Crowd funding: Yay or Nay?

[roser13]

Over the last couple of years I have donated to 2 crowd-funding appeals. Both were folks that I (somewhat) knew and both were for dire, life-altering reasons.

Lately, these types of "give me $$" appeals seem to be multiplying like crazy. Folks are asking for money for any and everything. I saw one on Facebook recently that was asking strangers to pay her entire way through nursing school

I don't know why this bothers me. Maybe it's the unspoken assumption that if I've worked my way into a position in life where I might have a few bucks to spare, I'd be happy to part with that money to help someone else not have to work as hard as I did. Obviously, I don't have to pay any attention to the appeals if I don't want to. It just seems so......nervy, I guess. As in, it takes a lot of.

What does everyone else think?

[Alisonisayoshi, LVN]

What is this?

Sharing a "gofundme" or "kickstarter" on one's Facebook or Twitter in hopes to raise funds. One asks friends to like and share it in hopes it will reach someone with a willingness to help in one's specific situation. Mine is for my last semester expenses. It's about 5k. I cannot take another loan, because my school doesn't work with lending. I'm maxed on grants. I'm applying like crazy for scholarships. I work. I'd like to avoid taking welfare to be perfectly honest. I'm not entitled, far from it, I'm exploring every avenue at my disposal.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

What is so wrong with going on government aid if you need it?

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Just wondering why you can't appeal to family or friends if funds are desperately needed? I'd have to be starving and homeless before I'd even think of appealing to total strangers for money. That's just me. I've worked all my life.

[Nibbles1]

Oh my gosh! I was one week away from having my lights cut off during nursing school. I worked three extra shifts at night then went to school the next morning.

Did you read about the girl who took an uber ride on Halloween night after partying for her birthday? Now she started a go fund me so she can pay her rent. She partied up her money and now needs help. Really?!?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

These crowd funding campaigns are getting ridiculous.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Jahi McMath Go Fund Me accounts that have now generated more money than most hard-working people earn in a year.

[canigraduate]

I like the basic idea of the crowd fund. My high school class is starting one to contribute to for our reunions.

I don't think we should judge people unless we know they're frauds. I have an artist friend who asks for donations so she can compete in art shows around the world. She has a lot of talent, but she doesn't have enough cachet yet to bring in enough money to cover more than basics. She is hoping to get enough exposure so she can make enough money off her work to live independently and uses the funds exclusively for her career.

I think the image of the crowd fund as a con is misleading. Of course, you will have your scammers, just like anywhere else, but I don't think the majority of users are out to put anything over on anyone.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I am with most of you guys here. I just think there is something tacky about asking people other than immediate family members for money. Starting a fundraising site online is no different than sitting on a street corner and holding a sign, IMO. If whatever you want isn't dire enough for you to beg in the streets for it, maybe you shouldn't beg for it online either. Now, if the situation is that bad, I will consider helping - I have donated to a couple of those things before.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I like the basic idea of the crowd fund. My high school class is starting one to contribute to for our reunions.

I don't think we should judge people unless we know they're frauds. I have an artist friend who asks for donations so she can compete in art shows around the world. She has a lot of talent, but she doesn't have enough cachet yet to bring in enough money to cover more than basics. She is hoping to get enough exposure so she can make enough money off her work to live independently and uses the funds exclusively for her career.

I think the image of the crowd fund as a con is misleading. Of course, you will have your scammers, just like anywhere else, but I don't think the majority of users are out to put anything over on anyone.

I didn't mean to imply that the fundraisers are frauds, although obviously that's a risk. I just struggle with the concept of asking the world for money. In the past, if you didn't have enough money to finish your last year of schooling, as one poster stated, you sat out a semester/year and worked like a fiend to save enough $$ to finish up.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I am with most of you guys here. I just think there is something tacky about asking people other than immediate family members for money. Starting a fundraising site online is no different than sitting on a street corner and holding a sign, IMO. If whatever you want isn't dire enough for you to beg in the streets for it, maybe you shouldn't beg for it online either. Now, if the situation is that bad, I will consider helping - I have donated to a couple of those things before.

Actually, I think it's VERY different, and I am way more likely to give money to the homeless person on the street corner than the person begging for donations on Facebook.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'm not a fan of most of those kinds of fundraising efforts.

[817nurse]

Few people want to work for anything anymore; they just want it handed to them.

Call me old-fashioned if you want, but I think a lot of people are looking for handouts these days. Whatever happened to the virtues of hard work and earning the things you want in life?!

Crowd funding is helpful for catastrophic unexpected stuff like losing everything in a house fire or paying for an unexpected funeral. Other than that, I think crowd funding taps into people looking to get something for nothing with no shame. It is pathetic.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Actually, I think it's VERY different, and I am way more likely to give money to the homeless person on the street corner than the person begging for donations on Facebook.

You might think differently if you were in my area- the people standing on the street corner appearing homeless work the corners in shifts and get picked up/dropped off in nice cars. My charity goes through vetted organizations who vet the recipients, not the random people asking for money.