How The Campaign Works:
Artists of all mediums are welcome to submit digital samples of their work to be considered for the fundraising campaign. Selected designs will then be reproduced on merchandise which may include t-shirts, sweatshirts, framed prints, canvas prints, mugs, stickers, postcards, and notebooks. These products will then be sold in the AudioKush webstore and will be available in a range of price options, making this art accessible and affordable to all. Each artist (wishing to be included) will also have the opportunity to tell their personal story or that of their artwork in either an interview or written blog format. These stories will be published online and promoted alongside the merchandise, giving a sense of identity to those behind the designs. When possible, artist stories will also be included with merchandise purchases during the campaign.
Direct donations to the campaign will also be accepted and will be 100% counted towards the donation total alongside the profits from merchandise sales.
Where Will Profits Go?
All profits generated from the sales of these campaign items will be donated to a well-researched and well-respected organization working to bring aid to the community. For the pride month campaign, this typically would involve a national or international LGBTQ+ organization. For this particular edition however, we will be accepting community nominations for legitimate LGBTQ+ affiliated businesses, services, and community organizations in need.
“The logic behind this move comes after much thought about the large proportion of businesses and organizations currently struggling due to the ongoing global pandemic. Big name organizations are generally more likely to get the resources and donations they need to help their communities since there is more awareness of them to potential donors. Often during times of mass struggle, small organizations with the potential to be just as valuable to the community have a tendency to be overlooked. Because of this, it seems prudent to open this opportunity to organizations we may be unfamiliar with, so they are not excluded from an opportunity to receive needed support.” Organizations and consumers of community services seeking nomination for a chance to receive the profits from the fundraiser may apply for consideration on AudioKush HQ until Monday June 28, 2021. After the June 28 deadline for submissions, these organizations will be carefully researched and evaluated for legitimacy. Approved nominations will then be up to the vote of the general public from July 1 – July 15, 2021, with the winner announced on July 16, 2021.
Why Should I Help?
If you already create art as a career or hobby, chances are you have hundreds of designs already and probably a million more ideas! Why not submit one for an opportunity to not only have your design available for sale, but also to help raise awareness of a meaningful cause.
Why Is This A 3 Month Campaign If It’s For Pride “Month”?
Pride month is traditionally celebrated during the month of June, however in Amsterdam, currently the main HQ of AudioKush, pride is celebrated from the end of July to the beginning of August. What a great incentive to keep the campaign running and to draw awareness of our artists and the organizations we are donating to! No need to limit pride to one month each year!
Will All Designs Be Cannabis-Themed?
No! Unique works or art of all kinds are welcome and appreciated!
That being said, as we are a cannabis industry based organization, we will be looking for a number of designs which include the cannabis theme. However, we also do not want campaigns to only feature designs with blatant cannabis imagery.
Will I Have To Wait Until The Campaign Ends To Receive My Merchandise?
No! These custom designed and curated pieces will arrive to you on average one week after ordering!
I Do Not Identify With The Term “LGBTQ+” Or I Am Unsure At This Time, Am I Allowed To Participate?
Yes! Anyone is welcome to participate in this campaign, but please remember the purpose of this campaign is to spread art from the LGBTQ+ community and to raise awareness of and funds for LGBTQ-based community organizations.
A person’s gender identity does not need to conform to a particular term in order to be “right” for them and with that in mind, we encourage anyone who feels a connection or deep passion for the pride movement and what it stands for to participate.
Background:
This concept was developed by Zoe, co-founder of AudioKush HQ.
Zoe is a trained anthropologist who formerly worked as a social worker and is now an independent journalist, podcast host, and co-founder of the non-profit news and media company, AudioKush.
“AudioKush is a cannabis industry centered news and media organization with a deep commitment to addressing the human experience and potential violations of human rights. We began as a news outlet for the cannabis industry and rapidly expanded as we saw the need for honest and educational reporting on the industry and those within it. Delving deeper into this industry, my interest has focused upon those behind the scenes. I work to share the stories of the people who make up the industry we work in and the greater world in the hopes of educating others and encouraging people to see things from a new perspective. My business partner, the co-founder of our organization tends to focus more upon the scientific aspects of the cannabis industry, enabling us to truly be a well rounded and multi dimensional organization. With origins as a humble blog, our site has been able to expand and now includes an online business directory and web shop as well as many other additions.
After the launch of our web shop, I began contemplating ways in which I could somehow utilize the immense amount of time I spent creating our website to give back to the world around us. As a result, I have been developing this fundraising concept which will allow us to utilize our social media and website audiences to give back.”
