Crowdfunding for Philanthropy: Social Media Disappoints....Again

Isn't this a gorgeous photo? I took it myself when I accompanied a client down south for their President's Club. It's the type of image that tropical dreams are made of. 

Unfortunately, although it is beautiful, the story it tells is not a happy one, on a number of levels. 

The Struggles of Sun Destination Workers

The first reason that it is a sad photo is the fact that, while we are all enjoying our hard earned vacations, many sun destinations workers are struggling. They go through long periods of unemployment, earn low wages, work very long hours, and basically live on their tips. So often these tips do not materialize as, with pre-paid, all-inclusive packages, those of us who travel are under the impression that everything is "covered".

I wrote a blog post for The Huffington Post last year to raise awareness of the challenges that so many sun destination workers face, despite their long hours and hard work. 

• How to Stimulate the Local Economy When Travelling to Sun Destinations
  

The second level reason this photo tells a sad story is that, yet again, the promise of social media has not materialized.

The Need

Just before Christmas, Shantel, a young lady that I know in Jamaica approached me as she had been facing some challenges with employment and generating a steady income. She had the opportunity to participate in the 6 Flags Seasonal Employment programme and she had been successful in the interview. All she needed was the money for airfare, room, and board. She would receive training, employment experience to improve her resume, and income generated by working at the park. 

She didn't have the money, her parents are not in a position to help her, and I didn't have as much as she needed. 

Shantel has an older car that needs some work so she decided to sell it to raise the money. Fortunately, I also know a very hard-working taxi driver in Jamaica who could benefit from a leg up. He works hard, he provides exceptional customer service, and he is highly attentive to safety. He lost his job after the company where he worked as a truck driver for 20 years went out of business. He took the initiative of getting a taxi license but, for reasons described in my Huffington Post article,  it's getting harder to earn a living. As long as he drives for someone else, he will continue to struggle as most of what he generates in fares goes to the vehicle owner. That's just the way things work in the tropics.So, I seized the opportunity to help him get a vehicle and Shantel get to the USA. 

A Promising Start

I started a gofundme campaign just before Christmas to help not one but two people.

• Help Shantel Get to USA for a Job...Help a Jamaican Taxi Driver Get his own Vehicle
  

I have been very active on LinkedIn for about 12 years and Twitter for 8. I have 8,000+ followers on Twitter, a 4,000+ member network on LinkedIn. I thought that crowdfunding would be a breeze. I used the image at the start of this post as well as the one that accompanied the Huffington Post article. 

I even plugged into some blogger networks and my posts, status updates, and tweets were shared widely.

The Good News

The good news is that, after 2 exhausting months, we raised enough to send Shantel on the programme. The money came from calling and emailing relatives and long-time family friends. At the 11th hour, her mother's boss saved the day by giving her the rest of the money so that she could participate. 

Social Media Fails to Deliver

Unfortunately, we did not raise enough to cover the purchase of the vehicle. So, at this point, we have not been able to help the driver. Despite the fact that I posted in groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and tweeted like crazy, only 2 members of my social media network came through....2 out of a 12,000+ member network. If I stood at the street corner, put out a tin can, my results would have been better. 

If every member of my network had given even 50 cents, it would have been no hardship for them. The campaign would have been a success and it would have made a huge difference for two people.

A Wake-up Call

It's just one more social media disappointment and a wake-up call that traditional social media networks just don't deliver results. They are lousy for lead generation and a bust for crowdfunding, even when you're trying to help 2 worthy individuals.

I am new to beBee but already impressed by the engagement and fast organic reach of content. I have never seen anything like it on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. It's a breath of fresh air.

I'd still like to complete the campaign and get the driver on his feet. I am not ready to give up. So, if you can help, remember that even small donations add up quickly if enough people get on board. If you can't donate, I hope you can help me spread the word. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for listening and thanks in advance for helping in any way you can.

• What are some lessons that others can learn about crowdfunding from my experience?
• For those of you have completed successful campaigns, what are some of the secrets to success? In other words, what could I have done differently?