ePhilanthropy, Micropatronage, and Crowdfunding

Thanks to technology, there are many ways to donate money. The American Red Cross raised $32m through their strategic texting campaign of donating $10 to Haiti. $32,000,000 is an enormous gift. Other a than natural disaster, what else is there to give money to? Well, I certainly didn’t have a problem finding something.



I gave $40 to help fund the final visual effects for the science fiction film, Similo. I never heard of it before watching a video on Kickstarter, which directed me to the short (above). As described on the project page, “SIMILO is a science fiction love story set in the year 2064.” I was hooked and I wanted to see more.

In yesterday’s Raising Funds for Arts Organization class, someone offered Kickstarter to the discussion of philanthropic trends. Kickstarter is a website for project-based funding of “creative ideas and ambitious endeavors.” The concept is clear: donate money to a creator to kickstart a project. After choosing a project, make a pledge. If the goal is met, the creator can finish it. If the goal is not met, your pledge is cancelled. It’s like placing a bid on an idea and hoping it meets the reserve to become tangible.

What a way to motivate creative types. The downside to Kickstarter is: 1) your donation is only tax-deductible if the person or organization has a 501(c)(3) status; and 2) even if the goal is met, there is no guarantee that the project will be executed. If you don’t feel comfortable with Kickstarter, there’s always Charity Navigator or even Pepsi’s Refresh Project.