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Teaching Successful Home Sharing

Campaign Introduction:

Support the development of our online course where people will learn how to create healthy, happy shared homes!

$10,203

Funds Raised

$10,000

Funding Goal

Jul 2020

Ended

This campaign was successful! 😃
Or purchase a reward below if available!
Raised Percent :
102%
Location:
Share Campaign:

$10,203

Funds Raised

$10,000

Funding Goal

Jul 2020

Ended

Raised Percent :
102%
This campaign was successful! 😃
Or purchase a reward below if available!
Campaign Location:
Share Campaign:

Campaign Story

We Believe in Home Sharing

Even before the pandemic, many people struggled with housing costs and social isolation. Shared housing is a viable solution many of us overlook when considering where and how to live, despite multiple advantages – social, emotional, and financial.

Home sharers enjoy healthier and happier lives by choosing to live with others. How? In addition to saving money and sharing tasks, they have a home-mate to ask about their day. “Since I started sharing housing, I am less worried about financial issues. I feel like my life is full of good stuff, and I have more productive energy.” – Deb, home sharer.

Why don’t more people share housing? Maybe they haven’t thought of it. Maybe it’s scary if you don’t have the confidence and knowledge to find the right housemates.

Discovering Shared Housing

Our course, Discovering Shared Housing, helps individuals successfully find and keep good housemates. It is currently offered live using Zoom. But the class can only reach groups of 20, and not everyone can take the class at the scheduled times. We want to create a stand-alone, professional quality instruction that will be available on line 24 hours a day, accessible to thousands of people who need the support and information. In the current class and future online course, participants learn:

  • Five benefits of shared housing
  • A proven selection process
  • The health benefits of companionship
  • Personal requirements for comfortable home-sharing
  • Transitions and how to manage a major lifestyle change

I got so much out of this class.
It calmed some fears, answered my questions, and motivated me to move forward...I can't thank you enough.”

- Kathy

Help Make It Happen!

Your support will provide the funding needed to film, edit, and market a stand-alone Sharing Housing course. No course like this is currently available. We will offer it to individuals for a fee and sell licenses to social service and matching organizations so they can provide it to their people.

Who We Are

Annamarie Pluhar started sharinghousing.com in 2008. She is the author of Sharing Housing, A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates, which describes the process she created in the twenty years she lived in shared housing. Annamarie is a professional educator and has a master’s in Divinity. In order to bring this work to more people, in 2017 Annamarie and a group of supporters and donors formed the 501(c)(3) nonprofit —Sharing Housing, Inc.

Help Sharing Housing, Inc. bring our course fully online. Please give to this campaign and spread the word.

Update: Check out Sharing Housing's ONLINE LESSONS!

