Mailchimp Partner Alessandra Farabegoli Gives Back

How were you introduced to CEFARH?

I heard about CEFARH through the Mailchimp community. Simon Ogwang, the organization’s founder, had reached out to a number of Mailchimp partners in the experts directory hoping to get some pro bono help. CEFARH was in a desperate position: their chief fundraiser, Lisa Mora, had passed away unexpectedly from COVID-19, leaving the organization without the influx of donations needed to run their programs. When I heard about Simon and CEFARH, I reached out and offered to help.

Why were you interested in helping them?

When I heard about CEFARH through the Mailchimp community, and I read what they were doing to empower girls, give them a better future, bring health services in small communities and prevent child marriage, I knew I had to step in. I do believe that if we want to build a better future we have to help girls, and help communities help themselves. And CEFARH—a Ugandan organization, whose members have lived through war and all sorts of problems—is most entitled to play this role.

Is volunteering your services something you do often?

I'm as busy as everybody, but I think that I owe much to the community and all the people who taught and helped me, so I try to give back. It may be helping some organizations to improve their online communication, or discussing with parents, teachers, and students about digital literacy.

Many folks would just donate money to a nonprofit and call it a day. Why do you think it’s important to volunteer your professional services?

Donating is important—it’s what allows NGOs to pursue their mission! I am the co-founder of Freelancecamp, a networking and training community for freelancers, and each year we pick an organization to help. In previous years, we donated money. But this year, we decided to volunteer instead. It was so much more gratifying and intense because we established a relationship with the people we were helping.

What marketing assistance did you offer?

Along with 6 other volunteers from Freelancecamp, we created a new logo for the organization, redesigned their website, took over posting on Instagram and Facebook, and optimized their Mailchimp account. Most importantly, perhaps, we set CEFARH up to receive donations. It was a difficult task to accomplish, as many donation platforms don’t work in Uganda. Getting this donation landing page working was truly a feat!

That’s an impressive marketing overhaul. Can you share any of the results from your efforts?

CEFARH has seen a huge rise of traffic coming from SEO, social media, and direct visits from all over the world. They went from a few dozen website visits per month in January to 10,000 visits in April, and over that same period, their Facebook page monthly reach increased from around 2,000 to more than 40,000 views. With this exposure, they’ve also gathered new volunteers and partners—in Uganda and abroad.

If you’re a freelancer or a member of an agency looking to build your reputation, learn new skills, and network with awesome peers like Alessandra, join Mailchimp & Co. Membership gets you access to tools (to help you manage your clients) and resources designed to help you grow your business your way.