Potato Salad Won't Change the World, but YOU Can!

The power of social media is amazing.  It reminds me of that old Faberge Shampoo commercial – You know, the one where the spokesperson says “I’ll tell two friends, then they’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on…” – and pretty soon, the whole tv screen is filled with girls who know about Faberge shampoo.  Except, social media puts this concept on steroids.  Now, it’s “I tell 400 friends on Facebook, and you tell 750 friends on Twitter, and they tell 2000 friends on YouTube…” and the next thing you know, it’s gone viral, and the whole internet is abuzz with your message.

People are now starting to harness the power of social media through “crowd sourcing” to help fund all sorts of ideas.  I recently saw an article about crowdsourcing your wedding.  Websites like Kickstarter let you crowd source capital for all sorts of business and charitable projects.  You pitch the concept, and if you can convince enough people to buy into your idea, you can end up with a pocket full of cash to help you chase your dream.

If you think about it, it’s a pretty cool concept.  If enough people get behind a project, and everyone pitches in just a little bit, you can very quickly raise enormous sums of money – without putting a huge strain on anyone’s wallet.  But, here’s the rub… There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to determining which ideas catch on and “go viral” and which ones lie dormant and unnoticed.

Case in point:  You may have heard about the potato salad guy (and, yes – I realize that by sending you to his Kickstarter page, I’m just contributing to the visibility of his project, but indulge me for a moment).  He decided to use crowd sourcing to raise $10 to make a bowl of potato salad, and as of right now, he has raised somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000.  He hasn’t indicated that he has any intention of doing anything with the money other than making some potato salad.  He’s not going to give the food to the homeless, or donate any of the money to help alleviate poverty or human trafficking or (pick your favorite cause) – He’s just going to make some potato salad. 

I don’t have anything against this guy – or potato salad.  Good for him for getting his idea to go viral and raising enough money to pay his bills or take a vacation or make enough potato salad to last him a lifetime.  What really bugs me is that there are lots of other projects – on Kickstarter and elsewhere – that could have a huge positive impact on the world around us, but they are severely underfunded.  If you don’t believe me, just do a quick search for the word “poverty” on Kickstarter.com and you’ll see what I mean.

There are people who I know personally who have dedicated their lives to helping relieve poverty of the body, soul, and spirit – who have left the comfort of their American homes and jobs to live among the people in underdeveloped countries - and they are struggling to make ends meet.  They have to take months out of the year to raise support (e.g., beg for money) when they could be spending that time helping the people who they feel called to serve.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why in the world someone would give $10 to help some random guy make potato salad when they could take that same $10 and give it to an organization who could use it to feed a starving child for a week.  I know that the potato salad project is funny and human nature compels us to participate in the fun, but just stop for a minute and think about the impact that $40,000 could have if it was placed into the hands of people who are trying to help better the human condition around the world…

So, what’s the point of this rant?  The point is this:  Potato Salad guy was able to raise all that money because lots and lots and lots of people gave a very little bit.  Most of the donations were less than $25.  Sometimes, we fail to give because we feel like we don’t have enough.  We feel like our tiny donation of $5 really isn’t enough to make a difference when the needs are so great.  But, guess what – If you gave $5, and each of your friends on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or Instagram gave $5 – you might be surprised to see how quickly all the $5 donations add up to a lot.  On your own, you may not be able to change the world with $5.  But, guess what – Together, we CAN change the world if ALL of us give a little.

So, here is my challenge:  Find an organization that you believe in – one that is doing something good for the world – and give a little.  And, if you really don’t have anything to give financially, then take a Saturday morning and volunteer.  Giving of your time can be just as valuable as giving of your finances.  And, if you don’t know where to give, here are few of my favorites for you to consider:
 

One Day’s Wages:  A grassroots movement of people, stories, and actions to alleviate extreme global poverty.

Help One Now:  A catalytic tribe committed to caring for orphans and vulnerable children by empowering and resourcing high-capacity local leaders in order to transform communities and break the cycle of extreme poverty.

Compassion International:  A Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible fulfilled Christian adults. 

Exodus Road:  A nonprofit organization that exists for the purpose of alleviating human trafficking.

Wheresoever Ministries:  A Christian organization that encourages individual and community wholeness including spiritual, physical, mental, and environmental aspects in Mozambique and Malawi and around the world.


Thanks for listening – and remember – You can make a difference.  You really can…