Ad-hoc crowdsourcing efforts amid the Ukraine war, initially intended as stop-gap measures to support an underfunded Ukrainian military, have since coalesced into major global fundraising campaigns.
Daniel Penny, centre, is walked by New York Police Department detectives out of a Manhattan precinct in May 2023. He was charged with manslaughter in the death of Jordan Neely.
(AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)
Helping people secure due process in the courts is a noble goal. But the problem with crowdfunding campaigns is that they largely operate as popularity contests.
Quinta Brunson, creator and actor of the show ‘Abbott Elementary,’ uses TikTok to fundraise for school supplies. Although it’s a sitcom, it’s talking about the real-life needs of under-resourced teachers.
(Quinta Brunson for ABC)
Gifting teachers through crowdfunding sites may make an immediate difference but can’t compensate for underfunding and inequitable funding of public schools.
Abortion rights protesters attend a rally outside the Michigan capitol building on June 24, 2022, following the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Crowdfunding campaigns are well-intentioned and have done a great deal of good on the abortion rights front, but there are less compromised venues for support available.
Crowdfunding can be a great way to raise money for political candidates and causes, but it can also have unintended consequences.
Joos Mind/The Image Bank via Getty Images
Sanorita Dey, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Crowdfunding has become a go-to means of raising money for political causes, but the monetary show of support can cause opponents to double down on their opposition.
The urge to create, or donate to, crowdfunding campaigns in a crisis is understandable. But it’s worth asking: who can succeed in crowdfunding, and who gets left behind?
A camper gets hauled away by authorities in Ottawa in front of a Bank of Montreal.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Patrick Leblond, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and Costanza Musu, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
The backbone of the so-called freedom convoy’s activities was its access to a steady flow of financing from donors both domestic and foreign. The Emergencies Act put a stop to that.
A woman stops to take a photo of signs attached to the fence around Parliament as the trucker protest continues in Ottawa.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
GoFundMe claims it won’t fund campaigns that promote hate or misinformation. So why is it backing the so-called freedom convoy that’s currently causing so much incendiary disruption in Ottawa?
A woman searches through debris near where her Dawson Springs, Ky. home stood before a tornado flattened it in December 2021.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The informality and the speed can be helpful in emergencies. But it’s hard to make sure that money raised in a hurry is used in accordance with what donors expect.
Lack of resources and support for women entrepreneurs lowers their chances of success. But this problem can be partially overcome through crowdfunding initiatives by socially validating female-led ventures.
(Shutterstock)
A research team found that crowdfunding is a popular way to support social justice causes. They also determined that little of this charitable giving supports strangers.
Crowdfunding campaigners appeal to potential donors by describing the recipient as the subject of misfortune, rather than personal irresponsibility, and therefore deserving of their sympathy.
Solar panel in Eastern part of Indonesia.
Antara Foto
The internet ushered in new ways of raising money, particularly with the rise of crowdfunding. But making appeals for cash on social media represents an entirely different phenomenon.
For many Americans, ordering takeout to support struggling restaurants is an unconventional form of giving.
Johnny Louis/Getty Images
The trend of paying housekeepers unable to do their work and ordering takeout when it isn’t essential can be seen broadly as a form of charitable giving, according to philanthropy researchers.
The former Trump aide and others allegedly misused funds donated to build a border wall.
Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images
Boris Johnson has proposed the public ‘bung a bob for a Big Ben bong’ to commemorate Brexit.
A volunteer sorts through donated clothing as part of a bushfire appeal. Generally, it’s best to give money - unless the organisation to which you are donating has requested specific goods.
AAP/DEAN LEWINS
Farmers seeking relief from the drought and firefighters stretched to their limits have turned to crowdfunding for help. But public appeal shouldn’t replace good governance.