Charities in Nigeria often get funded through donations from individuals, corporate sponsorships, philanthropists, celebrities and grants. While these sources of funding are still viable and active, they are increasingly becoming competitive due to the increased number of charitable causes and limited funding available. For smaller charities in Nigeria, it is sometimes almost impossible to access international grants and corporate sponsorships, yet they must stay operational, create awareness, get the job done and make impact.
Today, with the increased use of Internet, charities around the world are utilizing to the power of the social media to create awareness as well as raise funds for the causes they support. In the United Kingdom, donations through websites, social media and apps now account for £2.4 billion, a quarter of charity funds raised annually.
According to the National Council of Nonprofits, crowdfunding is expected to become a $90-96 billion industry by 2025 and it is currently being adopted by a number of NGOs.
So What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is simply a term that refers to any effort to raise money with donations from a large number of people i.e. the crowd.
The concept of Crowdfunding in Nigeria is really not strange at all. From time to time, you would have seen students during events such as world polio day, world malaria day or world AIDS day attempt to raise funds for worthy causes by wearing rags and carrying sealed containers for donations. However, with the advent of the internet and smartphones, crowdfunding for social causes and charities in Nigeria can now be performed online as these technologies have changed the way we live, work and interact.
We have heard about how little drops of water makes the mighty ocean. We were also taught that every little effort we make amounts to the huge success that everyone sees. An athlete’s success is a combination of every effort he/she has ever put in on the way to the achievement. Every step, every sleepless night spent perfecting a move, every advice taken from the coach, every drink and every food eaten/abstained from, all combines to make up the champion that we all see. In the same vain, the little donations in a crowdfunding campaign can help serve the purpose. One thousand naira (N 1,000) donated by five thousand people can provide portable water in a remote Village in Borno or help educate 100 children in Anambra, or even foot the surgery bills of a sick child in Abeokuta.
How Viable Is Crowdfunding For Charities in Nigeria?
Funding a sizeable charitable project is easy if you can just get small pledges from a lot of people. This way, it is possible to spread the burden, create awareness for the project, and eliminate the need to prepare and present detailed presentations multiple times, and meet goals for a specific project on a timely basis.
Several crowdfunding sites exist internationally. However, donate-ng is one of the renowned ones in Nigeria known to support charities and help bridge the gap between those that are in need and those that have and are willing to support – donors. The passion, integrity and professionalism put in by the donate-ng team, come from the conviction that no man or woman should stay silent and suffer while help is just a click away. With over 86 million internet users, it is expected that crowdfunding will soon become the highest contribution to the funding of charities in Nigeria over the next few years.
In just its first year of operating, donate-ng has processed over 7 million Naira in donations. Campaigns such as #SaveBornoIDPs created by SDGsNigeria Action Group, raised 600,000 Naira in 3 days, and by day 60 of the campaign, about 1.4 million Naira had been donated for the IDPs in Borno using the donate-ng platform.
Also, in December, an individual raised 167,000 Naira in 10days (67% more than its 100, 000 Naira target) to support motherless babies at the Red Cross centre in Yaba, Lagos.
According to Ayodele Amusa, co-founder of donate-ng; “There is so much charitable work to be done in Nigeria and crowdfunding is just taking off. Within just one year, donate-ng has processed N 7 million Naira in donations and we are on a mission to make online fundraising and donating, as easy and transparent as possible. The simpler we make fundraising and donating, the more people will use it and the more we will achieve together.”
Is your Charity in need of funds? Do you want to know how viable crowdfunding can be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
