Last day to support my Radical Doula Guide reprint fundraiser & get your discounted copy!

I’m in the home stretch! It’s been a great campaign so far, and I’ve surpassed my original goal and am close to getting my stretch goal of $4K! That amount will allow me to print 2000 copies, meaning the book will stay in print for a good long while.

I’ve also already had 76 copies donated through the campaign, so I’m excited to be able to offer those to organizations and individuals in the future.

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Campaign ends tonight around 2am ET, so now is your last chance to donate! A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donate so far.

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Announcing the Radical Doula Guide Reprint Fundraiser

 

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At the end of February, I quietly celebrated my 8th year of blogging here at Radical Doula. It’s amazing to think of all that has changed in that time–both for my life and but also this incredible movement of doulas. Almost nothing is the same as it was, and mostly in great ways.

There is a lot of things I’m proud of from my years of blogging, but the thing that stands out is publishing The Radical Doula Guide. I love being able to contribute a resource to this growing movement, and every day that I put another copy in the mail is a little bit of joy knowing that my thoughts may help someone on their journey to being a better and more informed doula.

The good news is that I’ve sold all of the copies I had printed since my fundraiser three years ago–all 1500! So I’m asking you all, my community, for support in getting another round of books printed.

There are two special things about this fundraiser:

1) You can get a copy of the book at a special discount–only $10 per copy (normally $12). So if you’ve been waiting to buy one, or want to give a copy as a gift, now is your time!

2) I’m working to create a stockpile of books that I can donate to organizations and individuals who can’t afford to purchase them. I dream of setting aside a few boxes of books I can give away to groups providing full-spectrum or volunteer doula services, to doulas of color, to queer doulas, to the people who will make this movement better by joining it. For just $10, you can donate a copy that I’ll give out a future date.

The great news is I’m already almost halfway to my goal, and it’s only been two days!!

I’m blown away by the support of this amazing community.

Head over to the fundraiser, donate if you can, and also spread the word via social media! Almost all of the donors so far have come from the Radical Doula facebook page. Here is some sample language for tweeting or posting to facebook:

More copies of The Radical Doula Guide = more activist doulas for #reprojustice! Support @radicaldoula‘s fundraiser: http://igg.me/at/RDGreprint

Help @radicaldoula make sure everyone who wants a copy of the Radical Doula Guide can get one: http://igg.me/at/RDGreprint #doulas #reprojustice

Make sure doulas understand the political context of pregnancy & birth! Support @radicaldoula‘s fundraiser: http://igg.me/at/RDGreprint

THANK YOU for your support over the years! I’m honored to be part of this community.

Bay Area Radical Doula Guide Release Party

With this being event number 5, I think I can officially call it a tour!

On Thursday January 10th in San Francisco we’ll be hosting a Radical Doula Guide release party benefiting the Bay Area Doula Project, a fabulous full-spectrum doula group. There will be guides for sale, a photobooth, and opportunities to donate and support the fabulous work of BADP.

Details:

Thursday, January 10th
7pm-10pm
Langton Labs
9 Langton St
San Francisco, CA

Hope to see you there!

Facebook event here.

PS Happy New Year!

Los Angeles Radical Doula Guide Release Party

The Radical Doula Tour continues! In January I’ll be co-hosting parties in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and plans are in the works for a Washington DC party in February.

I’m excited to co-host the Los Angeles party with the Shodhini Institute and California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, as well as the Doulas Association of Southern California–three fabulous groups dedicated to improving the health and wellness of our communities.

Details:

Sunday January 6
4pm-7pm
Feminist Majority Foundation
433 S. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

There will be guides for sale, a raffle benefiting the Shodhini Institute, a live DJ and much more. Should be a great time, hope to see you there!

Facebook event here.

The Bay Area party will be January 10th–details coming soon.

Minneapolis Radical Doula Guide Release Party!

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Supporters at the Chicago Radical Doula Guide Release Party!

I’m psyched to announce that Tuesday, November 27, we’ll be hosting a Twin Cities Radical Doula Guide Release Party in conjunction with the Family Tree Clinic, NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, and the Smitten Kitten. The party will benefit The Ilythia Project, a group that provides doula services for pregnant women living with HIV.

It’s going to be a low-key get together, with opportunities to purchase the guide, get to know local doulas and reproductive justice activists, and raise funds for The Ilythia Project! We’ll have a short discussion about the guide, Q&A and a raffle. Light snacks and beverages provided. There will also be a photobooth!

I’m really excited for this event, which once again will be hosted at another fabulous feminist sex shop, Smitten Kitten (review I wrote in 2008!).

Details:

Tuesday November 27
7-9pm
Smitten Kitten
3010 Lyndale Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55408

Facebook event here.

Hope to see you there!

Mega thanks to Erin Wilkins from the Family Tree Clinic for organizing this event.

Update on The Radical Doula Guide and an excerpt from the intro

It’s been a busy few weeks over here at Radical Doula HQ! Since launching the fundraiser for the Radical Doula Guide, I’ve been spending a lot of time promoting it and working on the actual guide itself. My goal is to get it printed by May of this year, so I’m speeding toward the finish.

Meanwhile, all of you amazing people have supported the fundraiser, and I reached my goal just halfway through the fundraiser! THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. I feel so loved and supported.

Although the donation price to pre-order a copy of the guide was $35, once it’s printed and the pre-orders are out the door, I’ll be selling it for around $10. So no fear if you haven’t donated, or can’t afford the $35. The fundraiser was a way to get support from those who could offer it, so that I could then sell the guide at a fraction of the cost of printing and design. Check back here in May for info about ordering the guide at the lower price.

There are still 9 days left to participate in the fundraiser, however, and I of course welcome the additional support! Any money that comes in above the cost of making the guide will go to offering copies of the guide to those who can’t afford even the $10 price.

As a thank you to everyone for supporting the fundraiser, I’m including an excerpt from the working introduction to the guide. It’s still in draft form, but after the jump is the section entitled “Why this guide?”

Also, apologies for not blogging more during these weeks, and to anyone who has emailed me and not received a response. I promise, I have not forgotten you! I will respond as soon as I can.

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Introducing: The Radical Doula Guide

Finally I can talk about this project, which has been in the works for what feels like years!

I decided that since it’s been five years of running this blog, I’m ready to take my work to the next level. Enter: The Radical Doula Guide.

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