“I went on a shopping spree in July and spent four million dollars on girls and women,” Maz Kessler says proudly.
As the founder and creative director of Catapult, a start-up nonprofit organization that helps development projects for women and girls get funding, she has every reason to boast. Catapult, a crowdfunding site that insists on transparency and engagement with donors, is one of several organizations changing the world of philanthropy. Launched on the first International Day of the Girl, in October 2012, the start-up has already seen impressive results.
Kessler, whose unconventional career trajectory started when she dropped out of the London School of Economics to join a band in New York City, has been a part of the technology sector since the ’90s. Before founding Catapult, she worked as a technology consultant for nonprofits like Women Deliver. Starting her own organization was the next logical step.
Kessler set out to close the gender gap in development funding. In the conference room of Catapult’s Soho office, she rattles off some startling statistics: teen girls receive only two percent of development funding; women (including teens and young girls) receive only six percent. Of the organizations that focus on women’s issues, one in five is in danger of closing.
“Crowdfunding,” Kessler explains, was the “natural solution. From a philanthropy perspective, it was really the only way to go.”
What the Internet makes possible is what Kessler calls the citizen philanthropist. In the pre-Internet days of philanthropy, organizations reached out to donors for funding, but once they received it, donors might never hear from them again. Donors had no idea where their money went or what, if any, good it did. Even in the early years of the Internet, nonprofits had trouble shaking that model: remember the big, yellow donate button of yore? That was an equally passive mode of philanthropy.
When a potential donor finds their way to Catapult’s site, they can browse projects by subject (e.g. advocacy, innovation, orphans) to find something they are truly interested in supporting. They can find out more in the project overview, but perhaps even more importantly, they can review the project budget and know how much money will be used for supplies, or for training, or for administrative costs.
Organizations, once they have been cleared by Catapult’s vetting process, can submit any kind of project they like. They could ask for funding for an office party, Kessler jokes, but they have to convince donors why their office party deserves to be funded. This forces organizations to use their expertise to curate thoughtful, important projects, but leaves it up to the crowd to decide what gets funded.
Once a project is fully funded (organizations have 150 days to reach their funding goal or their project will be closed) organizations must report back to the donors on the status of the project. Organizations can report as often as they like, but at minimum they must send a photo thank you note when the project is funded, an update at 90 days and another at a year (projects should be accomplished by the end of a year).
The required reporting holds organizations accountable for the promises they make, and it keeps donors involved in the project beyond the moment they clicked that donate button. “We’re looking for civic engagement,” explains Kessler, not just “moving resources.”
Trees, Water & People has used Catapult to get funding for several projects, including one that built dry composting latrines in El Salvador. Megan Maiolo-Heath, their marketing manager, said the organization has had a really good experience with Catapult. All of their projects posted to date have been 100 percent funded.
Maiolo-Heath pointed out that she’s used a lot of crowdfunding platforms, but what is truly impressive about Catapult is the company backing them.
Only nine weeks after launching their website, Catapult secured a partnership with the Gucci campaign Chime for Change, which has celebrity representatives like Beyoncé and Salma Hayek. This June Chime for Change sponsored an impressive benefit concert in London to raise awareness and funds for Catapult projects.
It helped. It was only after the concert that Trees, Water & People got their most expensive project funded. With the 10 thousand they raised on Catapult, they distributed solar-powered lights to families in Honduras without access to electricity.
Maiolo-Heath points out that, while the Catapult platform is still evolving, and they continue to work on the user experience, that tech and the crowdfunding model “is making it easier to reach people you otherwise wouldn’t be able to come into contact with.”
“It’s nice to be able to show a donor exactly how we’re spending their money, [to] upload photos and stories from the field,” Maiolo says. “You don’t get that kind of direct involvement without mail.”
Also of interest as of October 4, 2018 , , ,
The Latest Bing News on:
Citizen philanthropists
- Stevie Wonder Is Officially A Ghanaian Citizenon May 13, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Renowned American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has officially become a Ghanaian citizen after taking the Oath of Allegiance and receiving his Certificate of Citizenship at a ceremony held on Monday ...
- Students and nonprofits benefit from Pay it Forward Ohio State Marion English courseon May 13, 2024 at 7:16 am
Ohio State Marion's student philanthropy initiative ... in addition to providing teachable moments for the next generation of citizens. “Obviously, Pay It Forward benefits our students, but it ...
- Germiston model and philanthropist asks community for supporton May 12, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Obedience Mkhabela Lebogang Ramathibela, a 17-year-old model and philanthropist from Germiston, is actively seeking sponsorship to support her upcoming projects through her NPO, the Lebogang ...
