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What surprising lessons about fundraising can you learn from these ten films?
Grab a drink and your favourite snack and get comfortable. These films are not only fun to watch, but you can also learn something from them.
If you are passionate about fundraising, the best places to find inspiration are books, documentaries and films. These ten films are sure to inspire you, because they are about people searching for ways to make a positive impact.
Do you think a film is missing? Let us know.
Enjoy. 🍿
1. Pride (2014)
Are you grateful for the support you receive?
Summer 1984. Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is striking. During the Gay Pride March in London, a group of homosexual and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support mineworkers’ families. There’s only one problem: the mineworkers’ union is embarrassed to accept their support.
2. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
Boy helps his village
Malawi. Thirteen-year-old William Kamkwamba is kicked out of school when it becomes clear that his parents can no longer pay his tuition. William doesn’t give up, though. He dreams of building a windmill to help the starving people in his village. Using knowledge gained from books and his father’s bicycle, he gets to work.
3. The Blind Side (2009)
What does it mean to do good?
This film tells the true story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a young, homeless African-American boy. One night, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) invites Michael to stay with her. This sets off a chain of events that will forever change the lives of both Michael and the Tuohy family.
4. About Schmidt (2002)
We all want to feel good about ourselves
The life of Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) changes drastically with the death of Helen, his wife of forty-two years. When he retires, he also has to say goodbye to his job as a consultant at an insurance company. To make matters worse, his only daughter Jeannie is about to marry Randall, whom Warren believes isn’t good enough for her.
Warren decides to sponsor a child in Tanzania and to travel in order to find himself. He also visits his daughter to attempt to mend their relationship and put a stop to her wedding. Along the way, he writes candid letters to little Ndugu Umbo.
5. Project Christmas Wish (2020)
Make dreams come true
Lucy works in a toy store in the small town of Elmhurst. For years, she has been making people’s Christmas wishes come true with her organisation Project Christmas Wish.
Eight-year-old Max recently moved to Elmhurst together with her father Lucas. Since his wife passed away three years ago, Max’s father hasn’t been able to enjoy Christmas. Max wants them to celebrate Christmas like they used to. Lucy makes Max’s wish come true. As she and Lucas grow closer, her own wishes will come true as well.
6. Saint Judy (2018)
‘The fight for one is a fight for all’
Saint Judy tells the true story of Judy Wood, a single mother who moves to Los Angeles and gets a job as an immigration attorney. During an important trial, she represents an Afghan immigrant who was prosecuted in her home country for opening a school for girls. The immigration case ultimately leads to a reform of the national asylum policy.
7. Terry (2005)
Changing the world with a ‘marathon of hope’
Terry tells the story of twenty-one-year-old Terry Fox. He wants to cross Canada by running twenty-six miles every day, with the goal of raising money for cancer research. Terry calls this his ‘Marathon of Hope’. However, he only has one leg and therefore has to run his marathon while wearing a prosthesis. Based on a true story.
8. Pay It Forward (2000)
“When someone does you a big favor, don’t pay it back… Pay It Forward”
The young student Trevor receives a remarkable new assignment from his social studies teacher: come up with a way to make the world a better place. Trevor thinks of a plan to have everyone perform a good deed for three people, who in return perform good deeds for three other people, and so on. Although his idea appears to fall flat at first, it begins to catch on after a while. His plan ultimately leads to an amazing change.
9. Mary and Martha (2013)
Ordinary people can make a big difference
The American Mary and the British Martha have little in common, except for one horrible fact: they both lost their son to malaria. Mary launches a one-woman campaign to raise awareness of this disease. Meanwhile, Martha volunteers at the orphanage where her son used to work. The two women ultimately join forces and embark on an epic journey to try and make a real difference in the world.
10. Breathe (2017)
Dedicating your life to happiness and helping others
The handsome, adventurous and brilliant Robin has his whole life in front of him when polio leaves him paralysed. Going against his doctors’ recommendations, his wife Diana decides to bring him home. Her dedication, intimacy and witty determination overshadow his disability and allow him to feel free. Together, they refuse to give in to his suffering and transform other people’s lives with their sense of humour, their courage and their lust for life.