May 7, 2008 11:47 am US/Eastern
Spread The Good Will Fast With 'Viral Giving'
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Helping someone in need is getting easier, thanks to a new trend called "Viral Giving." It's more than just making a donation online. It's also a way to spread the word about an organization's good deeds.
The Klaver family of Somerset is always willing to lend a helping hand in their community. They teach religion, coach sports and live by the philosophy of "paying it forward." When Dawn learned she had Multiple Sclerosis, this all took on a new meaning. As her husband Erik explained, "The day that she was diagnosed, I knew immediately that I wanted to do something to help."
He launched a non profit Web site,
www.charityamonth.com. It went live on Valentine's Day, his present to his wife. He hoped it would be "something that not only was important right now, but it was going to be important, hopefully, for a year, 10 years, 50 years, who knows?"
The site is designed to help out 12 different charities a year. A person donates, and then just as importantly, passes the word along. A number of viral charities are now flourishing on the Web. They include
www.justgive.org and
www.networkforgood.org. They all help connect people to additional charities.
Joe Nelson said he responded to a site after his aunt notified him of it. He made a donation in honor of his cousins, and then forwarded it to other friends and family. Within a month, 2,700 people had donated more than $65,000. Joe said "It was easy, you know, its two clicks."
Experts say it's not enough, however, to assume a site is safe to donate to just because you heard about it from some you know. The Better Business Bureau recommends consumers donate to a site directly, and not through emails which can be phishing scams. Bennett Weiner of the BBB added "Check it out no matter who is telling you an organization is good."
Dawn Klaver is hoping that her family's Web site may lead to more than just cash donations. "It might just open their eyes to things they didn't see before, and say, 'you know what, I have this talent, I have two hours a week, I could also do that.'"
A good place to start researching charities is
www.bbb.org/charity.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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