Campaign Contributions

Name Location Date
Dorothy Mazeau , July 26, 2020
Catey Berg , July 21, 2020
Annamarie Pluhar dummerston, VT July 21, 2020
Paula Goode Northfield, MN July 21, 2020
Carolyn Handy Putney, VT July 20, 2020
Robin Lowry Fitzwilliam, NH July 20, 2020
Suzanne Noble , July 20, 2020
Nancy Winrod Berea, OH July 20, 2020
William Roy Denver, CO July 20, 2020
Mary Zabriskie Putney, VT July 20, 2020
Monadnock Food Co-op Keene, New Hampshire July 20, 2020
Sally Koch Portland, OR July 17, 2020
Noel Kropf Garrison, NY July 17, 2020
Frank Anderson Newfield , NY July 17, 2020
Margaret Loomis Silver Spring, MD July 17, 2020
Mark Preece Windsor, VT July 16, 2020
Anonymous Truro, MA July 16, 2020
Rita Farry Cumberland, ME July 16, 2020
Judy Rogers Keene, NH July 16, 2020
Jennifer Risley Keene, NH July 16, 2020
Matthew Arieta Keene, NH July 14, 2020
brian anderson SARASOTA, FL July 14, 2020
Alicia Drakiotes Marlborough, NH July 14, 2020
Beth Darlington , July 14, 2020
Shane Keats Cambridge, MA July 13, 2020
Michele Fiasca Milwaukie, OR July 12, 2020
Michele Fiasca Milwaukie, OR July 12, 2020
Barry Portney Waldoboro , ME July 10, 2020
Joshua Roberts Brattleboro, VT July 09, 2020
Joshua Roberts Brattleboro, VT July 09, 2020
Dave and Pamela Carr , Vermont July 08, 2020
Bill Schmidt , Vermont July 08, 2020
Joanna Rueter Turners Falls, MA July 08, 2020
Marusya Chavchavadze Truro, MA July 08, 2020
Ellis Cohen Framingham, MA July 08, 2020
Craig Ragland` Bothell, WA July 08, 2020
Izzy Gesell Huntington, MA July 07, 2020
Sharon Kha Tucson, AZ July 04, 2020
Diana Wahle East Dummerston, VT July 04, 2020
Carol Sersland Minneapolis, MN July 03, 2020
albert noyes cook arlington, MA July 03, 2020
Mona Kreaden New York, NY July 02, 2020
Constance Woodberry E Dummerston, VT July 02, 2020
Anonymous Brattleboro,, VT July 02, 2020
Diana Ryan Rancho Palos Verdes, CA July 01, 2020
Kate Cygan Denver, CO July 01, 2020
Stephanie White-Bateman Concord, MA July 01, 2020
Lynn Baumeister Takoma Park, MD June 28, 2020
Margaret Byrne London, n/a June 28, 2020
Marianne Kilkenny Asheville, NC June 26, 2020
Catherine Skove Gilsum, NH June 25, 2020
Jean Enright PITTSBURGH, PA June 25, 2020
Diane Sontum Laramie, WY June 24, 2020
Diane Sontum Laramie, WY June 24, 2020
Amy Bovaird Montague, MA June 23, 2020
Lee Tice East Dummerston, VT June 23, 2020
Drew Adam Brattleboro, VT June 23, 2020
Beverly Mann East Windsor, NJ June 20, 2020
Gladys Kozlik merrifield, VA June 20, 2020
Heidi Estus EL PASO, TX June 19, 2020
Patricia Giavara Montpelier, VT June 19, 2020
Sue Tannehill Clarence Center, NY June 18, 2020
Robert Sherwood Dummerston, VT June 18, 2020
Linda McJannet CAMBRIDGE, MA June 18, 2020
Thomas Deshaies Putney, VT June 18, 2020
Becky Ashenden Shelburne Falls, MA June 18, 2020
Bill Wendel Cambridge, MA June 17, 2020
Wendi Burkhardt Rancho Santa Fe, CA June 17, 2020
Margaret Shaw Manchester, MI June 16, 2020
Michael Splaine Columbia, MD June 16, 2020
Daniel Sicken Putney, VT June 16, 2020
deborah knox Tucson, AZ June 16, 2020
Kathleen Mandeville New York, NY June 16, 2020
Mary Lee Block St. Louis, MO June 15, 2020
Mary Ewell SPOFFORD, NH June 14, 2020
Mary Ewell SPOFFORD, NH June 14, 2020
Loretta Laurenitis Peterborough, NH June 13, 2020
Syd Fredrickson Seattle, WA June 11, 2020
Cynthia Major Putney, VT June 11, 2020
Diana Bingham , June 10, 2020
AYLETTE JENNESS WELLFLEET, MA June 08, 2020
Jeffrey Lewis Brattleboro, VT June 08, 2020
Tracey Lind Cleveland Heights, OH June 06, 2020
Karen Bush Sarasota , FL June 06, 2020
Anonymous Brooklyn, NY June 05, 2020
Cheryl Wilfong E Dummerston, VT June 05, 2020
Madeleine Pluhar Woburn, MA June 04, 2020
Janet Cramer Brattleboro, VT June 04, 2020
Lisa Sieverts Harrisville, NH June 04, 2020
Louise Machinist Sarasota, FL June 03, 2020

Campaign Updates

  • 23-06-2020

    60% funded!

    Thank you so much to the funders who have already contributed to our crowdfunding campaign, “Teaching Successful Home Sharing”! We have raised more than sixty percent of our goal!

    When we have the course online and available to anyone with an internet connection, it will help people overcome their fear of having a bad housemate. Shared housing is a viable solution many people overlook when considering where and how to live, despite multiple advantages — social, emotional, and financial.

    You might also enjoy reading our team member’s account of living in shared housing here: https://www.sharinghousing.com/home-sharing-means-never-having-to-scoop-the-litter-box/

    Thank you for whatever support you can give us!

  • 01-07-2020

    72% Funded!

    We’re now 72% funded! There is 28% to go…

    Please help us get the word out. Not only will it help our campaign, it’s also helping people learn about us and how we are advocating for shared housing and offering resources.

    1) Share our campaign on social media!

    2) Share our campaign through email and conversation! Do you have a group of people you Zoom with regularly? Tell them about our campaign!

    Thank you for all you can do.

