous donors will double it, up to $50,000 - all to benefit the endowment, which is used to keep the workshop affordable for writers, maintain its national caliber and provide funding for new initiatives.
That gift is sparking 25 days of storytelling - in 280 characters on Twitter, short videos, Facebook Live shoots, and blogs - about how the workshop has changed writers' lives, and what it means to the writing world.
Check out our Facebook albums of "Erma Champions" from 2016 and 2017 and get to work making your #UNselfie. Here are step-by-step instructions for creating your sign:
1) Download blank UNselfie. Share how you are giving back or why you give on the UNselfie sign.
2) Say "cheese!" Hold up the #UNSelfie sign and take your selfless selfie.
3) On Nov. 27, share your #UNselfie on social media and encourage your friends to give. Use these hashtags: #ErmaChampions #25Kin25Days #GivingTuesday
4) Or make it easy on yourself and download one of these Erma #UNselfie signs to use at your photo shoot: You Can Write! UNselfie, It Takes A Lot of Courage UNselfie or When Humor Goes, There Goes Civilization UNselfie.
5) We plan to compile a Facebook album, so please send your #UNselfie to erma@udayton.edu.
To make an online gift, click here. Checks can be mailed to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-7056. If you or your spouse works for a matching gift company, the impact of your gift may be doubled or tripled. Please check here or your human resources office for details. To donate by phone, call 1-888-253-2383. For more information on the workshop, click here.
"The size of the gift doesn't matter. We'd love to see broad support from all those who love the workshop and believe in its future. All funds will be used to help keep the workshop affordable for writers," said Teri Rizvi, founder and director. "Please help us honor Erma in a way that will allow us to reach as widely and as powerfully as her writing and humor have."
Enormously popular, the 2018 workshop sold out in less than five hours and attracted writers from 41 states, three provinces in Canada, and even Madrid, Spain. The next one is slated for April 2-4, 2020.