A Birthday Fundraiser for ACLU and Earthjustice—Donate & Get a FREE sticker!

A watercolor painted graphic with text. The text reads “LOVE IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE”. Atop the purple watercolor word of LOVE are blue silhouettes of figures. One is stuck down in the valley of the L and the O. Another reaches their hand down to them from atop the O. A string is attached and being held and pulled by three other figures across the top, as well as a dog. An illustration by Victoria K. Chapman. www.weyakindesigns.com.

Hello, friends! It’s time for my 4th Annual Birthday Fundraiser Extravaganza! My birthday is at the beginning of March, but I’m starting my fundraising a month ahead of time. Each year, since I’ve turned 40, I have celebrated by hosting a fundraiser for organizations I care about or whose missions I believe in. This fundraiser is also a fun opportunity for you to get a free art sticker! In light of all the recent events in this country, this year I’ve chosen to fundraise for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Earthjustice. Because lots of people and the Earth need their rights defended right now.

So, how does this work? 

  1. Donate $10 or more to one or both of these organizations.
  2. Share this fundraiser with the people you know.
  3. Then, fill out this form to let me know you donated (include a screen shot of your receipt).
  4. Include your mailing address in the form and I’ll send you a free “LOVE IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE” art sticker (while supplies last)!

More About the ACLU

American Civil Liberties Logo in red with a blue background. ACLU. We the People. Click to view the ACLU website.

The American Civil Liberties Union has been defending the rights of Americans for over 100 years. Their current work includes fighting injustice against immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, fighting for reproductive rights, upholding and continuing to fight for civil rights, racial justice, and voting rights. The list goes on. Your donation to the ACLU will go toward lawyers fighting court battles on these issues. It helps disperse information to Americans so they know what their rights are. It goes toward campaigns to help uphold civil liberties and get the public involved. Plus so much more. Read more about the ACLU on their website at www.aclu.org.

Donate to the ACLU

More About Earthjustice

EarthJustice Logo. Click to visit their website.

Earthjustice was founded in 1971 to preserve wildlife and wild spaces, protect people’s health, advance clean energy, and fight climate change. This is a premier nonprofit environmental law organization with more than 200 attorneys throughout the country working on cases to defend the Earth. They partner with hundreds of organizations, tribal communities, and other communities throughout the country whom they represent for free. Your donation goes toward the research and lawsuits they work on. These lawyers have done a lot of important work, including representing the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe during the Dakota Access Pipeline case. Read more about Earthjustice on their website at www.earthjustice.org.

Donate to Earthjustice

More About Your Free Sticker

Don’t forget the fill out the form and include your mailing address to get your FREE art sticker! There are only 100 available, so I’ll send them as long as supplies last. I created this piece with watercolors and colored pencils to convey a sense that caring for each other is how we will resist tyranny and oppression. And I’m getting my art put into sticker form to share with YOU!

The stickers are currently being printed and I’ll have them in hand within the next couple of weeks. These stickers are vinyl and weather-proof so you can stick them on all sorts of surfaces. They’ll be aproximately 3” wide. I’ve been printing my stickers with Vermont-based company StickyBrand, who also use eco-friendly inks in their printing process. Spread the word and do good! Now is more important than ever to stick together and share LOVE.

Fill Out the Form to Get Your Sticker!

With love,
Victoria K. Chapman

Victoria’s 2024 Birthday Fundraiser & Art Raffle for The Highlights Foundation

Six flat stones sit on top of pebbles. Each stone contains a carved word. The stones read, "open your soul and learn happiness". Photo from the Word Garden at The Highlights Foundation, taken by Victoria K. Chapman.
Highlights Foundation Logo

In early March I’ll have taken another turn around the sun, which means it’s time for my annual birthday fundraiser! This year, I’m asking you to help me celebrate my birthday by donating to an organization close to my heart—The Highlights Foundation. The Highlights Foundation’s mission is to “to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves”. They help creators of stories and art for kids get to the next level and grow.

How the Fundraiser Works

I’ve set up three ways to donate—use whatever works best for you!

  1. Donate through the Facebook fundraiser page
  2. Donate through the Instagram fundraiser page (viewable in the Instagram app)
  3. Donate directly through the Highlights Foundation Website

For everyone who donates at least $10, you can be entered into a raffle to win one of my art prints and an art greeting card! I’ll pick 2 winners once the fundraiser ends. 