  • 07-07-2020

    Campaign Update

    Our crowdfunding campaign has raised $7,769.00 from 53 supporters. Thank you so very much!

    Do you know that we have a closed Facebook group called “Hello Home-Mate?” (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hellohomemate) We do. The group is designed to be a place where people can find each other and talk about shared housing. Many of the 641 members say that they have joined because they are considering shared housing and are looking for dialogue and answers. Some are looking for their future home-mate.

    We have started offering live Zoom gatherings. The first one was enough of a success that we are continuing. The next meeting will be on Monday, July 13th. Details are inside the Hello Home-Mate group if you want to join in.

    It’s all part of our continuing work to encourage shared housing.

    Please share the crowdfunding campaign so we can meet our $10,000 goal.

    Thank you!

  • 14-07-2020

    Sharing Housing Committee Member Spotlight

    It’s the final week of our crowdfunding campaign. We have reached 87% of our goal of $10,000, with 66 supporters. Thanks to all who have helped us get this far!

    One of our team members is Louise Machinist, co-author of “My House Our House,” the book she wrote with her two home-mates, Jean and Karen. As they tell their story in the book, they first got to know each other through church. As things evolved, they shared custody of an aging cat (too long a story to tell here.) Next, they started traveling together on vacations. One day, Karen suggested, “When we retire, we should live together in a fabulous place.” As they played around with that exciting idea, they suddenly realized, “Why not NOW?” A lucky house find catapulted them further into the adventure, and there was no turning back. Their book is full of interesting and useful ideas for co-owning a home with home-mates.

    When asked why she supports shared housing, Louise says, “I lived in a co-owned cooperative household with two friends for eleven years, then a co-owned cooperative condo with one of those friends for four years. Sharing a home with friends was the best way I ever lived, for many reasons. It was fun, it was an adventure, it worked beautifully, we supported each other, we maintained boundaries, we were independent as well as interdependent, and we saved a lot of money. As our book subtitle proclaims, I lived far better for far less in our cooperative households. When asked to join the team, I agreed because I truly admire the work Sharing Housing has been doing, year after year, to further the cause.”

    Thank you, Louise, for your help on this campaign!

  • 21-07-2020

    $10,178!

    Our crowdfunding campaign closed last night at midnight having raised $10,178 with eighty-nine supporters. Thank you to everyone who donated and shared our campaign.

    We are now turning our attention to the development of the course and hope to have it online before the end of the year. If you want to keep track of the progress and learn when it is available, please sign up for our newsletter here:

    Newsletter Signup

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Please stay safe.

    Peace,

    Annamarie Pluhar

    Founder and President, Sharing Housing, Inc.

  • 19-08-2020

    One Month Later ...

    We are so grateful to every one of you for supporting the Teaching Successful Home Sharing campaign. It’s been 30 days since the campaign was completed successfully, with over $10,000 raised from 90 donors.

    Our first milestone has been writing the Request for Proposal (RFP) for web development. We published the RFP on August 18, and we look forward to selecting the ideal partner for our on-going work to create the standalone online course. If you know of a developer who would like to respond to this RFP, please send us their name and email address.

    Our founder, and resident instructional designer, Annamarie Pluhar, is working on transitioning the current face-to-face online course to the new standalone “take the class anytime you want” format. She will work closely with the web development team as she scripts and produces the video and online content.

    If you want to keep track of the progress and learn when the new course is available, please sign up for our newsletter here:

    Newsletter Signup

    Thank you again for your support and generosity.

    Peace,

    Lisa Sieverts

    Sharing Housing, Inc. Board Member, Crowdfunding Team Member

  • 16-08-2021

    You Funded These New Video Courses for Sharing Housing, Inc. - Special Offer

    Thank you again for your support of the 2020 Teaching Successful Home Sharing crowd-funding campaign — you made it possible for Sharing Housing, Inc. to publish two fully online, self-paced video courses!

    5 Key Benefits answers the question, “Why share housing?” In five short video lessons, it describes how shared housing is a win/win solution. We are offering this course for free because we think it is so important for people to reconsider shared housing which too many see as a “less than” solution. This course reframes the conversation. Don’t miss the last benefit!

    Sharing Housing 101 teaches you how to do it. In under an hour, with videos and worksheets, you will learn what you need in a homemate and how to find the right person, including how to write a good announcement. This unique course costs only $80. As our gift to you, please use the following coupon code to purchase Sharing Housing 101 at 40% off the full price: 40OFF (expires 9/30/2021).

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Please check out the courses by registering on the Sharing Housing website and enrolling.

    Are you on our newsletter list already? If not, please signup for Sharing Housing News and Tips.

