Web site makes you the charity
Helping friends or family members financially can be embarrassing for those on the receiving end. But a new Web site called "Giving Anonymously," is helping people give to those in need without the awkward face-to-face exchange. Lisa Napoli reports.
Giving Anonymously founders Lionel and Misha Thompson. (www.givinganon.org)
More on Charity - Giving
TEXT OF STORY
TESS VIGELAND: Folks giving through Kiva and other microlending Web sites eventually expect to get their money back. But plenty of people are looking to help without expecting anything in return. If you've ever offered financial assistance to friends or family, you know how hard it is to push through the "Oh no, I can't take money from you" part of the process.
Lisa Napoli tells us there's a new way to give anonymously to friends and family who need help, but are too proud to accept it from someone they know.
Lisa Napoli: Lionel Thompson and his wife Misha know well what it's like to be strapped for cash and unable to pay the bills. And to be on the receiving end of unexpected generosity.
Lionel Thompson: One time, one of our neighbors gave us a $1,000 to pay our rent. We went through real difficult economic time and it lasted for at least a year. But we had neighbors that got to know us, that really came and they helped us.
Once they stabilized financially, Lionel and his wife made a pact: They'd make it possible for people to give money to friends who needed it, without the awkwardness of a face-to-face exchange. So, with the help of some web designers, they built and run the web site they call Giving Anonymously, where you can do just what the name suggests.
Jessica: Thank you to whoever sent this. I really appreciate your help.
This woman named Jessica got an unexpected $150 in the mail to help her and her kids. She called the Giving Anonymously phone line to leave a message of thanks.
Jessica: I went shopping and filled the house with the produce and other food staples that may be have kind of been put off or neglected lately. I wish I could thank you in person, but whoever you are, you obviously know me well enough to know I probably wouldn't be accepting this from you.
Here's how Giving Anonymously works. You enter contact information about the person you want to help and how much you want to give. Then you enter your credit card information. Giving Anonymously cuts a check and sends it to your friend. They're asked to leave a voicemail that's forwarded to the donor to verify that the gift was received.
Mike: We were very surprised and touched.
Mike and his family in Texas lost nearly everything in a hurricane and haven't been able to return home. He received a check for close to $1,800.
MIKE: We intend to spend the money on things that we use daily so that we can constantly be reminded about how fortunate we are to have such wonderful friends.
Thompson: That little act of kindness, that we were able to facilitate, was a real encouragement for that family there.
Lionel Thompson says he hears that all the time from people who receive gifts. They're so curious about which of the people they know could have sent them money that they're extra nice to everyone around them.
Thompson says for the donors, this is different than sending a check to your favorite nonprofit organization.
Thompson: We're not the charity, you're the charity. Look around to your friends and family members in need, and you give to them.
Thompson says he and his wife Misha get very emotional when they listen to the voicemail thank yous, like this message from a mom named Crystal.
Crystal: I received $300. And my thank you message is. This is so wonderful. I just sat in the pharmacy line picking up my daughter's $300 prescription. Thank you so much.
Giving Anonymously is an all-volunteer project. The Thompsons and the web company they work with all donate their time to make it possible. It's their way of acknowledging the kindness they themselves have received.
I'm Lisa Napoli for Marketplace Money.
Comments
Comment | Refresh
From AK, 10/20/2009
What you're doing is totally awesome! THANK YOU for providing this service!
From Ft. Myers, FL, 09/19/2009
I can't give but I am single my mom lives with me I lost most of my jobs. I clean houses for a living.My car loan people will not work with me. I need my car for working looking for work and taking mom to the doctors and etc. My dad died in July I ran out of money helping him. I do it again to make him comforable. I need help,I don.t want to have my Mother out on the streets. She in her 80's, If it was just me I would go But she does't deserve it.
From Evanston, IL, 09/18/2009
If I make several $500 donations to a needy family rather than a larger donation, thus avoiding the fee, is that detrimental to the running or your organization?
From CO, 08/07/2009
What better way to stimulate generosity than from amongst neighbors, friends and family. We cannot as a society rely on the government to mandate morality or to take care of our needy. We need to do it as a society. If we all did this and paid attention to the needs of our fellow man then welfare from the government could go away. This is one way to facilitate that. Keep up the great work.
From Kirkland, WA, 08/05/2009
This is a great thing -- so long as it isn't seen as a replacement for traditional giving to charitable organizations (something that the founders come colse to implying in the interview). It's important to remember that the worst-off people in society don't necessarily all have better-off friends or acquaintances to notice that they need help.
From Tacoma, WA, 08/02/2009
I think the potential of this is incredible. Whether you give from a pure heart of generosity, or purely from a social math perspective. It is not a heady ideal to say that when in a society those in need are not provided for by those around them that have, that society is not far from financial collapse, rather it is a mathematical and historic reality. Generosity is not only right, it is the catalyst for social prosperity. Give and it shall be given is not feel-good theology. Its the key to creating sustainable society that is not cut throat, and greed driven; and it cant be created from state policies, but by ground-level people who give back what they have been given. Well done.
From Los Angeles, CA, 08/02/2009
What a great way for the founding couple to return the favour by designing this awesome website and idea. The "envelope slid under the door" comes to mind yes. But how are you meant to slip the envelope under the door when they live in another country or too far logistically to get to? Giving Anon makes alot of sense! =)
08/01/2009
Daniel,
Thank you for your comment. As Nate pointed out we do everything we can to keep our costs as low as possible.
In fact, we recently have made it so you no longer have the $2.50 + 2.5% fee. Instead, there's a minimal 3% fee for gifts over $500 (less than $500 are free). As Nate said, we would do all of them for free if we could.
Feel free to contact me with any other questions I can help you with: Lionel@GivingAnon.org.
Lionel Thompson
President
Giving Anonymously
From San Diego, CA, 08/01/2009
Daniel,
That's true, which is why Giving Anon is trying to get a bank to help out by not charging the merchant fee associated with a credit card transaction. The org doesn't make any money at all on these transactions. Originally we were hoping to not charge transaction fees at all, and for a very short beginning, the organization was funded by the founders and paid for those fees out of pocket. Now, the service is too popular to be able to do that regularly. So, if you know of a bank or merchant account who will waive the transaction fees, feel free to let us know. We'd love to not charge at all for the service.
From Beijing, 08/01/2009
Nice idea, but with that $2.50 +2.5% transaction fees, the cost of anonymity is a tad steep. Surely there is a cheaper way to sneak anonymous money to a needy friend or relative. Envelope of cash slid under the door comes to mind.
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.