August 12, 2025
South Project has recently released a survey called It Takes a Village, which of course refers to the mammoth challenge of being a mother and raising children. This survey is available on South Project’s home page. As I’m sure many of you reading this are well aware of, motherhood is not an easy role even with help from a partner or family or even if your child is well-behaved. Parenting is a vast and highly nuanced world, and many mothers crave help and education to support them on their journey. This is why receiving funding for motherhood-related programs, workshops, and events is so helpful.
If you didn’t already know, South Project is dedicated to empowering young mothers. In an effort to do this, they hold these workshops, programs, and events to cater to this demographic. But don’t worry—I’m not asking you to pull out your wallet. For today, all I’m asking is for you to consider taking (if you’re a young mother, or, a mother under 30) the 5-minute It Takes a Village survey. Taking this survey will, in turn, help provide funding for programs that matter. If you’re reading this and you don’t match the above demographic, consider sending this post to a young mother in your life.
This anonymous survey is very easy to take and asks a variety of information about your experiences as a mother, such as areas of personal development you’re most interested in, the challenges you face, and career-related questions. Sharing such information with an organization like South Project is vital in terms of helping funders understand the specific plights of moms and how best any money raised can be spent. Without specific voices, only generalized sources are available. South Project wants to change that. Speaking out about your lived experiences will pave the way for more specialized resources that actually scratch the itch of challenges you’re facing instead of just putting a bandaid on it.
So for this post, I’ll be explaining four reasons why young moms should take this survey and why it matters.
- Real & Specific Impact
As mentioned above, when young mothers come together and share the raw truth, whether that be the joys, the challenges, or resources they would love to have, it leads to targeted support. Generic motherhood support may help somewhat, but because of its basic nature will likely be less effective. So while sharing all the nitty gritty details might not be overly appealing, remember that the survey is anonymous and—as cheesy as it sounds—is supporting a worthy cause.
- Empowerment
Oftentimes mothers are expected to be superheroes. To enjoy every single second of motherhood, to put a smile on, and to pretend that they don’t feel stressed. Expressing your doubts, fears, and failures about being a mom can be an intimidating thing, because you worry about the reactions you’ll receive. That’s why carving out honest spaces is so vital, so mothers have a chance to be real. Pulling back the curtain and being honest is empowering since hiding weakens you. Think of it like going to the therapist. It may seem intimidating at first to spill all your thoughts onto a stranger, but after you do so and the therapist begins to create a tailored approach to your challenges, you feel stronger knowing that you’re on the path to better things and no longer hiding. You’re letting the world know that you aren’t afraid, that your lived experiences and opinions hold weight in shaping community programs, rather than just filling out an empty questionnaire.
- Convincing Funders
As you can imagine, convincing donors, grantors, and sponsors that they should give their finances to your programs isn’t always easy. You have to let them know that their funds are going towards something with actual impact and not just towards a dream. If mothers gather together and share real life stories, it lets funders see that they are assisting actual people in their community with something worthwhile. Your words are proof to funders that if they say yes, they will be doing something good for society. Each word you add to this survey will not be empty.
Additionally, taking a survey provides measurable data that funders search for when they decide where to invest. It’s something solid they see, not just a few stray words from random people. Your stories are proof that programs are not only impactful but are reaching the right audience. Because of course, it’s possible that ideas for programs can be created but can miss the mark on reaching the right people. Funders want to know that their arrow will land on a bullseye. This anonymous, honest feedback builds a strong case for funding. Like being in court, presenting a strong case is more believable to a judge than presenting a weak one. Gathering survey responses helps South Project bring a strong case forward for young moms.
- More Than You
Since multiple mothers are encouraged to take the survey, and if you are one of them, you’ll be helping a lot more than yourself. By taking the survey you’re banding together with other moms. This will create more interconnectedness among mothers in your community. More connection is always better than less because going through motherhood alone is a task no mother should have to do. Stronger, more confident mothers will create confident children which will in turn create a stronger community. It’s a win-win-win. Laying the foundation for such applicable programs will also assist women who are not mothers now but will become one in the future. In this way, your voice now will be heard far into the future to support the mothers of decades from now.
Now Go Ace That Survey!
I hope these four reasons have convinced you that this It Takes a Village survey is worth taking. Remember, even a small survey can provide thousands in funding for programs, workshops, and events that will help not only yourself but other mothers (and their children, of course) around you. If you’d like, tell all the young mothers in your life about it and consider spreading the word on social media.
I’ll see you back here soon for my next post about the benefits of speaking up about your experiences.
About the Author
Krista Ruffo, born, raised, and still living in Orlando, Florida, began blogging with South Project in February of 2025. She’s a UCF alum with a BA in English and a Certificate in Editing and Publishing. A passionate writer and reader, Krista aspires to work in book publishing in the future. She currently works as a Content Coordinator for a family magazine. In her free time, she enjoys writing poems, taking photos, making art, hiking, and gardening.