Dear Friends,
Recently I was excited to share the news that Voice of Witness is establishing the VOW Story Fund to support urgent, inspiring human rights storytelling. Today, I invite you to join our efforts in getting this initiative off the ground.
Every day, we meet writers who have powerful ideas for projects that explore some of the most urgent human rights issues of our time, and that amplify seldom-heard voices at the heart of these issues. Unfortunately, many struggle to find the support they need to get their projects started. We know firsthand that the early phases of an oral history project are critical to its success.
That’s why this May, we’re launching the “Seed the VOW Story Fund” Campaign. Our goal is to raise $30,000 to support 6 oral history projects that are broadening the field of human rights storytelling.
These projects—helmed by an incredible group of writers, including Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Freedman—will amplify important, seldom-heard voices: youth migrants from Central America, residents of Ferguson, Native Americans, farmers and workers fighting for food sovereignty, migrants working in California agriculture, and people impacted by solitary confinement. We’re looking forward to sharing highlights from these projects throughout the campaign.
But we need help from people like you—readers, educators, and advocates for human dignity and equality—to uplift these urgent and inspiring stories. All funds raised will directly support interview missions this summer.
Will you support these projects with a donation today?
With gratitude,
Mimi Lok
Cofounder & Executive Director
How we’ll put your dollars to work:
$50
Provides basic supplies for a day of local interviewing, including ground travel, recorder batteries, and food
$200
Covers translation costs for one interview
$500
Supports out-of-state travel for one interview mission
$1,000
Provides oral history training for one Story Fund project
$5,000
Provides a living stipend for a writer to commit dedicated time to conduct and edit key interviews
$10,000
Provides a two-month living stipend to conduct and edit key interviews and produce a draft of the manuscriptMake a Gift Today