- Farmer, philanthropist, civic leader chosen to receive Pa. Society’s special honoron May 6, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Keith Eckel, whose work on preserving farmland in Pennsylvania dates to Gov. Robert P. Casey's administration, will be honored at the Society's 126th annual meeting and reception on May 23.
- Presidency Asks States To Domesticate Senior Citizens’ Policyon May 5, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Senior special assistant to the president on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has called for considerable ...
- How Rita Moreno uses honors like an upcoming public television award to further her philanthropyon May 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
But Moreno, still the only Latina EGOT -- winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards -- in history, says it took a particularly outspoken roommate to teach her the importance of politics and ...
- Orelope-Adefulire advocates increased attention to welfare of senior citizenson May 5, 2024 at 11:48 am
Efforts to integrate the National Senior Citizens Policy at the sub-national level, according to the Presidential Adviser, are crucial steps towards ensuring that policies are tailored to local ...
- Global Citizen NOW urges investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and youth outreachon May 2, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Global Citizen NOW says it wants 2024 conference attendees to invest long-term in the African continent's fast-growing youth population and increase outreach to young changemakers ...
- Global Citizen NOW urges investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and youth outreachon May 2, 2024 at 4:47 pm
The conference also marked Global Citizen’s efforts to draw Gen Z ... Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and non-profits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The ...
- How Nonprofits Lose Out When Volunteer Advocates Are Asked to Do Little Real Advocacyon May 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm
When citizens put down their smart phones and come together for ... This widespread emphasis on transactional advocacy amounts to advocacy malpractice. How Philanthropy and Nonprofits Contribute to ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Citizen philanthropists
[google_news title=”” keyword=”citizen philanthropists” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Catapult
- Afghan farmers catapult opium across border to beat Taliban crackdownon May 13, 2024 at 10:54 am
Along a barren, dusty road on Afghanistan’s border with Iran, slingshots line the sand.For years, they have propelled drugs from western Nimroz province across the border to Iran’s Sistan and ...
- Fox targeted by youths with catapults found by RSPCA in Palmerston Road, Chathamon May 13, 2024 at 8:28 am
A fox was put down after a group of youths targeted it with catapults. The RSPCA is appealing for witnesses of the group that attacked the animal found in Palmerston Road, Chatham on Tuesday (May 7).
- Solana (SOL)'s Dip, Shiba Inu (SHIB) Surge: Can Furrever Token (FURR)'s $20,000 Competition Catapult It Past Competitors?on May 13, 2024 at 4:27 am
In a whirlwind of market movements, Solana experiences a dip while Shiba Inu surges by 1%, setting the stage for a captivating showdown. Amidst this backdrop, Furrever Token steps into the spotlight ...
- Drupa to catapult inkjet growth forwardon May 9, 2024 at 11:11 pm
Drupa will prove particularly influential, thanks to its injection of new technology into the market; new sales will only accelerate the industry’s transition to digital printing in multiple sectors, ...
- Grandad who tried to ‘catapult’ drugs into Cloverhill Prison ‘did something very stupid’, court hearson May 9, 2024 at 5:30 pm
A grandfather who tried to catapult cannabis, cocaine and tablets over a wall into Cloverhill Prison met “the wrong people at the wrong time and did something very stupid”, a court heard.
- Lakeland's Catapult building the next phase of entrepreneurson May 9, 2024 at 8:51 am
New growth in Lakeland and one non-profit is helping not just bring entrepreneurs to Lakeland but also helping them succeed.
- MLB Power Rankings: Surprise Teams Catapult Up While a New Squad Takes the Bottom Spoton May 1, 2024 at 7:00 am
Some of the teams who got off to surprising starts are coming back down to earth, while some of the league's more talented rosters and players are finally starting to figure things out. Not all of ...
- JPMorgan Chase awards $3M to Catapult Greater Pittsburghon April 30, 2024 at 7:40 am
Today’s commitment aims to make stable housing affordable for all Pittsburgh residents, especially low-income individuals and families." ...
- CSA Catapult Appoints New Chair of its Board of Directorson April 30, 2024 at 3:58 am
Catapult has announced the appointment of Jonathan Flint CBE as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. In his ...
- The alarming rise of catapult attacks: How Britain's towns and villages are being terrorised by slingshot-wielding children filming themselves killing and torturing animalson April 28, 2024 at 7:33 am
Locals in Kent believe the rise in catapult-related incidents are related to a trend of young people filming themselves firing ball bearings at animals and posting it online. Pensioners say they ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Catapult
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Catapult” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]