Monday, March 14, 2016

$5 to Save the World



The summer of 2015, a friend of mine was involved in a terrible car crash. A car swerved across the  median into her lane, collided with her car, and then she was hit from behind. She survived, but was badly injured, and her family didn't have the money to provide her with the long-term medical care she so desperately needed. That was the first time I learned about GoFundMe.





GoFundMe is a member of an ever-growing family of websites that engage in what is known as "crowdsourcing". Crowdsourcing allows a project to be placed online, such as an idea for a product or business, or a personal need, and it can then be shared on social media. People can then donate money, five dollars here, ten dollars there, until a funding goal is reached. This allows the power of the masses to be applied to worthy causes.

My friend's medical fees became one of those "worthy causes." Somebody posted a GoFundMe, and it was soon shared across the facebook profiles of many youth and young adults in the community. In the end, enough money was raised not just to cover her basic medical costs, but to help provide her money for college, since she wasn't able to work while she recovered. The collaborative power of crowdsourcing was able to harness the desires of normal people to do some good in the world.

At its base, this is what crowdsourcing does. By allowing us to work together, it gives us power beyond our own. Historically, if a person has needed more money than they could earn in a short time, they have had two options: petition close friends and family, who might not have the resources to cover large expenses, or go to a bank, which would charge interest and require payment plans. The communication infrastructure to harness small donations from huge amounts of people was simply not available. The new Digital Age has changed this.

There are now a myriad of crowdsourcing websites, each with its own focus. Kickstarter is a website primarily focuses on funding artists, authors, and designers. Kiva gives micro-loans to people in third-world countries, who use the money to start businesses, and then pay it back, allowing you to use your money to help even more people. GoFundMe is primarily used for personal causes, such as medical bills, disaster relief, and school tuition.

I personally am preparing to set up a crowdsourced project as well. I want to go to Kiribati, the Pacific island country where I served my mission, and set up an adventure-themed tourist company. The idea is that while some tourists prefer the ultra-resort feel of Hawaii, there are some that would like a more authentic island experience. At the same time, people in Kiribati do not have any major inflow of money, besides exporting coconut. Bring the rich white people to Kiribati and have island people give them an authentic island experience, and voila! You have a great opportunity to help people. Unfortunately, I do not have nearly enough money to cover my plane tickets there and the cost of building and organizing the company on site. Through the power of crowdsourcing, I hope to get the funds so that I can make this dream a reality.

Crowdsourcing is a great way for us all to make a difference in the world. There are many people who need our help, and when we each give five dollars, we can help them, and make the world a better place.

4 comments:

  1. Great personal angle. I like how you used your topic to advertise your own crowdsourcing goals, making it quite obvious that your personally invested in this topic. While not explicitly stated, your call to participate in crowdsourcing is a good one.

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  2. I agree with Alec and your personal story is very emotionally investing. I felt like you incorporated a lot of personal angle throughout your claim that makes it entertaining to read.

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  3. Very great and engaging introduction! You have a relevant and contemporary topic. What exactly is your argument or call to action? I felt like your writing was good but I wish there were more visuals to engage me.

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  4. I agree with KB. What do you think we should do with this powerful tool of crowdsourcing?

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