Ask HN: Idea about buying from vs. giving to a Non-Profit

[bhudman]

I am involved in a few nonprofit groups (as board member in one and volunteering in a few). All have a persistant problem: No money. So the thing to do is to beg/ask for money, which is not usually sustainable. These nonprofits do not have an sugar daddy's either to support them.

Lets take a strugling social service organization. Instead of asking for money, what if the org. helps two families, and then it present evidence of helping them, and then ask people to pay/sponsor/subsidize the money that cost the organization to help this family?

Is this the dummbest idea you have ever heard? If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts on coming up with an alternative to incessantly bug supporters for money.

[pewpewlasergun]

This is actually what those sponser-a-child/build-a-well/kiva type charities do. For example, go to kiva and you'll see a bunch of people you can lend money to. These people already have loans, you aren't actually lending money to them. So, its not a dumb idea and has worked for other charities.

So for the family example, maybe print a catalog with food, furniture, ect. and a mini bio of the family and present it as buying stuff for that family. In fact, you already helped that family and the money goes to help the next one.