Donation-based Crowdfunding: Begging?
Discussion
In terms of alternative finance, the concept of crowdfunding has been successfully utilised to fund a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures. Using the same idea, charity donation-based crowdfunding ( "the collective effort of individuals to help charitable causes" ) has become a good way to raise funds for an unfortunate set of circumstances: people have had operations paid for; someone has raised enough money to pay for a dying parent/friend/colleague's wish to do something otherwise beyond their financial means for example, as well as many other of the kind of stories which warm our hearts when we read about them.
Some of these campaigns (IMO) are questionable, and appear to be borderline (like paying for education) but if a group of people want to help - for whatever reason - so be it. Who are we to judge, or question, right? The cost of a course might be out of reach for an individual and you might see helping to pay as a good thing in the long run for that person. Crowd-funding campaigns have transformed lives and generally and in the main it is comforting to see how generous people can be towards [often] strangers in need. But...
There are some people, or a line of thinking present in many, where after seeing the successful campaigns they think, 'I'm gonna have me a bit of that', and will thus invite donations towards something personal to themselves. Again, if their friends - or even strangers - want to make a contribution, fine but I'm referring to chancers.
I've read and heard of stories (too many to look up and link) of, for example, a bloke wanting to raise the cash for a honeymoon; a woman looking to pay for a 'dream holiday' for her and her kids; then there was a girl and her (Corsa IIRC) which was keyed, so she (or her mate) setup a Go Fund Me campaign to help raise the cash needed for a respray. I think to a degree, these examples still shouldn't be too much to raise an eyebrow over, but I'm seeing an attitude and trend develop which means some people will look to the benevolence of the people of the internet (such is the power of social media when you harness it) to help pay for these dreams. Some would argue that if matey wants a better honeymoon than he can afford, he could, perhaps, save? Or the ask the vandalised car girl: is claiming on her insurance not an option? (as it turned out the car wasn't insured IIRC).
Apologies for the long-winded post but I want to give it some background so that it didn't look like I'm giving the idea - or those engaged in any aspect of it - a hard time. It's more towards those who think it's an easy way to pay for their mistakes, thus neglecting responsibility for their actions.
Three months ago, I sold a car and stashed the cash in a safe place or so I thought. Fast forward, and I needed to grab some cash and went to dib in but couldn't find the spondulicks I'd hidden, and after looking in all the obvious places I then started to think of who could have stolen it. In this situation, all I needed to do was get my mate to start a GFM campaign prefaced with a sad and believable story that I was about to take my kids on the holiday of a lifetime. However I can only blame myself for a) not stashing it in a better place or for going on a major bender with it, and b) it's my own fault that I lost it, ultimately.
I do think that if people want to contribute (donate) money towards an idea, it's their choice so feel free to tell me to mind my own business, of course. There are however, some campaigns which give the wrong message IMHO, and these are the false, favourable and fraudulent claims seen on social media sites. In that context, are some people just brazen beggars... or is it that a fool and his money are soon parted?
Some of these campaigns (IMO) are questionable, and appear to be borderline (like paying for education) but if a group of people want to help - for whatever reason - so be it. Who are we to judge, or question, right? The cost of a course might be out of reach for an individual and you might see helping to pay as a good thing in the long run for that person. Crowd-funding campaigns have transformed lives and generally and in the main it is comforting to see how generous people can be towards [often] strangers in need. But...
There are some people, or a line of thinking present in many, where after seeing the successful campaigns they think, 'I'm gonna have me a bit of that', and will thus invite donations towards something personal to themselves. Again, if their friends - or even strangers - want to make a contribution, fine but I'm referring to chancers.
I've read and heard of stories (too many to look up and link) of, for example, a bloke wanting to raise the cash for a honeymoon; a woman looking to pay for a 'dream holiday' for her and her kids; then there was a girl and her (Corsa IIRC) which was keyed, so she (or her mate) setup a Go Fund Me campaign to help raise the cash needed for a respray. I think to a degree, these examples still shouldn't be too much to raise an eyebrow over, but I'm seeing an attitude and trend develop which means some people will look to the benevolence of the people of the internet (such is the power of social media when you harness it) to help pay for these dreams. Some would argue that if matey wants a better honeymoon than he can afford, he could, perhaps, save? Or the ask the vandalised car girl: is claiming on her insurance not an option? (as it turned out the car wasn't insured IIRC).
Apologies for the long-winded post but I want to give it some background so that it didn't look like I'm giving the idea - or those engaged in any aspect of it - a hard time. It's more towards those who think it's an easy way to pay for their mistakes, thus neglecting responsibility for their actions.
Three months ago, I sold a car and stashed the cash in a safe place or so I thought. Fast forward, and I needed to grab some cash and went to dib in but couldn't find the spondulicks I'd hidden, and after looking in all the obvious places I then started to think of who could have stolen it. In this situation, all I needed to do was get my mate to start a GFM campaign prefaced with a sad and believable story that I was about to take my kids on the holiday of a lifetime. However I can only blame myself for a) not stashing it in a better place or for going on a major bender with it, and b) it's my own fault that I lost it, ultimately.
I do think that if people want to contribute (donate) money towards an idea, it's their choice so feel free to tell me to mind my own business, of course. There are however, some campaigns which give the wrong message IMHO, and these are the false, favourable and fraudulent claims seen on social media sites. In that context, are some people just brazen beggars... or is it that a fool and his money are soon parted?
Glassman said:
.. It's more towards those who think it's an easy way to pay for their mistakes, thus neglecting responsibility for their actions.
It's basically this, society has so many fall backs and consumer protection security that many people can't accept anymore that when something goes wrong (be it their fault or not) that there isn't some sort of regulation, government agency or fund full of money that will rectify the issue for them.Social media has given them a platform to plead poverty and they know if you don't ask you don't get....
fools and their money are easily parted.
