It’s no secret that many of the richest people in the world are also some of the most generous philanthropists. One of the most notable is Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Contribute to various industries using the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to their contributions, contributions from other high-profile entrepreneurs fund this foundation. Through this charity, grants have been awarded for health care and education initiatives to combat polio, build educational infrastructure, and more.
C’est possible
While these wealthy people obviously have a great deal of money and additional resources to donate to charity, it is not that impossible for ordinary people with limited funds to establish and support their own charitable initiatives. The key to being able to run a thriving charity that you can’t fully fund yourself is to seek help from other people. This can be done through crowdfunding.
Concept
The concept of crowdfunding is, in a sense, similar to crowdsourcing. In crowdsourcing, you get donors for money or any other necessary resource 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 the contributions of numerous donors will give everyone the opportunity to share more toward 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 income regularly. They can include their charitable contribution in their budget. There are others who set their own goal and then donate the money when they reach their target amount. Whether you choose to donate on a regular basis or in flat-rate 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 the crowdfunding charities of your choice 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 a big 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 just like you who can contribute small amounts of money. In your own way, you can make an impact and help a specific cause that interests you.
Choose a cause or recipient you want to fundraise for. Get on a crowdfunding platform and create an account. Share and promote your cause and ask for help from your network. Most of the platforms in use today have online tracking resources that allow you to see your collective efforts transform into resources for communities in need.
It’s not impossible for someone with so little to make a big difference. Through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding initiatives, small amounts of contributions can have a huge impact on the lives of others.