Pontis 2015 |5 Focused on development cooperation Digest Thinkong Ahead for Sustainable Development “The projects that do best on GlobalGiving are the organizations that clearly benefit people,” maintains Mari Kuraishi the digital age. Could you explain tions than it might have had. So we how exactly this model works and wanted to create a platform that could describe the pillars on which it do exactly that; send money to any stands ? organization in the world, regardless of size, that was doing good work that We founded GlobalGiving in 2001 could potentially increase the scope for before crowdfunding really existed, with innovation, and, ultimately, make com- the desire to do international develop- munities better. That was the reason we ment differently. Both my co-founder created GlobalGiving—not because we and I worked at the World Bank so we felt there was some great new world to had deep experience with the way devel- be explored in crowdfunding. Instead, opment was done in the world of official crowdfunding became a way to accom- aid. We felt that the problem with offi- plish the goal of pushing ownership of cial multilateral aid was that resources the development agenda back into the tended to flow to organizations that communities where it belonged, and were established, could handle large opening up space for innovation. In amounts of money and perhaps had other words, we wanted to do interna- a good relationship with some of their tional development better, which meant governments. That meant that organi- we had to do it differently. So that’s how zations that were smaller and wanted we stumbled onto crowdfunding. We Mari Kuraishi, Co-Founder and President of to test new ideas that were not proven started by saying “let’s support smaller GlobalGiving and that were not necessarily always organizations, let’s see if we can sup- in a position to have a good relation- port organizations that are first and GlobalGiving as an NGO provides ship with the government, usually got foremost grounded in community”. We a new and modern model of fun- fewer resources. As a result, the field then said, “Well, who can support these Published by the Pontis Foundation, Zelinárska 2, 821 08, Bratislava, Slovakia. draising that fits perfectly into of development has had fewer innova- organizations ?” the answer seemed to phone: (421 2) 5710 8111, fax: (421 2) 5710 8125, [email protected], [email protected], www.nadaciapontis.sk The Pontis Digest is co-financed by the SlovakAid. The views expressed in the Pontis Digest do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the SlovakAid. 2 Pontis Digest | 2015–5 | Digest Pontis crowdfunding platform. Therefore, Therefore, platform. crowdfunding GlobalGiving is a mission driven driven mission a is GlobalGiving doing the best work. best the doing to them, and which organizations are are organizations which and them, to what are the things that are meaningful meaningful are that things the are what These people systematically think about about think systematically people These money you should be giving it away. away. it giving be should you money it’s accepted that if you have enough enough have you if that accepted it’s do towards the end of the year, and and year, the of end the towards do others give because it’s a thing that we we that thing a it’s because give others to, a friend or family member. And And member. family or friend a to, in the US, because someone asks them them asks someone because US, the in In addition many people give, at least least at give, people many addition In about animals, they are animal lovers. lovers. animal are they animals, about related to animals because they care care they because animals to related might be attracted to do something something do to attracted be might think of Burkina Faso. Other people people Other Faso. Burkina of think Faso. So when they think of giving they they giving of think they when So Faso. one insight and it has turned into a a into turned has it and insight one with experimented We that ? change we served in the Peace Corps in Burkina Burkina in Corps Peace the in served logotyplogotyplogotyplogotyplogotyp organizácie organizácie organizácie organizácie organizácie their employees’ generosity. So that was was that So generosity. employees’ their innovations—could for known not was everybody. Some people may have have may people Some everybody. to reach out to companies who support support who companies to out reach to it respected, really was and business There are different motivations for for motivations different are There prípustnéprípustnéprípustnéprípustnéprípustné farebné farebné farebné farebné farebné varianty varianty varianty varianty varianty giving ? Which is when we got the idea idea the got we when is Which giving ? of lot a did Bank the while that was ferent projects ? ferent ourselves, when do people think about about think people do when ourselves, tackle to asked were we challenges the - dif support and donate to people So that forced our first pivot. We asked asked We pivot. first our forced that So of One Bank). World the (at strategy ects. What do you think motivates motivates think you do What ects. first thing that most people think about. about. think people most that thing first corporate as well as innovation ness - proj grassroots and NGOs tries, were thinking about, but that’s not the the not that’s but about, thinking were - busi of charge in were I and Denis - coun of range wide see can we site orphans in South Africa. That’s what we we what That’s Africa. South in orphans GlobalGiving ? - web your On approach. to-many wondering how they can support AIDs AIDs support can they how wondering How did you come up with idea of of idea with up come you did How GlobalGiving is pursuing a many- a pursuing is GlobalGiving ized, people don’t get up in the morning morning the in up get don’t people ized, a site and nobody came. And we real we And came. nobody and site a - are documented. are money-laundering or terrorist activities. terrorist or money-laundering give money to these projects. We built built We projects. these to money give to financial resources when those gains gains those when resources financial to nizations even indirectly connected to to connected indirectly even nizations anything about how to get donors to to donors get to how about anything they can be rewarded with better access access better with rewarded be can they - orga to money sending unintentionally the World Bank, but we did not know know not did we but Bank, World the improve how they are working, so that that so working, are they how improve on our site, to ensure that we were not not were we that ensure to site, our on work in the field because we came from from came we because field the in work to do things differently, to constantly constantly to differently, things do to diligence on every organization that is is that organization every on diligence a lot about organizations doing great great doing organizations about lot a from community groups on the ground ground the on groups community from way we had to carry out upfront due due upfront out carry to had we way much about philanthropy. We knew knew We philanthropy. about much ing platform to incentivise behaviour behaviour incentivise to platform ing the US that completely changed the the changed completely that US the first started out we did not know very very know not did we out started first - fundrais a as position our used have After 9 / 11, laws came into force in in force into came laws 9 / 11, After us to do things differently. When we we When differently. things do to us about doing development better, we we better, development doing about ated with international grant making. making. grant international with ated There were many things that caused caused that things many were There And finally, because we are passionate passionate are we because finally, And there were no criminal penalties associ penalties criminal no were there - money that goes through GlobalGiving. GlobalGiving. through goes that money ronment for us drastically. Before that that Before drastically. us for ronment ing ? that is a substantial amount of the the of amount substantial a is that US which changed the regulatory envi regulatory the changed which US - - think of way your in breakthrough py, or cause-related marketing. And And marketing. cause-related or py, were founded 9 / 11 happened in the the in happened 9 / 11 founded were a specific situation that led to a a to led that situation specific a - philanthro corporate giving, employee on a completely different note, after we we after note, different completely a on lenges and situations. Was there there Was situations. and lenges responsibility, whether it’s through through it’s whether responsibility, of the work we do today as well. Finally, Finally, well. as today do we work the of - chal new to adjust to order in ible panies that engage in corporate social social doplnkovécorporate in doplnkové doplnkovédoplnkovéengage doplnkovéthat panies farby farby farby farby farby opportunities. So disaster work is a lot lot a is work disaster So opportunities. - flex be to had you years the Over - com from come actually GlobalGiving of people go online looking for these these for looking online go people of a way to support these organizations. these support to way a through flow that resources of lot a als, that after disasters far greater numbers numbers greater far disasters after that we decided to leave the Bank and invent invent and Bank the leave to decided we - individu from money of lot a get do we ing up as one the results.