The media likes to give attention to the great big large donations that multimillion dollar companies give to poverty and non-profits, so do we, but what is equally as important is the small donations done by the majority of people. There has been a growth in the amount of non-profits emerging that focus on reaching the average person to give a modest amount, it could be an average donation of $10, or a can of soup. These are reasonable amounts that most of America can afford, and in the end you have a wider base of donators that can sustainably give. This is hard to keep in mind when you only hear about the big campaigns or grants, but it can be simple. There was a man named Peter Norback asked his neighbors to donate a can of food a week that he would pick up and give to the local shelter. He started small, with 10 houses and now has the whole neighborhood involved. It took less than $100,000 to start Grameen, which now does global microfinancing giving away hundreds of millions per year. It only takes $2 to give a vaccination to a child, $40 to pay a teacher for a year; of course the million dollar donations will always be welcome as well. Small amounts make a big difference.
-Sara Frodge
Source: The New York Times
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