It’s no secret that many of the world’s richest people are also some of the most generous philanthropists. One of the most notable is Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. He contributes to various sectors using the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Aside from his contributions, contributions from other high-profile businessmen fund this foundation. Through this charity, grants have been awarded for healthcare and education initiatives to combat polio, build educational infrastructure and more.
C’est possible
While these wealthy people obviously have plenty of extra money and resources to donate to charity, it’s not that impossible for ordinary people with limited funds to set up and support their own charitable initiatives. The key to being able to run a successful charity that you can’t fully fund yourself is to seek the help of other people. This can be done by crowdfunding.
Concept
The concept of crowdfunding is, in a sense, similar to that of crowdsourcing. In crowdsourcing, you get donors in exchange for money or any other necessary resources through the Internet. Crowdfunding seeks to raise funds to support a specific program, usually for non-profit initiatives. There are other people like you who are interested in the same causes but also have very limited resources. Pooling contributions from numerous donors will give everyone the opportunity to share more towards the same promotion.
your project
You can be a philanthropist even if you are not rich. You can start a crowdsourcing project through which people like you with limited resources can collectively raise the necessary funds for your cause. Here are a couple of ways you can be a philanthropist:
1. Choose a crowdfunding charity and donate regularly – Some people choose to make smaller donations on a regular basis. This also works for those who receive regular income. They can include your charitable contribution in their budget. There are others who set their own goal and then donate the money when they reach the target amount. Whether you choose to give regularly or in fixed amount increments, your generosity will go a long way.
If you can’t commit to donating a certain amount, you can still do your part to help the cause. You can simply share the links of your chosen crowdfunding charities on your social media pages. Promote them to your friends and contacts, and encourage them to donate.
2. Start your own crowdfunding charity: You might think that your small contribution wouldn’t make much of a difference to your chosen charity. What you may not realize is that crowdfunding can actually help you generate a more substantial amount from many others like you who can contribute small amounts of money. In your own way, you can make an impact and help a specific cause you care about.
Choose a cause or recipient you want to fundraise for. Enter a crowdfunding platform and create an account. Share and promote your cause and ask for help from your network. Most platforms in use today have online tracking resources that allow you to see how your collective efforts become resources for communities in need.
It is not impossible for someone with so little to make a big difference. Through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding initiatives, small amounts of contributions can make a big impact in the lives of others.
