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Micro-donation or microphilanthropy is a form of charitable donation that is small in the donated amount. In the past[when?], micro-donations have been used most effectively by companies collecting spare change at registers and checkouts. Recently[when?], this form of philanthropy has become more popular with the advent of online and mobile donating.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Coin_donations.jpg/220px-Coin_donations.jpg)
In addition to the more traditional forms of donating, like giving directly from person to person, both the internet and mobile-phones have become more accepted by the public for collecting donations.[citation needed]
Micro-donations of $200 or less have made up an ever-larger share of nomination fundraising in the three United States presidential primary elections since 2000. (In this measurement a person who donates $190 twice to a candidate has given two micro-donations, but is not a micro-donor). Micro-donations accounted for 25% of the total donations for the United States presidential election in 2000. This figure rose to 34% in 2004 and 38.8% in 2008.[1][2][3]
Supporting technology
editMicrophilanthropy requires the ability to deal with a large number of small interactions efficiently. If a successful approach also includes implementing a fundraising drive that utilizes microphilanthropic resources connected to a specific charity, the approach must also include a structure or "middleman" technology that allows for an effective, efficient aggregation and distribution of microphilanthropic donations.[citation needed] For example, the US-based nonprofit Zidisha offers an eBay-style peer-to-peer microlending platform, which uses internet and mobile phone technology to deliver services between lenders and borrowers directly across international borders without local intermediaries.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Malbin, Michael J. (2006). “A Public Funding System in Jeopardy: Lessons from the Presidential Nomination Contest of 2004.” In The Election After Reform: Money, Politics and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (Michael Malbin, ed.) 219
- ^ "After Holding Financial Advantage in Primaries, Obama Likely to Achieve Only Parity with McCain in General Election". CFI Release. September 26, 2008.
- ^ Hasen, Richard L.: More Supply, More Demand: The Changing Nature of Campaign Financing for Presidential Primary Candidates, (December 1, 2008). Loyola-LA Legal Studies Paper No. 2008-26.
- ^ "A Microloan "eBay" for African Entrepreneurs" (PDF). Afrikan Post. August 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2014.