To my friends and fans: I have been accepted into a study abroad program at the Koobi Fora Field School, but need a little help meeting the deposit. I’ve set up a GoFundMe account, and everyone who makes a donation over $5 will receive digital copies of my independent works. You can check out the fundraiser campaign here:
https://www.gofundme.com/SendSarahESeeleyAbroad2

*January 9th Campaign update: I took down the first campaign experiment to explore other virtual donation options, and have decided to continue my campaign on GoFundMe after all. I really think this will be the easiest rout to take to raise the funds I need. Fundraiser websites are better trusted by donors interested in a cause than donation buttons on personal blogs and websites, and I’ve decided that the slice taken by the company is comparable to other fundraiser websites of the same quality and is worthwhile for the services provided. I want to thank everyone for your patience with my craziness, and offer this campaign again with a goal of reaching $300.

Want more information?

Here is my Go Fund Me fundraiser letter for Sarah’s Awesome Field School Fund:

Dear friends,

My name, for those visitors who don’t know me, is Sarah Seeley. I graduated from Brigham Youn University with a bachelor’s degree in geology several years ago, and my goal at this time is to further my education and, one day, pursue a career in research.

I am delighted to share that I have been accepted into the Koobi Fora Field School program for the summer. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain invaluable experience and expand my horizons in the field of paleoanthropology, something I hope to study in graduate school in the future.

In applying to the program, I also applied for an NSF fellowship, which would have fully funded this experience. There are two rounds of applications, and while I was offered a slot in the program after the first round of applications, I was not offered one of the limited funding packages. I am still in the pool to be considered for funding for the second round of applications, and those funding opportunities will be determined in March.

At this time, I could use your help.

I am currently exploring other financial options to fund the bulk of my expenses—including grants, loans, and different employment opportunities—in the case that I am not able to secure a fellowship in the second round so that I may still take advantage of this opportunity this summer. However, I need to make a $500 deposit within the next two weeks (by January 21) to hang onto the slot I’ve been offered (which presumably would be refunded if I were extended a fellowship after the second round of applications).

During this short window of time I would like to raise money to meet the deposit and secure my slot in the program. Even a few hundred dollars would be enough to make the cost of the deposit manageable for me in this time frame.

As many of you know, I am also a science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. To show my appreciation for your help, anyone who donates $5 will receive their pick of two free digital stories from among my independently published works, including Maladaptive Bind, Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story, and Driveless (Driveless was originally published in Leading Edge Magazine #66, and is not currently available in digital form at online stores. The copy of Driveless you will recieve will not include the rest of the Leading Edge Magazine content). Or, if some would prefer, those who donate at the AWESOME Level may opt for one of my independent works, plus a brand new short story that has never been published.

Those who donate $10 at the SUPER Level will receive digital copies of all three of my independent works, or their pick of two of my independent works plus the new short story.

Those who donate $20 or more at the FANTASTIC Level can claim digital copies of all three of my independent works AND the new short story.

*The new short story will be produced and sent out by the end of February.

Any donations that surpass my $500 goal will go toward covering the expenses of my study abroad experience. If I am offered a fellowship after the second application round, which would cover tuition, airfare, and my travel abroad emergency healthcare insurance, all donations will go toward buying equipment for the trip, paying for inoculations (as I do not currently have health insurance that will cover this), and paying down my current student loan debt from my undergraduate degree.

Thank you so much for your help!