Here’s how to get entered:

  1. Make your donation of $10 or more
  2. Save or take a screenshot of your donation receipt
  3. Share this fundraiser with friends and family through email or social media for an extra entry!
  4. Fill out this Google form to let me know you donated, share your receipt, and let me know if you shared this fundraiser
  5. NOTE: The fundraiser ends after March 16, 2024!

Once the fundraiser has ended, I’ll pick two winners and reach out via email to let you know if you’re a winner! You can pick your choice of certain prints. I’ll ask for your address so I can mail you your print and card.

NOTE: You don’t have to enter the raffle. You can just donate too. But, if you’d like to enter the raffle, please follow the steps above so I can include you.

More About My Experience with Highlights and Why I Want to Support Them

You all know Highlights for Children magazine, right? Well, the Highlights Foundation is those same amazing people, but from the side of working with the people who actually make stories for kids. Highlights has been an inspiring and life-changing place for me. I first visited the Highlights Foundation retreat center in Pennsylvania in 2022 for their illustration summer camp. If I can, I plan to return every year. The experience was that great!

At Highlights, I was able to connect with other authors and illustrators and industry professionals, work on improving my craft through critiques and workshops, and find the encouragement and inspiration I needed to keep going. Creating books for children isn’t just sunshine and rainbows. It’s a long, grueling process, with a lot of rejection and work before your stories even make it out into the world. Having a supportive community at a place like Highlights has been so transformational for me.

I would love to raise money for Highlights to give other creators the opportunity to go there. Highlights has some amazing scholarship opportunities for those who can’t afford to go on their own, and for those from underrepresented groups. Helping storytellers from all sorts of backgrounds get their stories into the world is so important for our children and families. And being able to go to Highlights is an amazing way to help make that happen for these creators.

Whatever you can donate, I appreciate it! And if you can’t, sharing is amazing too!  Thanks for making my birthday awesome by donating and sharing this fundraiser!

Scenes from my first trip to The Highlights Foundation in 2023.

Donate & Win Art!—Victoria’s 2023 Birthday Fundraiser for Mass Audubon

Artist Victoria K. Chapman holds up her art print and smiles. The text reads: Donate & Win Art! Through 3/20. Victoria's Birthday Celebrate. Benefits Mass Audubon. www.weyakindesigns.com

It’s that time of year again, where I’ve made another trip around the sun and turn another year older. My birthday is in early March and this year I’m celebrating by raising money for Mass Audubon (https://www.massaudubon.org). This wonderful conservation organization does great work preserving wild places in Massachusetts for all to enjoy and educating the people of Massachusetts about wildlife, nature, and conservation. I’m asking YOU to help me celebrate by donating! And in return, I’ll enter you in a raffle to win your choice of some art prints featuring my illustrations.

How Does The Fundraiser and Raffle Work?

  • Donate to the Facebook fundraiser for Mass Audubon.
  • Your name will be included in the raffle.
  • The fundraiser runs from now through March 20th, 2023.
  • I will pick winners on March 21st, 2023 and post it on the fundraiser or email you.
  • If you win, I’ll need you to contact me with your art print choice and mailing address so I know where to send your print.
Donate on Facebook

IMPORTANT: You cannot be entered if you donate privately. I need to be able to see your name to enter you in the raffle. Please make your donation publicly if you wish to be entered into the art raffle!

Can I Donate Outside of Facebook?

Yes! If you’d like to enter but don’t want to use Facebook, you can donate directly to Mass Audubon here: https://www.massaudubon.org

  • In order to be entered in the raffle, you MUST email me a screen shot of your donation receipt.
  • Please email me with the screen shot and your name at weyakin@weyakindesigns.com.
  • Please title your email: BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER DONATION
Donate Directly to Mass Audubon

Don’t forget to email me your receipt so I can enter you in the raffle!

Which Art Can I Win?

I’ll pick TWO (2) winners for this birthday raffle! If you win, you can pick ONE (1) of your choice of the following art prints:

I can’t wait to see how much we can raise together for Mass Audubon! Thank you for sharing in the joy and spirit of nature with me for my birthday!