Whether it’s by donating profits to charitable organizations, crafting products for children to love and cherish in their formative years, or just setting up shop in a new area, these women are making valuable and lasting connections with customers and entrepreneurial colleagues alike through their work. Find out how they’re accomplishing this in their own unique ways below!

Check out these 5 women-led crowdfunding campaigns:

1. A Pair of ‘Chicks’ Find a New Roost (via Indiegogo)

The Business: Kellie Joe and Vanda Chong are wives and business partners who run a Walnut Creek, Calif.-based pizza business called Chicks and Love. For years, they have sold their flatbread goodies at a local farmer’s market. Now, they’ve been given the opportunity to move into patio space owned by another business in San Francisco. They’re grabbing the opportunity to go to the big city, but need financial help to make all the necessary preparations, even though they’re keeping costs down by handling much of the renovation themselves.

The Money: The Chongs are trying to raise money for everything from patio furniture and a turbo chef oven to permits and marketing costs. They have three days left to raise the rest of the $25,000 they need (though they will receive some money regardless, thanks to Indiegogo’s Flexible Funding option).

2. A Coffee Shop that Gives Back (via Indiegogo)

The Business: In 2013, Adriana Comi Pretelín began working on what would become El Café de los Sentidos ( The Senses Coffee Shop in English) in Mexico City. Her vision? A specialty cafe that serves locally sourced products and donates some of its profits to organizations that help people with physical and mental disabilities. “We believe that the best way to achieve a higher social impact is by collaborating with civil organizations as well as local companies that are already creating benefits for our society,” her campaign says. Pretelín is nearly ready to launch, but needs help with some of the final details.

The Money: Within the next 17 days, Pretelín hopes to raise $40,000 (and she, too, will receive at least some funding through the Flexible Funding option). That money will go toward locally made furniture, cafe equipment, inventory and some refurbishing efforts in her brick-and-mortar space.

3. A Thai Chef’s American Tour (via Kickstarter)

The Business: Chef Sommay Jaijong — or as she’s known to clients, May Kaidee — has been delighting tourists in Thailand with her vegetarian and vegan offerings for over two decades. She has also taught many others her cooking methods through classes. Now, she wants to bring authentic Thai culinary experiences to people across the United States during a 6-month road tour of the country. In addition to teaching cooking, “I want to stop at community centers and shelters along the way to donate both meals and cooking instruction, because I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience healthy food that tastes great,” her campaign pitch says.

The Money: By or before June 25, Jaijong aims to raise $59,000 — funds that will be used to customize her food truck, cover fuel and food costs, pay staffers and more.

4. An Adorable Blanket for Miniature Travelers (via Indiegogo)

The Business: “We want to inspire our children to wander and wonder at all the world has to offer.” This is the mission behind the Nomad Travel Blanket, a product offered by San Francisco entrepreneur Sarah Lin of EllieFunDay (who was recently featured in our 1,000+ Stories campaign). In addition to creating an organic, lovable travel companion for children, Lin also gives back by partnering with a non-profit in India that works with abuse and human-trafficking victims to employ and empower them.

The Money: There are 25 days left in Lin’s campaign, though she has already raised the $15,000 she set out to generate — and then some. With those funds, she’ll be able to craft a new line of blankets named after famous explorers.

5. A Clip for Protecting Your Phone (via Kickstarter)

The Business: Inventor and entrepreneur Anna Ellis is addressing a persistent modern problem — dropping our phones. The StayC clip she designed (with the help of an engineer) to keep phones safe and always within reach of their owners, never interferes with charging cables, headphones or other attachments. Ellis, who was also featured on our site as part of our 1,000+ Stories project, was inspired to craft the StayC after she and a friend feared for their phones while riding horses.

The Money: Ellis has until June 18 to raise at least $5,000 through her campaign. A quarter of that amount would be dedicated to manufacturing, while the rest would cover raw materials, packaging and shipping, among other costs.

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Want to be featured in The Story Exchange’s Crowdfunding column? Drop us a line and tell us about your campaign at info@thestoryexchange.org.

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