I don't like it at all. Presumably someone did it knowing it was very cheeky and didn't really care and then other people saw it and found it acceptable.
Asking for donations due to illness or similar, I can see the sense.
Donations for a holiday? No.
I know someone (unfortunately) who asked for donations on a similar thing to give her dog a proper funeral. Unfortunately she got the money to hold a full funeral for her dog, as if it was a human
Asking for donations due to illness or similar, I can see the sense.
Donations for a holiday? No.
I know someone (unfortunately) who asked for donations on a similar thing to give her dog a proper funeral. Unfortunately she got the money to hold a full funeral for her dog, as if it was a human
Jimmy Recard said:
I know someone (unfortunately) who asked for donations on a similar thing to give her dog a proper funeral. Unfortunately she got the money to hold a full funeral for her dog, as if it was a human
Was every penny spent on the funeral? How would we know? Because if it wasn't, what happened to it? Using the [surplus] money for anything else would be immoral; could it even be illegal? Other than donating it on, say to another charitable cause (not that a dog's funeral is one, it has to be said). Can't say I'm a fan of it for the more trivial stuff but I'm not entirely comfortable when someone donates their estate to the Cats Protection League either and that happened long before the Internet made it simpler to do stuff like that.
Ultimately it's about freedom of choice and if someone wants to give money to a cause I find pointless so be it, they may feel the same about the ones I don't find pointless.
Ultimately it's about freedom of choice and if someone wants to give money to a cause I find pointless so be it, they may feel the same about the ones I don't find pointless.
A part of this which is odd in my mind are the people who set up a GFM on behalf of someone else.
XYZ is going through a hard time and would love a new kappa tracksuit, so I have set up a GFM for them.
I don't get it for a few reasons, I wonder how many of the setter-uppers ask the beneficiary for the go-ahead.
Assuming the setter-upper and beneficiary are really separate people...
XYZ is going through a hard time and would love a new kappa tracksuit, so I have set up a GFM for them.
I don't get it for a few reasons, I wonder how many of the setter-uppers ask the beneficiary for the go-ahead.
Assuming the setter-upper and beneficiary are really separate people...
CoolHands said:
That seems like a very odd post, but given your normally helpful glass replies I suspect we will all overlook it - but as for stashing it in a safe place, why not put it in the, errr, bank?
My initial plan was to throw it back into something, so figured having it under the mattress would be OK in the interim. Mattress.
If only.
It doesn’t bother me really.
If it’s a kickstarter campaign, it might be about some cool new gadget. I might be interested in reading about it but I don’t think I’ve ever sent any cash.
If it’s a friend doing some epic sports event and wants sponsorship, I’ll probably sponsor them, if I think it looks like a challenge for them.
I certainly wouldn’t fund some randomer to go on holiday or buy a new wedding ring or whatever, to be honest, I don’t really often even see these requests from strangers. Except stuff like some dodgy email about winning the Mexican lottery or whatever.
If it’s a kickstarter campaign, it might be about some cool new gadget. I might be interested in reading about it but I don’t think I’ve ever sent any cash.
If it’s a friend doing some epic sports event and wants sponsorship, I’ll probably sponsor them, if I think it looks like a challenge for them.
I certainly wouldn’t fund some randomer to go on holiday or buy a new wedding ring or whatever, to be honest, I don’t really often even see these requests from strangers. Except stuff like some dodgy email about winning the Mexican lottery or whatever.
4159265 said:
A part of this which is odd in my mind are the people who set up a GFM on behalf of someone else.
XYZ is going through a hard time and would love a new kappa tracksuit, so I have set up a GFM for them.
I don't get it for a few reasons, I wonder how many of the setter-uppers ask the beneficiary for the go-ahead.
Assuming the setter-upper and beneficiary are really separate people...
I think some see it as an act for which they will be remembered. XYZ is going through a hard time and would love a new kappa tracksuit, so I have set up a GFM for them.
I don't get it for a few reasons, I wonder how many of the setter-uppers ask the beneficiary for the go-ahead.
Assuming the setter-upper and beneficiary are really separate people...
Also...
http://gizmodo.com/gofundme-is-a-great-way-to-scam...
GoFundMe Is a Great Way to Scam People
We get this quite a bit where I live.
Usually it's Australian tourists who have had an accident but (despite being on holiday) didn't bother with travel insurance.
Faced with a bill for £10,000 for medical treatment and to get them an air ambulance home they go on these donation sites.
Worst ones are the idiots that have something terrible happen to their kids - almost drowned is the usual one - then expect others to foot the bill because they were too stupid to spend £100 on travel insurance.
My wife knows some people here that have a lovely cliff-top villa. It burnt down and they lost everything.. they were on one of these crowdfunding sites as they had no insurance.
I refuse to donate anything - we have insurance (covers earthquake and volcano damage as well) so dont see why I should fork out anything for those that can't be bothered to do the same.
Usually it's Australian tourists who have had an accident but (despite being on holiday) didn't bother with travel insurance.
Faced with a bill for £10,000 for medical treatment and to get them an air ambulance home they go on these donation sites.
Worst ones are the idiots that have something terrible happen to their kids - almost drowned is the usual one - then expect others to foot the bill because they were too stupid to spend £100 on travel insurance.
My wife knows some people here that have a lovely cliff-top villa. It burnt down and they lost everything.. they were on one of these crowdfunding sites as they had no insurance.
I refuse to donate anything - we have insurance (covers earthquake and volcano damage as well) so dont see why I should fork out anything for those that can't be bothered to do the same.
Edited by jdw100 on Tuesday 22 August 05:31
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