A while ago, I listened to John Holden speak about arts funding. He talked about two brand new concert halls that tried to get funding. One concert hall was sending invitations to local politicians, inviting them to a VIP opening gala, where the movers and shakers of the arts community could mix and mingle with the politicians. Cocktails, black tie, red carpet and all. The other concert hall reached out to the community; more than 200 people showed up to celebrate the grand opening. Live music, baloons, free ribs and all.
One of the concert halls has been forced to close its doors not even a year after the grand opening, unable to sell the tickets to its performances. Can you guess which one?
We have all heard that collective social acts of kindness matter. Yet philanthropy, somehow seen as a luxury, was delegated to the rich and the government. In the world of philanthropy, individual effort is rarely recognized as an agent of significant change. But times, especially in the non-profit world, are changing.
Yes we can. Micro-philanthropy, to me, is about empowerment and responsibility. On a personal level, it is one of the easiest ways to show I care. I may not have a million dollars to give, but I have $5 and there are millions of people like me. We can save a whale or a concert hall, build a school in Africa, or plant trees.
Micro-philanthropy is not just another way to fundraise. It is a way to engage with the people and find grass-roots human support for your cause. It’s about teaching ourselves and our children that our collective actions matter, for better and for worse.
Micro-philanthropy in action:
- Plantatree wine will plant a tree for each wine bottle you buy.
- Give Meaning - online donation site that allows regular people like me to browse various projects and give my $5 to those that are most appropriate, planned, and accountable. Anyone can donate, and anyone can start a fundraising Project, not just people already involved with a charitable or not-for-profit organization. The project must receive 100 votes within 30 days from the day its posted.
- Obama’s online fundraising campaign. Of the total 6.5 million online donations, 6 million were in increments of $100 or less. The average online donation was $80, and the average Obama donor gave more than once.
- Follow @mrsrosey on twitter and she will donate to Breast Cancer.
How about you? What do you think of micro-philanthropy? Can you see it work for your organization, or think of other examples?
Filed under: new concepts
I particularly like the part that most Obama contributors gave more than once. Making a small donation is a way to feel connected to something. I think that’s a very powerful part of micro-philanthropy. A lot more to the transaction than money. Thanks for the post.
A good and very current example of fundraising is Twestival – a global social type event happening on the 12th of Feb to raise money for Charity:water. There’s some details on it here – http://dharmafly.com/blog/twestival