After trying six different fundraising platforms, Nineveh Rising finally found Zeffy.

When violence erupts in a region, no one gets away unscathed. For the people of the Nineveh Plains in Iraq, the last decade has been destabilizing, to say the least. 

“In 2014, ISIS forced the indigenous people of the Nineveh Plains from their homes for the first time in 7000 years. Those who survived either became internally displaced, refugees, or migrated to Western nations. ISIS destroyed churches, homes, schools, and essential infrastructure.”

Today, most have been able to return to their homes, but recovery takes time and resources. Christopher and Ranna Salem founded Nineveh Rising in 2022 to provide the assistance the region deserves. From their headquarters in the United States, Nineveh Rising supports long-term economic development initiatives, cultural preservation efforts, and a local and international emergency response infrastructure for Iraqis whose lives were upended. 

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Background

For years after ISIS emerged, the Nineveh Plains region was destabilized. Christopher and Ranna Salem worked with a coalition of nonprofits to care for those who were forced out of their homes, communities, or even out of Iraq entirely. Many people fled as refugees, and they needed support for everything from essentials like housing and food to mental health care to facilitate recovery from the trauma of displacement. People from all over the world stepped up to help suffering refugees build a new foundation for a stable life. 

When people began to return home to the Nineveh Plains, Christopher and Ranna initially thought their job was done. But, thanks to their careful investment in and connection to the region, they’ve realized there is more to be done. In 2022, the husband and wife team founded Nineveh Rising to help revitalize the region. 

“After significant investment from the U.S., France, Hungary, other nations, the U.N., and various nonprofits, life has returned to a semblance of normalcy. However, as often happens after prolonged conflict and years of reliance on aid, the people have faced challenges such as reduced self-sufficiency, economic decline, stifled innovation, and unsustainable programs. We recognized the need to address these issues.” Ranna Salem. 

Today, the Nineveh Rising team in the U.S. and in Iraq can focus on “building strength and driving transformation.” The international team runs eight programs to address different drivers of economic and cultural thriving in the region, and the programs are built to last well beyond Nineveh Rising’s involvement.

“Every program we create is designed with sustainability in mind. Half of our eight programs already generate enough income to operate without needing additional fundraising while contributing to the economic revitalization of the Nineveh Plains and surrounding areas. The other half of our programs still rely on fundraising, but we are only three years in.” Ranna Salem

With that focus, Nineveh Rising isn’t a charity. They’re an empowerment organization helping those who live in and love the Nineveh Plains rebuild their home on their terms.

To gather as much funding as possible, Nineveh Rising tried every fundraising software out there, including Donorbox, Venmo, GoFundMe, Network for Good, PayPal, and Square. The organization’s execs assumed at least one of these would fit their needs, but none of the fundraising platforms were quite satisfactory.

Each platform took high fees, which was frustrating to the team when those funds could have done so much good in the Nineveh Plains. 

“GoFundMe Charity took $1,753.90, which could have funded a whole soccer tournament for 20 male teams and 6 female teams, as we just funded this month.” Ranna Salem

That event brought joy to the whole community and boosted the local economy by bringing the athletes and their families into town for the first time. When they were using fundraising platforms like Donorbox, Venmo, GoFundMe, Network for Good, PayPal, and Square, Nineveh Rising lost funding like that regularly.

And even with these constant fees, the fundraising platforms Nineveh Rising tried weren’t as powerful as the team had hoped. 

“We used GoFundMe Charity for our largest fundraiser ever, and they took fees and wouldn't give us the emails of 687 donors.” Ranna Salem

This is just one of the ways Ranna found Zeffy outperformed GoFundMe, but it was vital. (For other comparisons of the two, check out a more extensive Zeffy vs. GoFundMe breakdown here.) 

Without that information, Nineveh Rising’s fundraising wasn’t nearly as powerful as it could have been. That means donors who already cared about the people in the Nineveh Plains couldn’t build a long-term relationship of support. Nineveh Rising lost those connections as soon as the fundraiser was over.

After so many disappointing fees from so many different fundraising platforms, it only took one advertisement for the executive team to try something new. When they saw an ad for Zeffy’s fee-free fundraising, the team decided to give it a try. 

And with Zeffy, Nineveh Rising finally found a fundraising partner they were happy with. 

Now, the Nineveh Rising team is keeping every dollar they raise and building strong relationships with an engaged donor base. 

“Having our donor emails from a fundraising campaign is a game changer. A donor is someone that really believes in what we are doing. We can then send newsletters to our greatest supporters, which helps us keep growing with volunteers, donations and important connections.” Ranna Salem

And of course, the money saved on fees can fund projects that change lives and entire towns. The projects Nineveh Rising is able to support are economic drivers for the region that Ranna hopes we’ll all get to see one day.

“With Zeffy, we receive 100% of all donations. The true impact will be evident when more people visit the Nineveh Plains and witness the economic transformation firsthand, which we believe will lead to enhanced security for the region.” Ranna Salem