What We Learned from Thom Feeney about Crowdfunding

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Crowdfunding

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You might have followed this IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign where 108,654 people raised €1,930,577 – almost 2 Million Euros in only 8 days – which I heavily supported it on social media.  On the second day IndieGoGo’s server broke down from the amount of visitors to Thom Feeney’s site.  It also showed that people care!
It could have been one of the most successful campaigns if ….

  • really everyone in Europe (including children) would have donated three Euros for the cause
  • the target wouldn’t have been so high: 1.6 billion Euros, the amount the Greece government owed recently to the European Union.
  • and if Thom Feeney would have chosen “flexible funding”, one of the greatest features on IndieGoGo – and available at IndieGoGo, not on Kickstarter for example. Using the “flexible funding”, allows to get at least the funds that are donated, even if the target could not be reached.

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New Start – Just Switch Over
The Greek Government could not be bailed out with the almost 2 Million Euros that where donated, but it still was a great success, as it showed that ordinary people could at least move something, contrary to politicians – and it was without any risk for the donators: They will receive / returned their credit card payments within the next days.

But there is an even more important cause and the possibility to help the poorest of the poor, the people that are hit hardest by this financial crisis:

Please: USE THE RETURNED FUNDS TO HELP
As the campaign has now finished and it did not reached the target, all contributions will be refunded.  But please contribute your refund money and together, once more let’s make a difference.

Donate your IndieGoGo refund to either of these organizations:

Back to IndieGoGo to fund Desmos.org 
which utilizes surplus products and services to meet the basic needs of vulnerable groups and individuals.
“Our ultimate aim is to make the donation process as easy and efficient as possible for the donor to be able to respond to emergency needs of vulnerable groups and their representatives (organizations, institutions, social institutions, etc.) with the goal to create sustainable co-dependency networks between donors and recipients.”
or to the
Austrian Griechenlandhilfe 
that supports orphanages and hospitals. Please read this article about the organization, run by the Austrian Erwin Schrumpf, who tirelessly works for this cause and donate via PayPal/CreditCard.

What Else You Can Do:
For years banks and other institutions profited from the crisis, and ordinary people suffered.  Someone needs to show compassion and help the poorest! And if you plan a vacation in Europe, travel to Greece – it helps to support the economy and people in the tourism industry to stay employed.

T H A N K S

P.S.  Do you know that people in Greece help and support refugees from Syria and other countries who come with tiny boats over the Mediterranean Sea.  Despite the suffering that Greek people experience since years they are helping even more desperate refugees.

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