Politicians have successfully raised money using social media appeals, and now Santa Clara County’s Destination: Home and Housing 1000 are nonprofit organizations that have jumped on the bandwagon.
Destination: Home and Housing 1000 have turned to social media and crowd funding as a way to raise money to furnish homes for the 1,000 homeless individuals in Santa Clara County that they hope to permanently house by the end of 2013. In just a few months, homes for seven of the people featured in the online “Housing One” campaign have been furnished.
The Housing One campaign focuses on housing one individual at a time—people such as Frank, William, Chris, or Lenny, whose photos and personal stories you can access electronically via cell phone or computer.
“The ‘Housing One’ campaign is a way to make a micro-issue out of homelessness,” says Jennifer Loving, Destination: Home Executive Director (www.destinationhomescc.org).
Crowd funding works on the principle that a lot of small contributions conveniently made by cell phone or computer through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google, will add up to make a big difference.
“A large community of people funding a project is pretty cool,” says Bill Clerico, co-founder of WePay in Palo Alto, which, for a small administrative fee, accepts secure, online credit card donations designated for Housing One.
“It’s using technology to help end homelessness,” says Loving.
Via Housing 1000’s website (www.housing1000sv.org) or at www.HousingOne.org, you can access photos and read the life stories of the homeless individuals next in line to receive permanent housing. Choose the person whose story most moves you and make a small credit card contribution through WePay towards the $575 cost of a “Move-in Kit” of basic furnishings and furniture.
Even better, adopt an individual with your online social network of friends, and you will be amazed at how quickly your combined contributions will add up to furnish a home.
“We love it when people use WePay to try and change the world for the better, and we’re really excited that our technology can be used in new and productive ways,” says Clerico.
“Crowd money really does help put projects over the line,” says Pam Radgowski with WePay HR.
