Lundi Links: Sweet Charity

This week's Lundi Links features some of the sites that show the internet's power for good. These sites connect those with money to donate with those who need it. I have a long list of sites of specific organizations I'd like to help, but the ones I'm posting today are the ones that serve as directories or connections between many individuals or groups. To be clear, I haven't used these sites yet myself, but I have heard good things about most of them.

http://www.donorschoose.org is a very popular site where teachers can ask for funding for micro-projects: one set of books, supplies for one chemistry experiment, etc. I'm sure some of them are a bit bigger, but I love the simplicity and specificity of it, almost a poetry.

http://www.kickstarter.com is a little like donorschoose but helps fund small businesses, inventions, and creative projects. I've read up on a documentary about Matthew Shepard, a stylus tip that attaches to a regular Sharpie to make it easy to draw on an iPad, and funky drink koozies called Freakers (ILM-born!). Most of the requests have videos, and many have rewards that increase with the amount you donate.

http://www.razoo.com is a little like kickstarter but for nonprofits.

http://www.kiva.org is your path to being a microfinancer. The site partners with existing microfinance organizations (which are an inspiring and brilliant concept in themselves, although I seem to recall hearing something bad about one recently, like it went under or something?) to get small amounts of money into the hands of folks all over the world who can turn it into more resources for themselves, their families, and their communities. You can loan in $25 increments, and I believe you have a choice of receiving the money back or keeping it circulating in the Kiva system. It's incredible what these "small" amounts can do in most parts of the world.

http://www.modestneeds.org lets individuals post a specific need at a specific amount. A new muffler, travel expenses for a conference, a fan for a sick child in the coming summer, things that cost money but not astronomical amounts and that will make big improvements to the people's lives. There's some kind of point system involved.

There are several sites that keep track of charities and their activities so you know they're on the up and up (love that brand identity at Target, by the way, pipes up the designer in me). I haven't used these at all, but a couple of them for your perusal are http://www2.guidestar.org, http://www.charitynavigator.org, and http://www.charitywatch.org.

The internet, like pretty much everything, has the capacity for the most wretched evil and the most elevating good. I am so impressed with humanity when I see sites like these, how they bring strangers together for just a few minutes and a few dollars to help each other and the world. What a beautiful thing! I'm going to make a $1 donation right now. I hope you'll consider trying one of these sites.