Conversations with Velina Velikova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Velina Velikova.

Hi Velina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
In college, volunteering at mobile clinics in TJ, Mexico and organizing drives for San Diego’s homeless population slowly became a passion of mine. I saw an extreme need not only in the low-income communities, but the organizations that were trying their best and working day and night to help.

Simply put, there is an obvious cap in how much an organization can help their respective organization based on the amount of funding they receive, either through the government or through personal donations. Some of the most intentional and selfless organizations are limited because they don’t have the resources to fundraise successfully, which therefore limits their reach. A limited reach means that the people they are trying to serve starve, die from malnourishment, or continue to be faced with homelessness. 

I got really tired of seeing little kids continue to struggle with getting daily meals or dying from basic infections because of lack of basic hygiene. What was the difference in them surviving or not? A few hundred dollars. This sounds extreme, but it’s true. And yes, those few hundred dollars are only a bandaid to their root situation, but it is the first step in the process to progression. 

What really gets me fired up is that… it is so easy to raise $1,000. A simple Instagram fundraiser can do this. So why are some philanthropic fundraisers struggling so much? There is a foundational lack of resources within the non-profit realm. This means there usually aren’t enough people that are being paid to give their full-time effort in marketing and fundraising, which ultimately results in lack of consistent funding. 

After years of successful, small-scale fundraising projects… $1,000 here and there… I realized how impactful this was. I also realized how easy it was for the community around me to donate $5 when they were called to, especially when they trusted me and the organizations that the funds are going to. 

In the last year I was traveling around Asia with my partner, and I got involved with an incredible organization called East Bali Poverty Project. I helped them with local outreach and online fundraising. The impact was insane, especially because the US dollar goes so far in most countries. This led me to decide that I wanted to start my own non-profit with the main purpose being around digital fundraising and transparency around funding. I also have a passion of helping other nonprofits with their digital fundraising endeavors. 

In the last 5 months, we have created an awesome digital community, and it will continue to grow so we can raise money for local non-profits that need financial support while helping other leaders understand how to get into the digital side of fundraising to make their non-profits successful. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The support from my community has been overwhelming, and I couldn’t feel more blessed. The legal configuration of our non-profit, ACTUM Giving, and pursuing our 501(3)c status has taken longer than I anticipated, but it’s progressing. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I initially went to school to go into medicine, and even after college, was working in the medical field for a few years. I never quite felt as fulfilled in that area as when I was working on creative fundraising projects. 

I enjoy storytelling in expressive ways, like poetry and creating documentary-like videos. In the last 5 years, I would document the organizations I worked with and create little films. I enjoyed writing stories about them and demonstrating their impact despite a lack of resources. 

Now, I create shorter form videos for social media which is still really fun, however with all things SEO, algorithm and strategy, I haven’t allowed myself to be as open as I use to be (something I want to bring back this year). There’s a real human connection that can happen if fundraising is done right. I believe this brings happiness, gratitude, and humanity into the world and our own personal energy. Being able to facilitate this a dream. 

I also really enjoy being around people who also hear the calling to help others in need. I actually just got laid off from my marketing job because our department closed, so I have decided to dedicate myself full-time to growing ACTUM Giving and our community. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
If anyone is interested in contributing to a community where families and children in need are supported by basic human rights like:  

– Providing clean water & nourishing food (fighting malnourishment) 

– Health care (hygiene products, vaccines, supplements) 

– Housing (home builds) 

– Education (including creative arts) 

For any non-profit leaders or those interested in starting a non-profit, our organization helps with digital fundraising, branding & more. We want to create a non-gatekeeping community where we support one another grow. Because if that happens, everyone wins. 

Contact Info:

• Website: actumgiving.org
• Other: https://stan.store/actumgiving TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@actum.giving

Image Credits
Velina Velikova
Cameron Wilkinson
Andrea