

Ask HN: Idea about buying from vs. giving to a Non-Profit - bhudman

I am involved in a few nonprofit groups (as board member in one and volunteering in a few). All have a persistant problem: No money. So the thing to do is to beg/ask for money, which is not usually sustainable. These nonprofits do not have an sugar daddy's either to support them.<p>Lets take a strugling social service organization. Instead of asking for money, what if the org. helps two families, and then it present evidence of helping them, and then ask people to pay/sponsor/subsidize the money that cost the organization to help this family?<p>Is this the dummbest idea you have ever heard? If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts on coming up with an alternative to incessantly bug supporters for money.
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pewpewlasergun
This is actually what those sponser-a-child/build-a-well/kiva type charities
do. For example, go to kiva and you'll see a bunch of people you can lend
money to. These people already have loans, you aren't actually lending money
to them. So, its not a dumb idea and has worked for other charities.

So for the family example, maybe print a catalog with food, furniture, ect.
and a mini bio of the family and present it as buying stuff for that family.
In fact, you already helped that family and the money goes to help the next
one.

