Common Ground Foundation partners with HundredX

The Common Ground Foundation throughout the pandemic has focused on the health and well-being of more than 300 mentees in its programs who range from ninth graders to college-aged students. Photo courtesy of The Common Ground Foundation
The Common Ground Foundation throughout the pandemic has focused on the health and well-being of more than 300 mentees in its programs who range from ninth graders to college-aged students. Photo courtesy of The Common Ground Foundation

 Common Ground Foundation partners with HundredX

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     The Common Ground Foundation implemented a new fundraising tool this season. Instead of its usual in-person fundraising event, it partnered with HundredX so people could donate without money. The Express Feedback for Good allowed Common Ground Foundation supporters to make an impact by sharing their opinions, by leaving reviews on popular brands and companies.
     HundredX partners with non-profit organizations by having those organization’s supporters provide feedback. The organization receives up to $2 for each piece of qualifying feedback to support the cause. The Common Ground Foundation was founded by performer Common more than 10 years ago to provide mentoring and college preparation to high school students.
     Tiffany Walker, program director with the Common Ground Foundation, said the HundredX campaign was a really creative alternative for donors to participate in the fundraising process. “Instead of just asking donors to donate dollars, we’re asking them to donate in a different way and using their feedback as a way to generate funds for the program,” she said. “HundredX is an insight company through these surveys, they have an opportunity to speak to brands they are interested in or companies they like. Each time they submit that feedback, it turns into dollars for the program. And, those dollars keep mentees in the program.”
     Walker said it is a creative, new way to fundraise and it changes the game. She said it allows people to interact in different ways.
     “I think it is a platform I would like to see us use in the future, in combination with previous ways we fundraise,” she said.
There are more than 300 mentees who range from ninth graders to college aged students.
     Walker said, with mentoring piece, the Common Ground Foundation has really been focused on the health and welfare of the students during COVID-19. “Our main concern is just making sure our students are okay. So, we’ve done call-ins to our mentees and their parents just to see if there’s anything we can do. And, we set up an emergency fund for some,” she said.
     Walker said mentors have shopped for groceries for families of mentees, as well as helped out with online learning and with providing a computer. “We know our youth are dealing with a lot of different things,” she said.
     Walker said the Common Ground Foundation had to get creative when it comes to how to interact with the students in the program. Activity sessions were 100 percent face-to-face engagement. They had to move to Zoom and move the in-person check-ins online, even the mental health check-ins for each grade level now happens online.
     Walker said with the 12th grade students they mentor, instead of a college tour, they had to do a virtual college week, with sessions about financial aid and how to choose the best school.
     Walker said the strategy for January is to slowly incorporate the monthly sessions via Zoom. Those activities include all-female sessions that focus on young women advocating for themselves, as well as a male mentoring program.
     Walker said the Common Ground Foundation has learned what the students really need during the pandemic is understanding. “It’s been a lot. They’ve missed out on a lot of milestones they can’t get back,” she said. “So, just really understanding has been really big for us.”
     For more information about the Common Ground Foundation, visit www.commongroundfoundation.org.

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