Crowdfunding is a a relatively new phenomenon that has changed the way we connect with causes, fundraisers, and business ventures searching for support. Whether we want to offer our 2 cents, 20 dollars, or 2 grand, we can make a donation with just the click of our mouse. FundMe, IndieGogo, Kickstarter are some of the most
popular crowdfunding websites among many others, and there are now more than 10,00 new campaigns started on
crowdfunding sites every single day!
Of course anyone can post any project on these sites, so there are plenty of whacky and hilarious cases of the
public embracing and funding someone as a novelty – like Zack Brown, the guy
who started a Kickstarter campaign as a joke, asking to raise just enough money
to go to the store and buy the ingredients to make potato salad. Months and
worldwide recognition later, he ended up with $55,000!
$40,790
A gentleman named Sean likes to dance but he doesn’t
necessarily look like a male model (like most of us!). So when a photo of him
dancing was greeted with mean-spirited mockery from bullies, a big-hearted
stranger named Krista started a GoFundMe campaign for Sean. She wanted to raise
enough money to throw him a huge dance party to make him feel better but also
support body acceptance and anti-bullying message. She never anticipated how
successful the dance party crowdfunding campaign would be, both in donations
and worldwide awareness. Not only are there enough funds to fly Sean to Los Angeles
for his own personal dance party with thousands of donors and admirers, but
they just donated $10,000 of their funds to anti-bullying campaigns.
Raised: $36,725
Raised: $349,904
Raised: $81,655 Campaign: Shelter Evicted For Christmas!!
Raised: $3,970
The good news is that a lot of campaigns on crowdfunding sites
are set up to help people in need. And although we may not hear about all the media may not cover them as much as, say, $55,000 for potato salad, there are plenty of cases of
complete strangers funding these campaigns just because it’s the right thing to
do.
Here are 5 crowdfunding campaigns that will renew your faith in
humanity:
Dance party for a
man who was shamed via social media.
$40,790
Dance party for #dancingman
LOS ANGELES, CA
A gentleman named Sean likes to dance but he doesn’t
necessarily look like a male model (like most of us!). So when a photo of him
dancing was greeted with mean-spirited mockery from bullies, a big-hearted
stranger named Krista started a GoFundMe campaign for Sean. She wanted to raise
enough money to throw him a huge dance party to make him feel better but also
support body acceptance and anti-bullying message. She never anticipated how
successful the dance party crowdfunding campaign would be, both in donations
and worldwide awareness. Not only are there enough funds to fly Sean to Los Angeles
for his own personal dance party with thousands of donors and admirers, but
they just donated $10,000 of their funds to anti-bullying campaigns.
High schoolers give back to their beloved custodian.
Raised: $36,725
Campaign: OUR Ollie is sick & needs your help
Ballwin, MO
At Parkway West High School in Missouri, their 72-year old
custodian, Ollie, was a beloved fixture in the lives of students, always
lending an encouraging word or making people smile. But Ollie was diagnosed
with cancer, with medical insurance that falls far short of paying for the
treatment he needs. To make matters worse, Ollie’s wife landed in the hospital
at the same time with her own illness to battle. Not only did the children of
Parkway West High miss seeing him in the hallways, they wanted to do something
to help. So they started a crowdfunding campaign through GoFundMe and rallied
the community, raising $36,725from 965 donations to pay for medical care for
Ollie and his wife!
More info: http://www.gofundme.com/gsc7ik
The man who walks 21
miles to work every day gets a car.
Campaign: Help James Robertson Get a Car
Troy, Mi
You think your commute is bad? James Robertson, a factory
worker, goes 21 miles each day to and from work. While that might not seem like
a long drive, Robertson, 56 years old, doesn’t own a car. There are no bus
lines that run right to his work, and he doesn’t own a bicycle, nor can you ride
one in the snow and bad streets. So Robertson has to walk 21 of the 23 miles
every single day. And he’s done that for a decade after his car died and he
didn’t have enough money for a new one. (By the way, Robertson also has a perfect attendance record at work!) Some times, generous strangers see him
walking and give him a ride, but someone saw his story on a local news station
and had a bigger idea. A 19-year college kid, Evan Leedy, set up a GoFundMe
page for James, though he almost stopped before he posted the campaign because
he thought, “Who is going to donate money to a 19-year old kid to buy someone a
car?”
Leedy got his answer quickly: a lot of people would. In
fact, more than 13,000 people have donated, bringing in an astounding $349,904
to date, $200,000 of that coming in the first hour! Not only did James get a new
car and the story make world headlines, but corporations have gotten involved
with donations and pro bono work and the mission, and the money, is spreading
to others who need help.
More info: http://www.gofundme.com/l7girc
Saving a dog shelter from eviction right before Christmas.
Joliet, Il
The Cache Creek Animal Rescue shelter received an auspicious
piece of mail right before Christmas last year – an eviction notice. They’d
paid their lease on time every month, but complications from a building
inspection led to the order for them to vacate by January 10. Of course that
meant they’d have to find something to do with the hundreds of dogs they keep
there. Cache Creek rescue is a no-kill rescue facility, but they had to
consider the unthinkable if they couldn’t find a new home or a lot of money to
pay for the building repairs in short order. So an employee took to GoFundMe,
posting a campaign to save the shelter and the dogs.
People responded with the spirit of giving to the needy K9s,
donating over $80,000 to find a temporary place to keep the dogs safe. The
shelter is planning on using the funds to find a permanent, safe property for
the shelter and a new van for them to expand their reach to save even more
doggies.
More info: http://www.gofundme.com/ixnjmc
Little boy’s special wheelchair is stolen so strangers
fund a new one.
Campaign: Pediatric Chair For Riley!
Atlanta, Ga
Successful crowdfunding campaigns don’t always have to
involve hundreds of thousands of dollars and worldwide attention. Sometimes,
it’s the little things that count the most as people stand up for those in need
– or, in this case, sit down.
Single mother Kristi Thomas juggles all of the
responsibilities and stresses that most moms do, including work, keeping up a
home, paying bills, and caring for her child. But Riley Thomas, Kristi’s son,
lives with cerebral palsy, limiting him to a very specialized wheelchair,
called a Kid Kart. But one chilly morning last January, Kristi turned on her
car and left it running in the driveway of her home as she went back inside to
get her son and take him to school. When she came out, the car was gone; stolen
by thieves. She didn’t only lose the car – inside was Riley’s special Kid Kart,
so he was without the means to get around or attend school, and Kristi didn’t
have the money to purchase a new one, which cost about $1,500.
So a family friend started a crowd funding campaign to help
Riley. It gained regional news coverage and attracted more than 100 caring
folks in only 2 months, raising $3,970 – more than enough for Riley to get his
new Kid Kart and a very deserving single mother to pay some bills and get to
breath a sigh of relief.
More info: http://www.gofundme.com/GoRiley2015
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Do you have a crowdfunding campaign or cause that's near and dear to your heart? We'd love to make this a regular monthly series for our blog to keep spreading the positivity, so please let us know!
Share few crowdfunding tips which will be helpful for successful campaign
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