Charity is often put aside during presidential election years, as politicians on both sides of the political spectrum want to use your taxpayer dollars to fund their pet projects.
Additionally, politicians will attempt to guilt you into voting for them because they claim they are better stewards of your money than you are. Hate poverty? Pay more taxes. See a natural disaster? New government agency. A neighbor in a tough financial spot? Sign up for a welfare program.
The more we push away responsibilities to our government, the more disconnected we become towards each other and become less incentivized to ensure our money is being spent the right way.
While online crowdfunding platforms such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter are a great way to help fund a cause ranging from inventors to covering someone’s funeral expenses, there is always the likelihood you are being tricked into something that intends to take your money and run.
In the world of government, it is well known that fraud, waste, and abuse also run rampant. Whereas the market treats you like a customer, the government treats you like a liability. There is a large disconnect in the mentality regarding service, quality, and outcome because of these mindsets.
So how does one take more individual responsibility in one’s community instead of granting the government more authority, while at the same time course correcting the supervisory aspect consumers are supposed to have on private organizations?
Enter DonorSee, founded by humanitarian Gret Glyer several years ago. DonorSee is as simple as it is revolutionary; its goal is to provide funding for humanitarian projects that users oversee and have a direct role in, and during the process, they have to submit proof over a period of time that your money is going directly towards the project.
These personalized updates are the difference between suspicion and trust. According to the site, “When you give on DonorSee, your money is sent directly to help people in need via our network of on-the-ground partners. After you give, our partners send you personalized updates showing you exactly how your money is helping.
For example, if you give to a project for a malnourished baby that needs formula milk, we will send you updates of that baby returning to a healthy weight because of your donation.” This is different compared to so many other private charities, NGO’s, and government organizations, where most the donated money is consumed in overhead expenses and never reaches the destination donors thought they were going to.
What makes DonorSee quick to respond and efficient in their progress is that “all projects on DonorSee are $500 or less. They are small ways to make a sustainable impact in the lives of real people in real need.”
DonorSee is so effective, the Peace Corps saw it as direct competition and therefore banned their employees from using the platform. DonorSee is voluntaryism in action, showing that when people see a problem, they can cooperate and develop progress in ways government simply can’t.
Sign in with Email