    Thank you for your support and generosity.

    Peace,
    Lisa Sieverts
    Sharing Housing, Inc. Board Member, Crowdfunding Team Member

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Rewards

$5

One Pound Freshly Ground Spelt Flour

House mates enjoy baking together. Orchard Hill Breadworks held a TLC crowd-funding in 2019, and their project was to purchase a flour mill. We are offering one-pound bags of their freshly ground spelt flour.

0 backers

$10

Interview Guide

What's important to ask? How do you figure out if someone is compatible? This guide teaches you what you need to know.

0 backers

$15

Hand-made Face Masks (2 Each)

Sharing Housing Board Member Lori Palmer is an experienced seamstress who has been making masks since the start of the pandemic. Masks are cotton with elastic over the ears.

0 backers

$15

1# Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans

Home mates love drinking coffee together. In Keene, NH, Prime Roast Coffee Roasters is a favorite source for coffee beans. Demon Roast™ is their signature dark roast. The roasting process is all about caramelizing the sugars locked inside the beans. Their customers rave that it's the best dark roast coffee, plus it’s both organic and fair trade!

0 backers

$16

Sharing Housing, A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates

The book that started it all. Finding the right housemate can feel like a gamble and incredibly risky. This book guides the reader with a practical process, insights and tips.

0 backers

$20

Garden Wisdom Book

Chock-full of a year's worth of fresh, funny, and wise inspirations that remind us to practice mindfulness in the garden.

0 backers

$25

Badger Sun and Bug Outdoor Fun Basket

Badger is a small, family-owned, family-run, and family-friendly company nestled in the woods of Gilsum, New Hampshire. We blend the finest organic plant extracts, exotic oils, beeswax, and minerals to make the safest, most effective products possible to soothe, heal, protect and otherwise treat your body.

Sun & Bug Outdoor Fun includes: (1) SPF 40 Clear Zinc Sunscreen Tin (1) Lip Balm SPF 15 (1) Anti-Bug Shake & Spray 2.7 fl oz

0 backers

$25

Book and Workbook

Sharing Housing, A Guidebook for Finding and Keeping Good Housemates and the workbook companion. The workbook contains helpful worksheets and tracking sheets - kept together in one place. A useful package!

0 backers

$25

My House Our House

Karen, Louise and Jean bought a house together in 2004. Their book is an inspiration for those looking at cooperative home-sharing.

0 backers

$45

The Meditative Gardener + The Meditative Gardener Notebook

Meditation and gardening are natural companions. This wise, down-to-earth book, offers a rich bouquet of meditations. The notebook is journal for insights--meditative or gardening.

0 backers

$50

GIft Certificate—Discovering Shared Housing

Our current course. Four 75 minute live sessions using Zoom. Offered three times a year. Next class August or September 2020.

0 backers

$75

Dirt Bags Hip-Hopper Bike Bag

Dirt Bags in Laramie, Wyoming was a TLC crowdfund campaign in 2017. Their Hip-hopper bags are a combination bike bag and fanny pack. Each DirtBags seamstress/artist puts together endless color combinations and creative designs depending on which scraps are in the scrap bin and which landscape, street art, or crayon box inspired them. NO CHOICE ON COLOR

0 backers

$75

Gift Certificate

One individual registration for the course when it is online

0 backers

$80

Computer Coaching

Patient, Sympathetic Computer Coaching by Annamarie. Give a gift of computer, smartphone or tablet coaching. No question too basic. We love to help folks get more comfortable and straighten out confusions.

0 backers

$100

Project Management - Facilitated Change (30 minutes project management consulting)

Lisa Sieverts is a certified project manager. She will help you to plan and determine next steps for your complex project.

0 backers

$100

Project Management Consulting - 30 minutes

Lisa Sieverts is a certified project manager. She will help you to plan and determine next steps for your complex project, in person or by phone/internet.

0 backers

$125

Sharing Housing Bundle

A bonanza of help, the book, workbook, interview guide, and gift certificate for course. Equip yourself or someone you love.

0 backers

$170

Evolutionary Astrology Reading

Enjoy an Evolutionary Astrology reading of your natal chart, by phone or Zoom, to deepen your self understanding, find empowerment, guidance and purpose. Come away from your reading feeling clear, validated and empowered. By Zoom or phone. 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

0 backers

$1,000

1 Year Social Service Agency Access

Give a gift to a nonprofit organization with clients for whom the online course could be valuable, for instance a senior center, council on aging, or housing entity. The organization receives one-year access to course for unlimited users.

0 backers